Consciousness returned, but everything before my eyes was pitch black.
I lifted my heavy hand to rub my eyes, forcing my stubborn eyelids to part—and saw trees all around me.
(Right... I slept in the forest last night. Is Lina still asleep?)
I turned to look at Lina. Her head was still resting on my shoulder. I figured it was time to wake her up. Just as I looked at her face—
"!"
Her face was pale, her brows furrowed, and she was covered in sweat. She must've been having a nightmare. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently but urgently.
"Lina, wake up! Lina!"
"Ugh…"
She didn't respond, so I shook her harder.
"Lina, wake up now!"
"Waaaah!"
Lina suddenly screamed, her upper body jolting upright. She gasped for air, her face full of fear. I held her by the arms, making sure she looked at me.
"Lina, are you okay?"
"…Karen? Is that you?"
"It's me. Are you alright, Lina?"
When Lina saw me, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Karen!"
She cried my name and threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. Her head pressed into my chest, and I could feel her weight against my back.
So she was hugging me… I froze for a moment, caught off guard. But when she began sobbing, I came back to my senses and started gently stroking her back, speaking softly.
"Don't cry, Lina. Tell me—what did you dream about?"
I knew asking might remind her of it, but if she didn't tell me, I couldn't help her.
"I dreamed… that my mom and dad left me… and then you left me too…"
So it really was about yesterday. The nightmare was born from that tragedy.
And in her dream, I abandoned her too. Unforgivable! But right now, comforting her came first.
"I'd never do that, Lina. I'll never leave you."
"Really?! You really won't leave me?!"
Her eyes, glossy with tears, locked onto mine—searching, desperate, like she feared I'd lie to her. After losing her parents yesterday, of course she'd be terrified.
"Really. I told you—I'll stay by your side. You'll never be alone."
"You better not break your promise."
"I won't. I promise."
Hearing me reaffirm it, Lina finally relaxed. Her head dropped again, but she still held onto me tightly. That was fine. If holding me could calm her down, I'd let her.
It was my first time going through something like this too. Even with all the mental preparation in the world, it still hurt. I didn't want to lose her either.
After a while, Lina seemed calmer. It was time to check if the demons had returned to the village. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
(Alright… but first, I should wash my face.)
"Lina."
I lightly patted her back to get her attention.
"Mm?"
She looked up—her cute face all tear-streaked and smudged.
"Let's go wash our faces."
"Mm."
She released me, and we both stood up, heading toward the clearing. The sunlight was harsh, shining from the left, making me squint and raise a hand to shield my eyes.
When we reached the riverbank, I crouched down and dipped my hands into the cold water, scooping it up and splashing it on my face. The chill cleared my head and washed away my drowsiness.
Once I finished, I looked over—Lina was washing her face carefully, almost methodically. When she was done, I spoke.
"Lina, can you stay here for a bit? I'll go check the village by myself."
I didn't want her to see the demons again—or to be scared.
But she shook her head.
"I'm going too. I don't want to be alone."
That hit me hard. I'd just promised her she wouldn't be alone—and now I was about to go back on that. I sighed.
"…Alright."
Seeing the determination in her eyes, I couldn't refuse.
On the way back, we picked a few yellow fruits called Solmandarins for breakfast. They were similar to tangerines, their rind needed to be peeled before eating.
Unlike tangerines that spoil with time, Solmandarin could last up to three years without rotting—their skins absorbed sunlight and hardened, keeping the inside fresh and sweet.
We returned to the bush where we'd hidden yesterday—and saw the Tricolor Head one leading the demons toward the oil palm field.
(Weren't they headed for the mountain? Why go the opposite way? Could it be the oil palm field is where they came from?)
After the last of the demons disappeared into the plantation, Lina was about to rush out to find her father. I stopped her, and she looked back at me, confused.
"They haven't gone far yet. Let's wait a bit longer, okay?"
"…Mm."
She agreed reluctantly, though I could see the impatience in her face. I just couldn't risk it—some of those demons might have sharp hearing.
We could talk normally in the forest because it was more than 70m away from the village, but the oil palm field was just a few meters from the nearest houses—including ours. It was too risky.
After waiting a while, it seemed the demons were truly gone.
"Lina, we can go back to the village now."
"Really!? That's great!"
The moment I said that, she bolted off, running straight toward where her father had fallen.
I started running too—but I was a few steps behind her.