Everything was silent; the only sound was the drip of blood hitting the floor.
Azure vomited blood from his mouth, his throat burning, and his body trembling weakly. He stared at the monster with fierce anger.
With a trembling hand, he seized the beast's arm—its claws still buried deep in his stomach, tearing at his insides. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself forward.
Every agonising step wrenched more blood from his lips, staining the ground beneath him.
The beast yanked at its trapped arm, but Azure's grip was iron.
Clara suddenly screamed at him, but it fell on deaf ears. Azure's mind was a swirling fog, his consciousness slipping like sand through his fingers. His vision blurred, edges darkening.
He pushed forward faster, more determined than before, forcing the beast to stagger backwards, its massive form faltering under Azure's relentless advance.
Suddenly, Azure lunged, wrapping his arms around the beast and charging toward the towering window ahead.
The beast roared, its other hand slashing into Azure's back, claws carving deep, jagged wounds, its talons ripping through his right shoulder.
Azure ignored the pain and kept moving until he reached the large window. He looked at the beast and grinned, his mouth and eyes filled with blood. "Let's die together, you bastard."
The beast tried to resist, but for some reason, it couldn't stop moving backwards. It tried to pull its other arm free, but Azure held it tightly, forcing it deeper.
Clara tried to move, to think of a solution, anything! But all she could do was watch as Azure took the beast and leapt out the window.
Pressing against her wounded body, she limped to the window, crying in shock.
Looking down, she saw the beast sprawled on the ground with Azure on top, covered in blood.
The beast, injured from the fall, struggled to stand. It grabbed Azure and hurled him against the wall.
Azure, having used all his strength to bring the beast down, had nothing left. He was thrown easily and slumped against the wall.
The beast's eyes blazed with rage as it glared at him. Azure slowly raised his head, looked at the beast, and met its gaze. With a weak, trembling hand, he lifted his middle finger, a faint, defiant smirk curling his bloodied lips.
Enraged, the beast charged to attack Azure.
But in an instant, a man appeared, moving with blinding speed, a black sword gleaming in his hand. With a single strike, he severed the beast's arm.
The beast roared and staggered back, but ice spikes shot up from the ground, piercing its body.
Writhing in pain, the beast tried to move, but a woman with flowing white hair appeared, her face an icy mask of resolve. In her hand, a sword of shimmering ice gleamed. With a flick of her wrist, she sliced through the beast's neck, ending its existence.
As the beast's body collapsed, the ice spikes melted away, leaving only silence.
The woman glanced at the body slumped against the wall, its head tilted back, gazing at the sky.
The man approached the body slowly, kneeling to check Azure's condition. Before he could touch him, he heard rapid footsteps.
His hand tightened on his sword, ready for battle, but he relaxed when he saw it was only a girl.
Clara, ignoring her pain, rushed out of the building toward Azure. Seeing his body up close, she felt overwhelming weakness.
She knelt and gently cradled his head, her silent tears falling onto his blood-streaked face.
The man watched with pity and sadness in his eyes, remaining silent.
...
Azure slowly opened his eyes to find himself in a clinic, staring at a white ceiling with blurred vision.
What… happened? His mind was a fog.
[There was a threat to Master's life. Eve saved Master's life.] A half-feminine, half-robotic voice spoke in his mind.
Startled, Azure nearly jumped from the bed. "Who are you?"
[Eve does not know. Eve has no data about herself before being with Master.]
Master? Data? My head hurts! Azure tried to recall his name or any details about himself, but failed.
[Eve apologises for what happened. It was impossible to protect both the Master's life and his memories.]
His mouth opened in shock. He didn't know what to say. What happened?
[Eve does not know how the Master was exposed to this danger.]
That's not an answer… Then how did you get into my mind? And how exactly did you save me?
[Eve does not know where she came from or how she became linked to Master. Eve detected severe damage to the Master's brain. Master's life would have ended within two hours. Eve repaired the damage and restored the Master's health to 100%.] She said the last part with a hint of pride.
Azure's mouth opened, then closed, his mind reeling. He sighed, grappling with the absurdity of it all. If you don't know anything about yourself, how do you know your name is Eve?
[Eve chose the name herself. If it does not please Master, Eve can change it to any name the Master chooses.]
Her tone held a faint undercurrent of sadness, tugging at his heart. I don't even know my own name, and you expect me to name you? Eve is fine… It's a beautiful name. But why call me Master?
[Eve is happy that the name pleases the Master. The reason for calling you Master is because you are Eve's Master.]
He found the statement odd. Before he could continue, the clinic door opened, and a woman with short black hair and glasses entered, her face filled with worry.
When she saw him awake, relief flooded her features. She rushed forward, enveloping him in a tight, desperate hug, her warmth enveloping him like a lifeline.
Though Azure didn't recognise her, he felt an overwhelming warmth from her.
"Um, thank you, but… who are you?" Azure said in a weak, halting voice, struggling to speak properly.
She pulled back, her eyes brimming with sorrow. Before she could answer, a doctor entered, his short brown hair neatly slicked back, glasses perched on his nose, and a white coat draped over his frame.
"Well, you seem to be okay! That's wonderful," the doctor said, his voice bright with forced cheer.
Azure stared at him, confusion clouding his face. "Who… are you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The doctor's smile vanished, replaced by a concerned frown. "You don't remember me? I'm Dr. David. You've been here before with your friends."
Azure shook his head, a heavy silence settling over him. "I… don't remember anything."
Shock rippled through the room. The doctor examined him again, his movements precise but urgent. After minutes of tests, he found nothing physically wrong. He tugged at his hair, lost in thought.
"You shouldn't have amnesia," he muttered. "Do you remember your name?"
Azure shook his head again. "What happened to me?"
The girl, her voice trembling, explained, "They found you unconscious in the school bathroom."
Azure frowned slightly.
The doctor sighed deeply. "Your condition might be temporary. Don't worry for now, and try to adjust. Clara, can you help him adapt, especially if he has any questions?"
Clara nodded weakly, her lips trembling, clutching her wrist.
She said softly. "I got your details from the school. I'll take you home and answer any questions you have on the way."
Azure nodded slowly and stood from the bed, nearly collapsing as he did.
Clara caught him quickly. What's happening? he asked, shocked, as he stood again slowly.
[Though the brain damage has been repaired, its effects will linger for some time.]
Clara supported him as he adjusted to walking, her touch gentle but firm. They left the clinic.
Clara didn't speak to him, keeping her eyes forward, avoiding looking at him as much as possible.
"Sorry to ask, but… do we know each other?" Azure said, scratching his head, his voice tinged with hesitation.
Her steps faltered, her heart aching at the question. "Not exactly," she said, forcing a smile. "But I'd like to get to know you… if that's okay."
He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.
Her smile grew wider, her mood visibly lifting.
"Let me tell you about yourself first. Your name is Azure, a third-year high school student. I don't know much about you, but I know you loved reading and playing video games," she explained slowly.
He looked at her, confused. "What are video games?"
Clara stared at him in silence, unsure how to respond. The moment was heartbreaking for her, as Azure had once promised to teach her about video games.
She swallowed her grief and forced a cheerful tone. "I'll teach you later. Don't worry. Once you see a computer or a game, it'll come back to you."
He nodded silently, his expression lost.
"My name is Clara, same year as you, but in a different class. Since we're friends now, you can ask me anything, and I'll help as much as I can," she said, her smile widening, her voice brighter.
"Thank you," he said, and thought to himself, And thank you too, Eve.
[Eve is truly happy.]
He didn't know what else to ask, and since Clara was introverted, she didn't know what to say either.
...
An hour later, neither of them had spoken during the walk home. Azure looked around with childlike curiosity, taking in his surroundings.
Looking at the people, buildings, and cars.
Clara chuckled softly at his curious expression, but also felt a sense of depression, remembering the person who had saved her and sacrificed himself for her. She felt his condition was her fault.
They approached Azure's neighbourhood.
"This is your neighbourhood. We're close to your house," Clara said, checking the address on her phone.
"Ah... I forgot, give me your phone," she asked him while opening her hand.
Azure searched his clothes and found his phone—an old model with a cracked screen.
Clara's eyebrows twitched slightly as she took it.
"Why do you need it?" Azure asked with confusion.
"I'll save my number so you can call me if you need me," she said, opening the contacts list on his phone. She found only two numbers: his mother and his sister. Without commenting, she added her number.
She glanced at the phone one last time before handing it back to Azure.
Azure put the phone back in his pocket, and they started moving again.
Clara walked in silence, lost in thought, until they reached his house.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself to explain to Azure's mom and sister what happened, but before she could ring the bell, the door opened.
Azure's mom rushed to hug him tightly while crying.
His mother was in her mid-thirties, with dark azure hair tied up in a bun, and a few wrinkles on her face.
She was wearing simple clothes and an apron.
Clara looked aside in silence. Azure's sister approached her and bowed slightly "Thank you for bringing him home"
Azure's sister was in her mid-teens, with long blonde hair. She was wearing a white t-shirt and shorts.
"No need to thank me. I was just helping a friend," Clara said, smiling awkwardly, looking at Azure... only to notice him standing there, tears streaming down his face as he looked at them both with a mix of shock and sadness.