Sky reappeared at the scene five minutes later, moving with an eerie swiftness. The girl lay still on the ground. He landed softly, setting aside the supplies he carried, and immediately checked her breathing.
"Thank God, she's still alive." A sigh of relief escaped him. She hasn't woken up yet… right? He knelt, nudging her gently, trying to rouse her to take the energy drink and eat something.
"Hey… are you alright?" Sky's voice was calm as he gently shook her. When she remained unresponsive, he decided to use the cream and bandages he'd retrieved. He carefully unwrapped the torn fabric clinging to her injured arm, revealing the wound. With practiced efficiency, he cleaned it with disinfectant, applied the medicine, and then meticulously wrapped the bandage around her arm.
It took him a few minutes, his movements precise despite his lack of professional training. The bandage was secure, neat. Good enough. At least she'll survive without infection.
"Hmm… done." A flicker of pride warmed Sky as he admired his handiwork. He then applied medicine to her bruises and scratches before settling down to wait for her to wake.
Time crawled. It was 11:30 AM, half an hour since Sky had bandaged her, but she remained unconscious, though undeniably alive. In this interval, another detail registered.
She's completely naked. Should I give her my clothes? Nah, then what would I wear? I would have bought her clothes for now, but my money was used on the medicine and other supplies. But come to think of it, she looks definitely beautiful. Sky's gaze lingered on her form—light yellow hair, a mature face, and developed features. He quickly pushed the thought aside and settled into meditation, a way to pass the time until she awoke.
"Mmmm…" A faint moan. The motionless girl stirred, her hand rising to her eyes before they slowly fluttered open. Sky saw it, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Oh, you woke up. That's good." His calm words, however, instantly startled her. She bolted upright, ignoring the searing pain in her abdomen, her gaze snapping to the source of the voice. Her body instinctively adopted a defensive posture.
"Who are you…?" The girl demanded, her voice raw with fear. She was utterly vulnerable, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs from her near-death experience. Sky rose, sensing her terror.
"Don't worry, you are safe here. That guy isn't here anymore," Sky said calmly as he picked up the energy drink and took a step towards her.
"Don't come closer!" she snapped. Sky nodded, halting his advance. He simply tossed the energy drink to her before returning to his original spot, silent, still. The girl tried to stand, but the pain was too much. She slumped back, deciding to speak instead.
"You saved me…" Her voice was barely a whisper, yet Sky heard it clearly.
"Yes. Why don't you see for yourself?" Sky's intention was for her to examine her bandaged arm, but Isha's eyes fell upon her own nakedness. She was wearing only her bra and panties, her torn clothes gone.
A furious blush spread across her face. She immediately wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to conceal herself, clenching her legs together.
"You… what have you done to me?! Where are my clothes?!" she demanded, anger and shame warring on her face. Sky looked at her defensive posture.
"Nothing. I washed your wounds before bandaging them. Your clothes were dirty, not ideal to wear with those injuries, plus they were half-torn anyway," Sky replied calmly. Isha looked down at her arm, seeing the clean bandage. His calm tone, despite her fury, seemed to soothe her slightly.
"How… did you save me… from that monster…?" she asked, still hugging herself, her eyes wide, puppy-like as she gazed at Sky. Sky began to explain everything: how he'd found her unconscious and heavily injured, how a young man in his twenties had appeared, clearly pursuing her. He'd tried to help, and the young man had threatened him, leading to a brief fight. He'd landed a few punches, forcing the man to flee into the woods. Though he wanted to pursue him, saving her had been more important. Otherwise, she might have died.
"That's all what happened," Sky finished, his face utterly serene. Isha listened, staring at him, but she didn't fully believe his words.
"I see… I am truly grateful to you for saving my life. Although I don't believe you completely, I owe you for saving my life from that monster in a human body," Isha said, a fragile smile gracing her lips as she looked at her bandaged arm. She was genuinely grateful to her benefactor.
"But I didn't understand, how did you get all of these things…?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over the medicine, water bottle, and other supplies. Sky's eyes narrowed, a chilling coldness entering his voice. Isha, who had just begun to feel safe in his presence, suddenly felt the same terrifying threat from Sky. A shiver ran down her spine, and her back became slick with cold sweat.
"You ask too many questions. I didn't save you for nothing…" Sky's voice was frigid, the statement causing Isha's worries to deepen into raw fear. He continued, his gaze like that of a predator assessing its prey.
"I have answered you enough, now it's your turn to answer me truthfully. If you don't, then you wouldn't be of any use to me. So it would be good to dispose of you here." Sky looked at her as if she were an object, disposable at any moment. Her heartbeat quickened again, her hands clenching, her anxiety spiraling into a desperate panic.
What? He wants something from me? Don't tell me he's going to… Isha's thoughts spiraled, a cold knot of dread twisting in her stomach. She hugged her knees tighter to her chest, a pathetic attempt at defense. She was weak, vulnerable. If this person—her savior—demanded something, anything, she wouldn't be able to refuse, not after he'd plucked her from the jaws of death. Her mind drifted to dark, unspeakable possibilities, but Sky's next words yanked her back to reality.
"You… you just want me to answer your questions truthfully?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper of surprise.
"Yes," Sky replied, his gaze unwavering.
"That's all? Really? You didn't want to do something inapp—"
"What?" Sky's single word, sharp and direct, cut her off.
"Nothing…" Isha mumbled, her cheeks flushing crimson.