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Chapter 2 - The Fading Shadow of Logic

The birds chirped like music in Their ears, caressed by the gentle cool morning breeze, and warmed by the sun's rays.

Never in Their life had They experienced something that even Their logic couldn't explain, like what happened yesterday. They didn't want to burden Their mind with the future, so They tried to forget the incident.

They were sitting on the grass outside the forest. There was only grass, plants and flowers adorning the vast meadow. They were sharpening a long, thick branch with a knife. To Their right was a pile of branches They had already sharpened.

Khila, approaching from They left, sat down, leaving a little space between They and Khila. She looked at They with a smile on her face. Her long, flowing hair swayed in the morning breeze.

"Vi, will you come back here later?" Khila asked in a soft tone, her smile sincere.

They, who were continuing to sharpen the branch, thought that the next destination would be even further, making Them doubt if They could return here again. They just shrugged Their shoulders and shook Their head slightly. They didn't know what to say.

Seeing They reaction, Khila just sighed and lay down on the grass. She looked up at the sky, seeing its blueness. The sun's rays shining on her smiling face warmed her.

"How long has it been since we first met, Vi? Six... or even nine months perhaps... So much has changed since you came here Vi. Hahaha. Khila never stops being amazed when Khila sees you. if Vi weren't here, our lives wouldn't have changed," Khila said softly, her eyes still fixed on the sky.

Khila raised her left hand to the sky, her outstretched fingers blocking the sun from her view. As if protecting her face from the sun's rays, but the rays penetrated between Khila's fingers, still touching part of her face.

"Will Khila be as great as you someday, Vi? Hahaha... What is Khila even saying. Vi would definitely say, 'Khila are greater than Vi.' its always like that, right, Vi?" Khila said in a soft tone, her eyes glancing at They at the end of her sentence.

They continued sharpening the branch, listening to Khila's words, only able to nod They head slightly, without uttering a single word.

"But seriously, Vi, how are you going to fight a lion and a bear with just that branch? Khila knows it's thick, but a lion can pounce anytime and move fast. Especially a bear that big. And Vi isn't as strong as Mish, so if-"

"Khila." Before Khila could finish her sentence, They cut her off.

Khila was startled and lowered her hand. She turned her head and looked at They.

"W-why, Vi? Khila isn't wrong, right?" Khila blinked, looking at They with a slightly trembling and soft voice, a hint of doubt in her tone.

"If you think you have strength that can even crush iron, it doesn't mean you're superior. This world is vast. You will always find stronger opponents than you. At that time, strength and weapons are not the key to victory in a fight." With They hand still sharpening the branch, They spoke calmly.

Hearing They words, Khila sat up from the grass, bending both knees in front of her, her knees close to her face. Khila hugged her legs with her arms.

"Ughh... Again, Vi is saying complicated things... Khila isn't as smart as Miyori. Explain it more simply. Hmph..." Khila mumbled in a low, almost whispering tone. Khila's cheeks puffed out slightly, her eyes looking at the grass as if sulking at They words.

The branch was finally sharpened. They placed the branch to They right. They turned Their head towards Khila and looked at her.

"Khila, we are humans. We are not as strong as bears and lions, but we are smarter. That's why, just use the intelligence we have. Don't always fight with power" They said softly, standing up from Their seat and extending They right hand towards Khila.

Khila took a rope from her left waist with her hand, giving the rope to They hand.

"If Vi were in that situation, Vi would surely survive, but if it were Khila, Khila would be gone instantly" Khila muttered in a low tone. Her eyes returned to the grass below her, with her cheeks still puffed out.

They turned Their body towards the pile of sharpened branches and tied it with Khila's rope. Khila glanced at They back, then returned to looking at the grass below her, her hands still hugging her legs. Then Khila snap back, remember something 

"Vi, on the way here, Khila found something. Khila doesn't know what this is, Khila has never seen this object before" Said Khila. Her hand reaching for something in pouch hanging at her hip.

After tying the branches, They turned Their body towards Khila. They looked at Khila, curious about the object Khila had found.

"Khila found it stuck in one of the trees on the way here" Khila said, extending her hand towards They with the object in her palm.

The object was shaped like an elongated, pointed crystal at both ends, blackish-red and slightly transparent. Its size a bit larger than human palm.

They took the object from Khila's hand. When They held the object, They felt no weight at all. It was like holding a bird's feather, curiosity and doubt arose in They mind.

"This object is quite large, but Khila didn't feel any weight from it when Khila held it. This is strange, Vi" Khila said, standing up and looking at the object in They hand.

They picked up a stone from under They foot. They really wanted to test how strong this object was. The thought of hitting the object with the stone crossed Their mind, but remembering that this object was not normal, They abandoned the idea. They wanted to avoid anything undesirable. They just stop and dropped the stone from They hand.

"Do you know what is this Vi?" Said Khila, tilting her head slightly, her eyes looking at the object with full curiosity.

They just shook They head. During They adventures, They had never seen an object like this. In this normal world, They began to wonder, "Is there really something that cannot be explained by the human brain?"

As if hypnotized by curiosity, They simply stared at the object in Their hand for a moment, not blinking. Khila saw They continuously staring at the object and smiled softly.

"If Vi wants that object, just take it. Consider it Khila's gift," Khila said softly with a smile on her face, crossing her arms behind her back.

They glanced at Khila and gave a thumbs up at her. Khila turned her body, facing away from Them.

"Then Khila will go back to Grandma now, it's starting to get hot."

Khila began walking away from They, heading into the forest. They put the object into a pouch hanging at They hip. They picked up the bundle of sharpened branches, which were already tied, and carried them on Their back. They began walking into the forest.

***

During They journey, They remembered what Grandma had said last night:

"What??"

"Grandma said... yesterday you delivered that basket of apples... Thank you, Vi, these apples are very fresh," Grandma said weakly and frail, walking slowly towards her house.

They looked back at the empty coconut shell in They hand. Then a thought crossed They mind, and They asked Grandma Shila again

"What time was it when I delivered that basket, Grandma?" They said in a low tone, looking at Grandma's back.

Grandma stopped and turned, taking a few steps closer.

"What? ... Grandma can't hear you," Grandma said weakly and frail, cupping her hand to her ear. They voice was too small for Grandma to hear.

"What time did I deliver the basket of apples to Grandma's house?" They asked again, a little louder.

"Hmm..... Grandma forgot... It seems.... When the sun had set... Ah, right, in the late afternoon," Grandma said with her eyes closed and a few fingers touching her chin.

Hearing Grandma's words, They thought that if it was true, then the creature was very fast considering the distance between the house and where the basket was stolen was quite far. Especially since the basket was heavy.

Grandma seeing They still staring at the empty coconut shell, began to walk closer to They.

"Are you sick, Vi?... You seem tense... Just tell Grandma, Grandma will make you medicine," Grandma said softly and frail.

They suddenly realized when They heard Grandma's concern. They held Khila's shoulder, who was sleeping beside They, stood up, and carried Khila in They arms in front of They chest.

"No Grandma, I was just thinking how Grandma can make such delicious juice" They said, looking at Grandma and starting to walk towards Grandma's house.

"Hahaha... This old Grandma is happy to hear that," Grandma said with a smile on her face, walking slowly behind They.

Inside Grandma's small and simple wooden house, there was only one bed big enough for two people on the floor, cooking utensils in the kitchen, a few small wooden chests near the kitchen, and several baskets in that one room. They bent Their knees and gently placed Khila on the bed, then stood up again. They turned and walked towards the baskets near the kitchen. They looked at the baskets and only found baskets with green apples; there were no red apples among them. Grandma Shila entered the house and sat on a chair near the bed, looking at Their back.

"Are you hungry, Vi?" Grandma asked in a low tone.

They shook Their head and continued to look at the apple basket.

"Where are the apples I gave you, Grandma?" They asked Grandma.

Hearing They words, Grandma pointed her index finger towards the green apple basket.

"Right what you see in front of you... Those green apples are what you gave to Grandma" Grandma said softly.

They immediately opened Their eyes wide and took one of the green apples. As if not believing what Grandma had said, it was clear that what They had brought were red apples, but why were green apples given? Even the basket size was the same.

"Green apples are very far from here... You really impressed Grandma... Hahahah... Where did you get it?" Grandma said happily with a smile on her face.

They turned Their body and looked at Grandma with the green apple in Their hand. They walked closer to Grandma and leaned Their head towards Grandma's ear.

"Actually, at that time, Khila took those apples, and they were red apples. But considering this was a special party, I looked for green apples and replaced them. Don't tell Khila, okay, Grandma?" They whispered to her ear.

"Oh... Hahahahah you are truly a great child... So that's why you came home late."

They were forced to tell a lie to prevent Grandma and others from worrying. Looking at the green apple in They hand, there seemed to be a sense of unease within They.

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