*Crack*
In the silence, a sudden crack of branches shattered the silence, sending her heart into a frantic rhythm. Fortunately, the giant was lost in his own world, and the towering giant remained oblivious to his surroundings. With a trembling heart, she summoned every bit of strength and courage she had left, unwavering in her decision to escape the eerie place unnoticed. Like a whisper in the wind, she tiptoed away, her senses acutely tuned to the giant. The world seemed to sway in slow motion as she discreetly crept away, with her eyes wide with wonder and fear.
In a moment of unexpected discovery, a wooden birdcage unveiled its secret tenant—a youthful girl adorned in tattered garments. As their eyes met, a flicker of recognition flashed, resurrecting memories from a forgotten time. Within her gaze lay the remnants of a fading hope, a poignant memorial of her fight for life in his past life.
The ethereal girl wasn't a human either, suspended between the realms of humanity and mysticism, harboring an unearthly aura. Her presence was accompanied by the sleek, black ethereal tail of a fox, delicately swaying with grace. Two couples of bewitching, obsidian fox ears adorned her head, wagging in rhythm with her every movement. From beneath a tousled mane of night permanents, a single piercing red eye lustered like a pool of flowing scarlet, reminiscent of blood coursing through her veins. Despite her drenched attire, stained with a pictorial blend of crimson blood and muddied earth, her alabaster skin remained an immaculate canvas, radiating an uncanny serenity.
"Should I help her? No! No! No! I die if I help. Please forgive me! She surely understands that I cannot help her, right?" In a moment of internal struggle, she batted whether to offer her help, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. Fear gripped her, convincing her that saving the girl would lead to her own death. With a heavy heart, she whispered to herself, hoping the girl would understand her inability to help.
But her heart wavered, torn between the instinct to flee and the kindness that refused to abandon the hopeless girl to her horrible fate at the hands of the towering giant. A whirlpool of emotions swirled within her, drowning out the rationality that usually guided her decisions." What should I even do to help her?! Ughh! I knew it! It was impossible, to begin with! But I cannot even leave her be!" she pondered, her mind racing for a solution in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
As she slowly stepped out of the place, her mind raced with thoughts of her next move. She knew herself a plan was needed, something unforeseen and surprising, to outsmart the monstrous giant. With her heart pounding, she gazed at the treacherous surroundings one last time." I'll be back," she whispered, determination flashing in her eyes. Gathering her wits, she stepped away from the lurking peril, leaving behind the danger that awaited her return.
As daylight faded, a hush fell over the world. The moon emerged from behind a darkened cloud, casting an ethereal glow upon the Earth. And the thousands of twinkling eyes scattered each over the sky, taking over. As they were observing, something was bound to happen.
"Psst! Psst! Look down!" The frosty girl quietly whispered, signaling the captive to look down. Their icy and bloody eyes met briefly, filled with fear. In silent whispers, she gestured for silence towards the fox in its humble cage. "Leave! Before he wakes up! He will not spare you either!" she whispered noiselessly. With a desperate resolve, she sought to save the delicate frosty butterfly from an imminent peril that held her captive, a danger she could not escape from—a death that embraced her.
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Against the unreachable wind of disregard, the butterfly stayed holding true to her self-promise, determined to save the fading beacon of hope nestled within the despairing gaze of the poor fox. With the utmost determination, she climbed the gigantic tree to reach the high wooden pen. Her heart racing, she effortlessly attached the rope, expertly woven from natural fibers, to a sturdy branch above. With a flick of her wrist, the lifeline descended towards the captive girl, a lamp of hope amidst the embracing death, promising her freedom from her confining bind.
As the rope's end drew near to her, the butterfly gave a slight nod in the direction of her side and uttered with an air of confidence, "Why don't we make a run to that spot over there?" Without a trace of hesitation, the fox instinctively understood that the butterfly had hatched some sort of plan. As the fox girl cast her gaze to the butterfly, her heart raced with terror upon beholding a colossal figure fixated upon them, and its eyes widened with an intensity that bred fear. In a quick burst of instinct, she dashed frantically, her slender arms enveloping the silver girl's fragile form as she carried her with unwavering determination to live without wasting the only opportunity.
The fox, panting and on the verge of exhaustion, glanced back at the monstrous figure relentlessly pursuing her with each thunderous step. Seeing the shakiness of the situation, she mustered the last ounce of strength within her agile frame and turned to her companion, fear and hope mingling in her eyes." As we draw near to our destination," she gasped, her voice laced with hurry." I beg you to reveal the plan you have in mind, and surely you have one, knowing the outcome will be after saving me, his captive."
"Yes, the plan was to run straight in that direction." The butterfly's response left the fox's mind entirely empty as it tried to process the unexpected plan of only running straight ahead. "Are you out of your mind?! Escaping from a giant creature whose strides are longer with each step is impossible. And even if we somehow managed to outrun it, my endurance would deplete quickly, not to mention that you don't exactly appear to possess a large stamina either!" She shouted, breathless while attempting to run.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to show a little gratitude, especially considering the considerable trouble I went through to save you from that giant," remarked the butterfly, meeting the fox's piercing red gaze with her own icy stare." I would appreciate it greatly if it was guaranteed lifesaving, but rather, we find ourselves in a near-death situation. Maybe it would be better for you to abandon me in that cage than helping me, as then at least you would have a chance to survive, rather than both of us dying," the fox voiced, with a sense of despair overshadowing the conversation.
As the words were exposed from her lips, their quiet intensity filled the air, carrying with them a weight that sounded to echo through the silence. "However, if I were to take that step forward blindly ignoring," she uttered," If I were to run... those eyes filled with fading hope, would completely fade." Unknown to her, anyhow, the keen ear of the fox caught wind of her murmurs, and with a puzzled expression, it decided to fit a mixture of curiosity and disbelief." What kind of reason is that, if I ask, would you sacrifice the chance of saving your own life? Are you maybe plagued with a weird case of foolishness? Or perhaps, an act of stubborn bravery disguised as idiocy?"
"Okay, pay close attention to my plan! I am going to run in that direction, and then quickly retreat in the exact opposite direction. While it may involve traveling a considerable distance, rest assured that by following this path, you will eventually find a little village. And without a doubt, the warm-hearted residents of this village will readily extend their assistance to you. To begin with, I am already dead if you didn't help, so it is okay for me to die anyway."
"Oh, please refrain from speaking those words, for your eyes filled with fear don't lend them credibility," she declared, brimming with tone assurance. With unwavering determination, she resolved to see her self-promised through to the end.
Inquisitively, she pressed on," Are you saying that you have no wish to live? I demand you to say you want to live! No other response will be accepted!"
Taken aback by the forcefulness of her stubbornness, the fox responded with a tone of unbelief," Are you treating this some kind of mere game?"
Lightheartedly, the butterfly chimed in, pursuing a playful approach," Oh, do humor us and give an answer."
Reluctantly, the fox confesses," Alright, you win! In all honesty, I am scared of death! But I cannot bear the thought of someone else losing their life because of me! If only there was a way." The fox's voice trails out, filled with a quiet despair.
"Good to hear! In that case, lend me your trust, and rest assured, I did not help you unprepared! Have faith in my words," voiced the butterfly. The fox once again embraced her words, instantly nodding in agreement without any hint of hesitation.