Huff! Huff! Huff!
The night wind was bitterly cold. Maybe because the sea was nearby, the chill felt especially sharp. An ordinary person wouldn't want to stay here long.
Stay too long, and you'd catch a cold. No one was foolish enough to wait around for that.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The rising tide rushed onto the beach again and again. Each wave pushed forward, then fell back weakly once it reached its limit.
Like someone struggling, someone trying their hardest to move forward but never quite making it.
And when they tried to step back, the next wave would crash into them, as if trying to shatter everything about them.
---
Not far from the beach
A girl with blonde hair sat on a flat rock, staring blankly at a campfire. Her eyes were full of confusion and loss.
She didn't know where she should go. She didn't know what she should do. She didn't even know where the enemy who had taken her brother was.
Hopeless. Completely hopeless.
The rising tide couldn't reach her here, so the blonde girl could safely warm herself by the fire and eat the food she had prepared during the day.
Behind her was a very crude tent. No, you couldn't even call it a tent. It couldn't block the rain or give her a good night's sleep. At best, it was a windbreak.
The shabby structure was made by sticking a few broken branches into the ground and covering them with some large leaves. Where she found those leaves, no one knew.
Either way, even if it wasn't very useful, at least it kept off a little of the cold wind.
Two fish lay by the fire. That was her food for the day. She had spent a lot of effort catching them. After she finished eating, she would have to find more bait tomorrow.
What a hassle.
"Hmm..." She sat there, sighing over and over again. The sound of the waves swallowed her sighs, turning them into the whisper of the wind.
The girl sitting there sighing was the twin that Bonanus had been looking for. The protagonist of this world. Lumine. The Traveler who would journey through the seven nations.
Bonanus stood on a cliff above, looking down. From here, she could see the beach below and the confused look on Lumine's face.
"So it really is the sister."
Seeing Lumine instead of Aether brought a smile to Bonanus's face. Not that she had anything against Aether, but who could resist a cute little sister?
She knelt down. The cliff was high, and the cold wind was strong. If she wasn't careful, she could get knocked over.
"From the look of her... she doesn't seem like a player. Looks like I was overthinking things."
Bonanus observed carefully. Even from this distance, her vision was clear.
Lumine looked very down. Probably because her twin was missing. That confused look on her face was likely because she had lost her power.
In an unfamiliar world, without power and without a good guide, anyone would feel lost.
"There's no Paimon." Bonanus muttered. No wonder Lumine was just sitting there like that. Her guide hadn't been fished out of the water yet.
Thinking about that emergency food reminded Bonanus of all the theories players had about Paimon. Some said she was the sustainer of heavenly principles. Others said she was the God of Time.
People argued about it endlessly, but the developers never confirmed anything. No one really knew.
But now, Bonanus thought of Paimon as a big unknown. A dangerous unknown.
The danger was about her abilities being exposed. Paimon's true identity was still a mystery. She absolutely could not use her world-breaking powers in front of Paimon.
Her system ability was like a bug. It could bring people back from other timelines, completely violating the laws of this world.
If one of the Four Shades or the Sustainer noticed her, she would be done for. She would be erased, forgotten by Irminsul.
Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
After looking at Lumine and doing some thinking, Bonanus slowly stood up. Time to go back. Noelle was probably worried by now.
Knowing that girl, if she had been gone this long, Noelle would be freaking out.
Poor girl.
She took one last glance at Lumine sitting there alone. Bonanus shook her head lightly. Soon, you will start your journey. I hope you never forget what it means to travel.
After silently reciting that dramatic line in her head, Bonanus vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but the howling wind.
She wasn't going to meet Lumine like this. She didn't want to interfere with her meeting with Paimon. They would meet eventually. No need to rush. Let things happen naturally.
---
Back at Cider Lake
The fishing tools were still there, but now an oil lamp sat beside them. Looked like Noelle had come looking for her.
Now how was she going to explain herself? Should she say she went chasing squirrels?
No way. Who would see squirrels running around this late? Aside from nocturnal animals, everything else was probably asleep. What a headache.
Just as she was thinking that, a familiar voice came from behind her. It was Noelle, who had searched the area and circled back.
"Sister Fashui!" Noelle's voice was full of excitement. If you listened closely, you could hear the relief in it.
Seeing that her sister was safe, Noelle rushed over. The sweat on her forehead showed just how worried she had been.
"I finally found you! Where did you go?!" Noelle grabbed Bonanus's hands and checked her for any injuries.
"Don't get so worked up. I wasn't catching anything here, so I went looking for something else." Bonanus rubbed Noelle's tense face.
"That can't be right. I ran all around here and didn't find you!" Noelle shook her head. She had searched carefully. There was no way she missed her.
"Even the most careful people make mistakes sometimes. And it's the middle of the night. Come on, let's go back."
Bonanus picked up the fishing tools, took Noelle's hand, and started walking back toward their tent.
Noelle must have finished setting up the tent by now. She was looking forward to it. This would be her first time sleeping in a tent. Another new experience.
"Sister Fashui... please don't wander off like that again." Noelle looked at her sister's carefree attitude and sighed.
She had run all over the place looking for her, and her sister was acting like nothing happened. How frustrating.
"Hehe, I know. It's a shame, though. I didn't find anything." Bonanus pouted. She should have grabbed some Sunsettias on the way back.
She had seen some Sunsettia trees on her way back. Come to think of it, she had never tasted a Sunsettia since coming to this world.
She would have to try one sometime. No, not sometime. Tomorrow. When they continued their journey, she could pick some fruit from the trees.
Just thinking about fruit made her mouth water. She hadn't eaten dinner yet, and now she was making herself hungry.
Her stomach growled in protest.
"Hehe, sorry. I'm a little hungry." Bonanus covered her face, embarrassed. This wasn't very ladylike. Why did she feel so awkward?
Seeing this, Noelle covered her mouth and laughed. It was her fault for not thinking ahead. She shouldn't have let her sister go fishing so late. Luckily, she had packed some jerky.
"Don't worry. I already prepared some trail rations at the tent. Let's hurry back and eat. The taste isn't great, but it'll stop the hunger."
Noelle smiled. Her sister would have to make do tonight. Tomorrow, she would go hunting and cook something fresh.
"Okay!" Bonanus sucked her drool back in and answered loudly.