Coker didn't sleep much that night. His eyes just stayed open, staring at the wooden roof of the small house. The wind outside was crying again, and the sound of it brushing the walls made him feel like the shadows was moving too. He turned to look at the girl. She was sleeping. Peacefully. Like nothing bad ever touch her. Her silver hair was over the pillow like moonlight, and her breath moved slow and calm. Coker looked away fast. He didn't want her to wake up and catch him staring like that. He sighed quietly and pulled the blanket closer.
The curse in his chest was quiet, but it never leave fully. He still felt something in his body, like cold water inside his bones. Even when he close his eyes, he feel it there, sitting, watching, waiting. It didn't talk much anymore, but he could feel when it didn't like something. And that girl… the curse didn't like her. But Coker… he didn't know how to feel. She saved him. She hold his hand. She look into his eyes without fear. No one do that before.
Morning came slow. The village was quiet, too quiet. Everyone was still scared from last night. People stayed indoors, and even the chickens didn't make sound. Coker stood up from the floor and walked outside to check the sky. It was grey and heavy, like it wanted to rain but didn't know how. He took a deep breath and stretch his arms. That's when he noticed it.
Smoke.
Not far. Black smoke rising from the east side of the forest. His eyes narrowed. That was the direction of the old ruins. He remembered passing there with his father a long time ago, before the curse, before the silence. It was empty, broken stones, nothing alive. But now… someone was there.
He rushed back inside. The girl was already sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She look at him and blinked. "What wrong?" she ask, voice still sleepy.
"Smoke," he said. "From the forest. I wanna go see."
She didn't argue. Just nodded and stood. "I go with you."
Coker's heart jumped a bit, but he tried not to show it. "O-okay."
They walked together, quiet at first. The trees was taller here, and the path was covered with dry leaves. The smoke got darker the closer they went. Coker kept feeling like someone was watching. Maybe it was just the curse again. Or maybe not.
Then, they saw it.
A small campfire. And around it… cloaked figures. Three of them. All black robes, faces hidden. One of them was holding something shiny — like a blade made from bone. The girl stepped closer, eyes sharp now. "They not normal," she said.
Coker nodded slowly. "I know."
Suddenly, one of the cloaked men turned. His eyes — they were red. Not normal red. Deep, glowing, bleeding red. The kind you don't forget.
"You're not supposed to be here," the man said, voice like cracking stone.
Coker froze. The curse inside him started to move again, restless. It whispered something, but he couldn't understand. His head was spinning, and his hands felt hot. Like something wanted to come out.
"Go back," the red-eyed man said again, stepping forward.
But the girl stepped in front of Coker, arms wide. "No," she said, soft but firm. "We not leave."
The man stared. Then he raise the bone-blade.
In that moment, Coker felt it. A spark. Not of magic. Not of power. But of protect. He couldn't let her get hurt. She stand for him, again and again. His legs moved without thinking. He grab a broken branch from the ground and charged.
The fight wasn't fair. The man was faster, stronger. The bone-blade sliced air like wind itself. But Coker didn't stop. He didn't even think. He swung the branch like it was a real sword, hit the man's side, and the figure stumbled back. The other two cloaked ones moved then, ready to attack.
But before they could, the girl raised her hand — and light burst from her fingers. Pure, warm light, like a falling star. It blinded the men. They screamed, covering their faces, and then ran into the forest.
Silence returned.
Coker was breathing hard. His arms shaking. The branch was burnt in his hand. "Wh-what was that light?" he asked, voice dry.
The girl looked at her palm. "I not sure," she whispered. "It come out on its own."
Coker looked at her. She looked different now. Not just pretty. But powerful. Dangerous. Beautiful in a way that scared him. She turn to him, and without warning, she stepped close and hug him — just for a second.
"Thank you," she said.
And in that one second, Coker felt something strange. Not the curse. Not fear. But warmth. He didn't know what it was. But it stayed in his chest even after she let go.
They walked back slow. The smoke was fading behind them. But something told Coker that it wasn't over. The red eyes, the bone-blade, the glowing light — it was all the beginning. Something big was coming.
And for the first time, he didn't feel so alone.