Johan's head throbbed with a persistent ache as if a steel band wrapped tightly around his temples. He fluttered his eyes open to the sting of blinding light, sending a lance of pain through his skull. The sun had risen, and morning had dawned upon him.
Groaning, he raised a hand to shield his eyes, squinting against the harsh brightness.
"The sun...? We've got to stop meeting like this..."
As his vision slowly adjusted, he realized he was lying flat on a bed of leaves, laid out neatly on the forest floor, cushioning his body.
"Where... where am I?" he mumbled, his voice still hoarse from the lack of hydration.
He looked around at his surroundings, and his eyes fell on a figure moving near the crackling flames of a fire.
"...It's her."
The woman from the stream stood over the fire as she tended to the flames. The only difference now was that she was fully clothed.
Upon closer inspection, her tunic skirt was short and woven from silk-spun spiderwebs. Intricate patterns of entangled vines decorated the fabric with an earthy tone that fit well with the rich hues of her brown skin.
Beneath the skirt, she wore sheer mesh black leggings that complemented the deep mahogany color of her hair. Embroidered along the seams were elaborate designs of swirling ivy, their detailed loops and curves adding a touch of whimsy to the otherwise practical garment.
Her boots were black and elegantly crafted, designed to withstand the rigors of the forest while providing comfort and flexibility. A series of long laces secured them snugly around her calves, ensuring a perfect fit and easy adjustment.
Lately, completing her ensemble was a hooded cloak that provided warmth and protection against the chill of the night air.
"So, you're finally awake?" the woman said, her tone much different than the night before as she poked at the logs in the blaze with a branch.
A few skewers of meat sizzled and crackled above the fire, filling the air with the tantalizing aroma of roasting meat.
Johan struggled to sit up, his body aching with pain. "What happened?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.
The woman remained silent before turning to him. "You're still in the forest. You passed out."
"Passed out? It's more like knock me out. The last thing I remember is you trying to kill me."
"You're lucky I didn't!"
"...Well, you could have, but you didn't. Why?" Johan asked, but she didn't respond, focusing instead on the roasting meat.
She's so hard to read, Johan thought before a faint chime cut through the stillness as the HUD materialized before him.
[System Notification]
[Critical Levels Detected!]
[Hunger: 15%] [Hydration: 12%]
[Attention, Lightbearer. Your hunger and hydration levels have dropped to critical levels. Failure to address this will decrease performance and may lead to loss of consciousness.]
[Prioritize keeping your Hunger and Hydration levels above critical to avoid penalties.]
Did I seriously pass out from the system? Johan thought, and what the hell was a Lightbearer?
Was all this because of the system's mechanics, as he suspected? But it didn't make sense.
Why would it include something seemingly nonsensical as punishment for lack of nourishment? It went against its very purpose as he understood it. The whole point of the Sanity System was to aid him, not hinder him, or so he thought.
Unfortunately, it was not the time to dwell on such uncertainties. Focusing on survival came first, but there was also the case of the mysterious woman who saved him.
"Yo," Johan said, turning to the woman, but again, she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the skewers of meat sizzling above the fire.
Memories flooded back to Johan in fragments, the image of the woman washing herself in the stream burning brightly in his mind.
"Look, we might've started on the wrong foot here," he said, rising to his feet. "I'm Johan. I didn't mean to stare last night, but can you blame me? You put on quite the show."
"...Quite the show...?" Her eyes flashed with indignation, her jaw tightening with barely contained anger. "You pervert!" she spat, her words laced with venom. "Spying on me while I bathed like some common voyeur!"
"Hey, relax, relax. I was joking, and spying? No way, I'm not into that sort of stuff."
Johan sat across from the woman and the crackling fire. How would she react to his revelation? Taking a deep breath, he began his recoil at the accusation.
"But you got it all wrong. I got lost in the forest. When I stumbled upon the stream, you just happened to be there. It's tough navigating a world you're not from."
The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "...A world you're not from?" she repeated.
Johan nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's complicated..."
She leaned in closer toward the fire, her curiosity piqued. "Why should I believe you when you speak and understand Eosian so fluently?"
"Eosian..." Johan uttered. "Not this again..."
"This could all be a part of your perverted scheme. Fill my head with lies, then when my guard has lowered, you have your way with me."
"Like hell! I wouldn't do that!" Johan shouted.
"Sure you wouldn't, pervert," the woman replied, tending to the logs burning in the flame.
"...I was summoned here yesterday with my friends," Johan explained, but his stomach churned with hunger.
His mouth watered at the sight of the cooked meat, the aroma wafting through the air like a siren's call.
"It's fine. Go ahead, take one."
Johan reached for a skewer.
"Thanks," he replied as he took a bite. Surprisingly, the meat was tender and flavorful. "What is this? Chicken?"
"No, it's rabbit."
"Rabbit?" Johan uttered with his mouth full. "I've never had rabbit before."
Although there was no seasoning, the flavor was immaculate to him, but he knew his hunger made it taste like a five-star meal.
"If you were summoned here with your friends, that must mean that you're one of the Heroes of Prophecy, right?" she asked, her voice swirling with anticipation.
"That would explain your odd clothing attire," she continued, and Johan chuckled nervously, looking over his clothes.
"...Odd? I thought this was a good fit when I put it together," he replied but hesitated, his mind racing through flashbacks of King Audemars and his words.
Johan paused before continuing. "...My friends are the Heroes of Prophecy, but as for me... I'm not so sure."
"How could you not be sure?" she asked him. "The ones summoned here to Esodadalon are the four heroes. It's what the prophecy states."
"Exactly, four."
Her gaze met Johan's. It was as if she was searching for answers in his eyes.
"Well, whatever the case may be, I'm sure you have a path to follow here in Eosdadalon."
"I didn't expect nice words from you. I appreciate it, but it's fine. I'm not big on destiny or anything," Johan mumbled, his mouth full as he chewed. "This is good! Could I have another?"
"...Go ahead..." the woman said, watching him go to town on another skewer. "Johan, right?"
" Yeah, Johan Heylel."
He extended his hand to her.
"...Fayina... Fayina Erebseth..." she replied, hesitantly reaching out to shake his hand.
"Fayina, huh?" He grabbed her hand, shaking it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
But curiosity took over as Fayina's hair shifted, revealing the pointed tips of shorter, elven-like ears.
"Your ears... So this world has elves?" he asked softly, his voice full of wonder at this new information.
Her eyes glancing away shyly, a blush crept across Fayina's cheeks as she quickly withdrew her hand.
"...Yeah, and what about it?" Fayina asked defensively, hiding her ears with her hair.
"Nothing. In my world, elves are people of fiction."
"But to be fair, I'm half... half-dark elf..."
"Half-dark elf?" Johan repeated, his mind whirling with questions.
He wanted to know so much more, like what made her half? If she was a dark elf, were there elves who weren't considered 'dark'?
But as he fixed his lips to ask, Fayina cut him off with a nervous laugh before he could voice his inquiries.
"I-I don't like talking about it," she confessed, brushing her hair over her ears. "It's... complicated..."
Johan sensed her discomfort and quickly backtracked, eager not to pry into her personal affairs. "It's okay. I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place."
After that, the air between them was heavy with unspoken words. The silence felt like a lifetime but lasted no longer than five minutes.
Fayina rose to her feet.
"I should get going, but just so you know, the deeper you venture into the forest, the more dangerous it becomes. Creatures that dwell in hiding. Creatures that don't play nice like the ones you've seen around these parts."
Before Johan could respond, Fayina handed him a small leather canteen.
"Here, take this. You shouldn't drink from bodies of water where people bathe themselves."
"...I wasn't going to," Johan replied, accepting the canteen with a nod of gratitude.
"Well, be careful out there," she said softly before turning to leave.
Johan watched as Fayina began walking down the dirt road, leaving him alone with the crackling of the fire and the whisper of the wind.
Despite their rocky start, like Princess Elara, she had shown him kindness.
"...Damn it! I should've asked her for directions!"