…

Inside Kayle’s home, the man sat at the table, with both Kayle and his grandmother seated opposite to him. The food was placed on the table. Though not extravagant, it included some bread they had received from the neighbors, boiled vegetables, and the rabbit meat they had cooked.

The atmosphere was thick with awkwardness, the silence palpable.

“Eat up, son. You must be very hungry,” the grandmother said, breaking the silence with a gentle smile as she looked at the man.

…

[Few moments ago.]

Grandmother had been waiting patiently, expecting Kayle’s return. When he finally arrived, she smiled warmly—until her eyes landed on the man accompanying him.

Her smile faltered as she noticed the bloodstains marring the stranger’s white trench coat. Concern immediately filled her heart.

She asked the man if he was alright, her voice gentle yet tinged with worry. But instead of fearing that this unknown figure might bring trouble, her gaze softened. The man looked exhausted, as if life had burdened him with more than he could bear.

Choosing kindness over caution, she offered him a place to stay and invited him to share their humble meal.

…

[present.]

“Uu…ya, I will. Thank you!” The man hesitated but managed to speak.

He glanced at the food, his mind momentarily distracted. “ isn’t this too bland,” He thought.

Kayle, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate. After a long day of hunting, he dug in eagerly, savoring the meat. As he chewed a piece, his smile brightened. “Mmm.” With a cheerful grin, he exclaimed, “This is really good, Grandma!”

The grandmother smiled, watching Kayle’s energetic enjoyment. Her gaze shifted to the man in front of her, who seemed to be struggling with his decision. He speared a piece of rabbit meat with his fork, staring at it with a look of distaste.

Ugh, whatever, he thought inwardly, then swallowed it without a second thought. Though it wasn’t to his liking, the grandmother had made the food, and he couldn’t bring himself to be rude. She smiled warmly, unaware of his discomfort.

“This is… not bad,” the man said with a forced smile.

“Hahaha, mister, you don’t have to be embarrassed to admit it’s good, you know,” Kayle giggled.

The man didn’t respond, his silence speaking volumes. He knew any further comments would only invite more teasing.

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“So, son! I heard you lost your memories from Kayle,” the grandmother said.

“Ah, yes. It seems so,” the man replied, his voice softer now.

The grandmother’s expression softened. She placed her hand on her cheek, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Then, can you remember your name?”

The man’s hand stilled. The question hung in the air. The word came out before he could stop it.

“—!”

“Yes, your name, mister. I forgot to ask you again since you didn’t answer before—”

“Nur!”

“Eh?” Kayle exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide.

The grandmother, equally surprised, looked at him in confusion.

The man blinked, stunned. What did I just say? His inner self knew his name was Nur, but hearing it aloud was a shock. The word had slipped out before he even realized it.

“Ah, is that your name?” Kayle asked, raising an eyebrow. “That’s… quite a weird name.”

“It’s Nur. And it’s not weird—it’s super cool!” The man defended, almost childlike in his tone, though he didn’t pout. He stood his ground, but there was a subtle shift in the air, as if defending something precious.

“Hehe! That’s cool!, then!” Kayle laughed. “Mr. Cool!”

“You can just call me Nur.”

“Nah, the other one sounds better!”

“…” Nur didn’t respond, but his silence conveyed a resigned whatever.

The grandmother smiled as she watched Kayle. It was a sight she hadn’t seen in a while. Kayle had no siblings or friends in the village to share moments like these with. His infectious energy was a new and welcome presence in her quiet home.

Her smile faltered slightly as she turned her attention back to Nur. “Isn’t that good? Now that you remember your name, you’ll start to regain other parts of your memory too,” she said with a kind smile.

His chest tightened, a cold, unbearable ache settling deep inside him. His hand instinctively gripped his chest, his fingers trembling.

“I… I don’t want to. Whenever I think of regaining it, my heart aches—it becomes really painful,” he whispered, his voice strained.

He could feel something was missing—something important. He heard a faint calling, a lonely voice crying for attention, begging for company. It echoed in the corners of his mind, a quiet desperation he couldn’t ignore.

His grip on his chest tightened even more. The pain was growing.

“And it’s not like I’ve lost all my memories, but I can’t piece them together. It feels like I can’t remember the most important part—why I came to this world.”

“This world?” Kayle asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Nur’s own surprise reflected in his eyes. Had he just said that? Was it possible he wasn’t from here? His head throbbed with a sudden, sharp pain.

“Ugh…” He winced, the sensation of something shackling him, keeping him from remembering, making his head spin.

The grandmother watched him, sensing the heavy burden he carried. Her heart went out to him, thinking it was the pain of his memory loss that had driven him to the edge of insanity.

She quickly changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood. “We should eat before the food gets cold,” she said, gently tapping Kayle on the head.

“Hehe,” Kayle grinned, oblivious to the underlying tension.

After the meal, Kayle and Nur washed the dishes, allowing the grandmother to rest. It was nearly Kayle’s bedtime. He couldn’t go out after sunset, like the grown-ups, so he always retired early.

The house Kayle and his grandmother lived in wasn’t very big, but it had everything they needed. Upon entering, you’d find a small entryway where shoes were left. The floor was slightly elevated with wooden planks, and ahead stood a table with four chairs. To the right, near the window, was a small bed where the grandmother slept.

Next to the kitchen, there was a staircase leading up to the second floor, which Kayle had claimed as his room. The upper floor was mostly used for storage, but he didn’t mind—it was his space. Below, the wooden walls housed the entrance to the bathroom and toilet.

The bathroom was simple but clean, with wooden flooring and a stone bathtub across from the toilet.

Nur, still feeling worn out, couldn’t refresh himself, as the grandmother had mentioned the water supply needed repairs. She had also taken his bloodstained coat, but didn’t ask him about it, seeming to sense it was a delicate subject.

The night was calm, but beneath the peace, something hung heavy in the air.

Kayle talked excitedly about a brave hero, while Nur, feeling increasingly disconnected, thought it sounded like an outdated and cliché story. He wasn’t sure where he was, but he knew who he was.

“Yeah, I’ll ask Grandma to read The Brave Hero Erun Tharoses story tomorrow!”

“…You seem unnecessarily excited about that story,” Nur muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Hehe!” Kayle grinned. “You’re so naive, Mr. Co—Nur!”

“…”

“You don’t know how powerful and brave he was! He’s the hero who saved this land from the Lord of the Black Legion!”

“Black Legion?!”

“Yes, the Black Legion! They were creeping creatures, turned into monsters by the Lord.”

“When I was little, Grandma used to use their name to scare me so I wouldn’t do anything stupid. Hahaha, those were the days!”

“Look at this kid talking like an old man reminiscing,” Nur thought. “What a twerp…”

“Heh? Did you say something?” Kayle asked, confused.

The night was filled with the weight of uncertainty, the air heavy with unspoken fears.

It was calm, in fact, too calm—like the eerie silence before a storm that would break everything.

…