A small fire flickered in the middle of the narrow stone room, casting an orange glow that danced across the damp walls. Zyra sat cross-legged near it, stretching out her hands to feel the warmth slowly pushing away the bone-chilling cold.
Ziero sat across from her, his eyes fixed on the flames with an unreadable expression. Neither of them spoke for a while, the silence filled only by the crackling of burning wood and the faint whisper of the wind outside.
Zyra bit her lip, her mind tangled with doubts that had been gnawing at her.
Why did he bring me here? Why didn't he just leave me behind?
Of all the people she had ever met, not a single one had been willing to accept her. Not even her own family. But Ziero… he was different.
Finally, Zyra lifted her gaze, eyes filled with confusion as she looked at him.
"Why?" she asked softly, her voice nearly drowned by the fire's gentle crackle.
Ziero raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"
"Why did you bring me?" Zyra pulled her cloak tighter around herself, lowering her eyes. "I'm just a burden to you, aren't I? You've survived two years in this forest alone… but now you have to take care of me too."
Ziero remained silent for a moment, his expression as cold as ever.
Zyra let out a bitter smile. "What do you really want from me?" Her voice trembled slightly. "My body?"
Ziero's eyes snapped to her, as if she had just said something utterly absurd. His gaze narrowed, and in the firelight, his eyes looked even darker, deeper.
"My body?" he repeated flatly.
Zyra bit her lip harder, feeling awkward about her own words.
Ziero let out a short sigh, then turned his eyes back to the fire. "I brought you because I felt like we were the same."
Zyra blinked. That wasn't the answer she had expected.
"The same?" she echoed, still in disbelief.
Ziero gave a slow nod. "I couldn't let you die in this forest alone." He turned to her, his gaze sharp but steady. "Besides, you're a girl."
A strange warmth spread through Zyra's chest—not just from the fire, but from something in his words that felt undeniably sincere.
They fell into silence again, but this time, it didn't feel as heavy as before. Zyra took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask another question.
"What happened to you?" Her voice was softer now. "Why are you here?"
Ziero stared at her for a few seconds before finally answering.
"I was born different," he said. "Since I was a child, my family always thought I was strange. They said I had no mana, no magic like them. But then…" He paused, his expression hardening slightly. "This power awakened, and they immediately saw me as a monster."
Zyra listened intently.
"When I was little, I once touched a servant." Ziero looked down at his palm for a moment. "In an instant, his body turned to obsidian. He shattered into black stone fragments right before everyone's eyes."
Zyra held her breath.
"That was my last day in the castle. They threw me in here and considered me dead."
Silence filled the room once more. Zyra didn't know what to say.
After a moment, she swallowed hard and spoke. "Me too..."
Ziero lifted his head.
"I was born different too." Zyra stared at her own hands, recalling the events that led her to this place. "My whole family has blue hair. But I—" She exhaled and lifted a strand of her red hair. "I'm the only one who's different."
Ziero said nothing, just listened.
"At first, they only thought I was strange. But when my power awakened…" Zyra closed her eyes for a moment, remembering. "I don't remember exactly how it happened. All I know is that someone's blood—a royal chef's—suddenly started pouring from every hole in his face. His mouth, eyes, nose, ears..."
Ziero remained silent, but his expression shifted slightly.
"He died," Zyra continued. "And they all blamed me. They called me a curse, just like your family did to you."
Zyra met Ziero's gaze. "So you were right… we really are alike."
Ziero didn't respond, but something in his eyes had changed. As if, for the first time in a long while, he didn't feel completely alone.
The fire flickered, casting shifting shadows across their faces.
Zyra let out a deep breath and gave a small, tired smile. "I thought I was the only one."
Ziero stared at the fire and muttered, "I thought so too."
For the first time, in the middle of the cursed forest full of dangers, they found something they had never had before—understanding.
The Next Day
Dim sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting shifting patterns on the damp ground of Lostwood. The morning air was still cold, with a thin mist drifting between the trees. The remnants of last night's rain left the earth soft and slippery, though at least it had cooled the usual oppressive heat of the forest.
Zyra's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was still blurry, and her body ached from sleeping on the hard ground. She pulled the thin cloth tighter around herself, the only thing serving as her bedding, and rubbed her heavy eyes.
Nearby, Ziero was already awake. He sat atop a large rock, sharpening his dagger with a focused, serious expression. His gaze was sharp, locked onto the blade as he worked, the edge glinting faintly under the morning light.
Zyra sighed and sat up reluctantly. "Did you not sleep at all after last night?" she asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.
Ziero glanced at her briefly before returning to his dagger. "Sleeping soundly in this forest? Not possible," he said flatly. "Besides, we have work to do today."
Zyra stretched, feeling the stiffness in her muscles. "What do you mean?"
Ziero stopped sharpening his blade and sheathed it at his waist. He stood, nudging the damp ground lightly with his boot. "The hut is destroyed. We can't survive with a shelter that fragile anymore."
Zyra turned to look at the remains of their hut, now more of a wreck than a refuge. Most of its walls had collapsed from last night's monster attack, leaving only a few wooden beams still standing. The roof was nearly gone, and the ground was littered with broken planks and claw marks.
She bit her lip. "So we have to build something better?"
Ziero nodded. "Something stronger, something that will last. We need sturdier walls, a roof that can withstand the weather, and most importantly, a place that can actually protect us from monsters."
Zyra looked at the ruins again and let out a breath. "Alright. So, what do we do first?"
Ziero turned towards the forest. "First, we find materials."
Zyra reluctantly followed behind him.
Gathering Materials in the Perilous Forest
Lostwood was unlike any ordinary forest. Its towering trees had rough, gnarled trunks, their roots twisting out of the ground like massive claws ready to snare anyone who stepped too close. The leaves were dark, casting heavy shadows that made the forest feel gloomy even in daylight.
The morning air was still cold, but the deeper they ventured, the more the humidity and weight of the atmosphere pressed against them.
"We need strong wood," Ziero muttered, examining the surrounding trees. "Not every tree here is usable."
Zyra nodded, following his gaze. "Do we have to cut down a big one?"
Ziero shook his head. "No. That would take too long and make too much noise. We'll look for fallen trees or large branches we can use."
After some searching, they found several thick logs sturdy enough to be used for construction. Some seemed to have fallen naturally, perhaps due to storms or the destructive force of the forest's creatures.
Zyra crouched, running her fingers over one of the moss-covered logs. "This one's still solid."
Ziero nodded. "Good. Now we need to bring it back to our place."
Zyra stared at the log and frowned. "It's heavy. How are we supposed to carry it?"
Ziero didn't answer. He crouched down, placed his hands on the log, and immediately, obsidian began to grow from his fingers, forming claw-like extensions that dug into the wood. With a single pull, he lifted the log effortlessly.
Zyra gaped. "You're serious?"
Ziero gave her a blank look. "Find another way to carry it if you can't lift it."
Zyra huffed. "I can take the smaller pieces."
She used her power to form thin blood-made cords, tying together smaller branches and pieces of wood. Once she was sure the bindings were strong enough, she began dragging them along.
They returned to their shelter with enough materials to build a sturdier refuge.
Building a Stronger Shelter
When they arrived back at their spot, Zyra wiped the sweat from her brow. "So, how do we put this together?"
Ziero stacked the large logs he had carried and glanced around. "We'll make the walls sturdier by driving the logs into the ground. Then, we'll use branches and thick leaves for the roof."
They got to work. Ziero used obsidian to cut the wood into the right sizes, while Zyra helped secure and arrange the logs into solid walls.
A few times, they had to stop to chase off wild animals or make sure no monsters were lurking nearby.
By the time the sun began dipping westward, the framework of their shelter had taken shape.
Zyra leaned against one of the wooden walls and wiped her forehead. "This is more exhausting than I thought."
Ziero, who was tying large branches together for the roof, glanced at her. "Obviously. We're not carpenters."
Zyra scoffed. "Don't remind me."
After a while, their shelter was nearly complete. The walls were sturdier, the roof was tightly packed, and the interior was spacious enough for both of them to sleep without being too cramped.
When they finally sat inside, Zyra let out a deep breath.
"I can't believe we actually pulled this off," she said, staring up at the leafy ceiling above them.
Ziero sat beside her, leaning his back against the wooden wall. "We had to."
Zyra turned to look at him. "Ziero."
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
Ziero glanced at her. "For what?"
"For… not leaving me here alone."
Ziero was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I'm just doing what I think is right."
Zyra gave a small smile. For the first time since arriving in this forest, she felt a little safer.
Lostwood was still dangerous. But at least, they had a place to survive.
And they weren't alone.