HIRANG

11: Pagbisita

Third's POV

"Your bones, especially your back and arms, are riddled with fractures. The wounds you have from the battle with the beast were very serious," Haikuri explains.

She sensed Neazhoi's confusion upon regaining consciousness, considering what happened. It was truly a miracle that she even managed to survive such a life-and-death situation.

Haikuri thought Neazhoi wouldn't survive the monster's damage, but surprisingly, she was able to survive her life-threatening situation in the forest. Perhaps without their timely arrival, all their hope would have been lost and died.

Neazhoi remained silent after hearing what Haikuri said. She looks like a person who has lost her sanity and is only looking into the void.

"Do you recall anything from the forest, Neazhoi?" she asked again, hoping that Neazhoi may have remembered at least a little of what had happened to her in the last three weeks.

Neazhoi remained silent, gazing upward, trying to recall why she lay in that bed, resembling a corpse. She tried to remember those unsettling memories she experienced, and all she knows is that all of it started in the cave.

"In the cave," she began, recounting the heartbreaking events.

"What I remember w-was that... I-I ran a-away from the cave... I ran away because... b-because..." Tears welled up, but her demeanor remained cold, a face devoid of emotion.

She doesn't know why this is happening to her. You can see that she is in pain, but her face seems like a shell devoid of any expression.

"...I c-can't go back to m-my time," she added.

Haikuri nodded in agreement.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry loudly and show how furious she was, but maybe because she lost so much strength that she couldn't even grit her teeth. Maybe she was so exhausted that she didn't bother to scream or even face Nunong Haikuri. Or maybe she already loses hope of living, of getting better, or of being happy.

"Then... I got lost... t-then... I saw a m-monster... a terrifying monster... he attacked me. He wanted to kill me... but I fought... I used my sword, but he was too strong... and..." Her words trailed off as she met the old woman's gaze, narrating slowly. "I felt my body give up," she said as if every word was equivalent to a breath.

Haikuri met her eyes.She doesn't recall... WHAT HAPPENED, she thought.

Haikuri paused for a moment and recounted the events of the past two weeks from her perspective. "When you left the cave, I did not immediately perceive that you were foolish and would be lost in the forest. Pula sensed that you were in danger, so we immediately looked for you and found... caught in the monster's clutches, injured... until you lost consciousness," she narrated.

"So," Neazhoi mentally smirked at what she heard.

"It appears that... you slayed the monster and... rescued me once more," she uttered with bitterness.

Haikuri sighed as the air breeze softly blew; she mentally shook. She refrained from revealing the truth, knowing it would only further confuse the young lady. It's not the right moment.

No. You are mistaken, Neazhoi. It was you who defeated the monster.

She noticed the corners of the girl's mouth lifting, attempting to speak as they quivered slightly.

"You should not have done that. You should have allowed the monster to end my life," she expressed, surprising Haikuri.

She desired the monster to end her life. I understand that you may not fully grasp the situation, Neazhoi. You will encounter many more challenges. Will you surrender so easily? Haikuri pondered.