A steady flame burned at the heart of the cavern, its orange glow pushing back the cold that seeped through the stone walls. It crackled softly, fragile but persistent, casting flickering shadows across the chamber.
Around it, the goblins gathered.
The wounded.
The young.
The ones who had barely made it.
Some lay still, their bodies wrapped carefully in cloth and set aside. They no longer shivered, no longer breathed. The fire offered them nothing.
The rest clung to what warmth remained.
The injured warriors sat or leaned against the rough stone, their wounds bound with crude but practiced care. Despite their condition, there was a quiet endurance in the way they held themselves. This was not their first winter.
But it was the worst.
Haruna moved among them in silence, tending to the injured with steady hands. Strips of medicinal herbs were pressed against open wounds, wrapped tightly to slow bleeding and encourage healing. Every motion was precise, efficient… and heavy.
Behind the mask, her expression remained hidden.
But her shoulders betrayed her.
Each step carried weight. Each glance lingered just a moment too long.
Too many were gone.
Too many she hadn't been there to save.
Hana noticed immediately.
She didn't say anything.
Didn't try to comfort her.
Some things didn't need words. And some wounds didn't respond to them.
Instead, she focused on what she could do.
The children.
She knelt beside a cluster of small, trembling bodies, wrapped in layers of fur that did little to stop the cold that had already taken hold. Their skin burned with fever, breaths uneven and weak, small hands clutching at whatever warmth they could find.
Hana placed a hand gently against one child's forehead, her brows knitting slightly.
"Yeah… that's bad."
Her tone was quiet, but focused.
She adjusted the furs, layering them better, making sure no gaps let the cold creep in. Then she shifted closer, letting her own warmth radiate outward while carefully channeling a faint trace of heat through her Astrons, just enough to stabilize their condition without overwhelming their fragile bodies.
One of the children whimpered.
Hana clicked her tongue softly.
"Easy there..."
She reached for a damp cloth nearby, cooling their foreheads in intervals to balance the fever while maintaining warmth elsewhere. It was a careful dance, one she had learned long ago.
Back when Haruto needed her.
Now, her hands moved with quiet familiarity.
---
Haruna eventually stepped back from the injured, her work done for now. She rose slowly, her gaze drifting across the chamber before settling on two figures seated nearby.
The siblings.
The scarred warrior… and the girl.
She walked over and lowered herself beside them, her movements calmer now, though the tension hadn't left her entirely. Gently, she took the girl's hand and began wrapping it with a fresh cloth, careful not to aggravate the burns.
"Sorry…" the girl muttered softly.
Haruna paused.
For a moment, she didn't respond.
Then she exhaled and rested her arms on her knees, her head lowering slightly.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "…If I had just been faster."
The words came out heavier than she intended.
The girl leaned her head against Haruna's shoulder without hesitation.
"Don't say that," she murmured. "You know it's not your fault."
The scarred warrior, seated beside them, nodded in agreement.
"You came back alive," he added. "That alone is more than we hoped for. And you didn't come back empty-handed either." His gaze flicked briefly toward the others. "That's already more than enough right now."
Haruna glanced at him, knowing what he meant.
Still…
She sighed.
"…I know."
But knowing didn't make it lighter.
There had been no way for her to predict this. No way to know her tribe would be scattered, driven out overnight, pushed to the edge like this.
Even so…
Regret didn't care about reason.
Her expression hardened slightly as she straightened.
"I have a question."
Both siblings looked at her.
"What happened while I was gone?" she asked, her voice steady now. "How did things end up like this?"
They hesitated.
Exchanged a glance.
Then the warrior exhaled.
"Well…"
---
A howl tore through the air.
It wasn't just loud.
It pierced.
The sound carried something deeper than volume… something that crawled along the spine and settled in the chest.
Every goblin froze.
Haruna's reaction was instant.
Her sword was already in her hand as she rose and turned toward the cavern entrance, her gaze sharpening beneath the mask.
"…That presence…"
The warrior stood up as well.
"Wait—"
Too late.
A burst of wind exploded beneath Haruna's feet as she launched forward, her figure vanishing into the light beyond the entrance.
He reached out instinctively.
Missed.
Hana clicked her tongue.
"…Yeah, that's not good."
She moved immediately, stepping into position near the entrance. Black flames ignited around her hands, swirling and controlled, casting a dark glow against the stone.
She didn't rush out.
She held the line.
---
Outside, Haruna didn't slow.
Her blade cut through the air, and with it, a vortex of wind spiraled outward. The moment it touched the forest ahead, it erupted into a violent tornado, tearing through trees, ripping roots from the frozen ground, and shattering stone as if it were glass.
The entire area was cleared in seconds.
Snow, wood, and debris scattered into the air before crashing back down in a chaotic storm.
Haruna stepped forward, her posture low, senses sharpened to their peak.
Then—
She moved.
Her hand shot forward, catching something mid-motion.
A claw.
Large.
Powerful.
The force behind it alone would have crushed most beings.
She held it still.
The owner revealed itself as it pushed forward—a massive wolf-like creature, towering even above a Sabertusk. Its fur shimmered faintly under the filtered sunlight breaking through the clouds, each strand carrying a subtle glow that felt unnatural… almost sacred.
It rose partially upright, its size alone distorting the space around it.
Haruna didn't hesitate.
She stepped in, blade rising in a clean arc before thrusting forward, aiming straight for its heart.
The wolf's eyes widened—
For a split second, it understood.
It was going to die.
But—
A sharp impact struck her blade from the side.
The force was precise. Controlled. Enough to alter the trajectory without shattering it.
Haruna's eyes narrowed.
The wolf reacted instantly, seizing the opening. Its other limb swung with brutal force, crashing into her side.
The impact launched her backward.
She slammed into a boulder.
The rock shattered on impact, fragments scattering across the snow.
For a brief moment—
Stillness.
Then—
Crack.
Her bones shifted back into place.
Haruna stepped forward again, completely unfazed.
Her gaze lifted.
Now she saw them clearly.
The wolf.
And beside it—
A woman.
She stood tall, her presence calm yet overwhelming. A wooden mask covered her face, carved with sharp, symbolic patterns that gave nothing away. Her body was adorned in layered tribal leather, fitted for both movement and protection. Across her exposed skin, intricate tattoos spread like living markings, each line deliberate, each curve carrying meaning—authority, power, lineage.
In her hand rested a long staff, worn yet sturdy, its surface etched with faint engravings.
The air around her felt heavy.
Not aggressive.
But absolute.
Haruna felt it.
And dismissed it.
Hana, watching from the entrance, narrowed her eyes.
"…Yeah. That's definitely bad news."
Beside her, the young goblin girl clung tightly to her clothes, trembling as she stared at the scene unfolding before them.
Hana glanced down.
"…Hey."
She forced a small smile.
A bright one.
"Relax. We've got this."
The girl didn't respond, but her grip tightened slightly.
---
The scarred warrior stepped forward suddenly, his voice cutting through the tension.
"STOP!"
All eyes turned toward him.
"You don't have to fight!" he shouted, breath unsteady but firm. "They're with us!"
Silence fell.
Confusion followed.
Haruna blinked.
The masked woman tilted her head slightly.
"They are?" they both said at the same time.
Their gazes met.
And for the first time—
There was hesitation.
Not hostility.
Not intent.
Just… confusion.
As if both of them had arrived at the same conclusion—
But from completely different sides.
...