Dave stood still, his hand hovering over the chains that bound the small girl to the cage. Her eerie smile was gone, replaced by a blank expression as she drifted into a deep sleep. Her frail body collapsed into a heap as soon as Dave broke the chains. The sound of metal clinking against the dirt echoed in the empty air, but Dave remained on guard.
'System, monitor her closely,' he thought, stepping back cautiously.
"Monitoring initiated. There is no immediate threat."
Dave frowned. The girl's aura had changed drastically, from the menacing and unsettling presence to something calmer. It felt almost... normal now. The system had warned him just moments ago that this child had the potential to surpass any superhuman he had ever encountered, yet now she appeared utterly harmless.
He glanced down at the girl's sleeping form, unsure of what to make of the situation. 'I can't just leave her here,' he thought. There was no telling what her story was or who had locked her up. But he had to be careful.
Without a word, Dave gently lifted her up, carrying her away from the cage. Her small frame was surprisingly light, and she didn't stir as he moved her to a safe spot further from the ruins. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the landscape as Dave laid her down on a soft patch of grass, far from the prison-like cage she had been confined in.
He took a step back and sat down nearby, his mind racing with questions. Who was she? Why was she imprisoned? And, most importantly, why was the system so wary of her?
The next morning, Dave noticed the girl stirring. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she blinked in confusion, scanning her surroundings. She sat up slowly, looking around as if trying to piece together where she was and what had happened.
"Hey," Dave said softly, moving closer but still keeping his distance. "Do you know where you are?"
The girl's eyes met his, and there was no recognition, no trace of the eerie aura that had enveloped her before. She looked genuinely confused, her expression soft and innocent.
"I... I don't know," she replied in a small voice, her hands gripping the grass around her. "Where am I? Why am I here?"
Dave narrowed his eyes slightly. She didn't remember. Could this be an act? Or had something happened to her memory? Before he could ask another question, the system's voice spoke in his mind.
"The immediate threat has diminished. However, it is highly likely that this girl is a high-level entity, beyond the scope of your current understanding. Her abilities remain dormant for now, but proceed with caution."
'A high-level entity?' Dave thought. The system had never used such a term before. If this girl was something far more powerful than even the superhumans he had faced, then her true potential could be immeasurable. And yet, here she was, sitting in front of him, looking lost and helpless.
"I released you from a cage," Dave explained. "You were chained up, locked away in an old village. Do you remember anything about that?"
The girl shook her head, her brow furrowed as if she was trying to recall something but couldn't. "I don't... I don't remember anything," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why was I in a cage?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that," Dave muttered, more to himself than to her. Something wasn't adding up. He had no doubt that she was powerful—maybe even more powerful than anything he had encountered so far—but for now, she seemed to be an enigma, a puzzle that he had yet to solve.
The system's words echoed in his mind again. "While the girl does not pose a direct threat for now, it is advised to keep her under observation. Her true nature cannot be fully measured at this time."
Dave let out a sigh, glancing at the girl. She wasn't a danger for now, but he couldn't ignore the system's warning. He had to be cautious, even if she didn't seem like a threat at the moment. But until he figured out more about her, she couldn't be left alone.
"You're coming with me," Dave said, standing up. "It's not safe for you to be out here on your own."
The girl looked up at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "But... I don't even know who I am. Why would you help me?"
Dave paused for a moment, his thoughts turning dark. He didn't know the answer to that himself. Maybe it was because she reminded him of his sisters, or maybe he felt a strange responsibility now that he had freed her. Either way, he knew he couldn't leave her behind.
"Just stick with me," Dave said finally. "I'll figure it out."
The girl nodded, standing up shakily. Her body still looked frail, but there was something in her eyes now—something more determined, as if a small part of her memory was beginning to return.
Dave spent the rest of the day with her, trying to ask as many questions as he could. Where had she come from? Did she know anything about superhumans? What were her abilities?
But to his frustration, the girl couldn't provide any answers. Every question he asked was met with the same blank look or a hesitant shake of the head. Whoever or whatever she was, her memories were locked away, buried beneath layers that even she couldn't access.
As the sun began to set again, Dave let out a frustrated sigh. 'There's no use in pushing her now. She clearly doesn't know much. But I'll keep her close. She's too dangerous to ignore.'
He glanced over at the girl, who was quietly watching the sky, lost in her own thoughts.
Whatever secrets she held, Dave knew he would find them out eventually.