What the hell just happened!?” Mr. Smith exclaimed in shock.

Kayle ran toward his grandmother. “Grandmother!” His tears fell like a broken dam, his voice shaking. He wept, holding her hand tightly—his only family left. The thought of losing her was unbearable.

Nur, who was about to collapse from exhaustion, forced himself to stand. He straightened up and walked toward Kayle and his grandmother.

Reaching out, he took her wrist and searched for a pulse.

“…”

Then, he smiled slightly.

“Brother Nur?” Kayle looked at him with desperate eyes.

“She was drugged to sleep. Don’t worry, her life isn’t in danger.” Since Leynard was a doctor he might have at least something like a sleeping drug.

“Drugged?” Smith asked, his voice filled with concern. “Will there be any side effects?”

Nur hesitated. ”…There won’t.” He wasn’t completely sure, but he said it anyway—to ease their worries. Deep down, he was a little concerned himself.

“I’ll call someone for help!” Smith turned, ready to rush off.

“No need!”

A faint voice stopped him.

It was Kayle’s grandmother.

Her eyes fluttered open, still heavy with drowsiness. She struggled to speak, but her lips curved into a soft smile.

“There’s no need to call for help…”

“Grandma!” Kayle’s sorrowful face lit up with relief. Tears of happiness streamed down his cheeks. “I thought… I thought you might never wake up.”

His grandmother slowly lifted a frail hand, wiping his tears away with her thumb before resting her palm against his cheek.

“My dear Kai…” her voice was barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to worry. Even though my time has long passed, I held on… just thinking about you.”

Her eyelids grew heavier. ”…But it’s not time for me to go yet. Not yet…”

Then, her breathing slowed.

“Grandma? Grandma!”

Tap!

She didn’t respond.

Nur could feel her heart beating and breath, but to make sure he checked her pulse once again.

“Looks like she just fell asleep. Maybe the drug’s effects haven’t worn off yet… or maybe she’s just tired.”

Nur stood there, lost in thought. Was all of this just a coincidence?

His body ached all over, the pain itching at his nerves. He wanted to hold the worst of it, but there were too many places to count.

He turned around to ask Mr. Smith for help or to call someone to check on her.

”…?”

But he was nowhere to be seen.

”…”

“Well… at this point, it wouldn’t be good to invite anyone else here. And that Smith guy—”

“Guys, I’m back!”

Kayle turned around. “Mr. Smith, where did you go?”

Smith let out a chuckle. “Well, I went to ask for help, but it turns out no one in the village would be able to do much. The local doctor isn’t here—he left for the nearby city. And from the looks of it, your grandmother didn’t want to tell anyone about what happened. I had my suspicions, too, hahaha!”

”…”

Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the broken door.

Smith scratched the back of his head. “Hahaha… my bad, my bad. I’ll fix it.”

He lifted a small bag. “Since I was already out, I grabbed some stuff. That was my main reason for leaving, anyway.”

…

Smith fixed the door. Although it wasn’t in perfect shape, it would have to be replaced eventually. After that, he went to the back to continue fixing the pipeline he had been working on earlier—the one he left behind when he heard the commotion inside.

Not much time had passed when Kayle’s grandmother slowly opened her eyes again.

They explained everything that had happened.

The place was a mess.

She sighed, looking around before offering a gentle smile. “Thank you, both of you, for looking after me. I wonder… how long has it been since this house was this lively? Though the situation wasn’t exactly something to be happy about, I’m still glad… that nothing worse happened.”

Then, she turned toward Nur, her eyes closing briefly as she smiled. “And you, son… thank you for protecting us.”

”…I didn’t do much, I—”

“You did enough,” she interrupted softly. “You fought someone far beyond what your body could handle.”

Nur didn’t argue. He didn’t want to talk much after what happened. His body ached, exhaustion weighing on him—he just wanted to rest.

“Grandma, about the book he took…” Kayle hesitated.

His grandmother placed a reassuring hand on his cheek. “Don’t worry, my Kai. No matter what that book holds… he wasn’t able to lay a hand on what’s most precious.”

“And what is that, Grandma?” Kayle asked, curious.

She chuckled.

“Grandma!” Kayle blushed. “Don’t laugh like that—you’re making me look like an idiot for not getting it!”

She chuckled again, covering her mouth.

Nur watched them from the side, his mind filled with confusion about Leynard and his power. If Leynard was truly awakened, Nur should have been easily overpowered. Yet, despite everything, he only walked away with some bruises. It hurt, but not nearly as much as he had expected.

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

His head started to throb slightly—a faint vibration that was oddly comfortable but it was starting to get annoying for him. He pushed the thought aside, assuming it was just the aftereffects of his head hitting the wall during the fight. Holding his forehead, he tried to ignore the discomfort.

For now, Nur focused on the happy family before him.

“Can I ask you something?” he said, turning to Kayle’s grandmother.

“Go ahead!”

“What exactly was in that book he took? What made things escalate this far?” Nur asked, still feeling uneasy.

She let out a small sigh, placing her hands on her cheeks in disappointment. “It’s a pity we lost it…”

Her voice carried regret—not because of any deep secret, but because the book held sentimental value.

“It was a book passed down in our family for generations. A precious heirloom.”

Nur’s brows furrowed slightly. “As I thought… it might have held some kind of secret.” His curiosity was piqued.

“It was a book that told the tales of the hero.”

”…?”

“Huh?” Nur blinked in confusion.

“Huh!? What!?” Kayle practically jumped in despair. “You’re telling me he stole my favorite hero book!?”

His grandmother chuckled, amused by the situation, her laughter lightening the mood.

Nur stood there, stunned. ”…So he really was just here for a fairy tale he could have bought from any market?”

He nearly fell to his knees—both disappointed and relieved. He had been feeling guilty for letting the book go without the owner’s permission, thinking it might have been something crucial. But in the end… It was just a storybook. 

Just as Nur felt relieved, his consciousness wavered. His body suddenly loosened, his limbs losing strength. Before he knew it, he collapsed onto the floor.

The impact jolted him awake, forcing his mind to stay conscious.

“Brother Nur! Are you okay?” Kayle rushed over, grabbing his hand to help him up.

This time, Nur didn’t refuse. He took Kayle’s hand and stood.

Behind him, Kayle’s grandmother watched with worried eyes.

Nur forced a chuckle. “Nothing to worry about… I just suddenly felt light, that’s all. Hahaha.” His laugh was awkward, unnatural—but he didn’t want to trouble them. They had only just met, and he didn’t want to be a burden.

This morning, Kayle had planned to take him around the village and introduce him to the village chief. But after everything that had happened, those plans were canceled.

Instead, they stayed by Kayle’s grandmother’s side the whole day.

Even though she insisted she was fine, that they didn’t need to worry, she also mentioned something strange—saying that they wouldn’t return again.

At least, not anytime soon.

As if she knew them.

Nur wasn’t sure what to make of it, but for now… he played along.