"Who's there?" A man's voice came echoing inside the massive cave. His voice was like a magma chamber of a volcano, deep, but filled entirely with the molten rock.
A look of shock plastered on Leticia's face. She was startled the moment she heard the voice and she instantly stood up on her guard, looking at the direction where it came from.
Pure terror surged through her veins, icy daggers straight to her heart. The fear she'd felt earlier was nothing compared to how she felt now.
"Meow!"
At this moment, the cat who just came inside the cave ran towards the voice.
"Oh... it was just you... Cotton... Ugh..."
Leticia heard the man speak again, but this time it was soft and filled with warmth like silk but sounded somewhat in pain.
Somewhat in pain? No, maybe he really is in pain? Leticia couldn't help but creased her furrows. Yes, his voice was deep and bone-chilling yet she could hear a faint struggle, difficulties in each word he spoke.
"Ugh... Ahh..." The man groaned and this time it was loud enough to envelop a portion of the cave.
"Haah... Ngh... Uh..." He kept groaning and with each groan he made sounded more excruciating and intense.
Upon hearing his groan worsen, Leticia left her fear in the back of her head and ran to the struggling man.
This is not the time to be scared. Someone is clearly suffering in front of me. If I leave him be, my conscience will kill me instead of those men! She swiftly fumbled on her belongings as she ran and took out a lamp and lit it.
The man was not that far from her. After five seconds of running, the lamp-light Leticia was holding finally shone on the man who was lying flat on the ground.
Stains of red were gushing out of his clothing like streaming lava.
Leticia sat down with a face tensed. "This is terrible...", she said.
She doesn't know who he is, all she know is that she needs to help him. She's the only one who can save this man.
She then hastily fumbled on her belongings again and took out a bottle of water and bundles of items used for treatment.
"Who... are you?" As Leticia was preparing to care for his wound, the man suddenly spoke. The contrast of his face was not good and he sweated profoundly, enough to fill an entire bottle.
"That doesn't matter right now," Leticia said. She could feel her sweat running down from her temple, but she could not bother to wipe it as she focused all her attention on treating the man.
"Pardon me but I need to remove your garment to check your wounds," Leticia asked, however, she didn't even wait for his consent and unbutton his clothing open.
A deep wound is sliced in the flesh of the man's chest. It's heavily oozing with blood and there's a bluish-purple bruise forming around it.
How awful.
Leticia didn't waste any more time idling around and started tending to his wounds.
"Hold still, okay? This will hurt a bit." Leticia poured the water on his chest and the moment she pressed the clean towel on his wound, the man groaned loudly again.
"Aahh... Ngh..."
"It'll be alright. You'll be alright." Leticia made sure that he would be in good hands as she prepared to close the laceration on his chest.
She bandaged and tended to his injured body, determined that she would help it heal. Her concern was genuine and in such earnest, the wounded man knew that she would look after him.
After a while, along with his groan, the bleeding on the man's chest finally stopped. The color of his face gradually improved and his expression became peaceful. It took Leticia a whole thirty minutes to finally close his wounds and patch them up completely.
Leticia eyed that she was running low on water, and when she was about to stand up the man suddenly reached out and held her hand.
"Where... are you... going?" He asked, eyes slightly open. He spoke slowly and his voice was weak and hoarse from all the groaning.
Leticia was baffled by his question. She wore an expression of confusion, unable to comprehend what the man was trying to sort.
But come to think of it, this is the first time Leticia saw his face properly. The situation earlier prevented her from looking anywhere else but the laceration on his chest. She didn't have a spare time to even take a glance at him. However, this time her eyes glued on his face and she can now see clearly how he looks.
The man had a tousled vermilion hair, which was thick and lustrous. Although the man had his eyes half open, she can tell that his eyes were a mesmerising deep crimson red with flecks of silvery light.
His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark reddish eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His strong hands, slightly rough from working, held Leticia as he stared deep into her eyes. Leticia couldn't help but blush.
"W-Where you asked?" Leticia averted her eyes to the other side. She felt her face getting warmer and she could practically feel her throbbing heart to her throat.
"Hn," The man nodded slightly.
"I'm just going to go fetch some water."
Just when Leticia finally decided to stand up again, the man's grip suddenly tightened as he said, "Don't... Don't go... Don't leave me..."
His grip was tightened as a leech and he wore an expression filled with anxiety.
Leticia saw that the man refused to let her go. He is clearly weak right now yet how did he come by this great strength of his?
"Don't go anywhere, please. Stay... stay here... with me..." The man said, pleading. The way he pleaded sounded very mesmerizing, like a cup of hot chocolate milk you just cannot refuse.
Leticia, devoured by her conscience, finally gave in as she gently held the man's hand.
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you, I promise."
Her gentle voice resonated not just inside the cave but in the heart of the wounded man as well. It might just be an empty promise, however the deepest part of his heart felt reassured as though it was telling him the girl is sincere and nothing but pureness with her words.