Several months had passed since Orion began his relentless efforts to bring Nereza back to herself. He slowly started to notice changes in her; sometimes it seemed like she was improving, but other times, she seemed to slip further away from him. Every day, he fought against the feeling of guilt that he wasn’t able to help her, until one day, the Demon King summoned him.

  "Release Nereza," the Demon King's voice was cold and straightforward, without further expnation or questions. It was a simple command, as if the Demon King knew exactly what Orion was trying to do.

  Orion stood still. He looked at Nereza, who stood beside him, her emerald eyes emotionless as always. But he could sense something different in her. It seemed as if she was slipping away even more from the world he knew.

  "Where do you want us to go?" Orion asked, knowing that the answer would likely not be what he wanted.

  The Demon King met his gaze with icy indifference, his response brief, "With her. Both of you will be under my control."

  Orion didn’t argue. He silently accepted the command, even though deep down, he feared what would happen next.

  After the Demon King's approval, Orion began preparations for the journey. He knew Nereza needed protection and care, especially her hair and eyes, which were marks of her difference, making her a target for suspicion and fear.

  "I request a set of clothing to cover her hair and hide her eyes," Orion said to one of the attendants handling their preparations.

  The attendant nodded and then went to fetch the attire designed to keep Nereza hidden. The outfit, complete with a hood and cloak, was made to conceal her completely.

  "This set of clothes will help conceal her eyes and hair," the attendant said as they handed it to Orion.

  Orion nodded and turned to Nereza, who stood silently by his side. He thought about the months that had passed, and now, he could feel a deeper sense of weariness and despair from her.

  "We will keep you safe, Nereza," he whispered softly.

  With that, they prepared for their departure, waiting for the Demon King's command. As they awaited the journey ahead, Orion remained resolute in his determination to protect her, to bring her back, no matter how difficult it might be.

  As they rode through the countryside, the sound of hooves echoed in the stillness of the evening. Orion’s horse was bck, sleek and powerful, while Nereza’s horse, a white steed, followed closely behind. They rode in silence, the ndscape shifting from vast open fields to a dense forest, as they approached a small town on the horizon.

  When they finally arrived, Orion quickly sought out a pce to rest for the night. He rented a room at a modest inn, hoping to find some peace for a brief moment. As they settled in, the warmth of the inn was a stark contrast to the chilly air outside. The inn’s atmosphere was loud, filled with the rough ughter and clinking of mugs from a group of drunken men sitting at a nearby table.

  Orion gnced at Nereza, who remained quiet as always, her expression unreadable. He was about to make sure she was comfortable when he suddenly heard a commotion. The drunken men noticed Nereza—her appearance was striking, and they were quick to approach her.

  One of them staggered forward, a lewd smile on his face. "Hey, beautiful," he slurred, reaching out to grab her arm.

  Orion’s hand instinctively moved toward his sword, ready to step in, but before he could, Nereza stood still, her body unmoving as the men closed in on her. The lead man reached out, his grip tight on her wrist, but in an instant, everything changed.

  With a sudden, unnatural silence, the man’s body contorted. His muscles locked, his face twisted in agony as if invisible hands were tearing him apart from the inside. His screams were short-lived as, within the blink of an eye, his body was nothing but a mass of shredded flesh. The other men recoiled in fear, too terrified to make a sound.

  Orion stood frozen, his hand still on his sword but now unsure of what he had just witnessed. Nereza did not move. Her eyes, still devoid of emotion, slowly turned toward the horrified men before her. She said nothing, but her silence was enough to send them scattering, leaving Orion alone with her in the now-quiet room.

  "Nereza," he spoke softly, his voice ced with both concern and awe. "What just happened?"

  She didn’t respond, her gaze distant as she stared at the pce where the men had been moments before.

  Orion understood the gravity of the situation. Something had changed in her. It wasn’t just her silence or the coldness in her eyes—there was a power in her that he couldn’t fully comprehend. And in that moment, he realized that the woman he had once known, the woman he had tried to protect, was becoming something... else.

  Orion, though still troubled by what had just happened, forced himself to act as if nothing was wrong. He quickly took the room key from the innkeeper and, without another word, gently pulled Nereza toward the stairs. His mind raced, but he kept his composure as he guided her up to their room.

  They reached the door, and Orion unlocked it, stepping inside first to ensure it was safe. He closed the door behind them, not fully aware of the eyes that had been watching them from the corner of the room.

  A few moments ter, a group of men gathered outside the inn, their eyes trained on the unmistakable green of Nereza’s hair. They had seen her before, and they knew that someone as striking as her wouldn’t go unnoticed. Whispers passed between them, silent but filled with malicious intent. They had seen the way she had handled the situation downstairs. It was clear she was no ordinary woman, and that made her all the more enticing.

  They huddled together in the shadows, whispering among themselves about how to approach her. The pn was simple: they would wait until Orion wasn’t paying attention and then take what they wanted. They were used to this kind of power, the kind that came from numbers. They had no idea what kind of storm they were about to unleash.

  Back in the room, Orion paced back and forth, trying to settle his thoughts. He gnced at Nereza, who had taken a seat by the window, staring out into the night as if she were lost in her own world. He wasn’t sure if he should speak to her, but he could feel the growing tension in the air—something dark was simmering beneath the surface.

  He didn’t know that outside, the group of men was already plotting, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Orion took a slow breath, forcing himself to steady his racing thoughts. He knew that something had changed in Nereza, something deep and unsettling, but right now, all he wanted was to reach her—the real her—before she slipped away completely.

  He approached her carefully, kneeling beside her chair by the window. The dim candlelight flickered between them, casting shadows on her delicate features. She still stared out into the night, seemingly indifferent to his presence.

  “Nereza…” he called her name softly, his voice carrying the same warmth it had when they were children. “Talk to me.”

  She didn’t respond at first, only blinking slowly as if processing his words. But then, after a long silence, she turned to face him. Her expression was unreadable, her emerald eyes dull, but at least she was looking at him now.

  “I’m right here,” he whispered, reaching out carefully. “Like I always have been.”

  For a moment, he expected her to push him away. To scoff or retreat back into her silence. But instead, her lips parted slightly, and though no words came, she didn’t resist when he gently took her hand.

  Orion exhaled, relieved at the small progress. Slowly, he guided her toward the bed, encouraging her to rest. She didn’t protest, merely following his lead, and as she y down, he hesitated for just a second before lying down beside her.

  Just like when they were children.

  Back then, on the coldest nights, when the world had felt too cruel, they had clung to each other like lifelines. They had whispered promises in the dark, believing that as long as they held on, everything would be okay.

  Now, as Orion wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close against his chest, he could only hope that it was still true.

  He didn’t know if she needed this comfort, but he knew he did.

  So he held her—gently, protectively—willing his warmth to reach her through the shadows that had taken hold of her heart.

  “…Everything will be okay,” he murmured, more to himself than to her.

  And for the first time in a long while, Nereza closed her eyes.

  In the morning.

  Orion’s heart pounded as the commotion around them erupted into chaos. The moment the hood was torn from Nereza’s head, the crowd turned against her instantly. Whispers turned to shouts, and shouts turned to curses.

  “Witch!” someone screamed.

  “Monster! Get her away from us!”

  Orion barely had time to react before Nereza’s body tensed beside him. He knew she was trying to hold herself together, but he could see the way her fingers twitched, the way her breathing turned shallow. The weight of their words—of their hatred—was pressing down on her.

  He reached for her, his hands moving on instinct, grabbing the cloak and quickly pulling it over her head again. “Don’t listen to them,” he whispered. “Just stay close to me—”

  Pain shot through his body.

  A sudden force smmed into his ribs, sending him staggering back. He barely registered the blow before a second one nded against his shoulder, knocking him to his knees. The men from the night before had attacked him before he could react.

  Through his blurred vision, he saw them lunging toward Nereza.

  “No—” he tried to push himself up, but before he could get to her, someone else moved first.

  A group of robed figures—priests or monks, by the look of them—appeared out of nowhere. One of them reached Nereza before the other men could, shoving her down to the ground with a force that made Orion’s blood boil. The men who had attacked him hesitated, realizing they had lost their chance, and quickly scattered before the situation could escate.

  But Orion didn’t care about them anymore.

  Because Nereza was struggling.

  She was trying to break free, her body thrashing as the priests held her down. Her voice—sharp and desperate—cut through the noise.

  “Orion!”

  His entire body reacted before his mind could catch up. He forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain, and lunged toward her.

  “Nereza!”

  But hands grabbed him, restraining him before he could reach her. He fought against them, pushing, shoving, but it was too te.

  The priests were already dragging her away.

  She fought them, calling his name again and again, but their hold was relentless.

  Orion pushed harder, his heart hammering in his chest. He had to reach her. He had to stop them.

  But the distance between them only grew.

  And then—she was gone.

  But he saw something from the corner of the crowd.

  The moment Orion saw the fmes ignite beneath Nereza, something inside him snapped.

  His wings beat furiously as he dove, the wind from his descent roaring in his ears. The vilgers’ shouts barely registered—his focus was solely on her. She was bound to the wooden stake, her emerald eyes wide, reflecting the flickering fire that had begun to crawl hungrily toward her feet.

  "NEREZA!" His voice tore through the chaos.

  Without hesitation, he smmed onto the ptform, his dark wings spreading wide, shielding her from the crowd. The force of his nding sent a gust of wind that made the fmes flicker and the gathered vilgers stumble back in fear.

  But it was too te to stop the fire.

  It had already reached her.

  Orion wasted no time. He grabbed the ropes binding her, his cws slicing through them in an instant. The heat licked at his skin, the acrid smoke stinging his lungs, but he didn’t care. His only thought was getting her out of there.

  She was shaking, her body tensed from the pain and the panic. But the moment her restraints fell away, she colpsed into his arms.

  “Hold on to me,” he murmured.

  Nereza barely had the strength to respond, but she gripped the fabric of his coat weakly.

  With one powerful beat of his wings, Orion unched them both into the air—just as the fmes engulfed the entire ptform. The fire raged below them, but they were already ascending, escaping the reach of the inferno.

  The vilgers’ screams faded as they soared higher and higher into the night sky.

  Orion didn’t stop flying until they were far from the burning vilge. His wings ached, his breath was ragged, but he refused to slow down—not until he was sure she was safe.

  When he finally spotted a secluded clearing by a quiet stream, he descended, nding gently beside their horses. The bck stallion snorted softly at his arrival, while the white mare remained still, as if sensing the gravity of the situation.

  Orion wasted no time. Carefully, he shifted Nereza in his arms, cradling her as he guided her down. She barely reacted, her body weak and trembling from exhaustion and pain. The burns on her legs and arms were stark against her pale skin, angry red marks left by the fmes.

  He led the horses toward a sheltered spot, tying them securely before gathering firewood. The night was cold, and she needed warmth.

  Once the fire was crackling steadily, Orion turned his attention back to her. She hadn’t moved. She was sitting where he had pced her, staring into the fmes, her expression unreadable.

  Without a word, he knelt before her, pulling out a small vial of healing balm from his coat.

  "This will sting," he murmured as he dipped a cloth into the cool salve.

  Nereza didn’t respond. She only flinched slightly when he began applying it to her wounds, but otherwise remained still.

  Orion’s jaw tightened. The silence between them was heavy. The Nereza he once knew would’ve fought back, grumbled, or at least reacted in some way. But now…

  She was just letting it happen.

  His fingers hesitated for a moment before he continued tending to her injuries, his touch as gentle as possible.

  Once he was finished, he let out a quiet sigh and sat beside her, pulling his coat around both of them. The warmth of the fire flickered over their faces, casting shadows in the night.

  Without thinking, Orion pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her in the same way they used to when they were children—when the world felt too cruel, and all they had was each other.

  "You're safe now," he whispered, resting his chin against the top of her head.

  Nereza didn’t respond. But after a long silence, he felt her shift slightly, pressing just a little closer to his warmth.

  And for now… that was enough.

  Inside the main hall of the temple, several candles flickered above their heads, casting shadows on the stone walls. The murmurs of the priests echoed through the room as they gathered for their meeting. Their faces were a mixture of concern, anger, and fear.

  "Who is this woman... really?" a middle-aged priest asked, his eyes filled with suspicion. "That hair... those eyes... The power we sensed isn't something a human should possess!"

  "And that demon!" another priest added, his voice heavy with disdain. "It has wings, horns. It swooped in and snatched the woman away from the sacrificial altar! Right before our eyes!"

  The whispers among the priests grew louder, some began praying, while others showed signs of anger.

  "I've never seen a demon like that before..." an elder priest spoke, his voice calm but deep in thought. "It has intelligence. It's not chaotic. It doesn't sughter. It just... protects her."

  "What does that mean?" the head priest smmed his fist onto the table, his voice booming through the hall. "Are you suggesting we let them go free?"

  "Not at all," the elder priest replied, his tone measured. "But I see something different. That woman may be the key."

  "The key?"

  "I heard her voice before she was taken..." he closed his eyes briefly. "She didn't scream for her life. She didn't curse us. She simply called out one name..."

  "—Orion."

  The room fell silent for a moment.

  "We must track them down," the head priest decred sternly. "No matter what she is—whether a demon, a witch, or something worse—we must find the answer!"