The city was alive with noise, but Laine walked alone through the dark alleys. The Berserker Sword rested heavy in his hand, and in the other he held the small flower the girl had given him. Every step echoed against the wet stones, but inside his mind, only one voice mattered.
"…I need to find her. That girl… she gave me this. She didn't look at me with fear."
The mask throbbed faintly on his arm. Its crimson eye pulsed like a living heart, its voice curling in his ears.
"Why waste time? She is nothing. A child, weak, useless. You should be searching for power, not children."
Laine shook his head.
"…She gave me something you never did. Hope."
He tightened his grip on the flower, protecting it from the night wind.
The streets grew quieter as he moved deeper into the city's forgotten side. The air grew colder, filled with the smell of damp moss and smoke from cheap fires. People were gone from here—no laughter, no footsteps, just silence broken by barking dogs and distant drunks.
Hours passed before he saw it.
An old temple, broken and abandoned. Its once-proud gates leaned crooked, its walls cracked, statues half-buried in weeds. No light came from within, no priest to guard it, no prayers to bless it. Just a place that the world had already forgotten.
Laine's eyes scanned the steps. And there—curled against the stone wall—was the little girl.
She hugged her knees to her chest. Her clothes were torn, her lips pale, her face smudged with dirt. She shivered in her sleep, the cold biting deep into her small frame. Each breath was shallow, uneven.
Laine froze. His chest tightened.
"…She's been sleeping here? All alone?"
The mask whispered again, sharper now.
"See? Weak. She'll die on her own. Leave her. A burden will only drag you down."
Laine's jaw clenched. His voice was steady, almost defiant.
"…No. Not this time."
He walked closer, his steps slow, careful not to startle her. The sword on his back clanged softly as he crouched down. The girl stirred, opening her eyes. For a moment, panic flashed across her face. She tried to push herself away, trembling.
Laine immediately let the sword fall beside him with a dull thud, raising both hands to show he meant no harm.
"…Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."
Her small eyes blinked, adjusting to the darkness. Recognition slowly replaced fear.
"…You… the man from the park?"
Laine nodded. His voice was softer than ever.
"Yes. And you… you're the one who gave me this."
He opened his hand. The flower, though slightly wilted, was still there.
Her lips trembled into a weak smile.
"You… kept it?"
"…Of course," Laine said, his throat tightening. "Why are you here? Alone?"
The girl hugged her knees tighter. Her voice cracked as she whispered.
"…No family. No food. No place to go. The temple… it's quiet. That's why I sleep here."
Laine felt as if someone had cut open his chest. He saw himself in her words—hunger, cold, rejection. The memory of people's disgusted stares, the loneliness of empty nights. It all came back.
The mask's voice hissed furiously.
"Pathetic! She's nothing! Forget her. You need strength, not weakness. Power, not pity."
Laine ignored it. He crouched lower and gently placed the flower back into her hands. His fingers lingered for a second, warm against her cold skin.
"…Then I'll stay. At least tonight. You don't have to be alone anymore."
The girl's eyes widened. She looked at him as if he had spoken a language she had never heard before. Her lips quivered, tears glistening at the edges.
"…Really?"
Laine nodded. This time, his voice carried weight, not just words.
"Yes. I'll protect you."
The girl's tears finally fell, but her smile broke through them. A fragile smile, small but brighter than the moon above.
Laine sat beside her, leaning against the cracked wall of the temple. The sword rested at his side, the mask pulsed faintly on his arm, but for once, he felt peace.
The girl slowly leaned against him, too tired to stay awake. Her head rested on his arm as she whispered one last word before sleep took her.
"…Thank you."
Laine looked down at her, silent. His lips moved, but only one thought escaped.
"…No… thank you."
For the first time in his life, people weren't looking at him with disgust. They weren't mocking him. Someone was looking at him with trust.
But deep within, the mask's crimson eye glowed brighter, pulsing like a predator in the dark. Its voice slithered through his mind, quiet but heavy.
"You think this makes you human again? No. This will break you. And when it does… I'll be waiting."
Laine didn't answer. He just pulled the girl a little closer, protecting her from the night's cold.
Above them, the temple bells long rusted, swayed gently in the wind. The forgotten temple stood as silent witness to a bond that neither the world, nor the mask, could understand yet.
And in the darkness, Laine's decision burned like a small flame.
He would protect her.
No matter what came.