Invisible String

Chapter 1

The morning sun shone through the trees, lighting up the quiet forest. Psyche and Raquelle wandered among the wildflowers, their baskets filling with blossoms. They moved deeper into the woods, chatting and laughing.

Psyche suddenly stopped. "Look!" she whispered, pointing to a man lying face-down in the grass. His clothes were dirty, and twigs stuck to his hair.

They crept closer, noticing a dark mark on the back of his head. They set their baskets down and knelt beside him, unsure of what to do next.

Psyche, curious, leaned down and carefully tilted the man's head to see his face. As soon as she saw him, she froze, her eyes widening in shock.

Raquelle noticed her reaction and leaned in closer. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Psyche's eyes stayed wide as she blurted out, "I've never seen a guy this handsome before!"

Raquelle stared at her in disbelief, then facepalmed, clearly unimpressed by the reaction.

Psyche examined the man's features. "He looks so peaceful," she whispered.

Raquelle shook her head. "We need to make sure he's okay. He could be hurt."

Psyche reluctantly stepped back, and they both looked around to ensure the area was safe. Gently, they shook the man's shoulder. "Hey, can you hear us?" Raquelle called, hoping to wake him.

As they shook him, the man stirred. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing a look of disorientation. He blinked several times, attempting to focus on the two girls above him.

"Wha-where am I?" he mumbled, his voice weak. He looked around but seemed lost. "I... I can't remember anything."

"You were lying in the forest," Psyche said gently. "Do you remember your name?"

He frowned, searching his mind, but came up empty. "No. I don't," he replied, panic rising in his voice.

Psyche looked at him with tender eyes. "It's alright. I'm naming you Aden for now."

Raquelle raised an eyebrow. "Where did you even get that name?"

Psyche grinned sheepishly. "It's the name I gave to a black cat that used to come to our house. It's the only name I could think of right now."

Aden focused on them, still trying to process everything. "Aden... I guess that works," he said slowly, not fully understanding but thankful for something to hold onto.

Psyche scooted closer, her gaze studying his expression. "Anyway, are you all right? Does anything hurt?"

Aden touched the back of his head, wincing slightly. "I feel... dizzy."

Raquelle looked at Psyche with uncertainty. "What should we do with him?" she asked.

Psyche stared at Aden, deep in thought. After a moment, her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. "Let's bring him home and let Aydelia tend his wound," she said with determination.

Raquelle hesitated, eyeing Aden with caution. "What if he’s a threat? We don’t know anything about him."

Psyche urged her gently. "I understand, but we can't just leave him here. Please, let's help him."

With a half-hearted nod, Raquelle agreed. The two girls carefully helped Aden to his feet. With one girl on either side of him, they began leading him through the forest.

***

After a long walk, they finally found their way out of the forest and spotted their home. Psyche and Raquelle helped Aden up the steps of the small cottage, feeling a mix of relief and concern to get him inside.

They guided him to a wooden bench covered with cushions. As they sat him down, Aydelia entered the main room, looking surprised at the sight of the unexpected visitor. She hurried over, a hint of curiosity on her face.

"What's going on?" she asked, bending down to inspect the wound on the back of Aden's head. "Did you two kidnap him or something?"

"Of course not!" Psyche replied, her tone playfully defensive, catching onto the joke. "We found him in the forest. He was injured, so we brought him home."

Aydelia crossed her arms, a small smirk playing on her lips. "It's a good thing you two didn’t do anything too crazy today," she said before her expression turned serious as she gently checked the injury. "I'll take care of this. Someone needs to get water and clean cloths."

Psyche quickly signaled for Raquelle to get the supplies. Raquelle rushed to the kitchen, her footsteps loud on the wooden floor.

Aden's eyelids flickered, and he struggled to focus. He could hear voices but felt too weak to move.

Raquelle returned with a basin of water and clean cloths. Psyche took a cloth and held it steady as Aydelia dipped it in water and applied it to Aden's wound.

After Aydelia finished cleaning and bandaging Aden's head, Psyche stepped over to the small table by the window, pouring a glass of water from a pitcher. She brought it to Aden, carefully helping him take small sips. He drank slowly, meeting her gaze with a grateful look.

When he finished drinking, Psyche placed the glass aside and glanced at both Aydelia and Raquelle. "Let him rest in my room," she suggested suddenly.

Raquelle tilted her head slightly, looking confused. "And where will you sleep then?"

"In your room, of course. Where else?" Psyche replied with a light laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

Aydelia shrugged, maintaining her composed demeanor as she acknowledged Psyche's suggestion. "As long as it’s not my room, he can rest anywhere."

Raquelle sighed but nodded. "Fine, let's get him settled then."

They supported Aden as they slowly escorted him toward Psyche's room. Once there, they carefully helped Aden onto the bed, propping him up with soft pillows.

Psyche gently brushed the hair from Aden's forehead, clearly worried. "You'll be okay," she murmured.

Raquelle grabbed a soft blanket from the bed and draped it over Aden. "There you go. Stay warm."

Aden opened his eyes and managed a weak smile. "Thank you," he whispered. Psyche smiled back, relieved to see him responding.

"You should rest now. Sleep will help you feel better," Aydelia advised.

Aden nodded weakly, his eyes growing heavy. "Alright," he replied quietly, allowing his eyes to drift shut once more.

The three girls shared relieved glances, glad to see him settling in.