The old lady invited Grahn, Hira, and Para to her house. She introduced herself as Anuke, the owner of a small apothecary store nearby.

Her house was divided into two sections. The front served as an apothecary, where she also provided minor medical treatment.

The back wasn’t large, but it carried an aged charm. The wooden walls bowed slightly under the weight of years and weather. This space combined her bedroom, living area, and herb storage, with a thin partition separating the kitchen.

Shelves lined the room, stacked with clear and opaque earthen pots. A few contained eerie liquids with small rodents or insects suspended within.

Countless scrolls and various apparatus lay scattered across the floor. Dried plants hung from the ceiling, their faint scent lingering in the air.

"Have a seat and make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing toward the round table surrounded by chairs. "I’ll brew some tea."

Grahn and Hira took their seats, but Para followed Anuke into the kitchen—a familiar routine between them.

Grahn and Hira glanced around; the room was dim, nearly pitch-black. With no windows, only small cloth-covered holes allowed slivers of light to filter in.

They looked at each other, confused, discussing the possible reason for this weird setting.

“Is this… some kind of strange… kink?” Hira asked, concern etched across his face.

"Hahaha…" A soft laugh interrupted before Grahn could speak. Anuke and Para returned; even in the dim light, her kind features stood out. Her silver hair shimmered, and her blue eyes still held a glow. She carried a tray of cups while behind her, Para followed with a large kettle, his face red with embarrassment at Hira’s words.

"It is not because of a kink…" She sighed lightly, setting the tray on the table before settling down. Her gaze remained gentle as she looked at Hira and explained, "Some herbs react badly to light, and I’m not rich enough to afford a separate storage space for them." She chuckled softly. "So, I have to keep them in a room with as little light as possible. That’s why there’s no window. But I still need air to survive, so I made small holes for ventilation."

She hadn’t taken Hira’s remark to heart, responding instead with patience and calmness.

"Then, what about that?" Grahn pointed toward a small burning stick in the corner. It had no flames, only a bright orange glow and a thin wisp of smoke curling into the air.

"That’s an incense stick." Anuke said with a light chuckle. "Without it, you wouldn’t even last a minute in this room."

She smiled as she explained, "Some herbs have an incredibly strong and pungent smell, so I made this special incense to mask the odor. It’s the only reason this place is even remotely bearable."

Intrigued by her house, Grahn and Hira bombarded Anuke with questions about the herbs, the strange apparatus, the tiny insects, and everything in between. They were like children at a grand fair for the first time, eyes wide with wonder, pointing at every little thing and eagerly demanding answers.

Anuke, amused by their enthusiasm, responded with equal patience and warmth. She answered each question calmly, breaking things down in the simplest way possible, making sure they could follow along.

The conversation went on for a while.

With trembling hands, Anuke picked up the kettle. Her frail, bony fingers barely wrapped around the handle, and the kettle swayed slightly as she carefully steadied it. She was using every ounce of her energy to keep it from slipping. For someone running an apothecary, her body was surprisingly weak, but at her age, it was inevitable.

Para instinctively stepped forward to help, but she gently stopped him with a firm glance. “Let me.” She insisted, a quiet determination in her voice. “It’s the first time I’ve had guests like this… I’d like to serve them myself.”

She finally managed to pour tea for everyone and put down the kettle and exhaled a long sigh.

Taking a small sip, she spoke—her voice soft, yet heavy with warmth and wisdom, “How did you guys meet Para?”

“We were travelling through the forest when our friend was poisoned…” Hira spoke in a low voice.

“Oh my!… Poisoned? How?” Anuke asked in surprise.

“He was bitten by a spider wolf.” Grahn answered her.

“Ohh… They are very territorial… Did you guys enter its territory by accident? ” Anuke asked.

“We don't know, it just suddenly attacked us, and because of a mistake of mine… my friend, Mokash… was poisoned.” Hira looked down as he said.

"But luckily, we found Para before anything worse happened." Grahn said with a small smile. "He helped us a lot. He and Hira even went out in the middle of the night to find the herb that cured Mokash."

As she heard this, Anuke’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and she reached out to pat Para’s hand.

"I always knew you had it in you, Para. I always knew you’d do something big." She said, her face lighting up with a proud smile. "And now, you’ve saved a life!"

Para flushed, ducking his head and trying to cover it with his hands. “I-It’s nothing… I just did what you taught me and what I learned from the b-books you gave me.”

Anuke chuckled softly. “That is all it takes, Para… That is all it takes. I can see you’re moving forward now.”

Grahn and Hira exchanged amused glances, smiling at the heartwarming interaction between Para and Anuke.

But the mood shifted when Anuke asked why they had been travelling through the forest. The warmth drained from their expressions. Shoulders tensed. Even Para looked up abruptly. He had always been curious about their journey, but was too shy or afraid to ask.

Silence stretched, heavy and unspoken.

Finally, Grahn spoke, his voice low.

“Something terrible happened… to our home… our place. We had to leave… escape.”

Hira gave a curt nod, his jaw tight. Anuke studied them, wise enough to understand their situation to some degree and not press further. Instead, she offered a quiet nod—an unspoken gesture of understanding.

Para, listening intently, felt something shift within him. It was the first time they had opened up, even a little. It made him uneasy. He didn’t know how he should feel or react. Up until now, they had lived an easy life with him—laughing, talking, exploring. Who knew they had been hiding something this heavy all along?

He had always thought he was the only one carrying a burden too painful to share.

But now, the people he had enjoyed spending time with wore grim expressions.

And somehow, that realization broke something inside him.

Sensing the heaviness in the air, Anuke gently shifted the topic. She spoke to Para as if nothing had happened, allowing the two of them to recover.

She asked how he was doing—if he was eating properly, sleeping well, taking care of his health. Her voice carried the warmth of a mother speaking to a child who had returned home after a long time.

Amid her gentle questions, she suddenly asked, “How are things going with your friends, Para? It must feel different, having your first friends.”

‘Friends.’ The word struck Para. He hadn’t realized it before, but to him, they were his friends.

Yet, the realization brought unease. Did they feel the same? Or were they just waiting for their real friend, Mokash, to recover so they could leave?

Before this, the word ‘friend’ had always felt foreign to him. He had no experience to compare it with.

Grahn and Hira looked up, their suspicions now confirmed. They had sensed it before, but now, it was undeniable.

Para’s silence stretched a second too long. His fingers curled, gripping the edge of his shirt. He lowered his gaze, suddenly aware of his heartbeat.

He was caught in turmoil. A part of him wanted to deny it, to protect himself, afraid they would turn out like everyone else, afraid to trust. But another part wanted to hold on, to stay with them, to laugh with them, to belong.

Anuke noticed—but she didn’t say anything. She simply smiled knowingly, sipped her tea, and spoke with quiet conviction.

“You should trust them, Para. I’ve lived long enough to tell when people have good hearts. Your heart should understand this, too.” She looked at him and gave him a deep smile.

“A man who fears the flames can never bask in their warmth.”

Para looked at her, wide-eyed. Confusion and fear swirled within him—he didn’t know what to say. His gaze flickered to Grahn and Hira. They were listening but not pressing him for a response.

He parted his lips as if to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Swallowing hard, he dropped his gaze and looked away.

The tea was finished, and their meeting came to an end.

Anuke came to the door to see them off. Para still looked dumbfounded, his mind lingering on her words.

He stepped out first, head down, lost in thought.

As they were about to leave, Anuke called out to Grahn and Hira. “Your friend was bitten by a spider wolf, right?”

She handed Grahn a bundle of herbs and ointment, her fingers lingering on his hand just a moment too long. Their eyes met—an unspoken weight in her gaze—before she finally let go. Grahn found it odd but chose not to dwell on it.

“Para has had a difficult life, and I can tell that he enjoys your company. Please, don't break his heart.”

Grahn and Hira nodded, her words weighing on them more than they expected.

…

The sun had begun to set, and the streets grew busier with people. Not wanting to risk getting caught in the forest after dark, they quickened their pace.

"She was considerate." Grahn said.

"Yeah." Hira replied.

"And kind too." Grahn added.

"Yeah."

Grahn paused for a moment before asking, "How old do you think she is? She was kind of flexing her age."

Hira shrugged. "No idea."

“What do you think, Para?” Grahn asked.

…

No reply.

“Para?” Grahn called out again.

…

Still no reply.

Grahn turned around.

Para was not there.

Panic set in instantly.

"Para!" Grahn’s deep voice thundered through the village.

Hira also yelled, eyes darting frantically as they shoved past people, scanning every corner of the bustling market. They pushed through the crowd, searching, desperate.

Then, they noticed something strange.

The villagers were avoiding them.

Mothers tucked their children behind them. Vendors clutched their wares tightly. Some men gripped their tools as makeshift weapons. But when Grahn or Hira met their eyes, the villagers quickly looked away, refusing to hold their gaze.

Grahn and Hira exchanged glances. Something was wrong.

Meanwhile, Para stood with his back pressed against a wall. His head was lowered, hands trembling slightly, fingers fidgeting at the frayed edges of his torn cloak.

A group of boys surrounded him, their faces twisted with smug grins.

The one at the front stepped closer, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. Arms crossed and head tilted, he sneered.

"Yo… basard."