The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the room, leaving a vivid red mark blazing across his cheek.
He spun toward the window, his eyes smoldering with anger, and let a low, bitter mutter slip from his lips.
"I didn't have to watch you two anyway," he said. "I was doing this to make sure you both were safe."
As Asahi and Aletha lowered their hands, Sadiki's words erupted, raw and unfiltered.
"If I didn't care for you two, I wouldn't have done this."
Aletha pondered how he had watched over them through the night, while Asahi crossed his arms, silently admitting, He really does care. After the silhouette's dramatic reveal, a charged silence thrummed in the room, sunlight spilling across the floor to their right.
Shaking off the tension of the encounter, Asahi sprang to the window and gazed at a breathtaking sunrise stretching across the horizon. Dew shimmered on the grass, while a flock of birds pierced the puffy clouds overhead. In the distance, a man pushed a wagon brimming with apples, and a woman dashed after a laughing child.
"Get back here."
A quiet warmth emanated from the humble life, seeming to glow from every corner. Sunlight danced on treeless hills, and Aletha stood transfixed by the town's unassuming beauty.
"Where are we?" she asked as Sadiki stared at the window.
As the sounds of children's laughter and the running watermill filled their ears, Sadiki stepped back and replied,
"We're at Milmoor Village, far from Pladtioa City," he said as he steered his attention to the door. "You don't need to worry about guards or Narcissa; they never chase anyone this far into the nation."
Relief swept through them, melting away the final threads of unease. The night's confusion lingered, but gratitude blossomed as they woke in the soft cradle of a tranquil town.
"Wow!"
"Surprised you had shocked faces to begin with," Sadiki said as he steered his gaze out the door. "There are many little villages in Pladtioa. But this one is the main attraction."
After regaining memories stolen by The Ruler of the Forgotten, Aletha, still curious, began to ask.
"What happened before we awoke?"
"Nope, I won't say anything," Sadiki said sassily. "Not after you two slapped my face."
"We'll do it again…" Asahi said, holding his fist high toward the roof.
Aletha quickly stopped her brother, lowering his fist and replying.
"Alright, fine, we're sorry," Aletha muttered, quickly reaching over to lower Asahi's fist as he prepared to deliver a blow straight to Sadiki's stomach.
She defended Sadiki. "Remember how he saved us from those creatures back in the Grasslands of Purity?"
Realizing this, Asahi lowered his fist, suppressed his rage, and spoke.
"Understood," Asahi apologized, taking three deep breaths. "You're right, Aletha. Without him, we would have died."
With apologies exchanged, an unspoken vow settled among them: true allies would stand together, never turning against each other.
With tensions eased, curiosity flared anew, urging them to unravel the mystery of their lost hours.
"If you want to find out what happened, please…" Sadiki inquired. "Sit on your beds."
Following his directions, Sadiki turned to the sunlight and began speaking, triggering unfamiliar memories in their vision.
As the memory began to unravel, the world around them faded, drawing them deeper into Sadiki's recollection.
A viscous roar echoed through the trunks. Canisters of enchanted soil—gold, blue, green, crimson—were unleashed at the beast. After a glacial wall formed inside it, the beast quickly diverted, slamming Sally forward.
"Sally!" Drimi screamed, her mask glowing in luminance.
From behind, Drimi threw a canister at the beast, slowing it. All the canisters mixed, causing a chain reaction of explosions. The earth shook as the monster leaped, swinging at Drimi.
Fortunately, she grabbed another bottle and crushed it with her bare hands, summoning a purple orb that repelled the creature back.
Belial swiftly jolted up a tree and hurled into a ball. Two wolf-like ears popped out of his head, his emerald eyes shrinking into the appearance of a canine. Belial's nails sharpened, and a large, fluffy tail popped out from behind. Drimi yelled at the slimy beast as it tackled her.
"Belial," She said. "Now would be a perfect time for you to use…"
Just as she realized, a large green canister of enchanted soil was crushed by a wolf-like maw, spreading across the monster's chest. Akwan summoned red thorny veins that snared it, revealing its hideous legs as it charged at them.
As it choked, Sadiki ran to the fainted wanderers and saw thistles fly into the forest. He unsheathed his dark sword and, with one swing, turned the beast to dust. Belial tossed the wanderers to Sadiki, growling.
"Take… the wanderers… to the village."
Afterward, Sally got up and dragged the wanderers up the hill, entering an opening in the forest.
The vivid memories faded, replaced by the gentle hush of the inn and the golden sweep of morning light, guiding the wanderers back to the waking world.
Unbidden memories surged, causing the wanderers to recoil. As the pieces aligned, they understood that Sadiki's vigilance had spared them from the beast's jaws.
"So," Asahi asked as Sadiki heard the noise of people outside filling their ears. "All of you managed to defeat this beast?"
Sadiki nodded and crossed his arms.
"Yes," he said. "And even after that, you two chose to slap me. How harsh has life treated me to this day?"
"Hey!" Aletha screamed in protest. "We didn't know. We thought you were a monster."
"Not only that," Asahi included. "You approached us and pulled our legs."
"It's not my fault!" Sadiki yelled in disagreement. "I was just trying to wake you up."
A deep, sarcastic voice filled the room as the door opened.
"And yet you failed miserably." He clapped, chuckling at Sadiki's attempt. "Way to go. You really know how to wake them up."
"Akwan?" Sadiki said as the wooden door pried open. The opening door revealed a man with long dark hair and crystal lavender eyes, wearing a black hood, blue luminance surging through his skin. "What are you doing, shaming me?"
The young man smirked, turning to the window. "I was checking your miserable attempt. Your scream reached the furthest room. Scream more, and you'll anger not only the wanderers but the rest of us, too."
After a short silence, Sadiki crossed his arms and lifted his voice once more.
"I have a lot of experience in Pladtioa," he said, boastfully. "I know everything from the heart. Speaking of which, do you two remember me?"
"Yes," Asahi replied. "All too well."
Sadiki briefly coughed and wagged his tail. He approached a chair, grabbing a sheath from the table. Aletha questioned as they neared the doorknob.
"So," she said with a fake cough. "Did you know that we can see your memories?"
"My memories?" Sadiki squinted in curiosity. "No. I never knew of the sort. Why ask that?"
"Because we saw your memory of saving us. That's why we haven't hurt you," Asahi said, cracking his knuckles. "At first, we doubted you, but witnessing your memory convinced us."
"You are being legitimate." Aletha finished her brother's words.
"Alright, enough talking," Sadiki said, opening the door fully. "Time to show you our whereabouts."
As their conversation faded, curiosity flickered to life within the wanderers, beckoning them toward the world that awaited beyond their door.
Once their talk concluded, Sadiki led the wanderers on a brief tour of the inn.
A broad corridor unfurled before them, its wooden planks lined with tables, vibrant paintings, and flower pots, with shelves nestled into every nook. Overhead, a lone ceiling light flickered, casting shifting shadows.
To their left, four doors stretched from the hallway, while to their right, only one door.
"Are these the only rooms?" Asahi asked.
Akwan lightly chuckled.
"Yeah, not much," he replied as he slid his fingers into his pockets. "But it's sufficient."
Aletha realized how loud they were and quickly hushed them as they walked down the hall.
"Can you two quiet down?" She said, "I think other people are sleeping."
After coming up from the room, Asahi wondered where Drimi, Sally, and Belial were. This drove them to ask.
"Where's Drimi and the crew?"
"Drimi?" he retraced the name. "I think she is in the room on the right? While Belial, Sally, and the others are on the left," Sadiki said as Akwan led the wanderers through the lobby toward the door. "Best not to disturb her and the others until noon. Like I said, and you two have witnessed, a big battle had come into play."
At the threshold, Asahi and Aletha stepped into the lively heart of Milmoor village, morning energy swirling around them like a fresh, awakening breeze.