Training Center Wall#1.
A man in a black uniform with a hat, the guard, read a thick book at the receptionist's desk. He tapped on the name written on it without a check one by one and asked his comrade, "There are some still inside. Should we wait or fetch them?"
The man was in black as well but without a hat, he shook his head, "I don't think that's a great idea, we don't know their specific location."
The hat man nodded in agreement, "Then if it takes a long time for them to come back we shall request to Prompt Division to send them a warning."
Shortly after he said it, a woman in the same uniform approached in a hurry, "Leader, there are two just come back!"
The men glanced at each other before quickly out with the thick book. Near the forest, they saw a fine young man standing looking down at a girl grabbing her backpack from the ground.
Approaching them, the hat man greeted them, "Good afternoon, young sir and young miss."
Whilst Raden merely nodded at them, Arawinda was a bit taken, "Good afternoon, Sir." She briefly glanced at Raden before eyeing the other guards spread near the forest and pretended to ask curiously, "Why are there so many guards here, Sir? Is there something happening here?"
Raden shifted his gaze toward the girl, feeling a bit complicated. Did she plan to be ignorant? So she wished to avoid suspicion on them?
The hat man nodded solemnly, "Yes, but apologize for the inconvenience we can't disclose it. Due to this situation, all walls shall be temporarily closed."
Not aware of the guy's complicated gaze on her, Arawinda resumed her question, "Is it because of the mid-level zombies? I met five all at once a moment ago. One of them has a slightly darker yellow than the others."
Both of the men's faces sank hearing her statement. The situation appears to be more serious, they must report it to the uppers.
The man holding book looked at her up and down blatantly, "Did you get hurt? How did you escape?"
"I'm not hurt, I'm just a bit shocked. I accidentally met my friend and he helped me, " Arawinda pointed at the villain beside her.
The hat man patted Raden's shoulder as appreciation, "Good young man," before shifting his eyes toward his comrade, "I'll go see on others
first. You should check their name."
Once be left, the man opened the thick book and flipped the page one by one, "What's your name? Time of visit?"
"Arawinda Danastri, today, uh, about six a.m?" Arawinda frowned as she guessed her time this morning. She did not even glance at the clock before leaving her room this morning.
"Check," The man turned his eyes to the guy beside her waiting for him to report his.
Raden pursed his lips. Months ago, he frequently visit the wall hoping to gather more experiences. He had not yet gotten accustomed to fighting without the core. To avoid trouble going back and forth, he often ended up camping in the forest instead. However, he never guessed it became his habit, until now.
He stayed silent a moment before telling him, "Raden Majidhara. About a week ago..."
"A week?!" Both the man and Arawinda widened their eyes in surprise at him.
She twitched her mouth, envious at his braveness. They both did not own any magical power, yet he was still courageous at staying in the forest a whole week! Also, he was able to kill those yellow zombies in one strike! She was jealous of his strength! Just wait and see, she would train her body diligently to catch up with him!
"Check-check," As the man closed the book, he couldn't help but advised him kindly, "Little brother, you're really good. But don't stay for too long, the zombie will memorize your temperature and your breath. You will be their target by then."
Raden simply hummed as a response, as if not minding about it at all.
The man nodded, "Anyway, please help us conceal this situation for a time being. Good day, kids."
The moment he left, Raden glanced at the girl's tired face, "Go back and rest."
"What about you?" Arawinda wore her backpack then looked up at him.
Raden turned his head away and started to walk, "You don't need to care."
Arawinda watched him walk toward the forest again with familiarity like the forest was his home. She won't get any chance to talk to the villain like this in the future, right? ... But she owed him, he had saved her after all. And what about her plan to make him remember her so he won't assume she stole his core??
Biting her lower lip, she made up her mind and took out something from her backpack before running toward him, "Wait!"
"What?"
Raden turned around and saw her gasp as she stretched her arms toward him saying, "Here, take this as my thanks! Do you often come here, to the lake?!"
He held the thing in his hand in a daze and just hummed stupidly as he responded. He had never expected this thief to repay him at all. If she wanted to repay him, she should just give him back his core... No, she should not... she should not? why?
Arawinda took a deep breath and said in one go boldly, "Great! I'll see you again in the future!!"
Hearing this statement, Raden snapped out of his daze. Yet he did not have any chance to say anything since the girl had already run away...
Looking at the bread in his hands, he lifted the corner of his mouth. He unwrapped it and reluctantly bite the soft thing. The chocolate inside melted in his mouth, filling his heart with the absurd and bizarre sweetness.
Rabbit, match that thief so much.
....
Sanjaya Academy.
The moment Arawinda arrived at the school gate, she met the trio magician that appears to be anxious, looking here and there worriedly. Curiosity grasped her heart thus she went to ask them.
"You're not attending class?"
The trio was surprised at her sudden figure and Sun patted his chest roughly in relief, "Good, princess! I almost think you've got bitten by zombies!! If yes then I'll feel guilty not wanting to be your bodyguard last time!"
Arawinda wrinkled her nosed, weirdly astonished, "What?? Don't tell me your guys here are waiting for me to come back??"
"Trainer Nehan informed us about the cave that your brother found is actually connected to all walls. What if you suddenly meet a high-level zombie?" Adam said silently as he observed her up and down.
Arthur had long noticed her bad complexion, asked worriedly once Adam finished his talk, "Princess, why are you so pale? Did you get sick?"
"... Really?"
Pale? Get sick? Arawinda couldn't help but raised her hands to cup her face. If she had been in these conditions since she was with the villain then perhaps... he pitied her being a weakling and coward?? That was why he was too gentle with her even he loathed her? Well, most importantly, she was at ease he was not intending to end her life right away. Her mind had been tangled and exhausted by Teacher Nandano, she did not hope to add one more crisis in her life presently.
"Perhaps, you're actually scratched by zombies!?" Sun widened his eyes as he covered his mouth in disbelief.
SMACK!
SMACK!
Slap!!
Shortly after he said that two smacks and one slap landed on the pitiful him together.
"Oww!! Shtt!!" Sun raised his hands to pat his painful head. As for his cheek, it was not hurt at all, the slap was too weak.
Arawinda glared at him, upset at his stupidness, "Control your swanky mouth! What if the others hear it and think I'm really infected?! You won't have any chance to borrow my golden key anymore!!"
Arthur hooked strongly at his friend's neck, ignoring his scream, and said to her, "I'll take him back in first. You should go and rest."
"Probably, I'm just exercising too hard that I look like this." Arawinda pretended to touch her cheek thoughtfully. It was not like she could tell her about the real reason, no? Or they would be more worried.
Adam nodded naturally, "Don't force yourself next time. Let's go in."
The moment their group walked into the Academy, a girl with black hair emerged from the shadow behind the tree. She smirked evilly and mumbled, "You'll alarm the whole school, Arawinda..."
She giggled uncontrollably at this thought. Satisfied, she skillfully changed her expression back to a delicate and weak one, before walking into the academy like ordinary student.
Not aware of her next turmoil, Arawinda bid farewell to the trio magician and went to her room to bath and rest.
Laying feebly on the bed while holding the villain's core to soothe her body, a scene where those zombies died came to her mind abruptly, making her slap her own cheek.
Darn... Those were a zombie, Z.O.M.B.I.E!! Not a human! It simply looked alike! What was there to be terrified about?! If she was afraid of them she would be killed by them first! If she was killed, she won't know whether she was able to go back to her own world or just die for real!
The incident today should become her homework. She must strengthen herself thus she was able to get revenge and vent her anger toward them, those ugly monsters!
Putting the core away in sleepiness, Arawinda couldn't help but think. Was she capable of making a strong young man like the villain in her good side too? She was sure it would be hard, after all, she had indirectly snatched his core... Still, his reaction to her was too calm as if they never had such an unpleasant circumstance. Maybe, if she used more effort, their relationship will turn over into a better... and his memories will come back...
Harboring such a wish in mind, Arawinda fell asleep tiredly, without having any dream at all.
Not in her expectation, the person she just put in her mind was also thinking about her right now.
Inside a small rent room, Raden solemnly sat upright with his arms folded, sensing his core was taken out by that thief. He wondered, why she had not consumed it to enhance her core. There was no way it was just for a collection.
Once he was unable to sense his core anymore, he closed his eyes and tried to dig deeper into his memories.
<--- are you --- in this --- of place? --- name --- Raden, what's --- name?>
<... Arawinda, don't you like me? Why are you together with him?>
<--- she will --->
<--- take it out from me --->
<--- love --->
Raden opened his eyes with his forehead quilted with sweat and his messy breathing. He bent his body a bit and massaged his wet temples. His eyelashes fluttered as he wandered his eyes around thoughtfully, not caring about his headache at all while his mind was full of his discovery.
The last sentence was new, it was still blurry before. Was he mistaken in his speculation?
Based on his apparent memory shard, he could only believe that thief had deceived his feeling and been together with someone else. He even assumed she stole his core for the sake of that someone. Yet the last new sentence had broken all his assumptions...
Was he the one who was willing to give up his core for her? But what was the reason? That thief was threatened? Or was it because of something else?
Raden stood up and pick a tissue to rub his sweat in silence before throwing it right into the trash can on the corner of the room. He stepped near the window and stared at the busy street outside.
The blurry memory became clearer once he had contact with that thief girl. Perhaps, the other blurry ones would also be more obvious if he kept on meeting her...
Just in time. The thief girl also said she would meet him in the future, seems like to repay him thanks to him saving her previously.
The blurry memories were solved momentarily, yet his dreams at night were a whole different matter. And he was certain, those dreams also related to that thief...that girl...Arawinda Danastri.