"What's your name again?"
For the ninth time, I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Kiyel."
Saya's face lit up as if I'd told him some groundbreaking secret. "Oh! Where are we going?"
"To meet Buddha," I replied, deciding to switch things up for once.
His brows furrowed, forming the most dramatic question mark I'd ever seen. "How?"
I smirked. "We find the miracle fruit, eat it, grow wings, and fly straight to the heavens."
"That's not possible!" he exclaimed, though the way he tilted his head made it seem like he was considering it.
I couldn't hold back my laugh, the sound echoing through the endless trees.
The Forest was unforgiving, a labyrinth of towering trees that made every step feel like a gamble. You'd hit dead ends, double back, and face creatures so surreal they belonged in nightmares. As if that weren't enough, I had Saya—a monk who somehow managed to be both incredibly amusing and insanely annoying.
-----
"Agh!" Saya winced, clutching his temple.
Sometimes, his memories would flare up, only to flicker out as quickly as they appeared. One moment, he'd look utterly devastated; the next, his usual blank smile was back. I know it's cruel, but watching the transition was hilarious.
Saya was a walking contradiction. A monk with tattoos. A meat-eater. A man who, on more than one occasion, had cursed when a corrupted spirit startled him. He was the last person you'd expect to be guiding you to a holy temple—and yet, here we were.
"Kiyel! Right, I remember now," he said, beaming. "So, where are we? Are we close to the temple?"
I sighed, pointing to the map for the umpteenth time. "Still midway."
He nodded sagely, like this was the most enlightening revelation of his life. "Hmmm... A few more days, then."
For a moment, he just stared at me, his grin fading into something more thoughtful. "Why are you looking for your master again? I might've asked before, but… I can't seem to remember the answer."
I stacked rocks beside yet another dead end, marking the spot. "Because my life depends on him."
Saya tilted his head, studying me like I was some riddle he couldn't solve. "I have a feeling you don't belong here."
That comment made my heart skip, but I shrugged it off with a nonchalant laugh. "You figured that out, yet you keep asking."
He chuckled, and for a moment, the usual playfulness returned. Then, as if on cue, he winced again, rubbing his temple. His eyes glowed faintly before he exhaled a puff of smoke.
This monk… what was he?
-----
Days passed in a blur of exhaustion and laughter. Despite my growing impatience to reach the temple, Saya's antics made the journey bearable. He spent his breaks tattooing intricate designs onto his arms, his ink telling stories I couldn't decipher. Watching him hunt, however, was something else entirely—he moved like a predator, swift and merciless.
Was he really a monk?
-----
Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed onto the forest floor, groaning. "I can't do this."
Saya blinked at me, his face blank. "Who are you?"
I slapped my forehead in frustration. "The temple, Saya! We're trying to find the temple!" My voice cracked with desperation. "And I don't even know if the young master is there!"
In a dramatic flourish, I grabbed his robes and pretended to sob into them. "It's hopeless!"
Saya just stared, his expression unreadable. Then he flinched again, his hand pressing to his temple.
When he spoke, his voice was unusually soft. "I'm sorry."
I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"I just wanted a companion for a while," he admitted, his usual smile tinged with regret. "It was selfish of me to delay you when your need is urgent."
Before I could process his words, he knelt down and placed his palm against the ground. A soft hum filled the air as golden lines snaked across the forest floor. Slowly, the glowing paths began to fade, one by one, until only a single trail remained.
"This is the way to the holy temple," he said, rising to his feet.
I gawked at him. "You could've done this the entire time?"
Saya chuckled, bowing his head. "I enjoyed your company. Forgive me."
Guilt twisted in my chest. I scrambled to bow, nearly smacking my forehead against the ground. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
His laughter was warm, genuine. "Thank you, too."
For the first time, I realized that somewhere along the way, Saya had stopped being just an annoying monk. He was my friend.
---
The temple wasn't what I'd expected. It was modest, its worn stone walls covered in moss. Yet there was something ancient, almost sacred, in the air.
Inside, a man knelt before a fountain. His pristine robes shimmered faintly, intricate patterns catching the dim light.
"Visitors," he murmured without turning around.
I hesitated. "Excuse me," I said, stepping forward cautiously. "I'm looking for someone."
The man's head tilted unnaturally, his movements slow and deliberate. His eyes remained closed as he rose to his feet.
"A nobleman from Athanasios?" he asked, his voice low and deliberate.
Hope flickered in my chest. "Yes! Have you seen him?"
The man tilted his head, the motion jerky and wrong. "He took something from me."
My stomach twisted. "Ah… no, that must be someone else. Sorry to bother you!" I grabbed Saya's bald head when he refused to move, yanking him toward the exit. What did you do this time, Yen?!
But just as we turned to leave, a whisper, soft yet piercing, seemed to echo directly between our ears.
"He took my sons."
I froze. Slowly, dread crawling up my spine, I turned back.
The man's face contorted with fury, his eyes snapping open to reveal irises that burned a deep, blood-red. His lips curled into a snarl, his entire body trembling with rage.
Saya and I locked eyes, both of us thinking the same thing.
We screamed in unison and bolted for the door.