[POV: Luki]
The room was dark and cold.
The windows were shut, but the wooden walls seemed useless against the night's icy wind. It slipped through the cracks, whispering through the shadows, spreading a cold that wasn't only of the body but of the soul as well.
This darkness was still strange to me. In my old world, nights were never like this — there was always some light on, streetlamps, buildings, cars, screens...
Here, when night falls, it really falls.
It was easy to imagine a monster under the bed. Something that lives in the dark, waiting for the right moment to grab my foot.
It's not that I'm scared. Because even though it's so dark, I can still see perfectly. It's been weeks since I arrived in this world, and I've already accepted its rules, its dangers... pretty quickly to tell the truth.
But it doesn't mean I have to like it.
The silence.
That void that makes it feel like you're the only living thing in the entire world.
Because in some way, it's true, I'm alone.
This isn't my home, my world. It's an unknown, dangerous land; even though it fills me with feelings, the fact that I can't go back home, back to my safe harbor, makes me feel lonely.
Desolate.
Or at least... I was.
Now, sharing the bed with me, was my goddess. Literally.
Even in the dark I could see her face. The same face that had been with me since day one, smiling, stubborn, annoying, beautiful.
But now... so close.
I felt the warmth of her body against mine. The light weight, yet present. The rhythm of her breathing. The emotions that still lingered in the air between us.
It made everything feel more real. As if she wasn't just a character from a fictional universe, but somebody real. A human being. Or almost.
And her scent... soft, sweet, comforting. Cozy.
Part of me wanted to turn, pull her close and bury myself in her chest, feel her warmth, hear her heart. It would probably be more comfortable than any bed in this world.
But besides having only one functional arm... it wasn't the time for that.
So instead, I simply asked, in a low voice, heavy with sincerity:
— Are you beTTer now?
— Yes... — she answered, with a distant look, distracted as she traced soft circles on my chest with the tip of her finger.
— WiLL you teLL me? What mAde you like tHis? Why did you cry?
She didn't answer.
She remained silent, as if she hadn't heard. But the finger stopped moving. She had heard.
Unhurried, she curled a little more against me, burying her face in my neck. The warmth of her breath brushed my skin, and the faint sound of the sheets shifting beneath us filled the room with an almost imperceptible, intimate soundtrack.
Then, gently, she raised her arm and ran her hand over mine.
Not the good one. The other.
The casted arm.
The arm I thought was simply broken.
— Your arm... — she murmured.
— What abOUt it? — I asked, even though I already knew the answer. It wasn't hard to guess with so many signs.
But still, I waited for her to say it.
— Luki-kun... maybe you won't get your arm back.
There was no pain in her voice. No hesitation.
Only serenity. A strange kind of peace that comes after the collapse. After the tears.
She had already cried everything she needed to. Now, what remained was what really mattered: the truth.
I averted my gaze and looked at my arm. Or rather, what was left of it.
Now that she had said it out loud, it finally sunk in.
And everything started to make sense.
I had broken a limb before, in my old world. I remembered the feeling. The constant itch, the phantom pain, the involuntary jolts when trying to move any muscle.
But now?
Not even when Hestia had flung herself at me earlier, like a miniature missile, did I feel anything beyond the impact on my chest.
No pain. No reflex.
rustle
I moved slowly, and the muffled sound of the sheets shifting beneath us filled the room.
Hestia let me go without saying anything, remaining lying down as I sat on the edge of the bed.
I looked at my arm. Then, without thinking much, I began to unwrap the bandages.
The sound of fabric being pulled, sliding, was all that could be heard.
And somehow... it fit the night.
Cloth slides and rests softly on the bed
— Urgh... — I murmured, grabbing the cast with my good hand.
In my past life, opening a cast with one hand would have been impossible. But now, with the strength this world gave me, I simply broke it. Like cardboard.
Crack
The cast split with a dry crack, and finally, I saw it.
My arm.
On the outside, it looked perfectly fine. No bruises. No visible cuts. The skin was smooth, as if it had never been injured.
But then...
thud
I let go. And it fell onto my leg. Without resistance.
No strength.
I felt the slight impact on my thighs.
And that was it.
An uncomfortable numbness in the shoulder.
The rest... nothing.
It was as if that arm was no longer mine.
Behind me, I heard the faint sound of the sheets moving along with the sensation of the bed sinking. Shortly after, I felt two arms intertwine around my neck, and Hestia's body press against my back. Her face appeared beside mine, and although she was leaning on me, the sensation was that she was the one supporting me at that moment.
— I didn't want to lie to you — she whispered, her voice muffled. — I swear I didn't want to... but I was afraid of how you would react if you knew the truth.
— Uhm...
— Luki-kun, maybe... maybe it would be better if you stopped being an adventurer. It's too dangerous. And now... without an arm, I'm afraid of what could happen to you. — She said as she tightened her arms around me and hid her eyes in them.
I remained silent, letting the words sink slowly. Gradually, I began to run my hand through her hair, almost unconsciously, trying to convey the affection I didn't know how to put into words at that moment.
'Stop being an adventurer?' I thought.
It made sense. It would be the most logical decision. I had just paid too high a price for that way of life. Today it was an arm... tomorrow, maybe my life.
Was it worth it? What exactly was I risking myself for? Fame? Money? Recognition?
None of that seemed so important now. Nothing more valuable than keeping on breathing.
But... for some reason I don't agree with that.
— No. I want to kEEp going. — I answered, firmly.
She hesitated, as if she expected another response.
— Why? — she murmured. — You could do something else... anything. I can take care of everything. Of both of us.
I took a deep breath, looking up, even though I couldn't see anything in the dark. As if trying to organize my thoughts before putting them out.
Maybe it was madness. Maybe it was just too much optimism. But I didn't want to stop now. After everything that had happened, after everything I had felt... giving up seemed far more painful than continuing to try.
In my previous life, I wasn't unhappy. But I wasn't happy either. It was like living with a constant feeling that something was missing. It wasn't about what I had or didn't have... it was about what I had never truly felt.
Maybe what I always wanted was exactly this: a little risk, a bit of thrill, a touch of freedom.
The chance to live something different. For real. With body and soul.
And maybe, after having died once, the fear of dying had lost some of its power.
I turned slightly, and she did too. When I noticed, our faces were very close, almost touching.
— SoRRy, but... I want to kEEp going. I want to live for rEal. Even if life is sHort, it can stiLL be good. BeTTer than a long, eMpty life.
She didn't answer. But the way she looked at me... the eyes that had dried now began to shine again. She understood. Without me needing to repeat or explain anything, she simply understood what I meant.
Slowly, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, moved a little closer and rested her forehead against mine.
— Okay... — she whispered. — I understand. Even though it scares me... as your goddess, I promise I'll support you until the end.
— And I promise I'll stay by your side until the end too. — I replied, with a small smile, but full of truth, my eyes fixed on hers.
She stared at me in silence for a moment, as if each word was echoing inside her. The room was plunged into darkness, but at that instant it was as if only the two of us existed — the world outside disappearing among the rustling sheets and the low sound of our breathing.
— Luki... — she said, in a fragile whisper, as if my name were a confession.
— Hestia... — I answered the same way, feeling her name escape my lips with affection.
Our faces were so close that the warmth of her breath brushed my skin. It felt like we were on the edge of something, not for the first time... but this time, there were no interruptions, no screams, falls, or divine explosions. Just silence. And desire held in for too long.
Her hand rose slowly, touching my face with the tips of her fingers, hesitant. As if she still couldn't believe everything was okay. As if she was giving herself permission now.
I brought my face a little closer, feeling our noses touching. I could see her eyes shining in the dark, still wet but calm. Accepting. Wanting.
She closed her eyes first.
And I did too.
Then, finally... we kissed.
It was slow. Warm. Soft.
No rush, no promises that wouldn't fit there. Just the two of us, in that tight space between pain and consolation, exchanging everything we couldn't say in a long-lingering press of lips.
When we parted, still with our foreheads touching, she let out a light sigh, not of fatigue, but of relief, as if something she had held for a long time had finally come out.
— That was... — she began, still with her eyes closed, her face pressed to mine.
— Good? — I finished, in a playful whisper.
She shook her head, opening a small, genuine smile.
— No... it was relieving. It's the first time I've kis... — She stopped in the middle, as if remembering something, then continued as if nothing had happened. — It's the first time I've kissed someone like this.
— Mine tOO. — I admitted. — I hope I did weLL.
— Hihihi... — She laughed softly, and in that moment, it seemed like the usual Hestia was coming back. — Hmm... I don't know. Maybe you need a little more practice...
— ReaLLy? — I tilted my face slightly, already moving closer again. — Then, could the goddess with the sweetest kiss in this world help me with that?
She smiled, eyes shining.
— If it's for my Luki... always.
The second kiss came naturally, warmer, more intimate. There was no more tension between us. Only contained desire and sincere affection. Her hands rose to holf my face, while I leaned over her, feeling her body mold to mine...
...
...
...
When we separated again, we were already lying down, wrapped in each other's warmth.
Hestia turned onto her side, resting her head on my arm as if it were a pillow. Then she pulled it close to her chest, intertwining our fingers. Without her asking, I let my other arm, the "dead" one, drape over her waist, as if holding her in an embrace. She didn't complain. On the contrary, she nestled into it naturally.
Like that, it felt as if we were truly sleeping in each other's arms.
— Good night, Luki... — she murmured, almost dozing, her voice muffled by the pillows.
— Good night, my Hestia... — I answered, pressing my face to the curve of her neck, smelling the sweet scent of her nape.
And so, finally, we fell asleep.