A timeless village waits in the middle of nowhere, shrouded in a foggy cold. Snow covered rooftops hide the dark brown wood the houses and shacks are made of, while the doors are just above the three inches of snow covering the ground.
Walking slowly through this snow was a tall boy with black eyes, and ebony hair to go with it. His long sleeved shirt thin and his matching pants slightly baggy. He stumbled across a startling sight, but his facial expression hadn't changed once the whole time.
A young lady in a black kimono with a white belt around it shook nonstop in the snow, curled into a ball with frozen tears on her face. He reached out to her only for her to gasp and squirm away from him frantically.
Boy: Hey.. It's far too cold out here for you to lay in the snow...
The girl continued trembling without a word, and not long after, she fell unconscious. The boy carried her to a small house, and set her on a table near the fire place. There she rested for two long hours before slowly opening her eyes.
The girl weakly looked around, moving as little as possible before she noticed a warm rag on her head, and the lack of her geta as well as her socks. Shocked, she sat upright and looked at the boy who was sitting at a smaller table to the left of the fireplace.
Girl: W-where am I..?
The boy stood from his chair and turned to her, realizing she had finally came to.
Boy: This is an old shack, but for now don't try to strain yourself.. Tell me what happened to you.
Girl: What.. happened..?
She looked as if she just remembered something before curling up into a ball and crying to herself. The boy stood there and waited for her, and after a few moments she finally spoke up, clutching the bottom of her kimono tightly while doing so.
Girl: I.. There w-was a g-group of men and...
She froze and fell silent again, tears falling down her pale cheeks as she sat there. The boy sat in his chair once more, the slightest hint of emotion flickering in his eyes before fading to his usual calm demeanor.
Boy: You can't go back and change what happened, so try and leave it behind for now.. You can become better in the future...
Her sniffles quiet down as she thinks deeply about his cold but truthful words. And she starts fidgetting with her fingers as she begins putting away her fear.
Girl: Where is my...
Boy: I cleaned and polished your geta since they were worn a bit..
He reached over, grabbing her freshly cleaned socks and geta from the table before walking to her and handing them over. She put them on, confusion written all over her face the whole time before she spoke softly again.
Girl: Why are you.. Being so kind to me..? I'm..
Boy: Yes I know, girls are either treated like priceless gems, or they're treated like slaves.. But I don't think that way about them.. I see you as a human with your own struggles and talents...
The girl stares for a moment, her eyes slightly widened in surprise before she silently looks down at her feet. The boy takes the rag which was barely staying on her forehead, and he walks to the right side of the fireplace, dunking the rag in boiling water before squeezing it out.
Boy: I treated your injuries as much as I could, but please lie down. You aren't healed completely yet...
The girl glanced at him while he handled the rag, before she laid back on the table, staring at the ceiling and waiting. A sense of warmth and comfort washed over her as the fire crackled and hummed, filling the dark silence of the old shack. She might have been at peace for a moment.. But only a moment...
End Chapter...