The figure sprawled out on the floor near the far corner of the cabin, shrouded in shadow. The dim light from the single candle on the table cast jagged silhouettes across the battered form. Avi's pulse quickened as recognition sparked—a weapon lay discarded nearby, its familiar carvings unmistakable.
No way… Tyler?
He moved closer, his steps cautious but swift. The figure's face came into view, and any doubt vanished. It was him—Tyler Rowan, bruised, battered, and barely breathing. His once-pristine uniform was torn and bloodied, the proud emblem of their school now smeared with dirt and grime.
Avi dropped to his knees beside Tyler, his chest tightening. Tyler wasn't just injured—he was clinging to life. Seeing him like this stirred an uncomfortable pang in Avi's chest. He muttered under his breath, "Damn it, Tyler… What the hell happened to you?"
Avi activated his |Clairvoyance| to confirm Tyler's status.
Tyler Rowan
Status:
Fatigue, Critically Injured, Unconscious.
Avi sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. Of course, it had to be Tyler.
Crouching down, he carefully examined the teen's injuries. His face was bruised, his arm bent at an awkward angle, and dried blood streaked his clothing. Avi grimaced. "Looks like you had a rough night, huh?"
Tyler might've been obnoxious, overconfident, and annoying, but he was still one of their own. And more importantly, Avi thought, he might know what happened to Ken and the others.
Gritting his teeth, Avi began adjusting Tyler's position, murmuring to himself, "Okay, don't make it worse…" He winced when Tyler groaned faintly, shifting as if to protest even in his unconscious state. "Relax, jerkface. I'll fix you up—I'll receive the payment once you wake up."
He pulled out bandages, medicinal salves, and some water from his dimensional inventory. As he worked, Avi's thoughts wandered. Ken, Emily, and the others… are they okay? Did Tyler get separated, or did something worse happen? He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. "One step at a time," he muttered.
By the time he was done, Tyler was almost entirely swaddled in bandages. Avi stood back, inspecting his work with a mix of pride and amusement. "Not bad," he muttered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm no doctor, but I think I did a great job."
Behind him, Ellie peeked out from the cabin door, her small face scrunched up in a mix of curiosity and concern. "Big Brother?"
walking towards her, Avi grinned. "Don't worry, Ellie. This one's a good monster."
Ellie tilted her head, her wide eyes flickering with fear between Avi and the bandaged Tyler.
With a chuckle, Avi added, "Okay, fine, he's not monster, but he's one of the good guys and I know him. Don't be scared."
Ellie hesitated, then stepped closer, clutching Avi's hand as they headed back inside the small wooden cabin. The interior was simple and worn—a single cot in the corner, a small stone fireplace, and a rickety table with one chair. Despite its plainness, the place exuded warmth, as though it had once been filled with love and care.
Seating Ellie on the cot, The concerned Avi crouched beside her. "Ellie, I want to talk to you for a bit. Is that okay?"
The little girl nodded, swinging her legs as she fiddled with her oversized cloak Avi gave to her. "Ellie talk to Big Brother!"
Avi chuckled softly. "Good. Can you tell me more about yourself? Like… how you ended up here?"
Ellie paused, her little hands gripping the hem of her cloak tightly. "Ellie… Ellie was with Nana," she began, her voice small but earnest. "Nana is Ellie's family! Nana made Ellie food, told Ellie stories… Ellie loves Nana so much!"
Avi nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"But…" Ellie's face fell, her lower lip trembling. "One day, Nana went to the forest. Nana said, 'Stay here, Elleanor,' but… but Nana didn't come back." Tears welled up in her big eyes as she sniffled. "Ellie waited and waited, but Nana didn't come home. Ellie got so, so hungry."
Avi's chest tightened as he listened. He wanted to comfort her, but something in her voice told him she needed to let it all out.
"Ellie tried to find Nana," she said, her small hands wiping at her face. "Ellie found Nana's clothes near a village. Ellie was happy—people were there! But…"
Her voice broke, and she hugged her knees. "The kids… they threw rocks at Ellie. They said Ellie is… Ellie is…"
"Cursed?" Avi finished softly, his voice laced with barely restrained anger.
Ellie nodded, her tears flowing freely. "The grown-ups yelled too. They said, 'Get lost!' Ellie was so scared…"
She took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Ellie tried again. Ellie was so, so hungry. A nice mister gave Ellie bread, but…" She clutched her stomach as if reliving the pain. "It hurt. It hurt so much. The mister laughed. They all laughed… when Ellie eat food that hurts, but Ellie had to eat, so Ellie keep eating angry food."
Avi's jaw clenched as his anger surged. What kind of monsters do that to a child?
Ellie's voice grew quieter. "Ellie was scared. Ellie stayed in the forest, but… Ellie misses Nana." Her tiny voice broke into a sob as she hugged herself. "Ellie wants Nana…"
Unable to hold back any longer, Avi pulled her into his arms. Her small frame trembled against him, her cries muffled by his shirt. "Hey," he murmured softly, his voice gentler than he thought possible. "It's okay. Big Brother's here."
For a long moment, they stayed like that. Slowly, Ellie's breathing evened out, her body going limp as she drifted off to sleep.
Avi gently laid her on the cot, pulling out a soft cloth from his inventory to use as a pillow. He watched her for a moment, his heart aching. Avisya… He can remember his little sister clinging to him as he tell her stories about his school life. Hiding the parts where he was being bullied and changing it to sound heroic to his sister "You're so cool Avi! I hope I can go to school too, I'm sure you'll protect me there even whenever I need you." Avi remember this scene from his memory of his sickly sister.
Ellie reminded him so much of his little sister, and the thought made his resolve harden. I'll keep her safe. No matter what.
With Ellie asleep and Tyler still unconscious, Avi decided to make himself useful. He rummaged through his inventory and pulled out rice, dried meat, and an egg. "Let's see if I can make something halfway decent," he muttered, lighting a small fire in the stone hearth.
As the porridge simmered, the warm scent of meat and spices filled the air. Avi's thoughts churned. The village Ellie described seemed more monstrous than any demonoid. If they treated her like this, what would they do to my friends if they're injured or unconscious, if they really are at that village?
He stirred the pot angrily, his grip on the ladle tightening, almost breaking it with his strength. I'll find out soon enough… and if they've hurt anyone, they'll regret it.
After a while, the scent of food woke Ellie, who sat up with wide, eager eyes. "Food! Ellie smells food!"
"Whoa, slow down," Avi said, laughing as she ran toward him. "I'll bring it to you, okay?"
Ellie plopped down near Tyler, her excitement bubbling over. Avi handed her a bowl, and she dug in with happy noises, her earlier sadness momentarily forgotten.
"Ellie likes Big bro so much! Big bro gives Ellie delicious food!" while ravaging the porridge Avi cooked.
Avi sat back, watching her with a rare smile. At least she's safe for now.
With Avi's enhanced instincts, a sudden movement caught his eye. Tyler's fingers twitched, and before Avi could react, the boy bolted upright, his body stiff and tense in a battle pose.
Tyler's wild eyes darted around the cabin, his stance defensive despite the ridiculous amount of bandages covering him.
Avi snorted, unable to resist. "Wow, Tyler. You're gonna fight a kid after barging into her house?" He gestured to Ellie, who blinked at Tyler mid-bite, rice clinging to her cheek.
Tyler's gaze flicked between Avi, which them offered a brief sense of relief for him. and then at Ellie, which made him confused. Did we had a kid that young in our school? and then his thought formed a scary idea: Was I in a coma for years and Avi has a kid now? while moving his gaze at the bowl of porridge at his feet. Finally, with a groan, he dropped his guard and plopped back down.
"Where the heck are we?" he muttered, his voice laced with confusion and exhaustion.
Avi smirked, handing him a bowl of porridge. "Eat first. Questions later. The kid has better manners than you."
"You should eat too mister monster!" Ellie chimes in, offering the food to Tyler.
And so, in the strange little cabin in the woods, peace—however brief—settled over the mismatched trio.