Freya had one of the busiest days ever. Teaching a bunch of kindergartners wasn't an easy job, and by the end of it, she was completely drained.
Her identity as a teacher would shock anyone, what with her twenty year old young and cute face.
If she wasn't wearing an official black skirt that reached to her knees, and a blouse with flowery design, she could easily pass for an high school student.
All Freya wanted now was to go home, take off the restricting clothing, relax, and maybe enjoy some quiet time after getting her groceries.
Her destination was her favourite nearby convenience store, a small, cosy place where things were cheaper, and the owner knew her well enough to give her small discounts now and then.
But today, something was different.
"A new guy?" she muttered the moment she walked in.
Standing behind the counter wasn't the usual store owner but a new face. A young man she hadn't seen before. Usually, the owner handled everything himself, so seeing someone else there felt odd.
Freya hesitated a bit. She wasn't sure how friendly this new worker might be. He might not recognise her, and that meant no discounts, no warm smiles, just regular, cold service.
Still, she reminded herself, I shouldn't judge too quickly.
With that thought, she grabbed a shopping basket and started walking through the aisles, picking out what she needed for the week.
Even as she shopped, she couldn't help glancing at the counter guy from time to time. He looked so still, almost too still. His face was blank, focused, but not on anything in particular.
"Is he sleeping?" she wondered under her breath.
It kind of looked like it. His head didn't move at all. He hadn't even noticed her come in. Normally, a new employee would be cautious, keeping an eye on customers to prevent shoplifting. But not this one.
Freya smirked. "If I were a thief, I could easily walk out of here without paying."
The thought made her chuckle softly to herself.
Once she finished gathering her groceries, she made her way to the counter. She began unloading the items from her basket, setting them down one by one.
"I'll be paying by card," she said casually, not looking up yet.
But there was no response.
"Why haven't you scanned my items yet?" she asked, looking up this time.
Still no reply.
"Hello?" Freya waved her hand in front of his face. Nothing.
Her brow furrowed. "He's really sleeping?"
At first, she thought she was just joking when she suspected it. But now, seeing him up close, not even reacting when she waved her hand right in front of his eyes, made it seem more real.
Just as she was about to call for the store owner, the man suddenly blinked.
His eyelids fluttered as though waking from a long, deep trance. He looked startled, shocked, even to see her standing there. It was as if he hadn't noticed her enter at all.
"Who are yo—
Before he could finish, he started coughing violently. The suddenness of it made Freya flinch.
And then, to her disgust, something wet splattered on her face.
She grimaced, instinctively wiping it away, but the second she looked at her hand, she froze.
It wasn't saliva.
It was blood.
He kept coughing, harder and harder, trying to cover his mouth with his hand as more blood spilled between his fingers.
"Hey! Are you okay? What's happening to you?" Freya shouted, rushing around the counter to help him.
The man didn't answer. He just kept coughing, his whole body trembling.
He was about to collapse when Freya caught him, steadying his body so he wouldn't hit the floor.
"Stay with me! Just hang in there!" she said frantically.
Between his heavy gasps, he managed to force out a few weak words, "Th… The ring…"
Freya blinked. "What ring?"
His eyes darted downward, and she followed his gaze. His trembling hand was reaching for his pocket, as if trying to grab something.
Freya understood immediately.
"You want what's in your pocket?" she asked, and without waiting for his reply, she reached into it.
Her fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. When she pulled it out, she found a set of rings, ten in total with five of each ring were all linked together by a thin silver chain.
The man's trembling eyes lit up with urgency. He grabbed the rings from her hands and quickly started slipping them onto his fingers one after another.
The rings looked slightly oversized at first, but the moment they touched his skin, they shimmered faintly and adjusted themselves, shrinking perfectly to fit his fingers.
When the last ring slid into place, the man took a long, deep breath.
Freya watched in awe. His body, which moments ago had been burning hot and shaking with pain, began to calm.
The violent coughing stopped. His skin, pale and sweaty, regained a natural colour. His eyes cleared up, and his breathing evened out.
It was like he had been cured by magic.
Freya blinked, unsure of what to say. "Are… are you okay now?"
The young man straightened himself and nodded slowly. "Yeah. I am now."
He looked down at his hands. The rings gleamed faintly under the store's dim lights. He could feel it, the balance, the control, the power returning to him.
Then he turned to Freya, who was still standing close by, visibly worried.
"Thank you," he said softly. "For helping me."
Freya shook her head, wiping her forehead. "It's fine, but seriously, what was that all about? At first, I thought you were asleep on duty, then suddenly you were coughing up blood!"
She even tried to mimic the sound of his coughing, puffing her cheeks and making exaggerated noises.
Ashen, though she didn't yet know his name, couldn't help but smile. Her imitation was oddly funny.
"It's nothing to worry about," he replied, still catching his breath.
Freya raised a brow. "Nothing to worry about? You were vomiting blood a few seconds ago. I thought you were dying!"
Technically, she wasn't wrong. He had been dying. But she didn't need to know that.
"I'm fine now," he assured her, forcing a small smile.
"Is this the first time this has happened? You should really go to a hospital," she said, still concerned.
Before he could even answer, she continued, "What if it's something serious? You could have a condition! Or worse, an internal injury!"
Ashen sighed inwardly. She wasn't giving him a chance to respond.
"I already know what it is," he finally said, trying to sound calm. "I didn't take my… um, medicine on time today. That's all. I just need some rest."
His excuse sounded weak, even to him, but it was better than explaining the truth, that his body had been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of his awakened energy.
Freya folded her arms, eyeing him with suspicion. "So this has happened before, huh? In that case, you definitely need to go to a hospital. You can't just ignore something like this."
He sighed again. "No really, I'm fine. You don't have t—
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a pinch deep within his soul...
[Notice! Individual Ashen has awakened the Crusader Privilege.]