Ji Ao stepped into the damp, dark cave with cautious steps. The cold slid over his skin as he advanced through the uneven shadows of the stones. The masked girl came behind him, his strange and reluctant companion, walking with difficulty. Her shoulders tense, her eyes alert. Every shadow was suspicious, every crack a possible exit. Or a threat.
Without saying a word, she moved away and began to search the ground with restless gestures, inspecting crevices, slopes, and any suspicious marks on the walls.
"Where is it?... Where is it?... The portal... I need to get out of this ridiculous world..." she muttered with contained rage, almost speaking to herself.
It was the first time Ji Ao had ever seen her so... shaken. The proud warrior, who always seemed in control, now looked like someone on the verge of collapse. And even so, she didn't ask for help. She still kept that instinct of self-sufficiency that had defined her from the beginning.
She faltered. Stumbled. Ji Ao saw her knees give way and rushed forward, managing to catch her before she hit her head on the stones.
"You're not well! Let me help you!" he said, trying to steady her in his arms.
But she didn't answer. She was breathing with difficulty, her skin cold, her eyes lost. Even so, her voice came out firm, though broken by exhaustion:
"The portal disappeared... It was here. Someone erased it. Or hid it. This is typical... typical of them..."
Ji Ao frowned, not knowing exactly whom she meant. She closed her eyes for a moment. It seemed she was gathering her last strength to go on.
"I came from a distant place... a reality you here would barely understand. I am not an invader. I am here because... something was stolen. Something that belonged to my family for generations. I crossed the Rift to retrieve it... but it drained my strength. The energy of this world is wrong. Slow. Almost rotten."
The boy swallowed hard. He didn't know what to expect from such a revelation. Everything seemed too big. And she... so weak.
"So those guys in the square... the ones who ran when I showed up..."
"Rift Trackers," she answered without hesitation. "They followed me. When you appeared... they thought you were part of my escort. They believed you would bring reinforcements. Fools..."
She spat the last word with contempt. Not at him, but at herself. For needing to be rescued. For having to share information with someone she considered unprepared. Vulnerable.
And at that moment, she pulled a dark Chi'ia stone from her pocket and a glowing Chi'ia stone from a hidden compartment in her clothes. She stretched out her hand and, with an impatient gesture, shoved the object into his hands.
"Take it. Keep it. If I die and you have a little luck" — and she said this with a cold naturalness — "you're going to need them. That is, if you have luck... or friends... or maybe both. In this place... here."
Ji Ao's eyes widened as he retorted:
"Hey! Don't say that! What kind of luck do you think I have in this hidden city? Or what kind of friends do you believe I have in this end of the world? Are you mocking me? And what is this stone? Looks like something's scribbled here, like charisma or..."
But he had no time to say anything else. Her body gave way, her eyes closed, and she collapsed completely in his arms.
He put the small dark Chi'ia stone in his pocket, and the larger one he held tight, while trying to take in what was happening.
"Hey, hey! Don't do this!" He held her carefully, shaking her lightly. No response. "Ah, damn it..."
Carrying her was harder than he thought. Her light body seemed to hold the weight of an entire war. Ji Ao stumbled over the wet stones, his heart racing and his mind in panic.
He was lucky. The house was empty. He took her straight to the bedroom, laid her down gently, and stood still for a few moments, not knowing what to do. She was breathing, but seemed so distant. The mask remained firm on her face, her features hidden as always. And yet... so human in that moment.
The subtle glow of the Chi'ia stone in his hand reacted to him, as if recognizing something he himself didn't know he carried.
He looked at her. The arrogant, intransigent warrior who had challenged him so much... now was there, vulnerable, unconscious. And even in that state, she was the one who had entrusted him with something so powerful.
Deep down, Ji Ao knew: she was the same girl he had seen fighting alongside Jial in the square. The same one who kicked and resisted with pride. The same one who hated help, but who now depended on him.
And despite her coldness, the harshness of her words, everything they had been through — at that moment, he didn't feel anger. He felt a purpose growing inside him. And he made a silent promise, without saying a word:
He would protect her. Discover the truth. With or without her. And, if need be... he would fight for her... even if he didn't know how. He felt like a fool... a real fool. But maybe because he truly was... a little fool, in love with that person.
"Really, a dangerous combination..."
He thought, as he gazed into her eyes.