The road led us to a small village by evening.
Simple huts, farmers with tired faces, children running barefoot. Nothing special—except it gave us a place to rest.
The merchants arranged lodgings, while Malrik went off to "commune with the gods" (which, judging by his face, meant "escape from Ark and Narsh before his sanity snapped").
That left just me and Narsh, sitting on the edge of a well.
I stared into the water, watching the moon ripple. My fists were tight, my chest heavier than ever.
"…He died because I hesitated," I muttered.
"If I'd just used my power again—"
"—you'd probably be lying dead next to him," Narsh cut in, sharp as ever.
I glared. "You don't know that."
She leaned closer, smirking. "Neither do you, dumbass."
---
I looked away.
"Then what's the point of me having this power? If I can't use it when it matters, then I'm just… useless."
Narsh rolled her eyes.
"Useless? You punched a guy so hard his soul probably traveled to the next kingdom."
"Not the same!" I snapped.
"It's not about strength. It's about… saving people. And I failed."
Her smirk faded. She nudged my shoulder.
"…You didn't fail. You chose. And that's harder than throwing a punch, Ark."
I blinked.
Narsh's face softened, just for a second. Then she jabbed me in the ribs.
"Besides, if you go killing yourself every time someone drops dead, who the hell's gonna carry my bags?"
I choked on a laugh despite myself.
"…You're such a demon."
She grinned. "Damn right I am."
---
That night, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Her words stuck in my head.
Maybe I wasn't useless. Maybe I was just… learning what this power really meant.
But deep down, the fire inside me still burned.
---
The next morning:
"998… 999… 1000! HELL YEAH!"
The villagers blinked in confusion as I shouted, shirtless, doing push-ups in the middle of the square. Chickens scattered. Children pointed and laughed.
Narsh stood nearby, arms crossed, sighing.
"Great. He's back to being an idiot."
Malrik returned from his prayers, stopped dead, and muttered, "Why do the gods curse me with this?"
I leapt to my feet, flexing.
"That's right! Ark is BACK, baby! A strong will makes strong muscles!"
Narsh facepalmed.
"…Why the hell did I comfort you again?"
---
[Author's Note: Ark fell, Ark doubted, Ark rose again… louder than ever. Poor Narsh and Malrik.]