A campfire was dancing on the edge of a grey grass prairie. The orange glow illuminating three blankets strewn under a few grey trees.

With the dream emptying his mind, Knight was prime prey for the wind to attack. It blew into his sleeves and breathed down his neck. Luckily, the shudder snapped him out of it as he wrapped himself in the blanket. It was just a dream.

A look to his right showed Iroha snug under her blanket. Then, his head turned to the left showed him-

“Ah.”

“Ehhh!”

Golden eyes adorning a small pale face met his gaze only inches away. Then, hew pale face was engulfed by a rush of red.

“S-sorry!”

The girl – Rei – jumped back, releasing the whit blanket she was grasping.

“Huh?”

Knight tilted his head as the blanket swayed to and from Knight.

Rei had been scrunched up against Knight, grasping his sleeve to ease her fear.

“N-no… Did I wake you?”

“No… I haven’t slept,” Rei muttered under her breath, shoving her face under the blanket.

“Huh…ahh.”

Knight let out as he clasped the situation. For some reason she was scared, and his sleeve wasn’t enough to allow her to sleep.

Wondering what to do Knight forced his brain into action. “Ummm… Wh-what’s scaring you?”

“…”

Greeted by silence he cursed under his breath (“I’m too young for this…”), and racked his brain for the best approach.

“Ah...” after crossing out option after option, one being sacrificing himself to the cold night, he found his best option. “Well, uh, I guess I won’t move till you speak to me.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Sceptically uttering those words, Knight scooched closer to Rei so the both of them were under his blanket.

“Ehh!?”

“Ah, hehe… that’s a start,” Knight said as he scratched his blushing face. “But yeah, fancy telling me? I thought we spoke to each other since we escaped that prison?”

“Um…”

With hesitant noises trickling out, Rei popped her head out. Immediately. She turned away from Knight, hiding her rosy cheeks.

“Well, I’ll be listening,” with those soft words he pulled his hood over his closed eyes.

***

Throwing an eye towards her saviour, she confirmed he couldn’t see. Then, she moved her trembling hand and clutched the edge of his empty sleeve. As she hesitated to inch closer, a yawn escaped Knight, forcing her back.

She really wanted to be consoled by her saviour’s warmth but she couldn’t trust it. She couldn’t admit it, but she was only calm when in his presence. He had a whole bunch of flaws and was far from the best figure to look up to, but he was still her saviour. He held the only place in her lonely heart. Though she could never admit it. How could she when she couldn’t even trust it? All she knew for sure was that he was her saviour. The only one to bring her out of despair.

“Um… M-Master…?” Rei mumbled with her head turned away from Knight.

“*Cough*”

“Kn-Knight.”

As Rei corrected herself, Knight opened his eyes with a slight smile.

“Yeah, Rei?”

“S-sorry for not talking.”

“Nah, it’s alright. Just do what you're comfortable with,” Knight comforted her, thinking that it must be something hard to talk about.

“Thanks…but I’m not sure I can speak about it.”

‘Damn, must be something from her past that scarred her,’ he thought before placing a hand on her thin arm. “Well, I guess it’s alright if you don’t tell me. These things probably take time… I guess.”

“That isn’t why…”

“Huh?”

“J-Just that If I tell you he’ll probably notice and…” Rei forced her voice out, yet came short.

“What?” Knight scratched his head in confusion and annoyance. ‘I did all that and it ain’t something that scars her…’

Clenching her trembling hands with a gulp, she threw her head to Knight and whispered in his ear.

“Th-There’s…a, uh… there’s…”

“It’s alright.”

When Rei’s words clogged in her throat, Knight placed his hand on her shoulder, making sure she took her time.

With another gulp and the nod of her head, Rei whispered again.

“Someone is… watching us,” the words she wanted to say trickled out. “Th-they are waiting for the right time to attack.”

“…huh?”

Knight’s whole mind slowed as her words fell into his ears. No matter how he spun it, anyone and everyone could beat them. Unless Iroha was a secret warlock.

“-No. They are waiting for the b-best time to… k-kill…”

Rei’s correction echoed in Knight mind.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill-

“Meh, kill’s only one way to put it.”

A rough voice ruptured the quiet forest.

“And I wouldn’t do somet’ as useless as waiting to… ‘kill’ anyway.”

A towering wall blotted out the campfire’s warm glow.