He had finished the congee despite taking an hour to finish all of that and eating a painkiller. After a while, the pain in his body subsided, giving him the feeling of being able to finally breathe like normal.
He raised his hand to look at his bandaged arms. So to speak, his entire body was covered in bandages, even his head. What he knew when he looked at his exposed skin when Sora applied the medicine to his body was that his body was full of burn marks.
"How did this happen to you?"
"Are you the one who saved me?"
Both of them asked at the same time. The green and hazel eyes looked at each other before Sora rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, you could say that. I can't just leave you alone in the forest that's full of beasts in that condition."
Michael creased his forehead. Forest? Beast?
"What are you talking about? You found me in a forest?"
"Yeah, I found you unconscious somewhere in the deep forest."
Michael touched his forehead, trying to process what he had heard or whether it was okay to believe what this man had said.
"I'm quite shocked because no one ever came into this forest alone, so I've got no choice but to attend to your injury. If not, you would die."
'Maybe it is better if that happens.' Michael thought. However, his mouth uttered something completely opposite.
"Thank you, I guess."
"So tell me what happened to you and how you ended up here, of all places. I should have the right to know when I don't even know who you are at that time. It would be my misfortune if you ended up being some sort of criminal or a wanted person."
Sora crossed his arms against his chest.
"Based on your answer, I'll consider letting you stay. But I won't kick you out before you're fully healed, though."
"I...don't know."
Sora tilted his head in confusion.
"I don't remember; what I know is that I was supposed to die. In a sea."
Sora was becoming more confused when he heard that. He really found Michael alone with the burned injury in the forest when he went hunting. That day, it was not raining, and the pond that he knew was far from Michael's spot. He also did not feel the wetness on Michael's at that time.
Moreover, Michael spoke about dying in the sea. There is no sea in this area, despite the fact that it is actually far from here.
What Michael said is contrary to his condition when Sora met him.
'Is he trying to unalive himself?'
Sora frowned at that thought.
"What else did you remember?"
"I believed that I actually remembered everything. My name, age, family, and what food I last ate. Those details are as clear as crystal in my head, so I don't understand how I ended up here with these injuries."
It was the longest sentence Michael spoke to him. Sora could see the confusion and frustration on that face.
'Post-traumatic amnesia perhaps?'
Sora didn't want to judge too quickly. He had made the decision to treat Michael since they first met, after all, and he can't step back now. Any reward was not his concern right now when he was already in this situation and had heard the gist of what happened to Michael.
He really can't back down anymore when he is involved with this boy.
Sora let out an internal sigh. He should've known everyone he encountered would have a complicated situation on their shoulders, and he would always be dragged into those matters. He is not a trouble magnet, mind you!
He just doesn't have a choice but to get dragged into those situations, whether he likes it or not.
"By the way, where is this? Why are you living in a forest?"
Sora smiled sheepishly.
"Oh, that. Something happened. I need to stay here for a while. I am a hunter."
"Hunter?"
He had never heard of that. Is that a term for an assassin or something? Is this guy killing people or animals?
"Did you kill people?"
Sora quickly flailed his hands to deny the question.
"No, no, no. I'm a licensed hunter. The hunter's job is to hunt the beasts and animals, then bring them to the merchant to sell them and get money. Besides, the hunter was also the one who had the most access to the dungeons and restricted areas. That's what we do."
Michael's mouth gaped a little while he looked at Sora like he was crazy.
"Are you for real?"
He asked with a lot of scepticism. If he could be blunt, he would ask if Sora is having a malfunction with his cognitive process, also known as 'Are you crazy?'
"Er, you don't understand?"
Sora scratched his head. Did he say something wrong? Why would he receive such a look from this boy?
"Hunter. Beast. Dungeon. Those are something; wait, no, those do not even exist."
He just remembered reading a book with those words: fantasy. What he can conclude is that all those terms existed in a fantasy world.
"We are not living in fantasy. Are you trying to make a joke? Surely not, right?"
Sora looked at him with a frown before his eyes slowly widened in realization.
"Ah, that's why!"
Sora snapped his fingers.
"You are not from here! I guess I should've known from your name. I was not informed of this."
'Informed?'
"I should tell you, this might seem very unbelievable to you, but to not be so cryptic, you are in a different world."
Silence.
"You are kidding."
"Sad to say, but no."
×××××
Pak!
Buk!
"Up!"
"Heuk—!"
"Up!"
"Argh!"
"Up!"
Buk! Buk!
"Stop!"
They let out an erratic breath after the command. Slowly, everyone who was on the ground stood up.
"Today's training is over. Go back to refresh yourselves. Dismiss!"
"Yes. Thank you, professor!"
The older man, whom they called Professor, walked out of there. A murmur began to circulate the room. Some complained about their sore bodies, some grumbled about the harsh training, and some weakly complained about their hunger.
All of them dismiss themselves either towards their dorm or cafeteria to get something to eat. Dinner was almost time.
"Oi, wait for me!"
An arm slings around his shoulder. He staggered a little from the sudden push, but he didn't stop walking while wiping his sweaty face with a clean towel.
"Do you want to eat first or go back to our dorm?"
"Bath."
"Fine. I'll bring you food."
"No ne—"
"Nu-uh. I know you will skip dinner if you go back to the dorm now. I'll come in half an hour!"
"Whatever."
"Yes yes. Wait for me, and we'll eat together, Rezal."
The boy ran away from him with a big smile. Rezal watched the boy stagger after he bumped into someone; he let out a scoff before he went in a different direction.
He unlocked the door when he saw that the number on it indicated that it was his dorm before he went in. A piece of paper fell when he opened the door. He closed the door before he picked up the pink paper. He inspected it up and down before he tossed it on his desk.
He looked at his desk to find a white envelope with his family's emblem. He sat down on his bed before he slowly opened the seal and took out the flipped white paper.
There is not much that was written, and he already knew who had sent this to him. Just a paragraph with three simple sentences and the sender's signature.
"So formal."
He snorted and put the letter back into the envelope before he walked into the bathroom. He discarded his mucky clothes before he went under the shower. His pink hair went immediately wet. He took his time in the shower, letting his muscles relax a little.
After that, he walked out with a pair of casual clothes, and his hands were busy drying his hair with a small towel.
"I'm back!"
He didn't glance at the door and just continued to dry his hair.
"There is just the usual food and something that you didn't eat, so I brought something else. Here, your apple."
Rezal caught the apple thrown by his friend.
"I'll leave your food here. I just remembered I've got to meet someone now, so I won't be eating with you."
"It's fine. I'll be going out for a while. I'll eat that later."
"Huh, where do you want to go?"
The blond-haired boy took off his shirt before he looked at Rezal with an eyebrow raised.
"Meet my sister."
Rezal put on a red cardigan before he took a bite of the apple. He picked up the envelope to put it in his pocket, as well as the pink letter before he walked towards the door.
"Here, for you."
"Huh? Eh?"
The blond boy was dazed for a moment after he caught the letter thrown by Rezal.
"Thanks for the food."
Rezal walked out of the room. The boy opened the letter and frowned.
"Oi! It's your love letter! Not mine!"
Rezal ignored the shouting and continued his journey to meet his sister at another building.