Chapter One: The Silent Child

  Scene 1 – The Forest After the Storm

  Night.

  The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, and the air still carried the traces of the storm that had passed through hours earlier. Raindrops clung to the leaves and fell slowly, creating a gentle sound in the stillness. The ground was damp, muddy, and carried the scent of earth mixed with blood.

  Amidst the thick trees, a small girl walked slowly. Her bare feet sank into the mud, yet there was no sign of discomfort on her face. Her long black hair clung to her body, soaked from the rain, and her worn gray dress offered no warmth in the cold. Yet, she did not shiver... she did not seem to feel anything at all.

  She was neither crying, nor scared, nor did she appear to be lost.

  Just a child with empty eyes, walking as though she had no destination... or perhaps wasn’t searching for one.

  ---

  Scene 2 – A Strange Encounter

  At the edge of the forest, where the ground grew drier and the sky clearer, a small camp was set up. A faint fire burned, an old tent sagged nearby, and a wooden box served as a makeshift table.

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  By the fire, a young woman sat on a piece of cloth, her legs stretched out in front of her, holding a metal cup from which she sipped quietly. Her light brown hair was tied carelessly behind her head, and her golden eyes reflected the light of the fire.

  She hummed a soft tune — an old melody that seemed to come from a distant memory.

  "So, where did you come from?"

  The girl stopped. She hadn’t noticed the woman, or perhaps she simply didn’t care. Her eyes slowly rose to meet those of the woman sitting by the fire.

  A long silence passed between them. The wind stirred the flames, and sparks drifted into the air, but the girl said nothing.

  The woman raised an eyebrow, set her cup aside, and sighed with mild disappointment.

  "Ugh… I was hoping for a dramatic reply. Something like ‘I survived a bloody battle’ or ‘I’m the ghost that haunts this forest.’ But instead, I get a pale, silent little girl."

  Still no response. The girl stared at her without blinking, as though trying to comprehend the words, but unsure how to reply.

  The woman stood up, took a few slow steps toward the girl, and bent slightly to peer into her eyes.

  "You look like a wooden doll… Did you know that?"

  The girl didn’t move, but something in her eyes changed. It wasn’t clear what it was, but it was there… a hint of recognition? A flicker of interaction?

  "Well, that’s a bit unsettling."

  The woman straightened, turned back to the fire, and waved her hand dismissively.

  "If you’re hungry, there’s bread over there. And if you’re thinking of stealing from me, I suggest you don’t. I’m generous, but I hate thieves."

  The girl remained still, as though uncertain of what to do.

  The woman sat back down, resumed sipping from her cup, and glanced sideways at her.

  "Come or go. I don’t have time for living statues."

  ...After another moment of silence, the girl finally moved.

  Her bare feet stepped slowly toward the camp, barely making a sound on the wet ground. She approached the fire and sat down on the ground without a single word.

  The woman glanced at her, smiled faintly, then lifted her cup once more.

  "What a strange sight… A drunken bounty hunter sitting beside a lost child in the middle of a forest."

  She sighed, then closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of the fire.

  "...Well, looks like I have myself a new companion."