Time, like an endless stream, flowed forward, its course neither hindered nor reversed.
The group of five continued their uneventful journey, a week passing in relative peace.
Bel remained reluctant to enter any towns or villages, her trauma from past human behavior still fresh in her mind.
Through continuous reading and interactions with Seraphina, she learned that her name, Belua, meant 'monster.'
The people around her had given her that name because they saw her as one—an abomination born between a man and a homunculus. This realization, coupled with her lack of interaction with humans for so long, made her hesitant to enter any human settlements. As a result, the group always settled in nearby woods and farms, avoiding populated areas.
***
"Ahh, my hair is all sticky," Bel grumbled, her fingers running through her now dirty hair.
