The icy sea lashed against Nightbloom's cheeks, the salty spray filling her nostrils. She snapped her eyes open, coughing up several mouthfuls of seawater. Through blurred vision, she saw herself sprawled across an unfamiliar stretch of beach, tiny shells and damp grains of sand clinging to her arms. In the distance, the grey sky hung low, the intermittent cries of seagulls carrying faintly.
"Where... am I?" She pushed herself up, shaking her sodden hair, droplets spraying out.
Just then, her peripheral vision caught a figure lying nearby—a pink-haired girl, washed ashore by the waves, utterly still.
Nightbloom's heart lurched. Ignoring her aching body, she staggered towards the girl.
"Hey! Wake up!" Kneeling beside her, she shook the girl's shoulders hard. There was no response. Pale lips remained tightly sealed, and her chest showed no rise or fall.
Nightbloom's pupils contracted slightly, her heart pounding wildly.
"No... she's not breathing?" She bit her lip, her trembling fingers reaching to check for a breath at the girl's nose.
—There truly was none.
"Oh dear..." Nightbloom's face flushed crimson, her ears burning. "M-must I... perform mouth-to-mouth?"
She drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaned forward, her lips gently meeting the other's.
"Huff... huff..." She blew several breaths into the girl's mouth, then lifted her head, nervously watching for any sign of life.
Still no response.
"One more time!" Nightbloom gritted her teeth and leaned forward again.
This time, the moment her lips touched the other's, her wrist was suddenly seized!
"Mmm—!" The pink-haired girl's eyes snapped open. She shoved Nightbloom away and began coughing violently, seawater gushing from her mouth.
"Cough... cough cough!" She gasped for breath, her chest heaving violently. Wet pink locks clung to her cheeks, her amber eyes holding a mix of bewilderment and wariness.
Nightbloom slumped onto the sand, staring blankly at her, the warmth of the other girl still lingering on her lips.
"You... you're awake!" She exhaled in relief, then felt an inexplicable flush of embarrassment, hastily wiping her mouth.
The pink-haired girl caught her breath, warily scanning her surroundings before her gaze settled on Nightbloom.
"Where is this? Who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, yet her tone remained composed.
Nightbloom paused, answering instinctively, "My name is Deathbattle Nightbloom."
The words left her own lips before she could stop them.
"...Strange. Why does that name ring a bell?" she murmured under her breath.
The pink-haired girl frowned before stating, "My name is Crimsonlyn Thier."
Nightbloom blinked, feeling inexplicably familiar with the name... yet unable to recall where she'd heard it.
Just then—
"Gurgle~~~"
A loud rumble from her stomach shattered the silence.
Nightbloom clutched her belly, offering an awkward smile. "Er... I'm starving."
Crimsonlyn glanced at her and sighed helplessly. "What shall we do then?"
Nightbloom fumbled in her pocket and suddenly felt a damp wad of banknotes. She pulled them out and examined them. Though wrinkled from seawater, they were still passable.
"Ah! Money!" Her eyes lit up as she turned to Crimsonlyn with a beaming smile. "Then I'll treat you to dinner!"
Before the other could reply, she suddenly reached out, pulling Crimsonlyn into an embrace with one arm while ruffling her hair with the other.
"Come on! Let's get out of this godforsaken place!"
Caught completely off guard, Crimsonlyn froze stiff, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson, steam nearly rising from her head.
"W-wait! What are you doing?!" She struggled briefly, only to discover Nightbloom possessed astonishing strength.
Nightbloom looked down at her, blinking. "Hmm? What is it?"
Crimsonlyn glared at her, her heart racing inexplicably. "You... you blighter! What's the meaning of this? Just suddenly grabbing someone..."
Nightbloom tilted her head, looking utterly innocent. "Don't know. Just felt... it was the right thing to do?"
Crimsonlyn opened her mouth to protest, but her gaze was suddenly drawn to something atop Nightbloom's head.
"...Wait, what are those four horns on your head?"
Nightbloom froze, raising a hand to touch the top of her head. Sure enough, she felt hard, slightly curved objects.
"Eh?" she murmured, puzzled. "Horns?"
She glanced down at her reflection in the water—pink twin-tails paired with her eccentric attire. Instinctively shifting her shoulders, she felt an unfamiliar sensation behind her. A pair of jet-black, scaly wings slowly unfolded, gleaming with a dull sheen in the sunlight.
Crimsonlyn's eyes widened.
Nightbloom froze too.
"...Seems we might be... rather unusual?" Nightbloom murmured.
Crimsonlyn fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly reaching out to pinch Nightbloom's wing.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not really... a bit ticklish."
Crimsonlyn withdrew her hand, pondering. "So, did I know you before my memory loss?"
Nightbloom looked at her and suddenly smiled. "Who knows? But for now, we need to fill our bellies."
She embraced Crimsonlyn once more, her wings gently folding around her to shield her within her embrace.
"Come on, I'll take you to find something to eat."
Crimsonlyn's cheeks flushed again, but this time, she did not push her away.
At that moment, a figure watched them from afar, a smile playing on their lips as they held a sketchbook, seemingly drawing something.