The assassins moved with practiced precision, their blades glinting in the moonlight as they closed in on the girl. She scrambled backward, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her eyes wide with terror. But before they could strike, the shadows around them came alive.
The MC stepped forward, her right arm glowing with eldritch energy, the blackened skin and crimson cracks pulsing with power. Her glowing red eye fixed on the assassins, and with a flick of her wrist, the shadows lashed out. Tendrils of darkness shot through the air, wrapping around the assassins' throats and lifting them off the ground. They struggled, their hands clawing at the tendrils, but it was futile. With a sickening crunch, their necks snapped, and their bodies fell limp to the forest floor.
The girl stared, her mouth hanging open in shock, her tear-streaked face pale and trembling. She looked up at the MC, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. "Y-you… you saved me," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
The MC didn't respond. She turned away, her expression blank, her glowing red eye scanning the forest for any remaining threats. When she found none, she began to walk away, her bare feet silent on the forest floor.
"Wait!" the girl called, scrambling to her feet. "Please, don't leave me!"
The MC didn't stop. She had no reason to. The girl was alive, the assassins were dead, and her part in this was done. She had no interest in companionship, no desire to form connections. Emotions were a weakness, and she had long since shed them.
But the girl was persistent. She ran after the MC, her steps clumsy and uneven as she tried to keep up. "Please," she begged, her voice trembling. "I don't know where I am. I don't know how to get home. Please, just… just let me stay with you for a little while."
The MC ignored her, her pace steady and unhurried. She had no destination in mind, no purpose other than to put as much distance between herself and the cult's lair as possible. The girl's presence was an annoyance, but not enough to make her stop.
The girl, however, didn't give up. She followed the MC through the forest, her voice a constant, chattering presence. "My name's Aurelia," she said, her tone brightening slightly as she tried to fill the silence. "What's yours?"
The MC didn't answer. She kept walking, her glowing red eye scanning the shadows for danger.
Aurelia didn't seem deterred by the lack of response. "You're really strong," she continued, her voice tinged with admiration. "I've never seen anyone do something like that before. How did you do it? Was it magic? Are you a mage?"
Still, the MC said nothing. She stepped over a fallen log, her movements fluid and unhurried, and Aurelia scrambled after her, nearly tripping in her haste.
"Where are you going?" Aurelia asked, her voice growing more insistent. "Do you live around here? Do you have a family? Friends?"
The MC's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond. She didn't have a family. She didn't have friends. She didn't even have a name. She was nothing but a weapon, a tool, a vessel for the eldritch power that now coursed through her veins.
But Aurelia didn't know that. And she wasn't about to let the silence deter her. "You're really quiet," she said, her tone light and teasing. "Is that just how you are, or are you ignoring me?"
The MC's glowing red eye flicked toward Aurelia for a brief moment, but she quickly looked away. She didn't have the energy to deal with this. She didn't have the energy to care.
But Aurelia wasn't giving up. She followed the MC through the forest, her voice a constant, chattering presence. She talked about everything and nothing—her home, her family, her favorite foods, her dreams for the future. She asked questions, even though she knew she wouldn't get answers. She told stories, even though the MC didn't seem to be listening.
And yet, despite her best efforts to ignore her, the MC found herself growing… curious. Aurelia was unlike anyone she had ever met. She was bright, cheerful, and full of life, even in the face of danger. She was everything the MC wasn't, and yet, she didn't seem afraid. She didn't seem to care that the MC was different, that she was dangerous, that she was broken.
It was… strange.
The first night, they stopped in a small clearing. The MC sat against a tree, her glowing red eye scanning the shadows for danger, while Aurelia sat a few feet away, her back against a fallen log. She was quiet for the first time since they had met, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. But even in the silence, the MC could feel her presence, like a warm, flickering light in the darkness.
The next day, Aurelia was back to her chattering self. "Do you like the forest?" she asked, her tone bright and cheerful. "I think it's kind of scary, but also kind of beautiful. Don't you think?"
The MC didn't respond. She kept walking, her pace steady and unhurried.
Aurelia sighed, but she didn't give up. "You know," she said, her tone thoughtful, "you're really hard to talk to. But that's okay. I'll just keep talking until you answer me."
The MC's jaw tightened, but she said nothing.
The second night, they stopped in another clearing. This time, Aurelia sat closer, her back against the same tree as the MC. She was quiet again, her eyes fixed on the stars above. "Do you ever wonder what's out there?" she asked, her voice soft and wistful. "Beyond the forest, I mean. Do you think there's a place where people like us can be happy?"
The MC didn't answer. She didn't know what happiness was. She didn't know if it even existed.
But Aurelia didn't seem to mind. She leaned her head against the tree, her eyes closing as she let out a soft sigh. "I think there is," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think there's a place where we can be free. Where we can be ourselves."
The MC's glowing red eye flicked toward Aurelia, but she quickly looked away. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to feel.
The next morning, Aurelia was back to her usual self. "Do you have a name?" she asked, her tone light and teasing. "Or do I just keep calling you 'mysterious forest girl'?"
The MC stopped walking. She turned to face Aurelia, her glowing red eye fixed on the girl's face. For the first time in two days, she spoke. "I have no name."
Aurelia blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. But then, a smile spread across her face, bright and genuine. "Well, that's okay," she said, her voice soft and warm. "I'll give you one."
And before the MC could react, Aurelia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. The MC stiffened, her body tense and unyielding, but Aurelia didn't let go. "You're not alone anymore," she whispered, her voice filled with determination. "I'll stay with you. I'll protect you. And I'll give you a name."
The MC stood there, her glowing red eye wide with shock, her body frozen in place. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to feel. But for the first time in her life, she felt something—a faint, flickering warmth in the void where her emotions had once been.
And it terrified her.