Blood…
—Is it really... blood?
My left eye's vision was covered by a layer of dark red.
My trembling hands, stained with fresh blood, gradually blurred.
Everything around me became hazy as if sinking into a dark abyss...
...
...Slowly, I woke up. Before my eyes was a narrow, old, and simple space—the faded ceiling of a tent.
Beside me was a girl with soft pink hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a thin, white nightgown that clung to the curves of her body.
She was sitting nearby, leaning back slightly, hands braced against the tent fabric. Her head was tilted, resting on her shoulder as she had unknowingly dozed off.
"Where am I...? Who is she? And what happened to me?" —I wondered to myself.
I braced myself with both hands, trying to lift my body to sit up. In that moment—
A sudden pain struck.
My body felt like it was being torn into pieces; I could feel the pain spreading.
"Aaaaaa"—I screamed in agony.
I lost my balance and fell backward.
The scream startled the girl awake.
Just as I was about to fall, she reacted quickly, lunging forward to catch me in the nick of time.
Her rough hand gently lowered me back onto the mattress.
Afterward, she let out a sigh and slumped down beside me.
"Hazz."
She turned to look at me with a slightly angry expression about my recent action. She pouted and scolded me softly:
"Hey, your body can't move yet."
"So just lie there and rest."
"Oh... yes," I replied, flustered.
"By the way... what's your name?"
"I'm Selena. What about you?"
"Me... I'm Uragiri Kuroko."
"So, where is this? And what happened to me?"
"I found you lying in a pool of fresh blood in the forest, looking like you might be dead or alive. I came closer to check and found you had just fainted."
"Your body was severely damaged with deep cuts, and fragments of metal were lodged deep in your wounds."
"Furthermore, you also suffered severe burns."
"I don't know what you went through to end up like this. The only thing I could do was give you first aid."
"And you've been unconscious for three days."
"I see..." —As soon as I finished speaking, my stomach rumbled with hunger. My face flushed, and I turned away in embarrassment, not daring to look Selena in the eye.
Seeing my awkwardness, she chuckled softly and said:
"Oh, I forgot. You haven't eaten anything since you fell unconscious."
"I've made a pot of soup. Wait a minute, I'll go get it for you." —With that, she left, giving me some private space.
Looking up at the tent ceiling, I tried to piece together what had happened.
Scattered memories came back... a flight that had an emergency and exploded, and then—
A strange light flashed.
"Maybe that light saved me from certain death," I mused silently, amazed at my luck!
I tried to think more, and fragmented memories resurfaced of a girl sitting on a hospital bed.
Half of her face was blurred, her lips smiled slightly as she looked at me and said:
"Big brother... big brother." The call repeated continuously in my head, making my heart clench. The pain was so suffocating that tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
I could feel each tear falling.
"What is this? Why am I crying, and who is she?"
"Why does my heart ache like this... please, someone... help me."
"Please... save me," I muttered distractedly to myself.
My hands clenched the blanket tightly, making the fabric wrinkle under the pressure. I ignored the tormenting pain in my body.
Selena walked in, holding a steaming bowl of soup whose aroma filled the entire tent.
Seeing me crying, she didn't understand what had happened but quietly sat down beside me anyway.
Placing the bowl of soup down, she gently wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. Her rough hand brought me a sense of warmth and comfort.
She spoke softly, with a hint of surprise and worry:
"I don't know what happened to you while I was away."
"Don't worry, everything will be alright."
"I will always be here with you."
Facing her loving gaze.
I shook my head, managing an awkward smile as I said:
"It's nothing, I think I'm better now."
"Thank you, Selena."
Hearing that, she smiled, then suddenly remembered something:
"Oh, the soup is getting cold. You should eat it now before it cools down completely."
She supported my back, gently helping me sit up. She held the bowl of soup, scooped a spoonful, and said, "Aaaa," which made me blush with shyness, but I still followed along, "Aaaa." —I felt the refreshing sweetness of the vegetables blend with the savory taste of the meat. My long-empty stomach was now filled with the soup. Even though it was no longer warm, it still gave me a surge of vitality.
After I finished eating, Selena took the empty bowl and placed it on the floor. She gently helped me lie back down. She tucked the blanket back around me and sat beside me, holding my hand as if to give me a sense of security. Only after I had fallen into a deep sleep did she step out of the tent.