We waited outside the carriage in silence.
Lieutenant Ren and I exchanged stories, though we were both clearly on edge.
Five minutes had passed, and Zeid still hadn't returned.
Then again, it shouldn't take that long.
We heard rustling in the bushes — a woman emerged from the edge of the forest.
"P-Please… help me…" she whispered, then collapsed.
A baby was crying in her arms, so we quickly rushed to her side.
Lieutenant Ren carefully lifted the infant, while I gently laid the woman's head on my lap.
"Ma'am? Can you hear me?" I gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her, but her eyes stayed shut.
She was drenched in sweat and pale.
I placed a hand on her forehead and neck to check for fever — she was burning up.
I glanced at her legs. There was blood.
"This baby looks like they were just born," Lieutenant Ren said, trying to calm the infant.
I wasn't sure if this woman would even make it to the Hiyosko center in her condition.
I didn't know much about medical care, but it was clear she needed to bring her fever down — fast.
"Hey, can you set up a tent quickly? And put some blankets or soft padding inside? Thanks," I asked one of the guards.
He nodded and did as I asked.
I turned to Lieutenant Ren.
"Lieutenant, can you start a fire and heat some water? Also, do you have any towels or anything soft I can use? I'll carry the baby for now."
He nodded and carefully handed me the infant.
I did everything I could to make the woman comfortable — wiping her body dry with cloth, and even changed her into a set of long cotton pants and a loose shirt I had in my bag.
There were some things I just didn't want to talk about.
Soon after, Zeid returned and checked on our progress.
Lieutenant Ren briefed him on what happened.
"I have a feeling this is connected to the intel I gathered from the nearby village," he said, glancing at me.
"That woman… she seems to be from Artrias Village. Something strange is happening there. Someone told me the villagers aren't allowed to speak — that if they do, they'll die. But he also warned me… we should be careful of the curse."
A curse?
"What does that even mean?" I asked softly.
"Who knows? We'll need to investigate. But first, we need to get back to Hiyosko quickly before something happens to this mother and child. It's just a few minutes away — let's hurry."
He got back in the carriage.
Lieutenant Ren and I tidied things up and helped the woman inside.
I carried the baby, who was now fast asleep in my arms.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zeid staring at me for a while before looking out again.
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, just kept watching the baby.
The umbilical cord had already been cut and tied — so at least he was stable.
I sniffed near the baby's mouth to check if he'd fed — there was a faint milk smell, so I let out a breath of relief.
"I didn't know you were good with babies, Nyssa," Lieutenant Ren teased, glancing at the child in my arms.
Zeid glanced at me too but quickly looked away again.
I rolled my eyes in response.
A few minutes later, we saw the gates of Hiyosko up ahead.
I checked on the woman — she was now leaning back, eyes closed.
Lieutenant Ren sat beside her, occasionally adjusting her position so she wouldn't fall.
Once inside Hiyosko, the carriage went straight to the central hospital.
Zeid carried the woman inside while Lieutenant Ren and I followed.
People glanced at us, but we ignored them.
The woman was taken to a room, and the doctor immediately began treatment.
I handed the baby to a nurse for examination.
We sat outside the room and sighed.
"Whatever's happening in Artrias… there's nothing we can do unless we act," I said, wiping sweat from my brow.
Both of them looked at me.
"You didn't think of that?" Zeid said sarcastically, clicking his tongue.
My expression shifted briefly before I stood up.
I brushed off my skirt like there was invisible dust on it.
"I'm heading back to the hotel. My job's waiting for me."
I waved and walked away.
Ren stopped me.
"Wait — aren't you going to wait until the woman wakes up?"
I shrugged.
"If she asks who changed her clothes, just tell her it was a woman. I don't want either of you getting slapped and be called a pervert."
I said it as a joke before turning and walking off.
I raised my right hand and waved without looking back.
---
I went straight to the hotel and found Maxson in the living room talking to another woman.
Another woman.
If she sat down again, it looked like Maxson wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
"Ahem."
They both turned to look at me.
The woman's smile vanished instantly, and she gave me a look like she was annoyed.
Maxson's eyes widened — he didn't expect me to show up.
"Nyssa!"
"Yes. And hello to you too."
I replied, raising an eyebrow at the woman — who raised one right back at me.
"And who's she, babe?" the woman asked, leaning even closer to Maxson.
I sighed and raised a hand.
"A friend," I said, then walked past them.
Up in my room, my belongings from the beach were already there.
That was fast.
I headed straight to the bathroom and took a shower.
After everything was done, I sat down at my desk — there were documents waiting for me.
Luckily, Maxson had already organized some of them, so there wasn't much left for me to do.
Good. Maybe I'd thank him later… when his girlfriend wasn't around acting rude.
Before I could even open the folder, my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"Decades have passed, Miss Nyssa. How have you been? If you think you've escaped your fate, let me remind you — that's a foolish way of thinking. If you want peace in your life, there's only one thing you need to do: join us and behave. I'm sure the message is clear. Right, Miss Nyssa? Or should I say… Miss Mira?"— Unknown Number
I furrowed my brow.
Another message.
Probably tied to my past — specifically the time someone sent me letters using arrows.
I thought it was Kaito back then.
But if I'm still getting messages like this now… there's probably someone else behind it all.
Who could that be?
And what do they really want from me?