The evening lingered inside the cabin with a quiet warmth.
The hearth crackled softly, its steady glow washing the wooden walls in gentle orange light. Tanya and Anyael had long since stopped laughing, their voices fading into the calm silence that followed a satisfying meal and a peaceful day.
For the first time in what felt like ages, the sisters had slept without fear.
But as midnight settled over the forest, Natsu remained awake.
He sat on the rocking chair outside the front porch. The old wood creaked faintly beneath him as it rocked back and forth in slow rhythm. Above him stretched a vast sky filled with stars.
The moon hung low over the forest, bathing the clearing in pale silver light.
To most people, it would have been a beautiful night.
Natsu's eyes, however, remained fixed on the dark treeline.
Waiting.
The air shifted.
A sudden chill crept through the clearing, subtle at first but unmistakable. The forest seemed to feel it too. The distant chorus of insects faded into silence.
Even the wind stilled.
At the edge of the clearing, something appeared.
A figure cloaked in darkness stepped forward from between the trees. Moonlight slid across its form but never seemed to fully touch it.
In its hand rested a long scythe.
The blade was ancient, its surface carved with jagged runes that glowed faintly with a dull, rhythmic pulse.
Natsu smiled.
"You came last night," he said calmly.
"You should've woken me up."
The figure approached the porch with slow, deliberate steps. The hem of its cloak brushed lightly across the wooden boards.
Then a gloved hand reached forward.
She ruffled his hair gently.
"You looked so peaceful," the woman said softly.
Her voice was smooth and feminine, carrying a strange depth to it—like an echo from somewhere far older than the world around them.
"I didn't want to wake you."
Her head tilted slightly toward the cabin behind him.
"I see you have visitors."
Natsu reached up and took her hand.
He lifted it and pressed a quiet kiss against her knuckles.
"Well… some things happened," he admitted.
"I found them by the river yesterday. One of them was close to dying."
His expression softened slightly.
"They're being hunted by a kingdom. Apparently they were summoned here from another world."
The cloaked woman hummed quietly.
"And you believed them?"
Natsu nodded without hesitation.
"I did."
"They were wounded and terrified when I found them. That's enough for me."
He paused briefly before adding with quiet honesty,
"Besides… she almost ended up in your domain."
The woman laughed softly.
The sound was delicate, like distant chimes carried on the wind.
"Then I'm glad you interfered," she said.
"It saves me the trouble."
Natsu chuckled.
"I figured you wouldn't mind."
He leaned back slightly in the rocking chair.
"Still… I didn't expect people from another reality to show up here."
His gaze drifted toward the dark forest.
"The mortal realm must still be fighting demons if they're summoning people like that."
There was a hint of sadness in his voice.
"I feel bad for them. Getting dragged into a war that has nothing to do with them."
The woman's hand moved to his cheek.
Her touch was cool and gentle.
"That sounds an awful lot like someone I know," she teased softly.
Natsu blinked.
Then he laughed.
"Was I really that obvious?"
"Very."
He groaned dramatically.
"Hey, stop teasing me."
Her quiet laughter followed him again.
After a moment, Natsu looked up at her.
"Will you stay for a while?"
The woman fell silent.
Then she sighed.
"I can't tonight."
Her voice carried a quiet weariness.
"The wars in the mortal realm have filled my domain with… visitors."
She paused briefly.
"I need to guide them where they belong."
Natsu gently held her hand against his face.
"That sounds exhausting."
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she brushed her thumb across his cheek.
"I just wanted to see you," she said quietly.
"That's all."
Natsu smiled.
"Well… I'm glad you did."
He looked up at her with calm certainty.
"I'll still be here when things settle down."
Her hand lingered against his face for one final moment.
Then the woman stepped back.
The moonlight shifted—
And she vanished.
The clearing fell silent again.
Natsu remained on the porch for a while longer, staring at the empty space where she had stood.
Eventually, he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.
The following weeks passed peacefully.
Life on the farm settled into an easy rhythm.
Tanya recovered faster than anyone expected. Within days she could walk comfortably again. Soon after that she began helping with small chores around the farm.
Pulling weeds.
Carrying baskets of vegetables.
Feeding the chickens.
Anyael quickly followed Natsu through the fields, learning the routines of tending crops and caring for animals.
Work that once felt unfamiliar slowly became natural.
The three of them laughed often.
The quiet farm life wrapped around them like a protective shell.
Days slipped into weeks.
For a while, it almost felt like the world beyond the forest had forgotten them.
But peace never lasts forever.
One clear morning, Natsu and Tanya worked together near the vegetable fields.
Tanya had dirt on her hands and a bright grin on her face as she told a story from her adventuring days.
Natsu chuckled.
Nearby, Anyael stretched and brushed dirt from her tunic.
"I'm going to grab some water from the river," she called casually.
Neither of them thought anything of it.
"Don't fall in," Tanya replied.
Anyael waved as she headed toward the treeline.
The walk to the river was short.
The familiar sound of flowing water soon reached her ears.
As she stepped through the last line of trees, she froze.
Voices.
Men's voices.
She dropped instinctively behind a patch of thick brush.
Slowly, carefully, she peeked through the leaves.
Several figures stood gathered in a clearing beside the river.
Soldiers.
And adventurers.
Their armor bore a crest she recognized instantly.
A crown crossed by two swords.
Azmuth.
Her stomach tightened.
Weapons glinted in the sunlight as they restocked supplies and filled water skins.
Some laughed.
Others sharpened blades against whetstones.
The sound scraped across her nerves.
They were hunting.
For them.
Her breathing quickened.
Slowly, she began backing away.
One step.
Two.
Then she turned to run.
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
Before she could react—
A massive fist slammed into her stomach.
The impact drove the air from her lungs.
Pain exploded through her body as she doubled over, gasping silently.
Her vision blurred.
She barely registered the rough grip dragging her forward.
Branches scraped against her legs as she was pulled into the clearing.
"HEY!"
The man's voice roared across the riverbank.
"LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"
The group turned.
Grins spread across several faces.
"HAHA! WELL I'LL BE DAMNED!"
The man shoved her forward.
Anyael hit the ground hard.
The dirt knocked what little breath remained from her lungs.
Laughter erupted around her.
Her body trembled as she tried to move.
Tears blurred her vision.
Her thoughts scattered in panic.
No…
No, no, no…
Not like this.
Please…
Her mind screamed silently.
Natsu…
Tanya…
Please help me…
Someone…