When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in the thick grass, the scent of earth and dew around me. I slowly sat up and looked at my legs — every wound had vanished. Not a single scar remained.
My body that had once been torn and bleeding was now completely healed.
Only my clothes still told the story — they were soaked in dried blood.
"How did this happen?" I whispered to myself, staring at my hands in disbelief. But there was no time to wonder. I had to return to the training center.
As I stood to leave, I stopped midway — I can't go to Master looking like this. My clothes were a mess of blood and dust. I turned back toward the waterfall and stepped into the cool water, unbuttoning my shirt and washing away the stains.
The moment I dipped myself under the water, I felt something strange — a pull, like invisible hands dragging me down.
Before I could react, the water wrapped around me, heavy and powerful.
I tried to swim upward, but it was as if something below had caught me… and I was sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness.
---
"Prince Jack, which kingdom is this new student from?" Max asked curiously as they made their way through the woods.
"She's from my kingdom," Jack replied quietly.
"So… that means she's your cousin?" Max teased.
Jack glared at him sharply.
"Don't ask me questions, Max," he said coldly, his voice low but dangerous.
Max instantly went silent. "I was just asking…" he murmured nervously.
Princess Reana giggled softly. "Prince Jack, is that girl your crush?" she teased.
Jack turned to her with a steady look. "No. Nothing like that," he said, walking ahead.
"Then why get angry at Max?" Reana said, laughing lightly.
"There's no such thing," Jack repeated, his tone calm but his eyes betraying something deeper.
The two of them kept arguing until Max suddenly froze. His face went pale.
"Guys… look," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Reana and Jack turned — and both stopped in horror.
All around them lay the dead bodies of drunken men, half-burnt, half-eaten by birds circling above.
"What… what could have done this?" Max asked, pointing at a charred corpse.
Reana clung to Jack's arm in fear. "Jack… who did this?"
Jack's jaw tightened. "Forget them. We need to find Wellness fast. She might be in danger."
They started searching everywhere, running through the forest until they reached the waterfall.
"Her shirt… it's here," Max said, pointing to a stone near the water.
Jack's heart skipped a beat. He felt panic rise in his chest.
"She's here. I can feel it," he said, stepping closer to the edge of water.
"Wait, Jack — do you think she's inside that water?" Max asked.
"Yes. I know she is," Jack said — and without another word, he dove straight into the waterfall.
---
Beneath the shimmering blue water, he saw me — unconscious, drifting in the depths.
Jack swam toward me, caught me in his arms, and pulled me up to the surface.
"Hey— she was actually down there," Max gasped as Jack carried me to the shore.
Jack laid me on the ground, his hands trembling slightly as he rubbed my back to help me breathe. Water poured from my lips as I coughed faintly.
"Princess Reana, you have healing powers — help her!" Jack said urgently.
Reana placed both hands on my chest. But after a moment, her expression darkened.
"My power… it's not working. Her body's rejecting it," she said with innocent face. Then, inside her heart, she smiled wickedly. Now she won't take Jack away from me, she thought.
Jack didn't give up. He pressed his hands on my chest and began pushing rhythmically. Then, without hesitation, he leaned closer — his lips met mine as he breathed air into my lungs.
Again and again he tried — pressing, breathing, pushing — until suddenly, I coughed violently, water spilling out from my chest. My lungs filled with air again.
I gasped, breathing hard, and opened my eyes. Prince Jack was staring at me with concern.
"What happened to you?" he asked softly.
I blinked, realizing something — my shirt was missing. Only my bra remained.
"N-no!" I cried, my face burning with embarrassment. I quickly crawled away and hid behind a tree.
"What happened to her?" Max asked.
Jack just smiled faintly, picked up my shirt from the ground, washed it clean in the river, and hung it over a branch to dry.
"You two go ahead," he said firmly. "I'll bring Wellness back myself."
"No, we're staying," both Reana and Max said together.
Reana folded her arms. "One of us has to be a girl, right?" she said smugly, glancing at Max.
Max sighed. "If she needs protection, we should all stay close."
"Do what you want," Jack said sharply. "But no one comes near her until I say."
Behind the tree, I hugged myself tightly. No… they saw me… My heart raced as I heard Jack's footsteps approaching.
"Don't come near me, you shameless man!" I shouted from behind the trunk.
Jack sat down quietly on the other side of the tree.
"Your shirt is drying. Once it's ready, put it on. Then we'll head back to the training center," he said calmly.
I took a deep breath. "Thank you… for saving me, Prince Jack," I whispered softly.
"If you're this shy," he said with a chuckle, "how will you ever face situations worse than this someday?"
I said nothing, only stared at the ground.
"So, what happened to you at the waterfall?" he asked.
I told him everything — the strange pull, the darkness, and how I lost consciousness.
"It's all right now," Jack said gently, his voice comforting. "You're safe."
"I'm sorry," I said quietly.
"Why?" he asked from the other side of the tree.
"For calling you shameless… and yelling at you," I murmured, lowering my head.
After a pause, Jack came back holding my now-dry shirt.
I hesitated, cheeks flushed.
He smiled teasingly. "Do you want me to help you put it on?"
I quickly shook my head, snatched the shirt, and hurriedly wore it, taking a deep breath of relief.
"Hey, can we come now?" Reana said with a playful smile, her beauty glowing under the sunlight, she look beautiful like a flower.
"Yes, let's go," Jack said firmly.
"Wait! At least let me introduce us properly," Reana said brightly. "I'm Reana, and this is Max. Nice to meet you."
I smiled, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you," I said softly.
Her hand was warm and soft — like silk. I couldn't help but smile in my mind.
And with that, filled with quiet joy and strange new emotions, we all began our journey back to the training center.