"Hell… my hand got covered in blood," Sky muttered to himself, landing gracefully before Isha. She sat huddled, knees drawn to her chest, hands clamped over her ears, tears streaming down her face in abject terror.
"Are you alright?" Sky asked, his voice a calm balm as he knelt, wincing slightly as his knees met the thorny ground. "Damn these thorns," he cursed under his breath. Isha, hearing his soothing tone, flung open her tear-filled eyes, instantly launching herself into his arms. Her sobs intensified, muffled against his chest, before gradually subsiding under his gentle presence.
"Okay, okay… now, don't cry. You're safe now," Sky murmured, settling onto the ground, fully embracing her, just as he would his own sister.
"I was so scared… I… I thought I would die," Isha choked out, attempting to compose herself, but the agonizing cries still echoed in her ears, sending fresh shivers of fear down her spine. Sky didn't press her to stop, instead watching her calmly, his mind drifting to thoughts of his little sister's face as he continued to soothe her. Minutes bled into one another. Isha clung to him tightly, even after her tears ceased, showing no intention of moving or letting go. They remained in that comforting embrace for a full twenty minutes before Isha finally, completely calmed.
"Now… feeling good?" Sky asked, looking down at her. Isha met his gaze, nodding lightly.
"Hmm." She reluctantly pulled away from his embrace, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, a fresh wave of terror washing over her. "So much blood…? Are you alright…? Nothing happened to you, right?" she questioned, her voice trembling.
"No, I'm perfectly fine. It's his blood. I'm honestly not sure how I got so much on myself," Sky replied, looking down at his blood-soaked shirt.
"Thank God. You're fine," Isha breathed out in relief, gently touching Sky's face. Her eyes then fixated on the dried blood still trickling from his mouth to his chin.
"This blood is yours, right?" she asked with an innocent, childlike curiosity.
"Hmm," Sky hummed, touched by her artless voice.
"I… I am so sorry… because of me, you got hurt like this. I am so selfish for clinging to you. I'm truly sorry…" She began to pour out her apologies, her voice cracking, threatening to dissolve into tears once more. But Sky immediately cut her off.
"No, no, girl, it's not your fault. I chose to do this. Plus, don't worry, it was the last time you'll get hurt or kidnapped by that monster. Now there's nothing for you to worry about. From now on, no one dares to hurt you. And if something like this ever happens again, I will be there to save you." Sky's calm, resolute tone seemed to instantly dispel her lingering fears. She hugged him again, resting her head against his chest for a few comforting seconds.
"Now, shall we return? By the way, are you alright? You can walk, right?" Sky suddenly asked, realizing he had forgotten to inquire about her condition while comforting her.
"Yes, let's return," Isha replied, standing up with Sky. She then subtly pulled up her skirt, revealing her thigh where a small amount of blood had clotted. A slight grimace of pain crossed her face. "It's not much, just a bit of pain. I can walk." She then asked him if he was okay, but Sky simply stated he would have already recovered from any injuries by now. With that, both of them launched into the sky, soaring back towards Isha's home. It was already 3 PM.
Soon, they reached Isha's room. Sky quickly locked the door from the inside and gently placed Isha on her bed. "I'm very dirty right now, so I'm going to use your bathroom," Sky stated. Isha immediately nodded, gesturing towards the bathroom. However, a sudden knock on the door made both of them tense.
KNOCK… KNOCK…
"You go deal with her. I'm going inside the bathroom," Sky said, making a move for the bathroom. But Isha stopped him. She quickly splashed water on her face in the bathroom, wiping away the tear streaks that would immediately give away her distress. Then, with a practiced calm, she stepped out, allowing Sky to slip into the bathroom. Isha then replied to the insistent knocking.
"Yes… who…?"
"Honey… it's me. How long are you not going to eat lunch? You know it's already cold. And why aren't you opening your door?" It was Isha's mother. Isha immediately blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.
"Wait a second, Mom. I'm changing. I fell asleep and took a bath, so wait a sec!" Isha quickly shed her previous clothes, which bore faint stains of Sky's blood. She even sprayed a generous amount of perfume to mask any lingering scent. Only then did she open the door to confront her mother.
"Yes, Mother, what is it?" Isha asked with a bright smile, as her mother repeated her question about lunch.
"Aghh… well, okay, I'll eat it now," Isha said with a smile, stepping out of her room and locking the door behind her, following her mother. This was an immense risk, but she felt she had no choice. She couldn't imagine what her parents would do if they discovered a boy hidden in her daughter's room.
Five minutes later, Isha slipped back into her room. "Hah… I ate as fast as possible. Thank goodness no one got suspicious at all," she thought, having even washed the dishes for her mother to prevent any further calls. She locked the door behind her and shut the window, ensuring no one would catch them. She looked towards her bathroom door, then realized she hadn't given him anything to dry himself. She approached the door, tapping lightly.
"Sky… Sky…"
"Huh… Yes…?" Sky's voice came from within.
"Have you taken a towel with you…?" she asked.
"Ahh… no…"
"Do you want one then?"
"Yes… please," Sky replied. The door opened a crack, he took the towel, and then swiftly shut it again. Isha didn't bother with anything else. She simply sat on her bed, waiting for him to emerge.