His body was already incredibly thin at this point, his lips cracked and dry from the lack of water. If he kept like this, it was likely it would only take a few more days for him to completely collapse.
But even though he could feel his life slipping from him, he just couldn't find the motivation to live.
The image of his mother flinging herself to death constantly replayed in his head, destroying any will he had to keep going.
A sudden growl woke him up from his reverie, and he twisted his weak body up away from the cliff so he could see what was making the noise.
There he saw a large bear, clearly starving like he was. Its rib cage was pressing up against its flesh, showing how long it had gone without eating.
The bear was desperate for a meal, increasing its ferocity. Seeing Minos lifelessly laying on the floor, the bear couldn't help but have its eyes glimmer with joy, feeling like it could survive.
The bear wanted to leap towards Minos, but it didn't have the strength, and it could only slowly walk towards him.
Seeing the bear getting closer and closer, Minos didn't even react. He had long since lost the desire to live, so to give the bear a meal so it could survive could be seen as the last good deed he could do.
He waited patiently as the bear came closer and closer, his eyes completely blank, having long since lost any sense of fear he once had.
The bear finally came within reach, its eyes shining ever brighter. It raised its paw slowly, ready to end Minos's life in a single swipe.
But before the beast could finish its attack, it collapsed, its exhaustion and hunger finally reaching its tipping point.
The lifeless bear dropped right beside Minos, much to his shock. He was certain that he was dead, but a miracle seemed to happen. Looking at the dead bear that seemed to be presented right to him by the heavens, Minos couldn't help but think.
The words of his mother reappeared in his mind, the final smile on her face before she jumped. He also remembered his father, the ambition he always held in his heart for Minos.
He even remembered Mister Uklend, and all the things he had taught him the past week, realizing that all these people were now dead.
They were dead, but he was alive, and in his heart, his soul, and his mind, a little piece of all three of them existed. As long as he lived, they would be eternal, always kept with him.
Realizing all this, a light seemed to appear in Minos's head, dispersing the darkness. The spark of ambition in his heart that nearly extinguished, suddenly reignited, his lifeless eyes filling with vigor.
He never believed in destiny, but seeing the bear die right in front of him, he knew his journey couldn't end here, he needed to live, he needed to see the world, he needed to leave his mark, to become stronger!
The illusive cultivators that Mister Uklend once spoke about came to his mind. He wanted to be like them, to pursue power and eternity, so that he could forever keep the little piece of his loved ones he still had.
Dragging his exhausted body up, Minos didn't even have the strength to cook the bear, just digging his teeth into its body, ripping out chunks of flesh.
…
"After that, I just lived until I stumbled into the Green Barrow Sect, the rest is history." Minos said to Tinka, who had been listening closely with red eyes and tear soaked cheeks.
"Th-that's so sad…" Tinka uttered as she continued to bawl.
"It's alright, it was a long time ago." Minos said, as he patted Tinka's head and gave her a moment to collect herself.
"What about the village, did anyone survive?" Tinka finally managed to say between whimpers.
"I went back, but by the time I arrived, it was completely empty. I like to believe most of them managed to escape, but I'll never really know." Minos answered.
"And what about your parents, did you ever check on them?" Tinka continued.
"No… Even though I know the truth deep down, I don't ever want to see what really happened. I guess it's my way of leaving at least a little hope in my heart." Minos responded with a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry, I should have never asked about your past." Tinka said remorsefully, never expecting Minos's story to be such a depressing one.
"We can't escape the past, so it's better to just come to terms with it. If anything, I want to thank you for asking, because this is the first time I've ever felt comfortable telling someone my story." Minos said with a shallow smile.
"Minos…" Tinka said, as she looked deeply into Minos's eyes. Before he could even react, she came in deeply for a kiss.
What happened next was completely blurry, but by the time Minos woke up, he realized he had officially become a 'man'.
Tinka was sleeping soundly on his side, a content smile on her face. Minos couldn't help but softly rub her hair as he reminisced over what just happened.
Honestly speaking, he expected to go through the rest of his life lonely, but meeting Tinka threw everything off track.
The first moment he looked Tinka in her eyes, he felt a spark in his heart he had never experienced before, and despite the feeling being a foreign one, he knew he couldn't ignore it.
Love at first sight, which he had only attributed to story books, actually became true for him, reminding him that life itself was truly the best author.
Leaning back on the bed with his arms crossed behind his head, Minos had a wide smile on his face as he looked at Tinka's soft and beautiful face. For the first time in years he felt happy, like he had a home.
'Mom, dad, thank you both, for giving me a chance to see this amazing world.'
Laying back down on the bed, Minos wrapped his arms around Tinka hugging her tightly. His eyes slowly shut, and he drifted off to sleep, the smile on his face going nowhere.
…
This was the best sleep Minos had in years, as if he had slept for an entire day, but seeing the sun rising from the window, he knew it was still early.
Despite how early it was, the bed was empty except for him, Tinka having clearly already woken up and gone off to do her work.
Letting out a yawn as he got out of the bed, Minos tossed on his clothes that had been sprinkled all over the floor. After getting dressed, he made his way to the door, opening it to reveal Tinka just arriving back.
"Good morning, Mi-, I mean, dear." Tinka said with a slight blush, realizing that the were married now, so just calling Minos by his name didn't feel intimate enough.
"Good morning honey." Minos responded with a laugh, as he gave Tinka a big kiss on her face.
"Here, I brought you some breakfast." Tinka said with a smile, as she presented the basket filled with wild fruits and vegetables that she had just harvested.
"Thank you." Minos said with a big smile as he opened the door for Tinka, letting her walk in.
The two had yet to make a dining table, so they could only sit cross-legged on the floor as they ate directly from the basket.
As they were eating, Tinka noticed Minos was a bit absentminded, not completely focusing on his meal. Realizing this, she decided to ask directly.
"What's wrong Minos, you seem to have something on your mind." She asked.
"Tinka, the truth is, I can't stay for long, a few more days at most…" Minos said honestly, despite not wanting to disappoint Tinka.
But beyond his expectations, Tinka didn't seem to be sad, only smiling as she took his hand into hers before speaking.
"Minos, I know this little tribe of our's can't contain you, and I don't want it to. The Minos I fell in love with is an explorer, a fighter, a cultivator, and I don't want to take those things from you."
"I just hope that no matter how far you go, you'll always come back, and never forget me." Tinka said softly, a delicate smile still on her face.
This side of Tinka always shocked him. He was used to the silly and slightly naive Tinka, which made him forget about the wise and caring Tinka.
But this was the side of Tinka that he had first fallen in love with, the compassionate and sensitive side that always knew what to say, and would always give everything for the one she loved.
Smiling back, Minos tugged Tinka's hand, throwing her body into his arms. Hugging her tightly, he lowered his head as he whispered into her ear.
"How could I ever forget you? Could I forget the beautiful flowers, or the delicate summer breeze? If not, then I surely could never forget you, that is a million times more lovely in my eyes."
"You always know what to say, don't you?" Tinka said with a laugh, her cheeks blushing red. Even though she had started becoming used to Minos's words, they were still as sweet as honey to her ears, filling her with happiness.
With such a loving air filling the atmosphere, it was only natural what happened next. Despite having already done it for hours the night before, the two were completely unaffected, their passion filling the room.
…
The next few days passed quickly, and having gotten a taste of something so sweet, Minos and Tinka ended up spending most of their time 'frolicking' in bed.
The rest of the time was either spent at Ronkus and Meninka's home, enjoying some family time, or teaching Tinka how to refine weapons.