[Run! Run!]
The flames that had been with him since birth screamed at him to run. They desperately tried to hold back the bear, but it was no use. The flames only made the bear more enraged.
The only relief was that Adele didn’t know any of this.
Though her eyes were barely open, it seemed she couldn’t see anything. Even her ears didn’t seem to be working properly.
‘I’m happy.’
For the first time, Ronshka thought of happiness. The young boy chose the short life with his mother over the long life that lay ahead of him.
The bear pushed through the flames and drew closer to them. It would hurt, but that was fine. The pain had always been close to Ronshka.
Instead, he held his mother even tighter, determined not to let her leave before him.
[Run! Run!]
The spirits of fire cried desperately.
Roar!
Even as the furious bear raised its paw to strike again, Ronshka didn’t close his eyes. He simply gazed at his mother’s face as he held her close.
And then, a miracle happened.
Thunk!
A blade pierced the bear’s thick skin. The bear roared and struggled, but only for a moment. The metal, like lightning, sliced through its body, and it collapsed. It was dead.
Behind the bear’s lifeless body stood a man with silver hair.
He was cold and distant as he wiped the bear’s blood from his sword. After a small sigh, he approached the unconscious woman.
“This place is dangerous,” he said.
The man reached out his hand to Ronshuka, but the boy didn’t move, holding onto his mother and glaring at him.
Realizing this, the man turned his attention to Adele. She was clearly in bad shape.
“Is she dead?”
“N-no!”
Ignoring the boy’s sharp cry, the man examined the woman more closely. Her chest was faintly rising and falling.
“Whatever happened, she’s not dead yet. If you want to save her, we need to move quickly.”
At those words, Ronshka looked at Adele. His mother, who had told him she loved him in her final moments.
Would she say the same if she woke again?
He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was better to die together like this.
“She’ll die if we wait any longer.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ronshka made up his mind.
He wanted to hear his mother say she loved him again. He wanted to see her smile again.
Even though returning to the past might bring pain, a small thread of hope pushed him forward.
“P-please save her. Save my mom.”
“So, she’s your mother. Alright, I’ll save her.”
The man quickly checked Adele’s condition, then pulled out a small pouch from his bag and sprinkled it over her. Then he picked her up in his arms.
“I can’t carry you both. Follow me as fast as you can.”
Without waiting, the man started running through the rugged forest path. Ronshuka followed him, stumbling along the way. The pain in his bare feet was unbearable, but he kept going, gritting his teeth.
Eventually, they reached a small village near the forest.
Thankfully, the village had a healer. The healer gasped in surprise at the woman’s condition.
“A bear attacked her?”
“She’s lucky to be alive.”
While the healer prepared herbs and bandages, the man turned his attention to the boy. The woman’s condition was severe, but the boy wasn’t much better.
His feet were bloodied, and some of his toenails were half ripped off, likely from hitting rocks.
The man clicked his tongue in frustration. He’d thought the boy was fine since he’d followed silently, but now he saw the truth.
“Let me treat you. I can handle the basics first aid.”
He reached for Ronshka, but the boy pulled away.
“I-I’m fine.”
It was clear he was in pain, but he insisted otherwise. The man soon realized the boy’s endurance wasn’t normal.
Ronshka never took his eyes off his mother, watching her with a gaze full of longing. His injuries didn’t matter to him; his sole focus was on her.
‘This is exhausting.’
The man had only intended to save them out of choice, not to get involved further. Still, he decided to push a bit harder.
He picked Ronshka up and carried him to the side. The boy began to struggle violently.
“N-no! Let go!”
“You need treatment.”
“I-I said I’m fine!”
“Well, I’m not fine seeing it.”
The man sat down and examined the boy’s feet. As expected, they were in terrible shape.
But his feet weren’t the only problem. The boy had other wounds, like a child who had been mistreated.
This realization made the man pause.
“M-my mom. I need to see her.”
“Which is why you need treatment. How upset would your mom be if she saw you like this?”
“Mom would be upset?”
“Yes.”
“T-then I don’t want treatment.”
Ronshka wanted his mother’s attention, even if it came through worry. The thought of her caring about him brought a twisted kind of joy to him.
No one had ever worried about his injuries before, so this was new to him.
‘Maybe this time will be different.’
The thought made Ronshka smile faintly.
Meanwhile, the man sighed in frustration.
“What’s your name?”
“Ro-Ronshka. M-my mom gives it to me.”
Ronshka puffed out his chest proudly.
“Alright, I’m Lucas. Call me Lucas.”
“Lu-Lucas.”
“Right. Now we know each other.”
Ronshuka tilted his head, unsure.
“If we know each other, I can tell you a lot of things,” Lucas said.
“Hmm.”
“Where did you get these injuries?”
Ronshka glanced at his feet, but Lucas firmly cut him off.
“Not your feet. The other wounds.”
“I… fell.”
This many wounds from falling? Impossible. These weren’t from simple accidents.
And his clothes—worn, dirty, and torn—spoke of neglect. Whoever had been caring for him had done a poor job. That person was likely his mother.
“Who have you been living with?”
“M-my mom.”
“Did your mom hurt you?”
“N-no. She didn’t.”
After that, Ronshka refused to speak further.
“Sigh.”
Lucas rubbed his temples. What he thought would be a simple rescue was turning into something more complicated. It seemed he’d need to figure out the boy’s situation too.
Then, Ronshka spoke hesitantly.
“M-my mom protected me.”
“From what?”
“F-from the bear. She told me to run.”
Ronshka’s face fell as he spoke.
He had almost lost his mother forever. He was glad he hadn’t run. Now they could be together.
Lucas, on the other hand, found himself at a loss.
“For now, let’s wait until your mom wakes up.”
That was the only conclusion he could come to.
It felt like her body was on fire. She had a vague sense of having a nightmare.
She couldn’t recall much, but the dream was about losing Ronshka. She had screamed desperately, reaching out for him, but couldn’t catch him. It was horrifying.
And that was when Adele woke up.
Tears streamed from her swollen eyes as she cried uncontrollably. Her face felt as though it was burning from the heat.
She sobbed uncontrollably for a while before finally opening her eyes.
‘Where am I?’
This was an unfamiliar place, but it didn’t seem like heaven or hell.
She wiggled her fingers, feeling the sensation.
She was alive. But how?
Desperately, she tried to piece things together, but only one memory remained clear.
“Ronshka.”
Her hoarse voice filled the room, and almost immediately, Ronshka appeared.
The boy peeked out from behind a pillar, watching her.
Oh, thank goodness, Ronshka was safe.
Adele sighed in relief.
But why was he standing so far away?
Confused, she called out his name.
“Ronshka.”
Slowly, he stepped out from behind the pillar. When Adele saw him, she gasped.
