The stench of rot and filth fills the air.
In a patch covered with ash, a small girl rests her head on a boy's chest, listening to his heartbeat.
The boy feels something warm against his chest.
His eyes slowly open, vision clearing.
When he looks up, he sees a small head of black hair threaded with strands of pink, resting on him.
As the girl murmurs, a sharp voice pierces her ears: "Have you ever heard of something called personal space?"
The little girl freezes, then feels a strange sensation… one that everyone in Vingard Colony has felt.
Monsters,
Chris: "What is that?"
The refugees in shelters,
Anas' mother: "My child!"
His father, the guards atop the wall, Lysrefit…
Everyone freezes where they are, turning toward the source of this overwhelming, unnatural feeling, wondering where it comes from.
The one most affected is the little girl.
Her eyes widen.
Breaths come in rapid gasps.
Her heart feels like it's about to leap from her chest.
Her skin prickles, and she feels her blood freeze in her veins.
Yes… it is the feeling of death.
She clings tightly to the boy's shirt, pressing her head to his chest in search of his heartbeat, thinking: 'What is this? I want my mother, even if she doesn't want me… I want you, Mother. This is terrifying.'
But when she lifts her eyes to the boy's wounded face, she finally realizes that the source of this feeling… is the very being she seeks safety in.
Suddenly… every trace of that feeling vanishes, as if a flame has been extinguished.
Anas opens his mouth, releasing a deep exhale of steam, then lowers his eyes to the girl trembling on his chest.
Her pink eyes stare at him, pupils constricted, but she does not release his shirt, and finally speaks in a timid, innocent voice: "H-h-hello, I-I'm not bad. W-w-will you k-k-kill me just because I touched you?"
Anas studies her, tilting his head as he tries to grasp the situation, then says: "Why are you so scared? Did you see death in front of you? I'm sure I asked you a normal question."
The girl exhales slowly, but her grip on his shirt remains tight. She whispers: "You won't hurt me?"
Anas gazes at the way she clings to him, then meets her eyes and asks: "Why do you think I would hurt you?"
The girl hesitates, then replies: "Because if I touch someone, I get punished… they say I'm worthless filth. They say my eyes are ugly, that I'm ugly… (she lets go of his shirt, placing her small hands on his chest to steady herself, then steps back two paces and lowers her gaze, continuing.) Even my mother curses the day she gave birth to me. They deliberately left me for that man to take. My sister whispered to me that she wished the worst for me. (Tears stream down her face.) My family hates me! Everyone hates me! So why did I try to find warmth in a stranger?! (She gasps sharply.) Why did I think I could find a place that would protect me instead of always sacrificing me?! Why?!"
The little girl cries bitterly, wiping her tears with her hands.
Anas, expressionless, notices after she stands that she is wearing nothing but a rag barely protecting her from the cold.
He tilts his head, voice tinged with surprise: "And why do you want someone to love you?"
The girl stops crying, raising her eyes to meet Anas', who continues: "People are fools. Their words are meaningless nonsense. Why care about nonsense? And when you die, no one will remember you. Those who do will speak of you in ways you won't want. It won't change. So since you have only one life, why chain yourself with the fetters made from the words of those around you instead of living it your way?"
The girl ceases crying, though her eyes remain wet. She now stares intently.
Anas finally sits properly, gazing into her eyes, and continues: "This world is nothing but hell, yet it still pulses with beauty if you look from the right angle. So if you seek safety and warmth, you must search and obtain it, rather than wait for the mercy of worthless scum."
When Anas falls silent, only the soft gasps of the little girl are heard. She begins moving toward him, hesitant at first, then steady, gripping the edge of his coat and saying: "You are a stranger, speaking things I don't understand, even though you're young and just woke up. You're probably like me, but you're the only one who hasn't hit or punished me…"
The girl lowers her eyes, then raises them a few times, and asks: "Can I stay with you? (She lifts her cap to the sides, keeping her gaze fixed on Anas' eyes, then continues quickly.) I promise I won't ask for food, won't eat much, and won't bother or hinder you. Can I stay?"
Anas, observing her movements, shows surprise and disbelief on his face, thinking: 'This is annoying. She'll slow me down. I'll have to protect her and share food. Going alone is the best option. But… she'll die horribly if I leave her here. (Sigh.) Maybe I should consider her as my first ally, since she came to me herself. But before accepting, I must test her.'
He scans the surroundings, seeing the ash and debris. Nothing has changed. He tries moving his left arm—he can.
He suddenly remembers Priscilla, noticing the mark still on his hand, though the girl seems unaware.
He begins thinking as he rises: 'So Priscilla kept her promise and sped up my healing a little. (He sways slightly while standing, then stabilizes.) Thank you, Priscilla.' (Feeling warmth spread through his chest, he continues.) 'But as she said, I must see a doctor. And it seems no one else can see this mark but me.'
Anas looks at the little girl before him: "By the way, did you bandage my wound and drag me here by yourself?"
"Yes," she answers directly.
Anas turns and begins walking toward one of the buildings, saying without looking back: "I have no desire for your company. Find your own way."
The girl, who moments ago had hope in her eyes, now seems like a body without a soul, yet she says: "As expected, you are no different from everyone else. But just so you know, entering the sewers is the best solution for me right now."
She turns and continues attempting to open the sewer with her small hands, but cannot get a grip with her delicate fingers. Tears begin to fall onto the sewer cover; she cries silently, thinking: 'Why does it always end this way? It hurts so much… it hurts in my chest. I was going to stop anything from devouring you first, yet it turns out like this?'
Anas continues walking, thinking: 'Good. She's not pretending to be attached to me, but overall, she passed the test.'
He enters the semi-destroyed house and heads to the kitchen, finding only some vegetables, apples, a piece of cheese, and a loaf of bread. He removes his coat and stores them inside.
He goes to the basement, finds a dagger, picks it up, and walks calmly and steadily toward the little girl, reaching the sewer cover. Struggling, he manages to lift it.
The girl's eyes widen, regaining a glimmer as Anas says: "Anas Yeager. That's my name. You can call me Anas. Shall we go now, my companion?"
The girl opens her mouth: "Anas…" as if savoring the name on her tongue, then smiles: "Anas!!! I'm Naivy Silverine. Call me Naivy!"