Meanwhile...
With his vision engulfed in darkness, Asahi questioned inside his mind.
He hadn't known that he was swiftly taken away from Aletha, so Asahi still thought he was lying on the ground, near the circle of stones. Nevertheless, one sound revealed the truth about where he was.
The sound of sizzling.
The pleasing smell of bacon roused him. He sat upright, drawn by the aroma, and took in the bed and wooden walls around him.
"What the?—"
As Asahi analyzed his surroundings, he hadn't even questioned Aletha's location; It was probably too late anyway. Searching far from within his bed, he saw a small human-like silhouette standing in front of an oven.
Asahi squinted until the silhouette took shape as a petite girl with short, mixed-color hair, a green dress, and twitching cat ears. She quietly tended breakfast.
Adorable.
He hadn't recognized this girl. For the first time since returning with Aletha, he felt a sudden, burning attraction he couldn't process.
As she heard Asahi pull the blankets, she turned her head slightly and revealed her glistening, emerald-blue eyes to Asahi. The girl gasped in shock.
"Huh? You're finally awake. I thought you were a goner…"
Her voice matched her appearance; high-pitched and sweet.
"Eh?"
Lost in awe, Asahi whispered.
"She looks stunning. Wait, is SHE the one who saved me? Where… am I?"
"Of course. I saw you on the ground earlier." The cat girl replied. "I thought you were in trouble fighting the demons in that forest—
Her response sounded friendly, yet her confident voice trembled. Her eyes widened, cheeks flushed, and heart raced. Her mood grew uneasy.
"I-I um… a-are y…you… hi—"
The girl swiftly turned her head down and stood with her toes touching the ground, as if she were wearing heels. Asahi shook his head and crawled out of the bed, trying to approach.
"Hey. Are you alright? Where am I, and… why are you blushing?"
Her uneasiness grew more evident in her voice.
"N-Nothing! Nothing at all! P…Please, s-sit down and— n-never mind, I already got a meal r-r-ready for you. Just sit at that table and—
She quavered behind a cabinet, hoping Asahi's gray eyes wouldn't stare at her again. She can't handle her emotions so quickly. Asahi bent over and saw a plate of steaming bacon delicately placed. He pulled the chair and sat, turning to see the girl's arms poking out.
"Hey, do you mind telling me your name? After all, you saved me."
The girl gulped, trying to stay hidden. She didn't want to show her face, especially now. Asahi reached for a strip of bacon, and a trembling voice sounded from behind the cabinet.
"Kali… K-Kali Leila…"
Asahi smiled as he nibbled on the steamy strip of bacon.
"That's a beautiful name."
The girl blushed even harder. She whispered to herself.
"He's even prettier when he's awake…"
She remembered healing Asahi's arm, with his face and wounds recovering from her magic. The girl was amazed at how quickly he recovered, almost making her skeptical.
He seemed almost like a different person when healed, but that wasn't true.
Kali Leila was drawn to who he really was. When his scars hid his identity, her anxiety eased, but without them, she felt exposed.
After Asahi finished two greasy strips, Kali Leila came out, hurried to the bed, and tried to hide her warm face in embarrassment.
"You're in the goblin village. And others who said that were with you are also present here. They were looking all over for you."
"Really? Why aren't the goblins attacking?"
Kali's green eyes widened in shock. She uttered in a surprised tone.
"Goblins… attacking?! No, no, no, you don't even know what you're even saying! Goblins don't hurt people. H-Has your mind been affected by that hit as well?"
Asahi jumped up in surprise and shouted.
"What? No! I think I was knocked out because of—"
Kali awaited his answer.
"Because… what?"
"—Because… okay fine, I admit it. My mind might have been affected as well. However, I don't feel much different, except for the fact that my magic vanished while fighting Drimi."
As Asahi was about to munch on the last strip of bacon, Kali Leila shook her head and stole the bacon right from his fingertips. She taunted him with it by dangling the bacon strip in front of his face.
"Drimi? I haven't heard that name in a long time. Why were you with… Drimi?"
Asahi's gray eyes broaden.
"You KNOW her? What do you mean you HAVEN'T heard her name in a long time— Do you even live in Pladtioa?"
Kali remained silent, cheeks coloring again.
Asahi muttered.
"Kali…?"
She jumped and looked to the entrance. Asahi squinted into the sun but barely saw outside as Kali tried to calm herself.
"This is too much for me to handle. I can't reveal this secret to him just yet. I don't even know what his name is."
As a long silence continued, Asahi shared.
"I'm grateful that you saved me despite getting separated from my sister. I wish I knew where sis is…"
He pushed his chair to the side, took a deep breath, and added a cheerful tone.
"Anyways, that bacon you made was SO delicious… that it made me forget to tell you my name."
Kali's eyes widened, eagerly awaiting his answer. She slowly placed the bacon back on the plate, then dashed behind the cabinet. Asahi chuckled softly at her shyness. He turned toward the sunlit entrance, his gray eyes catching the golden rays as birds hummed melodies outside.
"My name is Asahi…"
Kali Leila affirmed.
"—Asahi? That's a unique name."
Asahi calmly questioned her while wearing a faint smile.
"Do you know what it means?"
Kali Leila shrugged anxiously, not wanting to reveal it now. Trying to remain confident, she responded.
"N-N-No idea."
Asahi pointed to the sun behind the building's entrance.
"It means rising sun. I recall my mother giving me that name before I was born. Aletha and I were the first to ever arrive in Cleira. When I was born, I was resting near the rising sun in our kingdom. That's how I got my name."
Asahi pointed to his gray eyes.
"That's where I got my features from. My skin and my hair."
Kali Leila muttered in her head.
"His mother must be beautiful. Asahi's smooth skin, clear eyes, and unique hair stood out, nothing like I've seen before.
She reckoned.
"Wow, Asahi. I never knew you were this flexible to a person you just met!"
Asahi cried out.
"H-Huh?! What do you mean by that?"
Kali hopped and pranced. Her vibrant, silky hair shone, catching Asahi's attention. He thought Aletha would never believe that playful Kali Leila drew his true admiration.
Asahi's face plummeted into warmth. With his skin glowing a bright red, he slowly curled his sweaty hands and took one long, deep breath.
"Kali… I…"
Just as Asahi's sudden confession lingered in the air, a towering, feminine figure with long platinum hair, hot pink eyes, and a gray dress stepped into the room, framed by the sun's rays. Her eyes widened in shock as she recognized Asahi. Delighted after his night away, she dashed to him and embraced him tightly.
Asahi almost gets smothered by her body, unable to breathe. However, Kali quickly pulled Asahi away from Sally's embrace and accidentally came near him. Both her and Asahi's faces slowly glow in a pinkish-red.
Asahi faintly trembled while Sally squinted at Asahi.
"U-Um… t-thank..."
Kali Leila quivered, seeing Asahi's face close to her lime eyes.
"S-Sorry… w-w-what am I even doing?"
"I-It's okay, Kali. Just… g-get off."
Suddenly, as they tried to get off each other, Sally jumped into the pile and squashed both of them. Aletha and Kali scream for help while feeling their warmth suffocate them.
"Help us! Please help us! We're stuck."
As the pile struggled to untangle, Asahi's blurry vision began to clear. From the bright entrance, two dark silhouettes approached. One was tall and masculine, the other of average height with a feminine figure.
A tall man held back as a woman with long, dark-azure hair and fair skin stepped forward. Her torn outfit and confident manner stood out. She calmly addressed Sally.
"Sally, I demand that you get off of them at once. This isn't some runty joke. You DO have knowledge of who I am, right?"
As she slowly crawled off of Asahi and Kali's bodies, she responded with a serious tone.
"Yes, understood. I was trying to joke around because I haven't seen the boy for too long."
A deep, masculine voice sounded out from outside. The man's voice sounds menacing, weighty, and burdensome. It seems he hadn't taken too kindly to jokes and laughs.
"That doesn't mean you can blatantly pile on top of them? You're not a child; get used to it."
A muscular, tan man with long aquamarine hair and purple eyes moved past the woman, fixing Sally with a direct stare before turning to Asahi.
"And this boy… I don't recognize him at all. Who is he? Get lost here, thief; there is no gold for you."
Sally hopped in and blocked the man from approaching Asahi.
"He isn't a thief! Asahi is a special boy with powers that you can't even imagine!"
The dark-haired woman added.
"Yes, and I just realized the shade of his hair. A bright white. I had never seen this type of shade before, not even in Obrus. Deniz, don't interfere. This slightly tall, young, white-haired boy doesn't pose a threat. His aura gives off a strong allied feeling, an aura that doesn't even match even the most powerful individuals we have met."
Deniz clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and sneered at Asahi.
Even at first sight, Deniz knew he disliked Asahi. Asahi backed away to the counter with Kali while Deniz responded aggressively to the woman.
"Are you serious, Marina? You're just going to allow this random individual to trespass upon our boundaries? What if they secretly steal something?"
Marina shook her head and slapped Deniz straight in the face. Sally and Kali jumped up in shock, while Asahi crossed his arms and gave a long smirk toward the man. Although the attack had no effect on Deniz, he still felt deeply disrespected by being hit by Marina, of all people.
After the long, awkward silence, Marina started with her stern, flat voice.
"I apologize for the immaturity of my cousin. My name is Marina Narellen. I am with the goblin race, who guarded and protected this village for years. I come from the tropical forests of Obrus, looking to find the ones who stole everything from me."
She turned toward Deniz and shrugged.
"This man right here is my cousin. He didn't want to join me until he saw our hometown get flooded by that malicious purple sea serpent twenty-one years ago. It looked nothing like the sea creatures we encountered.
Deniz shoved Marina out of the way and interrupted in an impatient tone.
"Yeah, yeah. Get to the point already."
Marina slapped Deniz again, this time with a more vital force. A blistering red bruise formed on the left side of Deniz's face. Asahi, Kali, and Sally stand there, absolutely shocked to hear these two argue.
"They don't act like how they look."
Kali Leila replied as she closed her eyes.
"I know, right?"