The sun had barely begun to rise over the Hidden Village, casting soft rays of gold across the vibrant, dew-covered plants and trees. The air was crisp, the kind of morning that felt full of promises, yet Ezekeil lay motionless on his cot, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling of his temporary hut. His mind was far from peaceful, still wrestling with the conflict that gnawed at him.
The image of her—the girl with silver-platinum hair—lingered in his thoughts like an unwelcome ghost, her face an unsettling reminder of the mission that had brought him here. He had seen her as a child, in his dreams, as he had seen her once before in the past.
His ring finger burned faintly, the golden mark seemingly pulsing in time with his conflicted heart. A bond, an unspoken connection, one that had haunted him for years. He had come to end it, to sever the bond that tied him to this village, to her. But the more he thought of her, the harder the resolve became.
Ezekeil rolled over on his cot, clenching his fists.
"Let's end this quickly," he muttered under his breath, trying to will the words to hold weight. His heart, however, betrayed him with every thought of her. He had one goal, one reason for coming here. He couldn't afford to forget it now.
Despite the resolve in his mind, the unease gnawed at him all morning, a strange weight pressing on his chest as he prepared to leave the hut and carry out the task that lay ahead. He silently strapped his belongings across his shoulders, his fingers brushing the edge of his sword. A sense of finality hung in the air as he approached the door, ready to face the next step.
Before he could grasp the door handle, a light knock echoed through the silence. Ezekeil froze, his body tense, every muscle on edge.
"Are you awake?" a soft, calm voice called from the other side.
His brow furrowed.
He didn't need to open the door to know who it was, but he did it anyway. When he pulled it open, he came face to face with her—the girl with silver-platinum hair.
Her eyes were bright, her expression polite but warm, and in her hands, she carried a tray laden with food. Ezekeil felt an odd flutter in his chest, though his face remained impassive.
"Esme asked me to bring this to you," Mekeala said with a gentle smile, her voice carrying a sense of kindness that immediately clashed with his cold thoughts.
Ezekeil didn't answer immediately, his gaze flickering to the tray before returning to her eyes. "There's no need for this," he replied, his tone flat, the edge of his voice betraying his discomfort.
Mekeala didn't flinch at his coolness. She stepped forward slightly, her voice more insistent. "You're our guest. It's only right we show you hospitality." She paused and added with a lighter note, "And Esme insisted."
Her words stirred something within him, a subtle tug of guilt mixed with frustration. Ezekeil fought to maintain his composure.
"Thank you, but it's not necessary."
Mekeala's smile widened, and she shifted the tray, holding it out to him. "It's no trouble at all," she said, her curiosity shining through despite his resistance. "I'm Mekeala," she added, her eyes twinkling with an unspoken question.
His heart clenched involuntarily at the mention of her name. Mekeala. She was the one—the girl from his dreams.
He inhaled sharply, trying to force the lump from his throat. "Ezekeil," he replied, his voice colder than he intended.
Mekeala studied him for a moment, her expression curious. "Where are you from?" she asked, her tone innocent and full of the kind of unguarded curiosity that could break even the most stoic of people.
"Outside," Ezekeil answered flatly, his words clipped.
Mekeala raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "The Central Kingdom? Are you really human? How did you pass through the barrier?" Her questions came rapid-fire, each one more probing than the last.
Ezekeil hesitated, the weight of her gaze too much to ignore. He wanted to remain distant, to shut her out, but something in her presence—her genuine curiosity—made him pause.
"I... was drawn here by curiosity," he replied, his voice softening slightly, though he didn't meet her eyes. The words felt foreign coming from him.
Her eyes sparkled with further intrigue, but she said nothing at first. Instead, she stepped back, lifting the tray with a casual grace. "I suppose that makes sense. The Hidden Village does have its charm."
Ezekeil's sharp gaze flickered over the tray, though he didn't reach for it. Instead, his mind raced as he thought of his mission. This was just a distraction, a brief detour. He had to focus on the task at hand.
But as he stood there, something unexpected began to happen. The frustration he had felt earlier began to recede, replaced with an odd sense of... peace.
Why is this so hard? He wondered. He should just kill her, complete the mission. He had come this far—he couldn't afford to hesitate now.
Yet, there she was, standing before him, not with fear or suspicion, but with open curiosity and warmth.
His gaze shifted to the village outside, his thoughts momentarily lost in the colors of the morning sun.
"Would you like to see the village?" Mekeala asked, breaking through the fog of his mind.
Without waiting for an answer, she gestured for him to follow. Ezekeil stood frozen for a moment, but then he followed her into the crisp morning air. As they walked through the village, the scent of wildflowers and fresh earth filling the air, his sharp eyes scanned every corner, every movement. He was on alert, aware of everything, but still, his thoughts kept drifting back to her.
Her voice broke the silence again, light and teasing. "You're so serious," she said with a laugh. "We're not going to bite you, you know."
He turned his head to look at her, his lips twitching slightly. "I'm just... cautious."
She smiled up at him, her bright eyes full of questions, her innocence too pure to understand the depths of his inner turmoil.
Despite everything, Ezekeil couldn't help but feel a strange tug at his heart, a pull he couldn't explain. And as they walked deeper into the village, past the vibrant homes and under the protective gaze of the World Tree, he realized that whatever the outcome of his mission, the girl who walked beside him would change everything.