The emerald grass fields stretched endlessly, a young girl for how young she was, ran across them gleefully. I chased the young girl, amid the verdant expanse until I caught her with triumphant "Gotcha!"

Hoisting her up, her eyes, as cerulean as mine, sparkled with wonder. "You run so fast, Big brother! So cool!"

"Just got lucky, that's all." I chuckled.

"Really? Then try it again." She jumped out of my grasp with her usual "Tee-hee" before I could respond, darting away.

A wide smile embarked over my face.

Her giggles echoed as I pursued her and she just didn't seem tired. And as I was about to get her, she suddenly vanished from my sight.

She was gone.

Nowhere to be seen.

Panic gripped me- Where had she gone?

In utter anxiety I looked up here and there but there was no sign of her-

Grrrrraaaaaaahhhh!

A deafening roar pierced the air, drawing my gaze upward. Dread settled as reality shattered. My sister lay unconscious in the claws of a colossal golden-scaled dragon soaring impossibly high. It soared high while looking down upon me with its ruby eyes.

...

...

Despair engulfed me, and I collapsed, helpless against my inadequacy. Desperation fueled futile self-blame until a searing pain jolted me awake.

I didn't know what expression I was making but I definitely felt the agony over my face.

Felling over to my knees, I realized my eyes started flooding with tears. I felt helpless like never before.

The immense regret filled up my heart. I started hitting my head on the ground- hard! hard! hard! harder!...

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Surprisingly and suddenly, the pain felt like- Smack!

Followed by another Smack! and yet another Smack!

...Ahh...It hurts!

Suddenly it all felt like a dream or it probably was. A surge of pain brought me to sudden awareness. Was this reality or a lingering dream? The searing ache in my cheeks made me flinch as I struggled to open my eyes against the piercing sunlight.

But what was this pain which I felt over my face? My cheeks hurt.

In the midst of the serene sounds of flowing water and birdsong, a dark feminine figure emerged, gradually taking form before me. Blinking away the haze, her features crystallized.

Clad in a flowing pink gown, she was unmistakably the girl from the day before. But where yesterday's face had been calm, hers was now etched with determination—a defensive stance as if bracing for an imminent conflict.

Her eyes, furious as they looked, followed my every movement.

Smack!

Ahhh!.....

Before my sleepy eyes could fully grasp a definite view of the situation, she landed another hard punch straight to my face. But thanks to that, I know why cheeks hurt so much!

Caught off guard by the intensity, my instinctive defense mechanisms kicked in, but my hands instinctively sought my weapons, finding nothing, only realizing my one dagger in her hand. Each passing moment added to my frustration.

Left with only one option, I attempted to speak, but before I could utter a word— Smack!

"What the heck are you doing? Is this how you treat someone who saved your life yesterday, out here in the middle of nowhere?" I retorted, exasperation lacing my voice.

Unwittingly, her demeanor softened slightly, her stance relaxing. For a moment, her eyes flickered, drawing my attention to their sharpness, realizing their latent danger. She spoke, her voice carrying weight, juxtaposed by her feminine tone and demeanor.

"Leave it for me to decide whether to commend you for saving me or end you, based on your answers to my questions," she asserted.

Her words hung heavy in the air, prompting compliance despite the discomfort.

She offered a fleeting smile, seemingly oblivious to it. Sweet, beautiful, dangerous—a perplexing mix.

"Alright then. First question: What were you doing with me, and how did I end up here?"

I was not in any mood for an interrogation session right now but due to my lack of options in this particular situation, I replied, "I found you near that bush while you were unconsciously lying there last night and offered help. I have no clue how you got here," I replied, trying to be as clear as possible.

She mulled over my response, then continued, "So you claim no involvement in bringing me here?"

"None whatsoever."

"Second question: What purpose brought you here? Why are you here?" she replied, trying to be as clear as possible.

"Why am I here? I... I..." The words caught in my throat, memories clawing at the edges of my mind.

Her patience seemed to dwindle as my hesitation stretched on.