Everything went quiet. Even the lake water had settled and returned to its calm surface. But the ringing still lingered in my ears, and my whole body was trembling. I could still hear the soul-chilling roar of the giant worm that had been so close to us. It felt unreal that this nightmare was over. I was too scared to move, certain that the creature would resurface and attack us again.

But time passed, and the surroundings remained peaceful and silent, as if there had never been any threat at all. Finally, I was able to calm down a little and regain my senses.

"We... we’re alive..." I whispered with trembling lips.

My words felt like a trigger, pulling me back to reality. They were something necessary, something I had to hear. And only after saying them did I feel truly alive, more real than ever, yet so fragile and vulnerable. The scent of damp earth and torn grass scattered around us filled my nose. I felt each breath lift my chest, the thump of my heart, the tingling at my fingertips, the throbbing pain in my shoulder from the recoil after the shot. I could hear my own breathing... and Neight’s heavy breaths right behind me, his head resting against my back.

"We’re alive," I repeated louder, feeling my lips curl into an uneven smile while tears welled up in my eyes. "Neight, damn it, we’re alive!"

In a rush of emotion, I turned and hugged Neight tightly, forgetting all awkwardness and shyness. He was cold, wet, and dirty—just like me—but I didn’t care. I was just overwhelmingly happy that we had survived.

"Evie... It hurts..." Neight rasped softly.

How could I be so careless?! I got so carried away I completely forgot about his injury!

"S-sorry..." I stammered, genuinely regretting my thoughtless action as I immediately released him from my embrace.

Neight didn’t look at me, and I wasn’t even sure he could hear me at that moment. His face was flushed, his eyes tightly shut, and his lips pressed together as if he was barely holding back from crying out in pain. Losing his support when I let go, he collapsed onto his back, right into the muddy puddle we were sitting in. I was shocked by the sight.

"H-hey, Neight... What’s wrong?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.

But he didn’t respond and just lay there in the mud, breathing heavily and unevenly.

"No, no, no... What should I do?! Does it hurt too much? It’s my fault! I’m so sorry! I’ll help! You need to get back to the ship right away! I’m so sorry! I’ll help you get up and..."

But when I leaned over to help him up, he stopped me, raising a hand in front of him.

"Wait... Give me a bit... of time... to get used... to the pain... Then we’ll go..."

It was clear how hard it was for him to speak. He spoke in short, fragmented phrases, forcing out each word and occasionally groaning.

"B-but what if... it only gets worse?! We need to..."

"You can’t carry me..." he said, with as much clarity as he could muster, summoning all his strength. And I had no reply.

I was desperate. I wanted to help him, to ease his suffering somehow, but I couldn’t think of anything. Guilt was eating away at me, because if it weren’t for my stubbornness, for my pride, none of this would have happened. And we were alive only because of him. He saved us. Not me. I was the one who had dragged us into trouble.

I can’t even imagine what would have happened if I had stumbled upon this damned lake alone... I’d already be dead...

In the end, I couldn’t think of anything better than to rest his head on my lap. I couldn’t just let him keep lying in the muddy puddle. At the very least, I hoped it might make him a bit more comfortable. Neight said nothing and didn’t resist, just lay there with his eyes closed, occasionally groaning. My heart ached as I looked at him.

"I’m so sorry…" I whispered, choking back a sob. "I really am…"

Taking off my glove and turning it inside out, I gently began wiping the dirt from his face. Even though this wasn’t going to make it spotless, I hoped it might make him feel a little better.

If only I could help somehow… just do something… not be so useless… if only I could…

Now and then, I stroked his head to calm him. The first time I touched him, he flinched slightly and opened his eyes a bit. His gaze was filled with fatigue.

It must be hard, always having to keep everything under control… and now there’s me, adding to it…

I remembered my thoughts when I was alone in the forest, with no hope of being rescued until Neight found me. From the beginning, things between us hadn’t gone smoothly, and part of that was my fault. Something had to change. Since we were stuck here together, it would be best to build more trust and work together. No matter how hard it was to admit my mistakes, I resolved to take a step toward that. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I began to speak.

"Neight, I have to confess something…"

His gaze became alert, and he looked at me curiously. I felt a lump in my throat, and it took me a few seconds to find the courage to go on.

"The thing is… I… I haven’t been completely honest with you…"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

At that moment, I looked away, afraid to see his reaction. I imagined he’d be angry, that he’d look at me again with that stern, judging stare. But there was no turning back now. I had to finish what I’d started.

"My name… My real name is Emma. Emma Grayson… I’m sorry, I lied to you… I don’t know what came over me…"

When I finished, a strange feeling washed over me. I felt both ashamed and relieved. At least now, I wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone else or constantly worry about it.

Even so, I waited anxiously to see Neight’s reaction to this sudden truth about me. He didn’t say anything, which only made me worry more. Finally, I looked at him again. His expression was calm, and there was even a faint smile on his face. He didn’t seem at all surprised by my confession, which left me a bit confused.

"You’re not angry?" I asked hesitantly.

"No," he replied, closing his eyes. "I knew you weren’t using your real name."

"R-really? But how?"

"For a while, you wouldn’t respond when I called you by it."

What? How? I don’t remember that at all… Was I really that oblivious?

Still puzzled, I looked at Neight, trying to recall the day we met. He, meanwhile, opened one eye and gave me a sly look.

"To be serious, the cryo capsule’s computer had your info."

"Whaaaaat?!"

I felt like my jaw had dropped so low from surprise that it almost locked up. I was sure that at any other time, I would’ve gotten angry and showered him with a ton of insults, but right now, I just didn’t feel like it. Instead, I thought that all this theater, this game of being a master strategist, spy, and thinker, had been a pointless waste of time and energy. Maybe I could have avoided a lot of problems if I’d just been honest from the start. Still, it was a bit upsetting to realize that Neight had been playing with me like I was a child.

"But why didn’t you say anything from the start? And why ask my name at all if you already knew it?"

"Isn’t that just common courtesy? Besides, sometimes the pronunciation isn’t obvious. Even though that wasn’t your case, I couldn’t rule out that there might be a shortened form or a variation you were used to. Since you introduced yourself as Evie, I concluded that would be more comfortable for you."

Well, great… now I feel like an idiot. Who was I trying to fool?

"Okay… By the way, judging by how much you’re talking, I take it you’re feeling better, right?" I changed the subject.

"Right. We can go," he murmured quietly, calmly.

Although he was still far from being in ideal condition, he did look somewhat relieved. His breathing had become more even, his face more naturally colored. I helped him to his feet, and he groaned in pain during the process, but in the end, we were both standing. My muscles buzzed with exhaustion again. It seemed the medication’s effect had worn off.

"Ev… Emma, do you still have the strength? Can you collect a water sample from the lake?" he suddenly asked.

I looked at him as if he were insane.

"Are you serious right now?" I protested. "After everything that’s happened? No, no, no. I’m never going anywhere near that water again!"

"But we still need to collect a sample," he argued.

Damn it, he’s not kidding.

"To hell with this sample! Weren’t you the one with the more reliable, safer plan? Hibernation it is. I have no objections anymore…"

Although I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of long-term sleep, going near the lake, where that deadly giant creature lurked, was even less appealing.

"Listen, we’re so close. You’re worrying for nothing. I’m 99.9% sure that worm won’t be back for a while. We hurt it pretty badly."

"But what about other creatures? What if it wasn’t alone?" I persisted.

"That’s unlikely. If anything else lived there, it’s probably already been eaten."

I looked at Neight in distress. I really didn’t want to go. But he seemed fairly calm. I’d even say he looked slightly… enthusiastic. I wondered if it was just curiosity or another one of his plans.

"But if you really don’t want to, I won’t force you."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. If he hadn’t said that last line, I’d have refused outright. But now, I was practically obligated to do it. Yep, he’d just dared me into it.

"Fine, fine. I’ll do it. I hope this isn’t some roundabout way of getting rid of me?"

His eyes widened as he stared at me, genuinely surprised.

"Of course not. I didn’t even think about that," he said, sounding slightly hurt, making me feel guilty again.

And why did I even say that?

"Sorry. Bad joke."

I took the flask and cautiously headed toward the water.

"Just in case, try not to make any sudden movements. And if you notice anything suspicious… No, if you even think something’s wrong, come back immediately," he called after me.

"Yes… all right…"

Strange guy. First, he sends me on a dangerous mission, and then he suddenly gets all worried.

Fortunately, everything was calm this time. I approached the blue lake and scooped up some water. It looked incredibly deep, like a bottomless crater descending to the planet's core. The light surface gradually faded into pitch-black depths. Just looking at it made my knees weak. And somewhere down there, in that darkness, lurked a dangerous creature, ready to devour anything that moved.

Once I’d finished the task, I didn’t waste a second and headed back to Neight, finally exhaling in relief.

"You did great," he praised me, sounding pleased.

"Thanks," I replied modestly.

It felt nice to have my efforts appreciated, even though I hadn’t done anything special.

With everything here finally done, we set off toward the ship. Thankfully, it wasn’t far, but the only problem was that we were both tired and feeling unwell, so the walk took much longer than expected.

To my surprise, as we walked, Neight started a conversation on his own.

"Listen… actually, I have something I need to confess to you as well."

I looked at him, surprised, and gave him my full attention. He seemed a bit embarrassed, not looking directly at me, his gaze turned aside.

"N8… That’s the name they gave me in the lab. My real name."

I blinked, processing the information. When it finally sank in, I couldn’t hold back a laugh, ringing and clear.

"So, it turns out you introduced yourself with a made-up name too. Not that you spend long on yours, right?" I teased him.

"And this coming from the person who named a green vegetable ‘greenveg,’" he retorted, pouting.

"Fair point," I smiled back. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just a little funny. By the way, what should I call you?"

"I don’t really mind. You can keep calling me Neight. I think it’ll be easier that way," he mumbled, still sulking.

"All right, then it’s settled. It’s nice to finally meet you, Neight."

At my words, his gaze softened, and he looked back at me. His amber eyes sparkled, and he smiled in response.

"Yes. It’s nice to finally meet you too, Emma."