The sounds of the birds, the strong winds blowing on this hot season in this forest. Today, is pretty peaceful as always. Holding an axe on my left hand and wipes my forehead with my towel using my right hand, I took a glance at the logs of wood that i got from cutting some trees since earlier. Its been five years since my parents passed away from a curse that they got from a mage who arrived at my village at that time. At first, Because of anger, i tried to search for the mage the day after i buried their body. Alas, weeks, months, and then three years gone by without any information regarding said mage. Tired of futile searching, I surrenders and just goes back to my hometown and start chopping trees as a way of living, while keeping my hatred for that mage deep within my heart, not planning on forgetting him once.

After resting for a few minutes, I tied the logs and carry it on my shoulder and start walking towards the entrance of the forest. But as i walks through the flowerbeds, i noticed something within a few meters away from where I am. It's a cross that seems to be about 13 feet in height, i have never seen it before, not even once since i starts coming in this forest to cut trees.

I carefully remove the logs from my shoulder and drop it off on the floor before taking my axe that was also tied with the logs, then i starts walking towards the tower. As i comes closer towards the cross, i heard an angelic yet hollowed voice. "You... are you him?" It said... no, she said. As i heard that voice which seems to be coming from a woman, my gaze lifts up to the middle of the cross, where a girl with a hair and eyes that as blue as a lapis. and seems to be in her thirties gaze down at me, shackled with metal chains and seems to be a reinforced magic chains. As i stares at her, she once again open her mouth and starts speaking. "I asked you... are you him?" She asked me once again. I just stare at her for a few seconds before i responds "I don't know who is "him" but no, I don't think so." I said calmly as i thinks of what i should do right now. "Well... that's a shame." The girl speaks. I stops thinking and just ask her a simple question, ignoring what she just said. "Who are you?" I asked. The girl stares at my eyes, which in turn keep my eyes staring at hers, her eyes, it's beautiful. She then open her mouth, giving me an answer. "I wonder. I'm waiting and looking for someone for a long time that I forgot who am I supposed to be."

I stay quiet for a few seconds before asking another question. "Is that right? You don't even know who you are. I don't trust you." I said. The girl smile as she keeps her eyes staring at me. "I didn't asked you to trust me. But with that being said, I don't like being seen as a liar. Not knowing who you are is possible. More so if you've been alive for a long time." She said. I thinks briefly before asking her once again. "What does that mea-" before i can finish, the magical chains around the girl starts to crack, disappearing after being destroyed completely. But while the magic chain disappeared, the metallic chains stays wrapped around her. She then looks at me once again and speaks. "Would you please be a gentleman and help me? The magical chains is easy to destroyed since its been a long time when its placed on me. However, This thing can only be destroyed by physical force, and with how am I right now, I can't do it."

I keep quiet for a few seconds before asking her. "Why should I do that? I have no idea who or what even are you." I replied. The girl's eyes stay in contact with mine, as she responds. "Help me... and I'll help you as well. You're heart, I can feel it. It's suppressed and weakened but there's still some burning anger within it." She said with an eerie smile.

My grip on my axe tighten slightly, my eyes and face is calm and composed, but my hand is showing what i really feels. What does she mean by that?...no, I have an idea of what she's saying. "Fine." I responds. The girl's eyes widen for a split seconds, probably not expecting for me to accept her offer that fast and barely refused it. "I was expecting to persuade you more, what with the sudden acceptance?" She asked. Which I quickly answered with a simple answer. "Because I'm bored." "Bored...? What do you me-" before she can finish asking, I suddenly raise my axe and quickly hit the metallic chains that I can reach. "You better keep your words." I said as I keeps hitting them. The girl just stares at me before she once again opens her mouth. "...yes, of cour-" though, before she can finish, she was interrupted once again. This time, the broken chains free her and cause her to fall from the cross. I then drop my axe and jump to catch her mid air and speaks. "I don't like liars." I said as I land on the ground, with her on my arms. "...I'm not, don't worry." She replied. I stares at her eyes, looking for any hints of lie. When I finds nothing, I quickly drops her off on the ground. "You're heavy." I said as I starts picking my axe and starts walking towards where I left my wooden logs. The girl, slightly hurt from the fall, stand up and follow me shortly after, weakly hitting my back for dropping her off without warning. As the two of us walks away from the cross, it suddenly glow and starts to crack, turning into metallic sand like. I stares at it for a bit before turning my head away and continue to walk back towards my things, with the mysterious girl on my side. I wonder if everything will be fine.

[Chapter end]