"Umm… Amanda, we should sit down now. It's night already, and I just spoke with Sammy—they've stopped too," I urged her to settle down.
Amanda nodded. "Alright. We should rest. It won't be safe to travel at night."
We searched for a while before finding a spot near the waterfall. It seemed perfect—close to fresh water and herbs, though I knew demons often prowled such places in search of prey.
"This spot looks good. Let's set up camp here," I said, and Amanda agreed.
After a pause, I asked nervously, "Amanda… did you only bring one tent?"
She gave me a calm look. "Yes. Carrying two took up too much space. Besides, it's practical—one tent means one person can sleep while the other keeps watch. We'll take turns."
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it. "Hah! That's ridiculous."
Amanda frowned. "Why are you laughing?"
"Sorry," I said quickly, trying to ease her irritation. "Anyway… did you pack food before we left?"
"I only brought spices and cutlery. Food would have spoiled," she explained.
I chuckled dryly. "Well, we'll just have to cook something from this forest, right?" Though I wasn't sure we'd find much tonight.
"Let's go look for food then," I said, nudging her.
"Okay," she agreed.
We wandered into the forest, searching for hours. But the deeper we went, the clearer it became—there was no meat to be found. The demons had slaughtered every animal, leaving the woods eerily silent. No rustle of prey, no cry of birds. Only the wind and the faint growls of monsters in the distance.
In the end, we gathered what we could: fruits and berries scattered among the trees. It wasn't much, but it was all that remained. We carried them back to camp, weary but grateful for at least something to eat.
Back at camp, I suggested Amanda take a bath. She gave me a sharp look, almost ready to argue, but instead turned silently toward the waterfall. I lay back on the ground, staring at the sky, before finally retreating into the tent.
The night was heavy. Outside, I could hear demons moving through the forest, their growls carried on the wind. I sat inside, sharpening my sword by lantern light.
The tent flap stirred.
Amanda stepped in. Her black hair was wet, dripping onto her shoulders, the scent of rushing water clinging to her. Her blue eyes caught the lantern's glow, bright and steady. For a moment, I forgot the danger outside.
I froze. I hadn't expected her to return so soon—or to look so calm. The demons were close, yet she seemed untouched by fear.
I lowered my sword, staring at her. How can she be so steady, when the night itself is hunting us?
Amanda sat across from me, composed, as if the world outside didn't matter. The lantern flickered. The demons howled. And I could only watch her—water dripping from her hair, her presence stronger than the darkness pressing in around us.
She broke my thoughts. "You should go take a bath. Tomorrow will be a long journey."
I agreed, grabbed a change of clothes, and stepped out toward the waterfall.
---
Amanda's Perspective
Watching Rudra leave, hopping toward the waterfall like a carefree child, was strangely refreshing.
"I wonder what else he prepared for this mission," I murmured, amused.
As I pondered dinner, Rudra returned with a nervous smile. He sat beside me, pulled out a mango, and carefully cut it into cubes before offering it.
"What are you doing, Rudra? I'm not hungry," I protested.
He ignored my resistance, lifted a piece with a fork, and held it to my mouth. I couldn't refuse—not because I love mango. Definitely not.
---
Rudra's Perspective
Seeing Amanda eat shyly felt like discovering a secret weapon I hadn't known existed.
Trying not to tease her, I grabbed a banana and ate it like a maniac. She made a face but said nothing. After stuffing myself, I felt satisfied, and we prepared to sleep. But there was one problem—only one tent, and two of us.
"You should sleep. I'll sit outside," I offered.
Amanda shook her head. "No, you stay here. I'll keep watch."
I sighed. "No… let's just sleep here together. It'll save energy."
She studied me for a moment, then agreed. I placed a divider between us and lay down. Sleep didn't come easily. When I opened my eyes, Amanda was staring at me.
"Ahhh! What are you doing?" I yelped.
"What happened?" she asked, puzzled by my reaction.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
"Then instead of looking like a suspect about to kill someone, why don't we talk?" I suggested.
She nodded. "Yes, let's do that."
"Tell me honestly—you're an introvert, aren't you?" I asked.
Amanda turned her head away, silent.
"Hey, don't ignore me," I protested.
Still no answer.
"Fine. Let's talk about ourselves. Tell me something about you."
She closed her eyes briefly, then spoke. "I'm Amanda Hart, sixteen years old, student council president of the academy. I had a childhood friend I used to play with every day, but now he doesn't even remember me. My hobbies are drawing and storytelling. I like apples…"
I interrupted with a grin. "Liar. I know you like mango more than any fruit."
Amanda hid her face, embarrassed. "No… it's not like that. Please stop laughing."
Seeing her close to tears, I stopped immediately. "Sorry, Amanda. I won't tease you again."
"Hmph." She crossed her arms, pretending to be angry.
Then she looked at me. "Tell me about yourself now, Rudra."
I hesitated. "The truth is… I don't remember my past. Not a single thing. Everything I know has only been told to me by friends."
Amanda studied me quietly, then sighed. "So you really don't remember anything?"
"Yeah. I don't."
She murmured something under her breath. "Me…"
"What was that?" I asked.
"Nothing. Let's just sleep," she said quickly, avoiding my eyes.
"Alright. Good night," I replied, turning to face the other side of the tent