"Sh*t... I forgot to ask for directions," Kai muttered, halting in his tracks as the realization hit him.

The bandit lair was nestled deep within the forest, and was intentionally hidden away from prying eyes. There were no discernible roads or paths, and its isolation made it nearly impossible to find if one didn't know the direction or organic signs marking the path.

Without knowledge, Kai could only guess the location of the nearest village. Some captives and bandits probably knew. Unfortunately, his chance to ask the captives had slipped away, his too preoccupied by the urgency of the situation back then. And now Gabriel and the other escapees have likely vanished far into the woods, while all the bandits nearby are dead.

Cia turned her head toward him, her expression unreadable, while Ariella looked at him with wide eyes, confused but patient.

"Does that mean we're lost?" Cia asked, her voice calm yet laced with a slight tremor.

"Yeah, we’re lost," Kai admitted, scratching the back of his head. "And we’ve got no one to ask. Looks like we’re on our own now. Any brilliant ideas?"

His clueless on what to do himself. Luckily, an extra brilliant mind was here to share his troubles.

The blind girl remained thoughtful for a moment before offering a suggestion. "It's nighttime, right? Other settlements might have lights on. If you can climb a tree, you might be able to see any distant structures glowing in the dark. It’s a long shot, but it’s something."

Kai blinked, surprised by her quick thinking.

'Why didn’t I think of that?'

"That might work... Thanks" Said Kai, a bit embarrassed in giving praises.

"You're welcome," she replied dryly, though a hint of amusement tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Stay here a bit. I’ll check it out."

With that, he took a deep breath as he surveyed the nearby trees.

Climbing wasn’t exactly his strong suit. There isn't much back in the city and scaling trees wasn't a civilized act, and now, out here, he found himself struggling with the unfamiliar task. After several awkward slips and grunts, fighting his fear of height that somehow differs from death itself. He finally made it near the top, his heart pounding as he balanced on a sturdy branch.

He squinted into the darkness, hoping for any sign of civilization. To his disappointment, the trees in this area were roughly the same height. The thick canopy of leaves obstructed his view, making it hard to see far. But just as he was about to give up, something caught his eye. It was faint—a small, almost imperceptible glow far, far in the distance. At first, he thought it might be a firefly, but then he remembered this is not Earth, so fireflies didn’t exist in this world. No, this was something else. A distant light, likely from a village or settlement.

As he peered closer, something odd about the sky in that direction gave him pause. The stars twinkled faintly, but the area around the light seemed… off. The clouds were darker, almost unnaturally so, as if reality itself was distorted.

He shook his head, dismissing the strange feeling. He was too exhausted to think too deeply about it.

Kai descended the tree with far less grace than he’d climbed it, nearly falling several times before his feet finally touched solid ground. He yawned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I saw a light, probably south," he told the girls. "We’ll be heading there tomorrow. But for now, let’s rest."

Cia lifted her hand, offering to help. "I’ll take the first watch. You and Ariella can sleep. I’ll wake you if I hear anything unusual."

Kai blinked at her, surprised by the offer. "Good call," he said, his tone gruff.

He then cursed himself inwardly. 'Idiot, why didn't I think of that earlier?'

They had slept soundly last night without so much as a second thought about wild animals or potential threats. He had been careless, and it gnawed at him now. Who knows what might have happened to them if misfortune strikes?

Stolen novel; please report.

Creatures here are far more deadly, take the crawling snake for example. It could have swallowed them whole in their slumber, or attacked by other abomination. People with mischievous intentions also present danger. All of this could be avoided by one of them staying watch.

His not gifted in the mind department, Kai admits that. Still, he wouldn't tolerate that after realizing all his mistakes today. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes especially the young ones. His aware of that, but he can't afford to be naive in this world. His previous wrongs aren't that bad, however, he needs to lessen his shortcomings for it might land him in serious trouble in the future.

With a heavy sigh, he settled down on a makeshift bed of leaves, pulling out the blankets he had scavenged earlier to shun the night's colds. Its funny how they had no choice but to sleep on the ground despite having tons of golds in their bag. Still, unlike last night when he and Ariella slept without a blanket. There's three of them now, he could say their situation had improved in some small ways, though they were still far from comfort.

Kai's eyes closed quickly, exhaustion weighing him down, and soon he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke the next morning with the sun already high in the sky, its light cutting through the treetops in golden beams. The day was bright, almost irritatingly so, and he squinted against the harsh sunlight as he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. Kai's muscles didn't ache despite last night's strains thanks to his immortality restoring every injury, even the most miniscule. but his mind was another story. He felt drained, mentally worn out, and for a moment, he didn’t want to do anything.

Eventually, his stomach rumbled, forcing him out of his lethargy. He stood and glanced around. Ariella was nearby, petting a small, adorable creature that had wandered over, seemingly drawn to her divine presence. Cia was beside her, smiling gently as she ran her fingers over the animal’s soft fur, enjoying the sensation despite her lack of sight.

Kai approached, his footsteps stirring the small animal. It looked up at him, its wide eyes filled with a sudden wariness.

"Good morning," Cia greeted him warmly, hearing his approach.

"Mornin'," Kai yawned, scratching his head.

Before he could say anything else, he heard Cia's stomach rumble softly, a telltale sign of her own hunger.

"You hungry?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No, not much. I can manage" she lied, her voice was soft and a bit embarrassed.

He gave her a suspicious gaze.

'You say that, but from the sound of it. You haven't eaten since yesterday.'

"Wait up a bit, I'll prepare breakfast soon."

Without waiting for her to answer, he turned toward Ariella, who was still distracted by the small creature. He grinned mischievously and pointed off into a random distance. "Look, There's a plane!"

Cia frowned, clearly confused by his words, but Ariella, ever curious, immediately turned to look in the direction he pointed.

Without her looking, In that split second, Kai scooped up the adorable creature Cia had been petting, hiding it behind his back.

It took Cia a moment to realize what his doing, her eyes slightly widened and her smile froze.

By the time Ariella turned back to face him, her expression was one of mild betrayal, her lips forming a pout. Her eyes questioning why would he like to her.

But Kai was already walking away, hiding the stolen pet from her view, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips as he went off to prepare breakfast.

They had a simple but satisfying grilled breakfast at noon, the aroma of cooked meat lingering in the air as they packed up to head out. Kai, being the strongest among them, carried the heavy bag filled with supplies. It was, after all, his greed that led him to gather so much, and it would be improper to ask either of the girls to carry it. He briefly considered that Ariella, despite her small frame, might have some hidden strength, but he wasn’t shameless enough to test that theory. As for Cia, she seemed drained, likely from staying awake all night for the watch while he slept through it.

‘I need to be more responsible,’ he thought, feeling a pang of guilt. He was already shameless enough, but failing to wake up and relieve Cia from her watch made it worse.

With their bellies full and energy replenished, they set off southward, navigating through the dense forest. The silence between them was heavy, almost palpable. Ariella, despite her clear intelligence, still hadn’t spoken a word. She communicated in smiles, gestures, and her sparkling eyes, but no matter how high her understanding seemed, her voice remained absent.

Kai wasn’t one to force conversation. He carried a dark aura of grim determination that made casual chatter feel out of place. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on him like an unseen force, making words seem unnecessary.

Cia, on the other hand, wasn’t the person Kai remembered from their academic days. She was still the same delicate beauty, her appearance ethereal like a porcelain doll. But the difference was striking. Back at school, she was an inspiration—always calm, composed, and dignified, despite her blindness. She had a serious yet approachable demeanor, and her achievements made her shine brighter than most. She had been a beacon of hope and encouragement to others.

Now, she was a shadow of that person.

As they walked, Kai occasionally glanced at her. There was no more confidence in her posture, no sense of purpose in her steps. She seemed dull, almost lifeless, like someone who had lost everything and was merely moving forward out of obligation rather than will. Her body walked, but her spirit lagged behind.

Kai couldn’t blame her. If he were in her shoes—blind and thrust into a hostile, unfamiliar world—he’d probably be just as lost. The thought of living without sight in a place like this terrified him, and he realized, despite his earlier hesitations, how strong she must be to have even made it this far.

Guilt gnawed at him for hesitating on taking her, thinking she would be a burden.

Cia had already proven herself useful, from her night watch to her brilliant thinking that guided them now. She even unknowingly teaches him a valuable lessons, particularly about the mistakes he had made. Thinking about it, he couldn’t stay silent any longer.

"I'm sorry," Kai blurted out, the words tumbling from his mouth unexpectedly.

Cia turned her head slightly, her sightless eyes focused in his direction, as though she could still see him.

"For what?" she asked, her voice bleak but curious.

"For... for yesterday's. For hesitating." He kept his eyes forward, not trusting himself to meet her gaze.

A small, somber smile curved her lips. "I don’t blame you... nor can anyone judge you for it. You're human, not a saint."

Her words, though comforting, were tinged with sadness. The conversation ended there, neither of them knowing how to continue. Kai, for all his strength and cunning, lacked the skills to handle heartfelt talks. He had always been more comfortable in action than in words. And Cia, while polite and understanding, was too weary to talk.

The forest around them remained quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and distant calls of animals. The light Kai had spotted the previous night still seemed impossibly far away. They trudged on for hours, but by the time dusk began to settle, they hadn’t reached their destination. Fatigue began to creep in, their steps slowing as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

“We won’t make it today,” Kai said aloud, more to himself than to the others. “We’ll camp here for the night.”

They found a small clearing where they could rest. Kai laid out the blanket again, grateful for the little comfort it provided. The night descended swiftly, and soon the stars twinkled overhead, faint and distant.

As they settled down, the exhaustion from their journey pulled at their eyelids. Despite the challenges ahead, the momentary peace allowed them to relax, even if just for a while. Kai closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

But that night, someone gently shook him awake.

“Kai...” a soft voice whispered in the dark.