Darkness surrounded me, heavy and suffocating. It was oppressive, clinging to my skin like cold, wet cloth. It was endless and unrelenting.

   I couldn’t see or hear anything.

   The chill seeped into my bones, spreading through my body. My limbs felt numb, and my chest tightened as if the darkness itself was draining the life out of me.

   This is it, huh...?  I wondered. My body felt heavy. I was so, so tired.

   Slowly, I began to slip, my thoughts fading as an overwhelming drowsiness pulled me deeper into the void—

   “█████████████”

   “███████”

   “██████████”

   “█████████████████”

   “████”

   …What?

   Something echoed through the darkness, firm yet distant. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t understand even one word. Was it real or just a fragment of my fading consciousness? As I started struggled to think, my head felt like it was about to explode.

   It hurts.

   It hurts.

   It hurts It hurts. It hurts. It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!! It hurts!!!! It—?!

   Something began to shift. My brain, slow and heavy, started to flicker back to life. Sparks of awareness crackled somewhere deep inside my head. The pain didn’t disappear—but it sharpened, focused, as if dragging me back to the surface by force.

* * *

   My eyes fluttered open and, slowly, the stabbing pressure in my skull began to fade. My vision swam for a moment before settling on the wooden ceiling above me, bathed in warm morning light.

   It took me a moment to register where I was, but when I did, I let out a slow, relieved breath.

   This is Zephyra’s house...

   I tried to sit up, but the moment I moved, a sharp, searing pain shot through my back.

   “Ouch!” I winced, letting out a hiss of pain as I immediately lay back down. 

   Looking down, I noticed I wasn’t wearing a shirt. Instead, I had bandages wrapped tightly around my torso.

   I turned my head slightly, careful not to aggravate my injury, and scanned the room. It was unmistakably the room I was living in for the last month. I could still smell the scent of pine lingered faintly in the air.

   Then I noticed her.

   Zephyra was slumped forward in a chair, her upper body resting on the bed. Her dark hair spilled over the blanket in messy strands.

   I couldn’t help but smile faintly. 

   "Looks like I’m in your debt again."

   For a moment, I just watched her. But then her lips moved, and I realized she was mumbling something in her sleep.

   “Don’t... go away...” Her voice was quiet, almost pleading.

   "A bad dream maybe?"

   “Give me... back... my beer... don’t run away...”

   “…”

   ...Why am I not surprised?

   My brow twitched in irritation.

   Leaning over as much as my aching back allowed, I reached out and pinched her nose as hard as possible.

   “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! What’s wrong?!” Zephyra yelped, jolting awake, her hand flying to her face.

   “Wake up, sleeping princess.”

   Zephyra blinked groggily, rubbing her nose. “Why do I feel like it sounded sarcastic?”

   “Because it was,” I replied dryly.

   She straightened up, still rubbing her nose and said. “Kids really grow fast, huh... Compared to the first day you got here, you’ve become quite mouthy. Is this that famous ‘rebellious period’ in youth? Big sis is worried!”

   “When exactly did you become my big sister?!”

   That short exchange was enough for us to start laughing, quickly breaking any tension left between us.

   But when the sound faded, reality started creeping back in.

   The bear. The cage. The bandits. The elf girl in the hood. My back burning with pain.

   “What happened to the beastmen?” I asked. 

   “They are fine." She said. "Everyone is resting downstairs right now.”

   “I see.” 

   I let out a small sigh of relief, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly.

   Suddenly, Zephyra’s expression shifted, she looked at me with an uncharacteristic softness, her voice quieter than before.

   “...Sora.” 

   “Hm?”

   She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took my hand in hers. Her grip was firm, yet trembling slightly.

   “I’m sorry... I know I shouldn’t have kept this from you. I was... just scared that you might not be able to take it.”

   "..."

   The documents.

   That memory hit me like a jolt. The box in the attic, the folder with that symbol—the tilted ‘U’ overlapping a ‘G’. I thought of how angry I’d been when I confronted Zephyra, how betrayed I’d felt when she dodged my questions.

   I still didn’t have answers.

   But something else itched at the back of my mind.

   The forest. My back. The pain. I remembered falling, barely able to hold on. But...

   I frowned, the unease growing heavier. I felt like something happened after I blacked out.

   “The last thing I remember is that my back was cut open, and I helped Luna and Bel escape. After that, I lost consciousness. However...”

   I hesitated, the thought forming like a shadow in the corner of my mind.

   “Something happened, right? I can’t remember... but I can feel it. And I think I need to know what it was.”

   Zephyra hesitated for a moment, her expression faltering as she searched for the right words. Finally, she sighed and said, “Before I answer this question, it will be better to start from the very beginning. I will tell you why I have those documents and why I was there, at the facility, that night, in the first place.”

   Her words carried weight—more than I’d expected.

   I shifted slightly, as I adjusted the pillow behind my back. I looked her in the eye, the room went silent.

   I was ready to listen.

   Listen to Her story.