I Won't Hurt You

'To truly listen is a rare gift, one that requires silence within. Without it, we are lost.'

Soul closed the curtains, letting darkness engulf the room. He was drained, unable to muster the energy to teleport back to his own place. For now, he was stuck in Ayame and Nia's room. He sighed, sitting on the nearest chair.

"You idiot," Nia said, glaring at Soul. "You didn't have a plan to get back to your room? You can't stay with us!"

"I didn't think you'd rat me out to Ayame," Soul shot back, giving her a side-eye. "I'm sorry, I guess."

"Hey," Ayame said, pricking her finger with a small knife. "Draw some blood from me."

"Are you a masochist?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No! I just want to see how the magic works!"

Soul moved closer, extending his hand toward Ayame's cut. He concentrated, and the blood started to flow from her finger, forming a tiny crimson orb. With a flick of his wrist, the blood began to shape itself into various shapes and figures in mid-air. Ayame watched, wide-eyed and fascinated.

"Wow," she whispered, mesmerized by the display.

Soul guided the blood back to her finger, sealing the wound seamlessly. "There. Now you've seen it."

"Yeah, act like this is normal. A man is staying with us, in the girls' dormitory. Sure." Nia shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it…"

"This room's candle is still on, too!" said the teacher behind the door. "You can't be serious…"

The teacher knocked on the door, and Ayame and Nia looked at Soul in unison, panic spreading across their faces. They froze in fear, unsure of what to do.

"Turn off the candle and get into bed," Soul whispered urgently. "I'll hide."

"Hide under the blanket with me," Nia whispered back.

"What?" He asked, but then he quickly realized there was no time to argue.

Soul extinguished the candle, plunging the room into darkness. Nia and Ayame scrambled into their beds, pulling the blankets up to their chins. Soul hesitated for a split second before slipping under Nia's blanket, pressing close to her in the confined space.

Nia's heart pounded in her chest as Soul's face brushed against her breasts, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down her spine. She could feel every movement he made, their bodies pressed tightly together. She tried to steady her breathing, focusing on the sound of the teacher's footsteps.

The teacher knocked again, then opened the door and peered into the room. "Girls, why is the candle still burning? You know the rules."

Ayame pretended to be half-asleep. "Sorry, ma'am," she mumbled. "We must have forgotten. I just extinguished it."

"Good. Don't let me catch you up and awake, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." they said with a forced smile.

"Okay – goodnight."

After the teacher left and the door closed, Soul attempted to get out from under the blanket. However, the teacher unexpectedly re-entered, causing Nia to push Soul down, unintentionally burying his head into her breasts.

"Ma'am?" Ayame asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Mm… no, nothing. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, ma'am."

'Wait… this feels good.'

The door shut, and Soul cautiously got out from under the blanket. Nia was flushed red; even though the darkness hid her face, Soul could sense her embarrassment. Her blue hair fell over her eyes, a protective curtain shielding her from his eyes.

"That was close," Ayame whispered, her voice barely audible.

Nia nodded. "Y-yeah, way too close."

"I'll take the chair." Soul informed. "Soon as I get enough energy, I'll teleport. It should take about two or three hours."

Esvor, with restless eyes, watched the outside from his window. He couldn't shake the image of the silver-haired woman he had seen in Quarry. There was something about her, something unsettling that gnawed at his mind, keeping sleep at bay. She seemed imprisoned, and didn't like what she was doing. Chains on her neck and arms made her seem like she was controlled by someone – stripped of any control.

He rocked his chair back and forth, finally standing up with a sigh. Leaving his room, he walked the long corridors of the boys' dormitory, descended the stairs.

"King?" The teacher said, standing guard by the double doors. "I don't recommend going outside at this hour."

"What, or you'll report me to Glazaszkal?"

"Oh – you've pronounced Professor Yuu's last name perfectly."

"Yeah, trust me –" He lightly shook his head. "It took practice."

"I can imagine." He murmured. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I heard you called in some of your soldiers from Snow Fallen. Is that true?"

"Yeah, we're dealing with a blood magic user, maybe even two. Gotta be prepared. And these clown guards? I don't trust 'em."

"I… understand. I just hope nothing will happen."

"Yeah…" he nodded, eyes on the doorknob. "I hope."

The sun rose, birds chirped. 'Another sleepless night,' he thought, feeling the cold as he stepped outside. He had to check Quarry for survivors, even though he was hundred percent sure no one was left alive there. To ensure Soul and Ayame's safety, he had to leave quickly, without thoroughly searching the village. Now that they were safe and the weird sensation after the teleportation spell was gone, he was ready to move.

He pushed open the door to another ship house, revealing a gruesome scene of piled corpses in the corner. There was no sign of life in Quarry; everyone was dead. Just as he suspected. He knew that blood magic users could sense blood, making hiding from them useless.

"Shit." He sat on top of a crate outside. "Poor villagers."

The wind slowed, and Esvor caught a whimper coming from the house he'd just checked. At first, he thought he was hearing things. But, after hearing the same whimper again, he rose to his feet and entered the ship house.

With a flicker of his lantern, he illuminated the room's center. There, he found a young girl, no older than eight, cowering beneath her mother's lifeless body.

Esvor's voice softened as he approached the trembling girl. "Hey... I won't hurt you."

"P-please don't hurt me. I didn't do anything..."

"I know... I won't hurt you. I'm not one of them," Esvor assured her, setting his lantern down gently. "You can trust me."

"You are one of them..." The girl's voice cracked with fear as she slowly rose to her feet. "I-I know you... please, don't hurt me."

"I'm..." Esvor's gaze fell on the girl's pointed ear, marking her as a high elf. "Huh..."

"My mother told me about you. Please, I beg you don't hurt me. I don't want to die."

"I don't hurt kids." He reassured. "Let's get you to Redhaven, fix you up."

"Let's check this part." said a voice outside. "Heard these idiots were killed by someone other than us."

"Good riddance for not giving us that damned Lindowrm's scales!" said another voice. "Fuck them!"

Four bandits entered the ship house. Surprise flashed across their faces as they spotted the girl and Esvor. They drew their swords, and Esvor mirrored the action, stepping protectively in front of the child. With the bandits blocking the entrance, escape was out of the question.

"Hello, friends," The Rebel-King said calmly. "We were just about to go our separate ways."

"Sure, sure, sure," the bandit at the front replied, a smirk appearing on his lips. "But first, empty your pockets and drop your sword. Then you can be on your merry way."

"Huh…" Esvor furrowed his brow. "I wasn't asking for permission though, right?"

"We have a joker among us!" the man laughed, his friends joining in. "Anyone short a joker in their decks? I think we may have found it!"

"Man…" Esvor shifted into an aggressive stance. "When are you guys going to learn…"