Morning of the Second Day
The morning sun crept through the wooden slats of the cottage, casting golden ribbons across the modest kitchen table. Foutaba sat cross-legged on her chair, practically inhaling the warm bread and honey that Eva had left for them before departing. Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter.
"Waaah, so delicious!" she exclaimed between mouthfuls, her voice muffled by the food. "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday..."
She paused mid-chew, a sudden realization settling over her like a cold shadow. Her gaze drifted toward the window, unfocusing as memories flooded back.
"Ah, that's right... Eva wouldn't let me breathe yesterday. It was to the point I couldn't even—"
---
Yesterday...
"FOUTABAAAA!!!" Eva's voice had torn through the cottage like a thunderclap, her scream carrying the raw desperation of a frightened child. "WHERE WERE YOU?!?! I THOUGHT YOU HAD LEFT ME TOO!!!"
Her arms had wrapped around Foutaba so tightly that her ribs protested, her face buried in the girl's shoulder as tremors wracked her frame.
"Eva..." Foutaba had wheezed, her voice strained. "If you don't let go, I'm really going to die!!!"
---
Back to the present...
"Hmm..." Foutaba rested her chin on her palm, her brow furrowed in thought. "I still can't believe I was really missing for an entire month. That place is just as mysterious as they say it is..."
She turned her gaze toward the figure seated silently beside her, who had been methodically eating while listening to her rambling without interruption.
"Do you know anything about it, Byeol?"
Byeol simply hummed in response, a noncommittal sound that could have meant anything or nothing at all. His violet eyes remained fixed on his plate, though Foutaba noticed the slight tension in his shoulders at her question.
"Right," she sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "I forgot to mention—Eva finally agreed to let Byeol stay with us after hours of me begging and pleading with her."
---
Yesterday—the second round...
"PLEASE!!!!!!" Foutaba had thrown herself at Eva's feet, her arms wrapped around the older woman's legs like a desperate barnacle. "Evaaa, please let him stay! He saved my life! I'm begging you, EVA!!!!!"
Eva had stood rigid, her arms crossed, her expression a fortress of resistance. "Foutaba, I told you—he's a stranger! We know nothing about him! We can't just allow some unknown person to live with us! What if he's planning something?!"
"But he saved my life!" Foutaba had insisted, her voice cracking with emotion. "How could a stranger help someone they don't know without wanting anything in return?!"
"However—"
"If you don't let him stay, I'll run away again!"
Eva had exhaled a long, weary breath, the air leaving her lungs like the last gasp of a dying candle. She pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture she reserved for moments of ultimate surrender.
"...Fine." The word had been dragged out of her like a reluctant confession. "He can stay. But if he does anything suspicious, he's out! Understood?!"
Throughout the entire exchange, Byeol had merely stared at them with an expression of detached curiosity, as though he were watching a child trying to convince her mother to adopt a stray kitten. His silence had been his only commentary.
---
Back to the present...
"Hmm..." Foutaba tapped her chin thoughtfully, her mind already wandering to more exciting topics. "I think, based on my studies of magic, that it was time magic. But that kind of magic is rare and incredibly difficult to learn. The only ones capable of mastering it are—"
The cottage door swung open with a creak, cutting her words short like a knife through silk.
"!! Aah—Eva!" Foutaba straightened in her seat, a guilty flush creeping up her neck.
Eva stood in the doorway, her arms crossed and her expression one of gentle amusement. "So, how are the little ones doing with their punishment?"
Foutaba pouted, slumping back in her chair dramatically. "It's boring and suffocating! The cave dungeon was way better than this!"
Eva's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Well... if you behave yourself, maybe I'll take you to the Magic Academy."
"!!!" Foutaba shot upright so fast she nearly toppled her chair. "I WANT TO GO!!!!! I WANT TO GO!!!!!"
The Magic Academy—the place she had dreamed of visiting ever since she was old enough to understand what magic was. To be a student there, to learn all forms of sorcery...
Healing magic. Support magic. Combat magic. Plant magic. And time magic too...
"Waaah, I want to learn all of them!!" she declared, her eyes sparkling like twin galaxies.
Eva chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, I'll take you next time—if you behave yourself. Understood?"
Foutaba nodded so vigorously that her hair whipped around her face like a windswept banner. "Yes, yes! I'll behave! Just so I can go to the academy," she whispered under her breath.
Eva's gaze shifted to the silent figure at the table, her expression softening. "And how is our new family member? Is the place comfortable? Do you need anything?"
Byeol: ...
Eva tilted her head, a small, understanding smile crossing her features. "Still shy, then? That's alright, I understand. Make yourself at home—this is your home now, as you can see!" She spread her arms wide, as if embracing the entire cottage.
Byeol: ...
"Well then, I'll be off now—I just came to check on you both. Farewell!" With a final wave, Eva slipped back out the door, leaving the cottage in a comfortable silence.
Foutaba turned toward Byeol, her curiosity piqued. "So... how long are you going to stay silent with everyone?"
Byeol lowered his gaze, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve. "...I just... don't know what to say."
Foutaba beamed, her earlier frustration evaporating like morning mist. "That's okay! You can start by saying 'good morning' in the morning, or 'good evening' in the evening—or that this breakfast is the best thing you've eaten in a while!"
"Ah... I see." Byeol nodded slowly, a hint of warmth creeping into his usually stoic features. "Alright. I'll try."
"That's the spirit!" Foutaba clapped her hands together. "So, what do you say we go out and see the village?!"
"But..." Byeol glanced toward the door, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "Aren't we being punished?"
"Pfft!" Foutaba waved a dismissive hand, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Did you really think I was going to stay cooped up in here all day?"
She leaped from her chair and darted toward the coat rack, grabbing her own cloak and an extra one for Byeol.
"Here, put this on. Let's go!"
Byeol accepted the cloak—which was clearly Foutaba's size—and slipped it over his shoulders. It hung slightly shorter on his frame, the hem brushing his knees instead of his ankles.
"Don't forget the scarf!" Foutaba looped a thick, woolen scarf around his neck, her fingers working with practiced efficiency. "It's cold out today. I don't want you catching a chill."
Byeol stared at her with wide, startled eyes, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. His voice came out softer than intended, barely above a whisper.
"Ah... th... thank you, Foutaba!"
"Waaah, look how cute you are with that scarf!~" Foutaba cooed, her eyes crinkling with delight. "Alright, let's go before Eva comes back to check on us! Plus, I can't wait to tell everyone about what happened in the cave, and about the—"
Byeol's hand shot out, grasping her wrist with surprising urgency. His voice dropped, low and serious, cutting through her excitement like a blade.
"Wait—you can't tell anyone about the contract."
Foutaba blinked, her enthusiasm deflating like a pricked balloon. "Huh? ...Why?"
Byeol's grip tightened, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. "No one must know that you formed a pact with me. If they find out, you'll be in grave danger—more than you could ever imagine."
Foutaba's brow furrowed, confusion and unease warring in her expression. "I... why?!"
"I can't explain right now." Byeol shook his head, his jaw tight. "But please—promise me you won't tell anyone. Promise me, Foutaba."
"Ah..." Foutaba hesitated, her loyalty to Eva warring with her promise to Byeol. "...Alright. I promise I won't tell anyone."
"Not even the woman who was just here," Byeol pressed, his voice unwavering.
Foutaba's eyes widened. "Not even Eva?! Why?! Eva is so kind—I can't hide things from her!!"
For me, Foutaba. Just don't tell anyone. The words hovered on Byeol's tongue, heavy with unspoken meaning. I promise I'll explain everything later, but right now, you can't.
Foutaba looked down at her feet, her shoulders slumping with reluctant resignation. "...Fine. I promise. No living creature will know about this."
Byeol exhaled, a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Good. Thank you for understanding."
"Alright!" Foutaba's earlier cheerfulness reasserted itself like a stubborn weed through concrete. "Let's go—Eva's work break is almost over, so we don't have much time!"
"Alright."
Foutaba dashed out the door, her laughter trailing behind her like a banner of joy. "FREEDOM!!"
Byeol watched her go, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips before it faded into something darker.
...But it hasn't even been a full day since we arrived at the cottage, he murmured to himself, his eyes hardening.
Foutaba... if they find out you're still alive, they will—
His fists clenched at his sides, his gaze distant and cold.
...No. This time, I won't let anyone get close to you. I'll erase them from existence.
His eyes blazed with a hatred so deep it seemed to warp the air around him—a hatred reserved for those who would seek to harm the girl who had unwittingly bound herself to him.
"Byeol! Don't just stand there—hurry up, we're going to be late!" Foutaba's voice called out from the distance, bright and oblivious.
Byeol's expression softened instantly, the darkness retreating like shadows before dawn.
"I'm coming!"
He stepped through the doorway, his long hair catching the breeze as the cottage door swung shut behind him.
---
But who were the people Byeol had spoken of? And what danger lurked in the shadows, waiting for Foutaba?
To be continued...