"Come."

I lead the way back to the river, where he can quench his thirst. He drinks sip by sip, proving his previous words a lie. I assume he's much hungrier than he's letting on. Finally, he steps back and seems to have satisfied his body's craving for water.

"Thank you."

"Thank you?"

Confused, I tilt my head to the side.

"Thank you? What kind of word is that? Thank you. I've never heard that before. What does it mean?" I ask, bewildered.

"Huh?"

The boy looks at me with wide eyes.

"What's going on?"

"You don't know what 'thank you' means? Are you serious?"

I immediately feel myself getting irritated again. I'm not usually this impatient. Or is it because I've been talking to another person for the first time in ages? And about things that have nothing to do with death, pain, or suffering. Besides, I haven't had a conversation this long with anyone other than my sister. And during our time with the Organization, we mostly didn't speak.

"Why wouldn't I be serious? Didn't I just tell you not to lie to me? Why would I lie?"

"Ye-yes, you're right. I just can't understand how you don't know what thank you means. You must have heard it at some point. I hear the word several times a day, just in everyday life with my family."

"What does 'thank you' mean?" I press him.

"Um, yes. You say 'thank you' when you want to thank someone for something. Wait, no. That doesn't help you. Uh, you say thank you when someone has done something for you as a kind of response. To acknowledge it and show that you're happy about it. Something like that, I would say."

"Hmm. So you said thank you because I brought you water so you could quench your thirst?" I want to make sure I understand him.

"Exactly!" he replies with a beaming face. That's another expression I've only seen on a few of my previous targets. Before they knew their time was coming to an end. 

"The things you find in the world," I comment absentmindedly.

"How come you've never heard that word before?"

I decide not to respond to his question. Revealing more about myself could potentially be dangerous for both of us.

"Come here and hold on tight," I urge him instead, crouching down with my back to him. For a few moments, he looks at me in confusion, but my renewed, more determined request breaks the spell. He climbs onto my back and wraps his arms around me. I immediately feel his warm breath on my neck, and the warmth of his body pressed so close to mine. How long has it been since I felt a living being like this without having to kill it? Apart from my sister, I've never had such contact with anyone else. It feels strange and unfamiliar.

I make sure one last time that he's holding on tight, then climb the nearest suitable tree. The boy lets out a surprised scream as soon as we're a good way off the ground, and I notice his body tensing up more and more. Finally, we reach the spot I saw earlier. A branch that is nice and wide and stable, so he can sit on it or lean against the trunk without any problems.

"I'll go get us something to eat. In the meantime, stay here and make no sound, understood? You seem to have been lucky so far that no dangerous monsters have come after you, but we don't want to take any chances. Got it?"

Intimidated, either by me or by the height, he nods in agreement. I immediately look away from him and push myself off the trunk to grab the branch of another nearby tree and swing further. I move quickly, focusing most of my attention on my hearing and my instinctive perception of presence. I look for something that is edible for us, but also not too difficult to carry back to the boy. This rules out larger animals. The problem with plant-based food here is that I may be immune to all kinds of poisons, but the boy is not. And since I'm unfamiliar with the plants here, that would be too big a risk. Otherwise, I would have taken roots, berries, or something else, as that is simply the quickest option and does not produce the smell of blood that could attract uninvited guests. Well, that leaves only smaller prey, but of course, they know how to hide or run away.

For this reason, I move as quietly as possible and hide my presence as best as I can. Fortunately, I soon find what I'm looking for. Following a soft rustling sound, I see a hare grazing, but keeping a close eye on its surroundings. Despite its meal, the animal remains highly alert. But that's not enough to notice me. Before the hare can even realize what's happening, I break its neck, giving it a quick and painless death. And with that, my hunt has already come to an end, as I gather a few berries and roots for myself on the way back, the kind I've eaten in the last few days, and which didn't taste too bad. They were nutritious and filling, which is ultimately the most important thing.

As soon as I return, I hear the boy breathe a sigh of relief. I lay my prey against the trunk and climb the tree to get the child back down to the ground.

"Did you catch a rabbit? So fast?" he asks the obvious.

I don't answer him, but instead start to skin the animal before grilling it over a magical flame without saying a word. The boy watches my every move with wide eyes and his mouth open.

"You're so cool! Where did you learn that?"

"From surviving," I reply truthfully.

"Wow!"

The rabbit is almost ready to eat when the boy starts talking again.

"What's your name? I can't really thank you if I don't know your name."

"Name? Do you need that so someone can thank you?"

"No, no, you don't really need it. But it feels so strange without one. It's much more personal, at least that's what my parents always say."

"I don't have a name."

"You don't have a name? That can't be! Everyone has a name!" he protests against my statement.

"I don't have a name, never had one," I repeat bluntly.

"That doesn't make sense. Who doesn't give their child a name?"

Well, you'd better never find out. You don't want to know anything about the Organization, and you shouldn't. It's for your own good.