After a few moments of silence, the stillness of the night was broken by the sound of painful moans, quiet whimpers, and faint cries from Laverna. Shin stirred, attempting to ignore it, but the unease he felt through the crest made sleep impossible.
He could sense the instability in her emotions, the overwhelming distress pulling her deeper into her nightmares.
Sitting up, he let out a tired sigh, his gaze falling on Laverna's curled-up form. Her body trembled, her breath uneven as she whimpered in her sleep.
He knew exactly what she was going through. Nightmares had haunted him once, leaving him to drown in memories he could never erase.
And now, watching her suffer in silence, he saw a reflection of his own past.
Her nightmares held her captive, forcing her to relive horrors she had long tried to forget. Shadows of her past tormented her, dragging her back to moments of pain and fear.
Laughter rang in her ears as daggers tore into her flesh. The guttural growls of hounds sent a chill down her spine as their teeth snapped at her heels.
She fought desperately, clawing at one of the beasts, her fingers digging into its eyes before her teeth sank into its maw. A sharp yelp escaped the creature as it released her, but there was no time to recover.
She ran, her tiny feet stumbling through the dark woods, the monstrous howls growing louder. Then, she saw her, the woman lying motionless in the clearing, long orange hair pooling in the blood beneath her.
Dull eyes stared back at her, filled with sadness and hope. She had been so close to escaping. So close to freedom.
Shin exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair before dragging a chair beside the bed. He sat down, watching her struggle against invisible foes.
Her breathing was shallow, her body tense as if preparing to defend itself. He had been in her place before.
No one had been there for him. No one had cared.
The world had taught him that survival was a lesson learned through suffering, and only those willing to endure it could live. His family had been the only ones who ever loved him, and they had been taken away.
And now, as he looked at Laverna, he saw the same reality reflected in her. She had no one left.
Her family had been slaughtered, just like his. She had survived alone, just as he had.
If she believed that no one would ever love her again, he couldn't blame her. But he wanted to change that. He wanted her to know that she wasn't alone... not anymore.
But for now, she would see herself as a prisoner, shackled by his crest, her life bound to his. In his eyes, she was still healing, still carrying wounds that no one else could see.
Through his vision, he saw her as she truly was, the lacerations, the bruises, the damage from that night. She was a walking corpse, barely held together. Yet, to the world, she appeared fine, as if nothing had ever happened.
Until she fully recovered, she would remain bound to him for her own survival. It was a cruel reality, but one he hoped she would one day understand.
He had seen too many souls embrace death as an escape, believing it to be their only way out. But to him, death without purpose was foolishness.
"Dying without a cause is feeble and foolish. Death is inevitable, but throwing your life away without reason is nothing but cowardice. If you must fall, make it meaningful. Make your death serve something greater than yourself, something that outlives you. Otherwise, you are just another forgotten corpse on a battlefield no one will remember."
His voice, barely above a whisper, wove into the fabric of her unconscious mind. A ripple of calm spread through her, washing away the echoes of her torment.
The beasts faded, their snarls replaced by a soft, familiar hum. The darkness around her melted away, replaced by the gentle warmth of water cradling her body.
It was peaceful, safe, like the embrace of the abyss she had once stood on the edge of. Her muscles loosened, the tension in her face disappearing as her breathing steadied.
The nightmare's hold on her weakened, slipping away into the void.
What Shin didn't realize was that his thoughts were reaching her, embedding themselves in her subconscious. It was a habit of his, thinking aloud, whispering words meant only for himself.
He had spent so much time alone that speaking his thoughts had become second nature. This was the first time he had traveled with someone, the first time his words were unknowingly shared with another.
And even he didn't know it was happening.
He sighed, watching her carefully. She still whimpered, but her distress had lessened. Hoping to soothe her further, he reached out and gently ran his fingers through her hair, stroking her head as if to ground her in the present. It was a quiet gesture, but perhaps, even in sleep, she could feel it.
As his fingers combed through her soft locks, she instinctively reached out, her hand wrapping around his. Her grip was weak at first, tentative, as if seeking comfort in something familiar.
Then, as the warmth of his skin pressed against hers, her breathing steadied, her body gradually relaxing. The tension in her face faded, the remnants of her nightmare dissolving into a more peaceful slumber.
Soft murmurs escaped her lips, barely audible. "Momma... Pappa... please don't leave me... Don't leave me alone..." Her voice trembled, fragile and filled with sorrow, as if she were still lost in the past, reliving the moment everything was taken from her.
Shin blinked, surprised by the small but undeniable trust in her gesture, though she likely wasn't even aware of it. A flicker of emotion passed through him, a deep understanding of her pain.
Still, he didn't pull away. If this brought her comfort, he would allow it.
His eyes grew heavy, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion. Though the chair was uncomfortable, he couldn't bring himself to move.
His fingers remained loosely entwined with hers, her small hand still clutching onto him as if afraid to let go. Even as sleep overtook him, his body instinctively stayed alert, guarding her through the night.
He had never been one to sleep deeply, but tonight, despite the aches in his muscles and the stiffness settling into his back, he remained by her side, unwilling to let go.
Morning arrived with the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the window. But for Laverna, waking was not peaceful. Her breath hitched as her body jolted upright, her mind caught between the past and present.
Her fingers dug into the sheets, her heart pounding as phantom sensations of cold metal shackles still clung to her wrists. The lingering echoes of her nightmare gripped her tightly, making it hard to distinguish reality from memory.
For a moment, she sat frozen, her eyes darting around the room in search of unseen threats. Her pulse was erratic, her muscles coiled as if expecting an attack.
Then, her gaze fell upon Shin, still seated in the chair beside her, his hand still loosely clasped in hers. The sight of him, silent, steady, grounded her, pulling her back from the abyss of panic.
Shin's body ached from sleeping in the chair, the stiffness in his limbs a familiar sensation. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck before standing and stretching.
He had slept in worse conditions before, this was nothing new.
Turning to Laverna, he watched as she sat rigid, her breathing uneven, still caught in the haze of her dreams. He frowned, recognizing the signs.
He had been there before, waking up, expecting to be somewhere else, expecting to be back in a moment of suffering. Instead of shaking her shoulder, he spoke gently.
"You're awake. It's morning. You're here, not there."
His words cut through the fog, her sharp ears twitching as she processed them. It took another moment, but finally, her grip on the blanket loosened, and she exhaled slowly, forcing the tension from her limbs.
"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead. Time for training."
Today marked the beginning of her training as a Kunoichi, and Shin had no intention of going easy on her.
Laverna rubbed her eyes, still groggy from sleep, and let out a muffled groan. "Five more minutes..."
Shin, unimpressed, crossed his arms. "Five more minutes, and you'll be eating dirt before breakfast."
She cracked one eye open to glare at him but quickly shut it again, turning over in an attempt to ignore him. That was a mistake.
Shin smirked as if sensing her hesitation. "Get ready. The first lesson starts now."
Before she could protest, Shin grabbed the edge of her bedsheet and yanked it away, causing her to roll off the bed and crash onto the wooden floor.
The impact jolted her fully awake. Pain shot up her spine as she groaned, staring up at him in disbelief.
"Lesson one," he said, standing over her. "Never let your guard down, even in your own room."
Laverna gritted her teeth, realization dawning on her. Training had begun.
And from the looks of it, it was going to be hell.