Ruby clutched her chest. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her shirt as panic twisted in her gut.
"No! I can't let him die!" she shouted, voice cracking.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "No… I won't give up on him! I have to save him!"
She dropped to her knees beside Alex's still body and pressed her head against his chest. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears—until she heard his.
Thump... thump...
Faint. But steady.
Her breath hitched. A sob rose in her throat—but when she glanced up, she froze.
Darcy, the dragon, lay curled nearby with wings drawn in and eyes glowing mournfully. Leo, the flame-maned lion, hovered above them, fire dim, head bowed.
They looked… broken.
Ruby reached out and pulled them both into her arms, trembling. They pressed in close, warmth and grief shared in silence. No words passed between them—but none were needed.
She turned back to Alex. Focused. "Alright," she whispered. "If you're still fighting in there… then so am I."
She pulled a flask from Alex's infinity bag, took a drink, and then caught a glimpse of his old watch. Her lips trembled as memories returned—him teaching her how to read it, patient and teasing, the way only he could be.
She checked the time. Marked it. Then got to work.
Raw meat. A sharpened stone. A flicker of flame in her palm. She roasted the meat, cut it into careful pieces, and handed them to Darcy and Leo.
But they didn't eat.
They only watched Alex. Hours passed. No one moved.
"He's healing," she murmured. "But… healing isn't enough."
Her fingers tightened around the meat. She stared at it. Then at Alex's still form.
"No one else will do it. Then I will."
She placed a piece in her mouth, cheeks flushing as she chewed slowly. Her face burned with embarrassment—but her heart beat louder than her shame.
She gently pulled Alex into her lap, brushing the hair from his face, fingertips lingering like a prayer.
"Alex… please… eat. You have to eat."
"Forgive me," she whispered, voice trembling. "But I have to do this… because I can't lose you."
She leaned in, breath mingling with his, her lips trembling just above his. And then—delicately, intimately—she pressed her lips to his, passing the softened food into his mouth with a tenderness that felt more like a kiss than anything else.
It wasn't rushed. It wasn't desperate.
It was slow. Gentle. Loving.
"Swallow it…" she murmured. "Come back to me…"
His lips twitched. Barely. But it was enough.
She stared at him—his broken body, his quiet strength, his impossible will. And something inside her cracked open.
Her hand cupped his cheek.
"Why do you always protect everyone but yourself?" she whispered. "Why do you make me care this much?"
Her breath caught. Her face hovered close to his—but not too close this time. Just near enough to feel his warmth again.
And then—without thinking, without planning, without permission—she leaned down and kissed him.
It wasn't graceful. It wasn't gentle.
It was messy, tear-soaked, and trembling.
But it was real.
It was hers.
It was everything she'd been holding back.
"I need you, Alex," she whispered against his lips. "Don't you dare leave me behind."
Alex had been unconscious for days—his body still, breath shallow, wounds deep.
Ruby had taken on everything. Feeding him, healing him with spells, cleansing his wounds, injecting the elixir regularly. She barely slept. Day after day, she watched over him, listened to his heartbeat every night, curled beside him like a silent guardian.
Leo fetched water. Darcy stayed near the fire. But Ruby? Ruby never left his side.
Whenever Alex groaned or mumbled in pain, she'd hold him tighter, whispering, "It's okay… I'm here… Don't go where I can't follow."
The longer he stayed unconscious, the more she feared he might never wake up.
Then—one morning—
A warmth spread across Alex's chest. Not magical. Not painful.
Human.
His eyes fluttered open.
He blinked slowly. The cave ceiling. The distant crackle of fire. The faint heartbeat against his ribs.
His vision focused.
Ruby. Tear-streaked. Sleep-deprived. Clutching his tunic like a lifeline.
Leo and Darcy lay nearby, guarding the cave entrance, fast asleep.
Alex blinked again, feeling his sword beneath his hand.
"Brave... What happened? How long was I out?"
The familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Master! You're awake! That's great! Welcome back!"
"How long?" he asked aloud, voice dry and cracked.
"Two weeks, Master! Ruby didn't leave your side for a second! She barely slept. She fed you. Healed you. She cried like a storm that wouldn't stop. Leo and Darcy—none of us knew if you'd come back."
Alex pushed himself up slowly, muscles aching. He stretched like a cat, bones popping. He held his sword out and closed his eyes, letting his aura flow.
Light surged.
White-hot brilliance flooded the blade, bright and controlled. He swung once—and a powerful wave exploded from the edge, cracking the air.
Bad idea.
Ruby woke to the shockwave.
She jolted up—her eyes wild—then scanned the cave.
He was gone.
Leo and Darcy had already bolted outside.
She rushed after them, heart pounding.
And there he was.
Standing in the clearing, bathed in morning light, blade in hand. Alive.
Leo tackled him first, roaring with joy. Darcy flew in, wrapping around him like a protective wing.
"Guys, I'm fine!" Alex chuckled weakly, arms open. "Sorry for worrying you—"
He didn't finish.
Ruby was already there.
Tears flooded her eyes as she stared at the sword in his hand.
She walked straight up to him. Her body trembled. Her lip quivered.
SLAP!
It echoed across the valley.
Alex blinked, stunned.
Ruby stood before him—tears streaming, chest heaving, fists clenched.
"You were unconscious for two weeks, Alex!" she screamed. "We thought we lost you! And the first thing you do after waking up—is pick up a sword and swing it?!"
He looked down, guilty. "Ruby… I—"
"Shut up!"
She crashed into him, sobbing into his chest.
"You idiot! I thought I lost you! Why do you always push yourself so hard?! how can you scare me ?!".
He hugged her tight, burying his face in her hair.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just… I needed to know I was still me."
She hit his chest with her fists, soft and helpless now.
"You didn't even say anything. You just woke up and started swinging like it didn't matter! You matter, Alex! You matter to me! "
He cupped her face, gently.
"I'm here. I'm alive. Because of you."
She looked up, eyes red and furious.
"Next time you try to die on me, I'm stabbing you myself. Got it?"
He smiled. "Got it. I heard you've been crying these last two weeks, huh? You people ever sleep?"
She rushed over and hugged Alex tightly.
"Alex! Why do you train like that—pushing yourself beyond the limit?"
Alex chuckled, hugging her back with warmth.
"Ruby… being weak is a sin. The weak never survive. They can't protect their people—their loved ones. And that's why…"
She looked into his eyes and said, "Then train me, Alex. Make me strong—like you."
Alex nodded, resolute. "But today, you all focus on resting. I'll begin your training tomorrow."
As she let go, she tugged at his shirt playfully—only to catch a glimpse of the scar across his side, fully healed.
"Don't overdo it," she whispered as she walked away.
Alex climbed to the top of the cave and laid back, a book in hand. He attempted to channel his aura—forcing it through his arm—but it fizzled out just at his fingers.
"What the hell...?" he muttered. "The book says 'aura enchantment over the body'—but mine barely goes past my hand."
He stared at the sky.
"Looks like I need another talk with Uncle Hercules…"
He picked up a practice sword and began swinging it—slow at first, but each motion became more refined, more precise.
Fire danced at the edge of the blade. With every swing, flames surged stronger, trailing behind in arcs of heat.
The ground hissed. The air cracked.
He wasn't just training—he was learning. Controlling.
"Let's try controlling elemental magic…" he whispered. "But later. Let's rest a little. Damn, time flies."
From his pocket, he pulled out a comic: "The Amazing Spider-Man and Deadpool."
Alex burst out laughing.
"Peter's jokes are insane! Man, I hate Mary Jane though."
The morning drifted by with peace and laughter. Later, he came down, grilled some meat, and woke the others. Ruby was brushing her teeth using a sparkle of magic.
Alex grinned. "Ruby! What a lazy fellow."
She chuckled. "You're one to talk, lazy bones!"
As they ate, Leo and Darcy kept sneaking glances at Ruby.
Ruby narrowed her eyes and growled, "If you two don't quit it—I swear—I'll kill you."
They froze mid-bite, eyes locked in terror. They quietly resumed chewing.
After breakfast, Alex slumped on a rock, still reading his comic. He was mid-laugh when Ruby asked, "What's so funny?"
"It's a comic book!" he said, still laughing. "It's hilarious."
Ruby tilted her head. "I've never seen a book that fun…"
She laid her head on Leo's lap and drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly, the cave rumbled with a thunderous sound.
THUM! THUM!
Alex stood, closing his book and slipping it into his infinite pocket. He unsheathed his blade and walked calmly toward the barricades. Ruby followed him, heart pounding.
He stood atop the wooden structure, watching. A blinding flash of white light tore through the valley—
BOOM!
After the smoke cleared, Alex casually leapt back onto the barricade, climbed the cave wall again, and sat back down… opening his comic like nothing happened.it's like he just overkill the beast out side .
Ruby leapt to the barricade, eyes wide, breath caught in her throat.
Below them… a massive, demonic mammoth lay dead, its burning corpse still crackling with embers.
She stood frozen, speechless.
"He... he took that thing down alone...? Just how strong is he now…?"