Scene 127 — "Not Moving"
The silver flowers swayed gently.
The crystal forests whispered in the distance.
The young girl stood over the unconscious stranger.
Thinking.
The situation had somehow become worse.
A few moments ago, the problem had been simple.
A wounded stranger.
Now she had reached the next problem.
How exactly was she supposed to move him?
The girl looked down.
The white-haired traveler remained motionless.
Still breathing.
Still unconscious.
Still refusing to die.
"...Wonderful."
She placed her basket aside.
Rolled up her sleeves.
And grabbed one of his arms.
The traveler remained asleep.
The girl took a deep breath.
Then pulled.
Nothing happened.
The traveler didn't move.
Not even slightly.
The girl blinked.
Looked at him.
Then looked at her own hands.
"...You're joking."
The traveler offered no explanation.
The silver flowers continued swaying.
The girl planted both feet firmly against the ground.
Grabbed his arm again.
And pulled harder.
This time—
the traveler shifted.
Barely.
Only a few inches.
The effort immediately told her everything she needed to know.
This was going to be miserable.
The girl released his arm.
Breathing heavily.
The traveler remained exactly as unconscious as before.
She stared at him suspiciously.
"...How are you this heavy?"
No answer.
The hidden world remained silent.
The girl crouched beside him again.
Thinking.
Dragging him all the way home would take hours.
Maybe longer.
And she wasn't even certain she could do it.
The path crossed uneven crystal ridges.
Flower fields.
Narrow stone passages.
It would be exhausting.
Her eyes drifted toward his hood.
The fabric still covered most of his face.
Only a portion remained visible beneath the shadows.
A pale jawline.
Part of his cheek.
A few strands of white hair.
Nothing more.
The hood concealed the rest.
The girl studied him.
Curious.
Who was he?
Where had he come from?
What had happened to him?
The questions continued multiplying.
None came with answers.
The traveler remained silent.
Lost somewhere within unconsciousness.
The girl slowly reached toward the edge of the hood.
Then stopped.
Her hand hovered there for a moment.
Before withdrawing.
No.
That felt wrong.
If he wanted his face hidden—
there was probably a reason.
The girl stood.
Dusting flower petals from her clothes.
The realization had become unavoidable.
She needed help.
Someone else.
Preferably someone strong enough to move a man who apparently weighed as much as a fallen tree.
The thought irritated her immediately.
Because it meant explaining.
And explaining meant questions.
Questions she couldn't answer.
The girl picked up her basket.
Then glanced back one final time.
The traveler remained lying among the silver flowers.
Motionless.
Silent.
Unaware.
The hidden world seemed peaceful around him.
Almost protective.
The girl narrowed her eyes.
"...Don't disappear."
The unconscious traveler remained exactly where he was.
The girl turned.
Beginning the journey toward home.
Toward help.
Toward people.
Yet after only a few steps—
she paused.
A strange feeling crawled down her spine.
The sensation of being watched.
Slowly—
she turned her head.
The traveler had not moved.
The flowers had not moved.
The rivers flowed peacefully.
Everything appeared normal.
Yet something deep within the crystal forest had become very still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Interested.
The girl stared into the distant trees.
The trees stared back.
And for reasons she could not explain—
she suddenly wanted to return with help much faster than before.