"I'll be back soon," he'd said. But three hours had passed, and Etoile could still not see a single sign of him anywhere. After she and Dolly had eaten their fill of the fish Kadar had caught, Etoile carefully wrapped a large portion of it in leaves and set out to find him. It was only fair that the one who'd caught it would savour the most of it, after all. However, the food she'd had was nowhere near enough, and Etoile had to recite these words in her head like a mantra, to keep her hunger at bay.
The aroma of roasted fish did not help at all. Nor did the fact that it tasted like the most tender chicken.
Still salivating slightly, she made her way in Kadar's general direction. The biggest scaredy cat was waiting for her back at camp, and Etoile knew she'd give her hell once she returned. She needed to find him fast.
*It's just trees, trees, and more trees... Where the hell did he go?*
The forest surrounding them was dense with vegetation, and gradually darkening as the sun began to set. Not to mention cold. The lightest breeze would make her shiver uncontrollably and she'd dearly wished she was sitting back at the fire, roasting fish heads on a stick. But sadly for her, Etoile had left Kadar's jacket with her sister. She was caring like that. Maybe a little stupid too. After all, Dolly had a campfire to warm up by, whilst all Etoile had was Kadar's oversized tank top, which smelt oddly fragrant.
Kadar was one of those people who smelt like marshmallows. It was strange that so many people around the world had this specific scent.
*Or maybe it's just me.*
She stepped over a couple of fallen branches, trying her best to ignore the bitter cold caressing her exposed shoulders, and briefly looked around for more clues of his whereabouts. She was in a clearing, inhabited by strange glowing flowers and red grass that reached up to her waist. There was one thing she was certain about. This place was definitely not Earth.
Then, without warning, she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. A window briefly popped up before disappearing again.
---
[System]:
Kadar has reached level 5!
Etolldar's Soul Stats have increased:
Life Force Cap increased to 1100
Mana Cap increased to 110
---
*Kadar?*
Ever since they had entered this world, Etoile noticed that she could feel some of the pain her companions suffered. She could also detect traces of their emotions as well. It really did still feel like they were still sharing their body again. And now she somehow could tell that Kadar was in pain.
*Where are you!?*
Etoile was no expert tracker, but she crouched low, hands on her knees, and began studying the ground in front of her for human tracks. This is what they did in games and movies anyway. If there was any practicality to it, then Etoile silently prayed that it'd help lead her toward him.
*Uh... So I'm looking for footprints? Broken twigs? And... Ah. Here's some trampled grass!*
She shuffled a few feet forwards and peered at a section of flattened plants. Lying in the middle of it was an unmistakable humanoid footprint, but it was way too big to have belonged to Kadar. Plus, Kadar should have been the only one among them who had been wearing shoes. She and Dolly, on the other hand, had spawned in this world with absolutely nothing.
Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the forest's low temperature. Just a couple of meters away from her, Etoile heard the sound of panicked shuffling, which swiftly grew in volume. She immediately backed up and attempted to run, but her bare foot landed on something sharp, causing her to wince and drop back onto the ground.
Now with the noise sounding right at her feet, Etoile shut her eyelids and began to anticipate the worst. That was until the sound turned from a fast shuffling to a squeak that she could only liken to that of a mouse.
Etoile opened her eyes and quickly sat up upon seeing the creature beside her. It resembled a red squirrel, being small and furry. But with its red eyes and seven tails, Etoile thought it was far from cute. It looked more like their demonic cousins than anything else.
"Hey!" She scolded, shooing the creature with the back of her hand "You little jerk! That's not yours!"
It might've listened had she been a little closer to it. But Etoile didn't dare touch it. She didn't trust those eyes at all. As a result, the creature continued to burrow its head and claws into the lunch she planned on bringing to Kadar.
"Stop it!"
She could only watch helplessly as it glanced back at her briefly, as though saying "Catch me sucker!" before dragging the rest of the meal up a nearby tree. Etoile glared after it, inwardly cursing the demonic squirrel with every fiber of her being.
*Ugly chipmunk. Gluttony Incarnate. I hope you choke to death on that fishbone.*
That was the first time she'd ever prepared lunch for a guy. Granted, she barely knew said guy in the first place. But thanks to a squirrel, she'd lose bragging rights over her sister.
Etoile leaned back onto a rock and sighed. Things could've turned out worse. At least she wasn't assaulted by some bloodthirsty monster roaming around the forest. She doubted she could outrun anything at this point since splitting their bodies into three seemed to have drained her stamina. Then she realized she'd spoken too soon.
A hand reached out from behind her and clamped itself tightly over her mouth causing her to yelp and struggle. However, it held firm stifling her cries firmly with its palm, which was heavily scented with blood.
"--Oi! Etoile stop! It's m--!"
In her panic, she wrenched it by the wrist and launched its owner over her shoulder. Whoever it was, they must have been extremely light, as she managed to throw them into the tree which stood at least five metres opposite her. As her mysterious assailant sailed through the air and into its sturdy trunk, Etoile caught her first good look at them.
There was no mistaking it. That mop of red hair and half-dried shirt could only belong to one person. The only difference to them was the torn sleeve and makeshift bandage now tied to their right leg.
"Kadar?" she asked in amazement. "What happe--"
With a single jerk of his head, Kadar had simultaneously silenced her whilst signaling that something was lurking nearby. She wasn't sure how, but his eyes seemed to convey all the information she needed.
*Am I just that good at mind-reading or...?*
No. She could clearly see that he was a master of telling stories without words. But the more she understood him, the more her anxiety rose. Kadar would've made an excellent mime artist.
There's a monster thing out there that'll kill us if we make the slightest noise? It might be angry since you took something from it? No way...
After what felt like a while Kadar was the first to break the silence.
"Sorry, for going for so long." he began breathlessly "But I managed to find some sort of village and a camp nearby."
"A camp and village?" She replied, getting back to her feet "But then what happened? You look like you got into a fight."
"I did. I stole this sack from some rhino-headed people and shoved one of them off this cliff I ran into," Kadar indicated to a bulky sack laying beside him "Yeah, I know. It was reckless. But some other people at that camp helped me out and were even getting chased down as well. Don't know where they are now."
Wow. He'd really gone on an adventure all on his own.
"Kadar, I don't really know what you're talking about, but can we go back first?"
She looked at him for a moment and noticed something strange. His eyes had suddenly grown dull. The sort of look Etoile would wear during one of her tuitions.
"Kadar, are you okay?"
"Yeah... You're talking to me, right?"
"Yeah..." Etoile said slowly. Something about him felt incredibly off. "We should head back. Dolly's going to kill me."
"Uh..."
"What's wrong?"
"Who's... Dolly...?"
***
Kadar lay down by the fire, gazing up at the starry sky, his mind still in a state of confusion. Apparently, he'd lost some of his memory whilst scouting the forest perimeter. Strange thing was that none of his memory seemed to have disappeared in any sort of order. More like pockets of it had been taken at random and discarded. And that scared him.
Just how much of his old life had he forgotten?
He willed the Soul Menu into existence and stared at his stats for a while.
---
Dar [Physical Body] [Soul 1] (28%)
Lv 5 (345/800 XP)
Life Force (20%): 786/786
Identity (8%) (Warning: Below 10% at this level may permanently damage mental state)
Mana (0%): 0/0
---
He did remember sacrificing something to increase his Life Force. It was the only way he'd managed to escape from his rhino-headed pursuers with his life. But now he was stuck wondering whether he had flirted with a fate worse than death.
Permanent damage to the mental state? Does that mean losing memories?
---
[System]:
Do you want to [Convert] 5% of Life Force into Identity?
Dar: Life Force (15%): 589(-197)/589
Identity (13%): +5%
Y/N
---
"Yes,"
He felt a bit of his numbness return. However, he already felt stone-cold to begin with. The icy breeze of the night only seemed to intensify, and no amount of shuffling or cosying up with the flames would warm him up. At this rate, falling asleep would become impossible.
"Kadar, can you come over here for a sec?"
A soft voice called out to him, and Kadar turned toward its direction. The name still felt kind of alien to him, but he got up nonetheless and walked over to her.
"Something wrong, Etoile?" He said, "There's still some food left in that sack if you're asking."
"What sort of glutton do you take me for?" Etoile demanded. She was leaning against the willow tree, with Dolly's head resting on her shoulder, fast asleep. Kadar noticed that his coat was draped over the two of them. "I'm not asking for food. I want you to sit here,"
She patted the space beside her and glanced at him expectantly.
"..." Kadar returned her gaze, trying to gauge her motives. "Uh..."
"Well? It's cold. You aren't seriously expecting us to let you sleep out there, are you?"
"Aren't you supposed to be keeping watch?"
"I am. And you're supposed to be asleep. I'll wake you up when it's your turn, so sit down already."
As Etoile caught him by the sleeves, Kadar relented and sat awkwardly next to her whilst keeping a wide berth between them.
"You're a weird girl you know," he muttered, staring into the firelight. "Do you normally let some guy you barely know, get close to you while you're so scantily dressed?"
"Oh? Is that what you're thinking about?" She answered smugly "I can't really blame you, since you are a guy, after all. But you aren't just 'some guy', you know? All three of us are literally a part of each other. Some might even say that we're closer than family."
He could understand what she meant. By some twist of fate, they were basically stuck together, and it was in their best interest to stay as one as opposed to separating paths.
*This is as close as it gets, huh?*
"And," Etoile continued. "Because of that, you should stop treating us as strangers. No going out on your own like you did today. And no doing things without telling any of us beforehand. Understand?"
Although this girl and Iris seemed like polar opposites, Kadar couldn't help but feel as though they shared an uncanny resemblance.
Seems like I can't catch a break from you, Iris. I promise I'll be coming back.
"Fine," Kadar replied "Anything else you want to add?"
"Also, if anything is troubling any of us, we discuss it together."
The actor gave a slight smirk at her naivete.
"I'm willing to lend an ear whenever you need me." he said a little teasingly "Your burdens will also be mine."
However, as he turned in her direction, Etoile locked her gaze with his. The amber firelight danced in her eyes; its reflection distorted on the tears that were slowly beginning to form. He'd seen this sort of expression before.
"Kadar, can I tell you something then? It's been eating me inside out since forever."
She beckoned him to come closer, and Kadar closed the gap between them. He knew that even whispering the words would require her to have great strength. And although many around the world would've called her weak, he wasn't one of them. He was ready to hear the words of someone embracing their weaknesses.
"Kadar, I'm scared. I'm an older sister, but even then, I can't help but want to run away. I'm afraid of dying again. Does that make me a failure? Am I a coward?"
She buried her face in his shoulder.
"No." He assured her, resting his hand gently on her head "You're strong. And I'm saying this as a fully-fledged coward myself. So trust me when I say, I know one when I see one. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
Kadar couldn't blame her. He almost died today and knew full well that this world was no kinder than the last. Of course, he was also afraid.