The sun hung high in the clear blue sky, casting golden beams through the cottage window. Raquel stirred under the blanket; his small form wrapped in warmth. With a drowsy yawn, he rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, his gaze drifting sleepily around the room. Then his eyes landed on me.

I was seated beside his bed, watching over him. When he noticed me, his tired features lit up with a loose, sleepy smile.

"G-good morning, big sister," he greeted, his voice soft and warm.

I looked at him quietly, memories of last night flickering in my mind, then offered a gentle smile in return.

"Good morning."

He climbed out of bed and padded toward me on bare feet. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, without a word, he leaned in and hugged me, burying his face into my side. His warmth was delicate, his trust fragile. I stroked his tousled hair gently, careful not to startle him.

After a moment, I asked softly, "Raquel, do you remember the time when you summoned me?"

He looked up, blinking, clearly puzzled by the question, but he nodded.

"Yes... why?"

"Do you remember the string around our index fingers, the one that appeared when we were about to form the contract?" I watched him closely as I spoke. He glanced down at his hand, searching his memory. Then, like a light switching on, his face brightened.

"Yeah! That beautiful shiny red string, right?"

I nodded. "That's right. Do you know what that was?"

He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "No? But it was beautiful!"

I smiled warmly, continuing to stroke his hair. "Yeah... it really was."

I decided to push the thought aside for now and focus on the present.

Instead, I turned to something simpler. "Are you hungry?"

Raquel pulled back, pressing his hand to his belly. He looked up at me with an uncertain shrug. "I don't think so."

"It's morning—you should eat something anyway." I stood and reached for his hand. "I gathered some food earlier. Let's go get it."

His eyes lit up with a spark of joy. "Yay! Thank you, big sister!" He hugged me tightly, his small arms wrapping around me.

I smiled and took his hand. It felt warm and real. I can touch him...

But whatever I did, the mystery of the string and everything that occurred last night, still lingered. I looked at my hand and thought, 'What was that string? And why did I pass through things last night?'

Raquel glanced down at our joined hands, then up at me. A quiet, glowing smile crossed his face. I didn't notice even when he tightened his grip on my hands. I was too focused on my thoughts and guiding him to where I dropped the things last night.

We arrived at the spot where I'd dropped the gathered food. He ran forward eagerly and knelt beside the basket, his eyes wide with curiosity as he picked up a head of lettuce in one hand and a bell pepper in the other, examining them closely.

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched his fascination. However, my amusement turned to alarm when I saw him raise the bell pepper to his mouth. Before I could intervene, he'd taken a bite. I braced for a grimace or a complaint, but to my surprise, he simply chewed thoughtfully and took another bite.​

"Stop," I said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to cook those."​

He paused, looking up at me. "Oh," he said simply. "Then what can I eat?"​

I handed him a ripe apple from the basket. "Try this. It's sweet and ready to eat."​

He accepted it with a nod, and we began our walk back to the cottage. As he munched on the apple, a thought nagged at me. 'He really didn't react to eating the bell pepper, well, eating bell pepper isn't dangerous raw... but it's still odd that there's no reaction at all.'

"Did you like the fruit you ate earlier?" I asked him instead.

He fell silent.

He looked up at me, then lowered his gaze.

Concern began to curl in my chest. "Do you... not like it?"

He gave a tiny nod.

My heart ached. "Then why did you keep eating it?"

He walked quietly beside me, his grip tightening slightly around my hand. Then, almost inaudibly, he whispered, "I thought you might leave me if I didn't like it."

I stopped in my tracks.

The air was still. No wind, no rustling leaves—only us, surrounded by the dense, silent forest. And his small, frightened voice echoed loudly in my ears.

I turned to face him, kneeling down so we were eye to eye.

"So... you ate something you didn't like because you thought I'd leave you if you didn't?"

He nodded again, eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"Raquel," I said, placing my hands gently on his shoulders. "I will never leave you."

He looked up, searching my face.

"Even if I'm picky with food?"

A small smile tugged at my lips. It would be easier if he wasn't, of course. But this wasn't the right time to say something like that, even if it was for his health.

"Yes," I answered, firm and warm.

His eyes sparkled.

"Really? You promise?"

I wrapped my arms around him. "That's right. I'll always be by your side."

He clung to me in return, burying his face in my shoulder.

We stayed like that for a long moment, wrapped in each other's warmth.

When I finally pulled back, I smiled at him brightly. "Let's go and prepare your breakfast."

"Yes, big sister!" he replied with joy, and together, hand in hand, we returned to the cottage.

*****

Lunch had come and gone. With the quiet hours stretching ahead of us and nothing much to do, Raquel pulled out something dear to him—his favorite book.

It was a book left behind his mother, and the same book he had used to summon me. He held it gently as he opened it, and began pointing at passages, excitedly explaining their meanings. I nodded along, listening to the excited Raquel. He seemed happy, and that was enough for me.

Though it was my first time seeing the language of this world, strangely, I could read it effortlessly. Maybe it was a side effect of the summoning process?

Still, I let him teach me, even if I didn't need to learn. He wanted to share, and that mattered more than efficiency. Our pace was slow—painfully so at times—but I didn't have the heart to rush him. In this quiet house, with no one else but the two of us, his voice filled the silence like warmth in cold air. I didn't want that to stop.

When the sky dimmed and the shadows stretched longer, I gently told him to continue reading while I made dinner with the food I had gathered earlier. He agreed with a nod, reluctantly pulling his gaze away from me and returning it to the pages.

A few minutes later, I sensed him nearby. Turning slightly, I saw him standing just outside the kitchen space, quietly observing what I was doing.

"Hey, Raquel, it's dangerous," I said softly, glancing at the fire I was cooking over.

"I understand," he replied, stepping back, but his gaze stayed locked on my hands, fascinated.

I tried to ignore the quiet intensity of his stare, but eventually, I couldn't help but turn back to him. "Are you curious?" I asked.

He nodded without hesitation, eyes gleaming with childlike wonder.

I gestured him to come close, and gave him a simple task to keep him busy.

"Go ahead and take the leaves off this lettuce one by one." I told him, and he eagerly followed with his eye shining.

He accepted the task with unexpected reverence, his tiny fingers moving with care. He worked quietly beside me, focused and proud, and something about that simple moment settled in my chest like warmth spreading from a hearth.

After a while, we finished preparing and eating dinner, he rubbed his eyes and crawled into bed, his body swaying with sleep. He tugged lightly on my sleeve and whispered, "Will you sleep beside me?"

I smiled gently and brushed his hair back. "I'll stay until you fall asleep," I said.

He gave me a sleepy grin, already drifting off.

As I sat there beside him, my hand still gently stroking his hair, I realized something strange—I wasn't tired. I hadn't felt the need to sleep since I arrived in this world. I hadn't even really felt hungry. Was it that my basic human needs were taken away when I was summoned? Was it the equivalence of being able to read this world's language?

'What is this some F*llmetal Alch*mist Law of equivalent Exchange shit? Is it even considered an equivalent exchange? If anything, this is more like a win-win thing? There's no equal exchange here. So what's going on?'

Once I was sure Raquel was sound asleep, I stood and remembered we'd need more food for tomorrow. But then, something else came to mind—the strange strings that tugged me back when I tried to go too far. Those strings tried to keep me near Raquel, I wonder if those limits would disappear if Raquel gives me his permission?

I leaned close to him and whispered, "Raquel, I'm going out for a short while to gather food and water for breakfast, alright?"

Still half-asleep, he mumbled, "Alright..." and his breathing deepened.

I stepped out into the cool night, guided by the soft glow of moonlight. And as I went deeper in the forest, I was actually able to prove my theory right. I moved farther than before—far enough to reach a river, a place I hadn't been able to access until now.

I stood at the edge of the water, watching the gentle current shimmer under the moon. I thought about what to do first.

'Should I gather food first then get water? Water's quite heavy to bring back, after all... but since I'm here anyway, I guess I'll try water first.'

I crouched down and filled the bucket. When I lifted it, I paused, surprised by how light it felt.

Sure, I was stronger than most, thanks to years of training, but this was different. The bucket was full, yet I carried it with almost no effort.

Was it really my needs that were gone? Or was it my limits as a human?

Either way, it was... pretty cool.

On the walk back, I gathered more fruit—just enough to last a few days. When I returned, I placed the full water bucket near the old wooden tub in the corner and set the basket of fruit on the table.

That's when I noticed the book again—the one Raquel and I had been reading earlier.

I looked over at Raquel, peaceful in his sleep, then back at the book.

With nothing else pressing, I sat down and began to read—letting the silence wrap around me like a blanket as I turned each page.