Chapter Text
"Please, breathe!" I begged, trembling, to the beautiful young woman who was losing consciousness at my feet.
It was the end of September 23rd, the cold first day of autumn, and as I dismounted my horse, I approached her in horror, not knowing what to do. I noticed vague tears streaming down her cheeks and her slender, long fingers reaching for something around her red neck while she writhed on the ground. Quickly, I took my knife and cut off the golden gemstones choker, which seemed to glow as it fell onto the grass.
"Melodita" I whispered in surprise, before turning to her, struggling to draw air into her lungs.
"Miss! Are you okay?! Can you speak?!"
There was no response, except for a ragged sound from her throat and a final tear that fell before she lost the strength to keep her eyelids open.
"Save her," cried the memory of the woman with a white silhouette from my dream earlier that afternoon.
I tried to recall all the first aid lessons from the academy, and with trembling hands, I tore open the delicate, elegant neckline of her dress with all my strength, praying that I had learned that CPR lesson correctly.
After several attempts with no result, a cold sweat ran down my back, and in desperation, I pinched her nose and pressed my lips to hers, blowing while pleading in my mind for her to open her eyes.
Finally, her chest seemed to inflate with air, and she began to cough, raising her head to spit something out beside her, her eyes wide and dark like the clouds moving above us.
"Thank the Goddess! Are you okay?! Can you speak?" I unconsciously held her flushed cheeks, surprised to feel that they were burning with fever.
Of course, I knew the cause of this was the Melodite.
"Yes" she replied in a monotone and serious, but weak, voice, as if she had woken up from a heavy sleep rather than being on the brink of death.
"What's your name?"
She looked at me, frowned confused for a moment, as if she couldn't even remember it herself.
"Yuki...?"
Out of habit, I suppose, I expected her to ask me the same, so I prepared for an awkward self-introduction, but it seemed like she didn't care in a moment like this, as she didn't say another word after that. I understood that after being at the verge of death, something like the name or origin of a random girl wasn’t crucial in her seemingly blurred mind, so I continued:
"Where do you live?"
"You don’t care" she said seriously and directly, i indeed care about it though it didn’t seem rude in that situation.
As she seemed to wake up a bit more, tried to stand, but fell on me, and I couldn't bear the weight of us both, so we collapsed to the ground. I felt my cheeks flush, even surpassing the warmth of hers, full of embarrassment, and I hurried to get up.
"Sorry, I don’t mean to be intrusive, but..." I offered her my hand to help her up, noticing that we could no longer even see our shadows. A dark cloud had nearly covered the sun completely. "If you don’t mind me doing it, I could take you home before the storm falls..."
As if invoked by my words, a thunder struck violently, scaring my horse away and making me let out a high-pitched shriek while I gripped her hand so tightly I must have hurt her.
"Oh, I’m sorry," I murmured, watching my means of transport run off in terror. I sighed tired and anxiously, trying to think of a way to get to safety.
"I know a place," she said, standing up and pointing in the opposite direction, but she fell again.
This time, I didn't fail to catch her. I put her arm around my head and held her waist with my other hand. At that moment, something stirred in my chest. I assumed it was relief and excitement at the prospect of being safe.
"Bless the Goddess. Can you guide me, Yuki?"
She nodded, and we walked together.
Her expressionless warm face so close to mine felt strangely comforting. After living as a hermit surrounded by cold papers and tools for years, I expected being so close to another person to be much more unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but reality pleasantly surprised me.
Perhaps it was just because of the emergency, but maybe I could get used to and even enjoy situations like this. Yes, I could even hold a girl so close, someone I had just met. I had even given her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without feeling the disgust I had imagined. Thinking positively, Miss Mochizuki, my fiancée, was just as much a stranger as this young lady. Perhaps my worries were pointless, and I had more capacity for physical affection than I had imagined. I could do this. At least, I hoped so. I had to.
♠♠♠♠
We arrived at a simple, spacious cabin. "Where there is nothing" was written on a sign above the door in dark lettering. It seemed to be a humble, minimalist café, entirely made of gray cement with a square shape. She opened the door and nudged me inside, as if expecting me to help her get in. I thought she was probably the owner of the place.
“Mafuyu?” said a disheveled girl, emerging from a door at the back.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—it was the same white silhouette I had seen in my dream that afternoon. Those large, dark heterochromatic eyes looked at us blankly through that messy white hair that seemed to have been green at some point, tied into two unevenly long pigtails that fell over her dress, also white, revealing her small bare feet touching the cold, damp floor as if it were nothing.
She rushed over to the weakened girl and helped me gently carry her to the room she had just left. We laid her on a small iron bed with gray sheets and no headboard, with a single white pillow. She collapsed gracefully and elegantly onto the hard mattress, and I couldn’t help but think that, even in that fragile state—trembling and frail—every move she made had the harmony and grace of a swan.
"M-Miku?" she whispered weakly, her eyes still closed. I assumed that was the name of the barefoot girl.
Miku placed a hand on the sick girl’s forehead, only to pull it back quickly, as if she had been burned by her skin.
"She’s… burning up?" she spoke slowly, carefully thinking about each word. Perhaps she was a foreigner, still learning our language.
“She was wearing a melodite necklace.”
Miku's eyebrows furrowed slightly; she didn’t seem to understand what I had said.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine by morning. Fortunately, I removed it before the damage became irreversible and…” I blushed as I remembered our lips together. “Um… don’t worry, she’ll be okay.”
It was only now, after the scare had passed, that I processed the fact that I had given my first kiss to a complete stranger in a moment of desperation.
That afternoon, I had left the academy, certain that I would give that first kiss to my fiancée, who was waiting for me at home. For some reason, I felt a pang of guilt.
“Mafuyu...” Despite the monotony of her voice, I could sense her concern. “Is she going to be alright?”
For some reason, I felt compelled to reassure her. I smiled with my eyes and took her hands in mine.
“Without a doubt, she’ll be perfectly fine in the morning. She just needs a bit of rest.”
She returned a faint smile, gripping my hands firmly, then bowed her head.
“Excuse me, but may I know your name?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Yoisaki Kanade. I’m returning from the academy for my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“I see,” she said, though she seemed slightly disappointed. “Thank you so much for saving Mafuyu, Kanade.”
'Save her' echoed the memory of the same woman from my dream. That woman looked exactly like her. Those large, empty eyes reminded me of Yuki’s—or Mafuyu’s? Whatever her name was, she was now out of danger and breathing normally, seemingly in a deep sleep.
“Forgive my intrusion, but do you know if this girl has any enemies or someone who would want to harm her?”
She stayed silent for a while. I wasn’t sure if she was thinking about her answer or simply lost in thought. After a few seconds, she spoke.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
I nodded, realizing that my question had been far too personal for a stranger to ask. Even so, my mind kept wandering in worry. Melodite was a subtle but deadly element. Since the discovery of magical stones, their use had been strictly regulated in all kingdoms where they were found. In Asahina, it was extremely difficult to come by. Whoever gave her that necklace hadn’t done so by accident, and worse, the person who had given it to her clearly had the power to challenge the crown in such a way.
A loud thunderclap interrupted my thoughts, and I saw Yuki wince in discomfort and pain, her eyes still closed.
“She’s sweating—that’s a good sign,” I commented, trying to reassure both Miku, who looked at her with concern, and myself.
Miku nodded, watching the girl resting in the small bed beside the sofa where she invited me to lie down. She handed me a soft blanket and a cushion, both the same shade of gray as the sofa.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked softly as she headed to the door.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Thank you very much.” Before I could finish, the disheveled girl vanished.
I knew it wasn’t a good idea to sleep in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers, but I had been traveling all day, lost my horse, endured the shock of witnessing an attempted murder using the vilest alchemical stone known, and given my first kiss to a stranger whom, if I was lucky, I wouldn’t see again by morning. All of this on the day of my engagement, to which I had not yet arrived.
I was so exhausted.
I couldn’t help but be lulled by the sound of the rain pounding on the roof, the large candle burning on the bedside table, and the deep breathing of the girl who had been poisoned in front of me. I fell into a deep sleep.
♠♠♠♠
I was back in the calm darkness of my room at the academy, surrounded by the soft echo of a distant storm. When I finally finished cleaning a stone, I removed my protective glasses to admire the typical shine they produce afterward—a bluish-cyan with lilac tones, emitting a calm but steady and relaxing light. I felt the sleepiness and exhaustion return to my body after days of work.
The light, for its part, although just born, began to grow at an abnormal rate. Within seconds, it had brightened the entire room.
This wasn’t normal.
'Save her' said the expressionless girl with white pigtails and empty heterochromatic eyes from within the light.
“Miku?”
I jumped out of my seat, feeling a cold sweat run down my face as my fingers trembled at my sides, my mouth unable to produce a sound.
She only looked at me with those large, empty eyes, repeating with a pleading yet monotone voice, 'Save her'.
I woke up to the deafening crash of thunder, yet I could still feel the cold sweat of my dream on my face. I looked around and remembered my current situation; the woman sleeping beside me had been on the brink of death in my arms just a few hours ago, and now she lay resting peacefully with me.
Despite the relentless storm disturbing my ears, my eyes were blessed by a precious scene; just being able to see the relaxed expression on her sleeping face soothed me deeply. Her long lashes rested over those delicately closed eyes, and with each clap of thunder, she furrowed her brow and snuggled deeper into the thin, small blanket that barely covered her. I noticed how tall she was, far too tall for the small bed where she lay uncomfortably, yet still graceful and enchanting as I had never seen before.
I couldn't help but move closer and, unconsciously, place an alchemical object I'd been working on for months between her fingers. It was a silver locket with a sky-blue gem inside. I had created it as a reflection of my own anguish, but I thought someone suffering from meladite effects might need it more.
I raised my gaze to her tender, rosy lips, slightly parted, breathing softly. Every time I saw them, they reminded me of the hasty first kiss I’d given her in desperation to bring her back to life. Lost in these thoughts, I didn’t notice that her lips were moving.
"Do I have something on my face?"
The surprise almost made me fall, and I pulled back immediately, feeling my cheeks flush as I shook my head.
"I-I-I just... cough... wanted to give you this," I stammered, pointing at the locket. "It's an alchemical healing item; it might help you feel better as you recover." I looked away, embarrassed.
"Can’t you sleep?"
I nodded, trying to change the topic and push aside my embarrassing thoughts.
"The storm is louder than I’m used to."
"It’s just autumn rain; the storms will start in a few weeks. But I suppose the walls at the research academy are thick." She said it expressionlessly, as if she had read me completely, then stood up.
"How did you know I..."
"Your horse had books on the saddle; I didn’t think you’d come from a mining family."
For the first time, I noticed how perceptive she was, her ability to notice the smallest details in any situation that clashed with the vacant, uninterested look she usually held.
"Thank you."
"Huh?"
"For the necklace. Thank you," she said, bowing her head in gratitude, though it somehow felt like an apology.
"Please, don't worry. Keep it. I made it to help someone in need, and if that someone is you, and you feel lost in your emotions, just press the stone in the center like a button. Okay?"
"In my emotions, huh?" She let out a dark mixture of a soft sigh and a quiet mocking laugh.
"Do your arms hurt?"
She shook her head.
"You might have some muscle pain, but as long as your nails don’t turn purple, you’ll be fine," I offered her the most reassuring expression I could. "Still, I think seeing a doctor wouldn’t hurt."
"Thank you."
I abruptly stopped talking, thinking her irritated and serious expression was due to my concerned rambling. Back then, I would never have imagined everything going through her mind.
She walked heavily toward the door.
"Where are you going...?"
"Linden tea is best for insomnia."
Then I remembered that when I woke up, she had asked if I couldn’t sleep.
"Please don’t worry about me; I’ll definitely be able to sleep now."
Ignoring me, she left the room slowly and tiredly, in silence. I unconsciously followed her, our bare footsteps drowned in the sound of the storm. I watched her slender, straight back from behind, and I became aware of how mine constantly had a slight curve.
Anyone would say that Yuki and I were the least suited to hold conversations; at some point, I doubted if I was in another dream that seemed too real.
"So, you were on your way to your coming-of-age ceremony. Interesting. I was running away from mine."
"What?!"
"Honestly, if not for that ring, I’d swear you were about fifteen."
"What?" I exclaimed this time in a more hurt, disappointed tone.
I saw her stifle a laugh and let out an inaudible “pfft,” which irritated me even more.
"Ugh, that doesn’t matter." I took a sip of my tea, trying to emphasize my annoyance.
She shrugged.
"So cute," I heard her mutter softly before she, too, took a long sip.
I felt myself blushing all the way to my ears. I’d been called many things in my life, but “cute” wasn’t one of them—at least, not that I could remember. I had no idea what to do with this unusual and new feeling.
I discovered her vast knowledge of all types of alchemy, except healing alchemy, as it wasn’t in her study routine. I found it strange that someone like her had fallen into meladite poisoning, but I decided not to ask her more about that dark event.
I didn’t mention it, but meeting someone my age who lived in the same town and knew about alchemy seemed like such incredible luck that I felt blessed for the first time in years.
I didn't got the chance to get to know her last name, occupation nor where she lived, yet somehow I feel I truly got to know her that night more than anyone else.