Overlord: When Human Meets Inhuman

Chapter 14: Dreams, hugs and new encounters

What? Where am I? 
I'm...in the woods around Nazarick. 
How did I get here?
"Help! Help me! Gaaaahhh!" 
What was that? Somebody was screaming for help. 
I start running to the direction of the scream and after a minute I find myself in the same clearing in the woods as yesterday. 
What the...is that Shalltear? 
She's fighting somebody, but she's not doing good. 
Looks to be a hooded figure with a sword. 
After a few more moments, I see Shalltear being skewered by her enemy's s blade right in the chest, and her unconscious body falls on the ground. 
Then the hooded figure turns to look at me, and points its sword at me. 
"N-no...what did you…why…" I stutter and kneel down. 
"Hm." The hooded figure hums and puts their sword down. 
I...what the hell is happening? How did I get here? I'm so confused.
Shit, Shalltear.
I start running to her but the figure puts itself in between me and her and draws its sword again. 
I search in my pocket for my knife and draw it as well, then I charge the figure directly and it takes a swing at me, but I block it with my knife somehow and then I thrust forward and stab the mysterious person. Then whatever was under that cape dissolves and the same cape is everything that's left. 
"M-Mark…" 
"Shalltear? Are you alright?!" 
I rush to her and kneel down, then I carefully lift her head up with an arm and I see her eyes are open. 
"Mark…" She whispers. 
There's a small flush of blood at her mouth's edge flowing down her right cheek. Her skin is paler than usual.
"You're alive...thank God…" I say in between hiccups. 
All her hair is loose, perfectly straight on the ground. 
"You idiot..stop crying…" 
"I'm-" 
I'm interrupted by a sharp pain in my chest, and as I look down I see a sword's blade sticking out of it. After a second the attacker takes the sword back and the last thing I see before I pass out is Shalltear's terrorized face.

"SHALLTEAR!" 

What? I'm in bed...did I survive? 

I quickly and nervously look around me, and I see all the furniture in my room is in its right place. 

Did I…
Oh my God I'm an idiot. I was fucking dreaming…

It's also kinda late in the morning. 
After a minute or so I hear a knock on the door. 

Oh God I hope it's not Shalltear. 

"C-come in." 
As the door opens, a young maid enters the door. Long blonde hair and blue eyes.

Thankfully it's not Shalltear. 

"Good morning, Mark. Are you alright? I heard screaming…" 
"Oh, Tuare! Yeah, I'm fine...just a nightmare…" 
I smile unsurely and slowly get up from bed, then I stretch for a few seconds and I look at Tuare. 
"Thanks for worrying about me, by the way." I say kindly. 
"It's the least I could do. You're my friend, after all." 

I'm...her friend. 
I'm not very fond of these things, to be honest. The only friend I've ever had has always been myself. Well, Zara doesn't count.

"Mark? You're crying...did I say something wrong?" 

I'm crying? 

I touch one of my eyes and see it's wet with tears. 

I am crying, after all. 

"No...it's fine. I'm...not used to this "friends" thing. I've...never had friends before. I've met a lot of people, but no friends. My world has been made only by myself." I explain and look at Tuare with a melancholic smile. 
"Well, now it isn't." 
Tuare starts walking to me, and she doesn't stop.
"T-Tuare? What are you-"