Drip!

The sharp, solitary note of a droplet meeting water reverberated through my senses. I strained to open my eyes, only to find my body devoid of strength, retreating once more into the stillness of slumber.

Drip!

Once more, the persistent droplets stirred me from my slumber. This time, rather than attempting to awaken my eyes, I summoned the resolve to move my hand. Yet, a meager twitch of my fingers sapped me of vitality, pushing me back into sleep's embrace.

Drip!

On the third occasion, I managed to muster a slight movement of my hands, bringing to light the presence of coarse sand around me. There was a curious moisture on my lips, but my attempt to investigate led to yet another surrender to slumber.

Drip!

It was the fourth awakening that gifted me with open eyes, revealing a cavernous ceiling overhead. "Is anyone here?" I called out, longing for a reply, but my voice echoed unanswered. A feeble attempt to lift my head hinted at the limits of my strength.

Drip!

On the fifth iteration, I further explored the substance moistening my lips—a colorless, tasteless, water-like fluid with a hint of gray. My legs stirred with faint signs of life, yet my endeavor to rise was met with another descent into slumber's depths.

Drip!

Awakening for the sixth time, my resolve to rise was unwavering. I commenced by opening my eyes, encountering no impediments. Next, I raised my hands without issue, allowing them to rest at my sides. With every ounce of strength from my back and support from my hands, I attempted to stand. A strange confidence washed over me, fueling my determination.

"AHHH…!" But just as I began to arch my back and glimpse ahead, an unexpected presence loomed perilously close to my face. Bewildered and caught off guard, I instinctively pushed my body backward in a frenzied motion. After gaining some distance, I could finally discern the figure before me.

Despite the dimly lit cave and her apparent youth, it was unmistakably the girl I had encountered at the monster encampment. Yet, her once vivid eyes now appeared dulled. She squatted before me, her purple gaze fixed upon my feeble form.

"What are you doing?" I stammered, my voice meek following the recent fright. Anticipating my query, she raised her hands, revealing the gray liquid held in her cupped palms. In a nonchalant, barely audible voice, she replied, "Feeding you."

"Why are you speaking so softly?" I inquired, adopting a hushed tone myself, as it appeared she was hesitant to speak loudly.

"Because you're speaking softly," she replied. Her response ignited an unexpected surge of anger within me, tempting me to lash out.

"Is that the only reason?" I pressed, my voice now growing louder.

"Yes," she answered emotionlessly, her voice becoming more audible. Just as I was about to delve into questions about our surroundings, my stomach rumbled loudly, betraying my hunger.

"It's time to eat. Quickly, drink this," the girl urged, approaching me with the liquid in hand.

My body, ravaged by hunger, compelled me to accept her offer, until my attention fell upon her hands. During the moment Black Spear was engulfed by the azure column, her hand remained exposed. The Obsidian Armor gradually dissipated from her hands, leaving her skin's clear complexion unaffected. That same complexion adorned the girl's hands before me.

A jigsaw puzzle of puzzling details fell into place in my mind. Zena's reference to a surprise, her two-week captivity and release, the cryptic words of the maid—all aligned with the girl before me, who had also been at the encampment. It became clear that Black Spear was not a man, but a girl.

Just as I was about to push her hands away, a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed my body. I struggled to stay awake for a moment longer but succumbed to sleep's embrace. Defenseless and vulnerable in front of my enemy, I could only hope she wouldn't seize this opportunity to harm me. Once more, I descended into dreamless slumber.

Drip!

The rhythmic sound of dripping roused me once more, and this time, the girl sat beside my head. "You are Black Spear," I asserted with a solemn tone.

"No, I'm not," she swiftly rejected the name. "You shouldn't be so impolite. Even if you don't know someone's name, it's disrespectful to refer to them by their weapon."

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So, she wasn't disavowing her identity but rather the label assigned to her. "Then why are you keeping me alive?" I inquired, sensing the moisture on my lips that indicated she was sustaining me for a purpose.

She turned her head and replied, "Because I want to ask you a few questions," not concealing her motive of gathering information.

"Do you truly believe I'll cooperate after what transpired on the battlefield?" I retorted, my voice seething with anger. "You attempted to kill me."

"Why do you paint yourself as the victim here? My second-in-command was killed, and I had to face you. Nevertheless, I spared your life and let you go. Yet, you ensnared me with that Azure light trick. Do you even realize how many times I wished for death?" Her words carried a hint of frustration.

"Fancy words from someone who survived contact with it," I countered. "And who's to say you didn't provoke that anomaly to secure victory? Demons employ such tactics regularly."

"Are you accusing me of everything?" Her previously monotonous voice took on a touch of anger. "I clothed and fed you, keeping you alive for a week, and this is how you repay me?"

"It's not like you did it out of the goodness of your heart," I shot back. For reasons unknown, I was determined not to yield in this argument. It amused me that, even as I lay prone, she appeared more flustered, fidgeting with her fingers.

"But..." She paused briefly, her voice softening, "I truly didn't do it." Her words carried a sincerity that gave me pause. As I readied a response, weariness overcame me once more. Perhaps in the next awakening, I would investigate why I couldn't maintain consciousness. With that thought, my senses succumbed to the enveloping darkness, and I drifted back into slumber.

Drip!

Once more, the sound of the dripping droplet roused me from my slumber. The girl sat beside my head, holding the liquid in her cupped palms. I mustered the strength to sit up, and she slowly brought the liquid to my face. Without uttering a word, I drank it, understanding that whatever it was, it kept me alive. While it didn't sate my hunger, it readily dissolved within me, replenishing my depleted energy.

As I gazed at her, I noticed an air of exhaustion about her. Dark circles under her eyes hinted at sleep deprivation. Though I wished to inquire about her well-being, my pressing concern was my own peculiar condition. "Why do I keep falling asleep so quickly and feel perpetually exhausted?" I queried.

"Examine your hands closely," she directed, pointing at my own. Confusion filled me as I glanced down at my hands. Recent encounters had preoccupied my thoughts, making me oblivious to any other details. However, as I scrutinized my hands, they appeared smaller than I remembered, devoid of the scars that had once marked them.

Slowly, I brought my hands to my face, feeling the delicate features and smooth cheeks of a young girl. The extensive scar that had forced me to wear armor was conspicuously absent. A sudden realization struck me, and I turned my gaze toward the girl beside me. Although there were no overt differences in her appearance, she appeared notably smaller than before.

As I was about to inquire about the situation, she gently pressed her index finger against my lips, silencing me. "I don't have all the answers," she admitted, as if anticipating my questions. "Your frequent fatigue and exhaustion are due to the discoordination of your mind and body. It will take some time to synchronize, so rest for now."

With that, she rose and pointed ahead with her fingers. I could make out a small pond in the distance, though my vision remained somewhat blurred. "Only use it for drinking," she cautioned me sternly. "Our supply is limited."

"What's the sound that wakes me up?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

She pointed upward, directing my gaze toward a rock protruding over the pond. "Every day, a single droplet falls from that rock. The sound of it hitting the water rouses you. Now, go back to sleep." My body responded instinctively to her words, and I found myself lying down once more, exhaustion sweeping over me as I drifted back into a silent slumber.

Drip!

Nearly two weeks had passed since my initial conversation with the young girl. Despite her apparent reluctance to engage with me, she was consistently the one to initiate our conversations. After a few more disagreements, we both decided to put our personal issues aside and form a truce until we could escape the cave. Initially withholding her name, I often called her Black Spear until she eventually burst out, "My name is not Black Spear. It's Vespara!" involuntarily revealing her true name. Later, she refrained from speaking to me for a few days, accusing me of trickery.

However, as I struggled to adapt to my changed body, she continued to assist me. Despite consuming only a small gulp of the liquid each day, it strangely sufficed to meet our daily needs. Gradually, I regained control of my body and even began to walk unaided.

There were several stones embedded in the walls of the cave as we moved inside. The area where I had first awakened was the farthest from them. In the center lay a collection of daily accessories that appeared to belong to a young girl. Sometimes, Vespara would gaze at these items with a hint of longing in her eyes. Whether it was due to attachment to this place or some past memory, I couldn't discern.

The duration for which I could stay awake had gradually increased. I could now move around and engage in conversation for several hours without issue. After observing my reflection in the pond and making a few deductions, I estimated that my body's chronological age was around eleven years. Despite this, I felt that my physical capabilities were significantly weaker than an average girl of the same age.

Drip!

A month had elapsed since my initial awakening. I had become increasingly self-reliant and had grown closer to Vespara, who turned out to be a much better person than I had initially assumed. However, that didn't diminish the air of intimidation that sometimes surrounded her. Periodically, for reasons unknown, she emitted an overwhelming aura of bloodlust that made it difficult for me to even breathe. Although these episodes were short-lived, the fear they invoked lingered, and I refrained from asking her about it.

As I looked at the small pond, which had dwindled to nearly half its original size, Vespara suddenly posed a question, "Are you able to sense the mana?"

To her unexpected query, I replied, "Somewhat, but with the small amount I have now, I can't do much."

After a period of contemplation, Vespara locked her gaze onto mine and declared, "Let's prepare to leave this cave."