It was already dawn by the time I brought her home and laid her on my bed. Even so, I remained sitting on the floor in case she woke up… and she did, more than once.

   I spent the rest of the night comforting her every time she woke in despair, but upon feeling the touch of another human who would not hurt her, she would lie down again and fall asleep within seconds, like a frightened kitten.

   Near sunrise, I got up to prepare our breakfast. I let out a soft sigh, followed by a faint, tired smile as I reflected on what might happen after everything I had done the day before.

   When I finished cooking, I realized I hadn’t even taken a bath, but, since I couldn’t leave the room at the moment, I thought I could at least change my clothes, forgetting for an instant that a girl was sleeping deeply and only five meters away from me.

   Just as I was about to grab a clean pair of pants from the floor, I lifted my head, only to see the girl sitting there, staring directly at me. I felt my face burn as I pulled the pants up as quickly as possible.

   “Wh... why?” the girl asked while I hid my face.

   “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

   “Why did you help me leave that place?” she completed her question.

   I gave a small smile and replied, “Because I understand how cruel humans can be".

   A tear fell from her closed eyes, followed by another, which within seconds, became a cascade of emotions.

   I wrapped my arms around her, resting her head against my chest, unable to imagine how much this delicate creature had suffered in her short life.

   She was completely defenseless. Humans can be cold and cruel all the time, pretending to show empathy while hiding ulterior motives, and I knew I was no different from all the people I had encountered along my path... but I wanted to.

   In the end, the only thing I could think while holding someone so fragile in my arms was how beautiful she was.

   We remained like that for a few minutes until I noticed she had calmed down.

   “So, miss... would you like to have your breakfast?” I joked in a more formal tone.

   She gave an unexpected smile that made my heart beat a little faster.

   “Of course, my lord", she replied, playing along with the joke.

   We spent the rest of the day like that, most of the time chatting idly to keep our confused minds occupied.

   “Hey... what do you do in your free time?” she asked, still a little embarrassed by the situation.

   “I am... a writer. At least, I consider myself one, since I only write at night", I replied after hesitating for a moment.

   “About what?” she continued.

   “Fantasy", I answered.

   “What kind of fantasy?”

   I hesitated again, realizing that her white eyes were fixed directly on mine.

   “How do you know where my eyes are?” I asked, trying to avoid the previous topic.

   “I just know", the girl said, unconcerned with giving any real explanation.

   That was when I realized I hadn’t even asked her name.

   “I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kyros, but you can call me Ky", I said, waiting for a response while she remained silent, watching me… or at least trying to.

   “U-um... what is your name, miss?”

   She gave a small jump upon realizing it was her turn. Her face turned so red that for a moment I thought I could feel its warmth from the other side of the table where we sat.

   “My name is Catherine. Please, call me whatever you like", she said.

   I crossed my arms, opening a mischievous smile.

   “Hmm... how about... Fyie?”

   She tilted her head to the side like a confused little puppy while I let out a soft laugh at the situation.

   “Hey, don’t make fun of me", she said in a serious tone, though still accepting the joke. “What does it mean?” she asked.

   “Well, you are..". I tried to explain when I heard someone knocking on the door.

   “Are those your relatives?” Fyie asked calmly.

   “I live alone", I replied seriously, looking down as I stood up to open the door.

I raised my eyes, imagining who could be on the other side, and prepared for the worst. The air became thin, and I felt a strong pressure coming from beyond the door. At last, I raised my arm and turned the doorknob.

   When I opened it, there was no one there, yet, for some reason, the pressure remained all around me. I felt as though I were being watched, and then I turned to face Fyie, who seemed uncertain and unable to understand the situation.

   I stepped outside, and with a single step, everything seemed to return to normal.

   That discomfort stayed in my mind for the rest of the day, but the more I spoke with Fyie, the more I forgot about it, until it now seemed trivial.

   “So...". she began, drawing my attention while I prepared our dinner.

   “What is it about?” she continued, leaving me confused by the question.

   “What are you talking about?” I asked.

   “What do you write about?” she continued.

   My body stiffened. I had never told anyone about it, and I truly didn’t expect someone to ask me about my work. I looked back and saw her white eyes shining as they waited for an answer. I smiled, realizing she was genuinely interested.

   “It’s… a fantasy..". I hesitated again.

   “You already said that, but what is it actually about?” she pressed, devouring me with her eyes in search of an answer.

   “It’s about a couple... who fight enemies together... to protect their homeland", I replied, growing more embarrassed with every word.

   She stood up from the chair, clearly excited.

   “What kind of enemies? How do they fight? Where is this homeland?”

   I was startled by her enthusiasm. The girl, who was my age, increasingly carried a childlike air, as if her mind had remained rooted in some moment from that time.

   “Hey, hey, calm down", I said with a smile, raising my hands and giving myself up

   She sat down again, her eyes fixed on me, obviously expecting more answers.

   We continued that light conversation. Deep down, it was everything we both needed, speaking openly and honestly with someone who would not judge us, eating and laughing during the days, embracing and crying during the nights.

   Even so, we were happy... perhaps for the first time in a very long time.