Chapter 35 - The Unexpected Memory (1/2)

Luke found himself in the middle of a dark wood, standing on the edge of a pit, he peered down into the hole at the flame hair girl kneeling on her knees inside the ditch.

Dressed in a white clothe flung over her left shoulder and loose white boots, the girl looked like a combination of a dinymph and iirifey.

'She is not an ordinary person,' he concluded the second their gazes connected.

Her red-gold hair shimmered in the moonlight as she shifted her weight and looked at him in confusion. She stared at his outstretched hand, with a blank gaze. Seeing her dazed expression, he chuckled, causing her to shift her eyes back onto his face.

”Can I help you out, if you do not mind, that is?” He playfully said.

After being ignored right to his face, he could not help feeling snubbed. But the thing was, ever since he was old enough to remember, he had never offered a hand to anyone. In a world where survival was the ultimate truth, everyone looked out only for themselves and cared only about themselves.

Because no one ever helped a fallen person. In fact, the best help was not being stepped on or preyed upon while one was down.

After an awkward moment of silence, the girl finally spoke.

”No one has ever offered me a hand before. Are you not afraid that I will cling onto you after helping me out?”

”Oh? Do you have what it takes to cling onto me? I do not sense any magic on you.” He disdainfully replied.

”Magic? You have magic? But how can that be? I mean, you are, you are…” she stammered as she tried to get the right words out.

”I know. I look human. But you must keep in mind that in this world, there are many wonderous things, and appearances do not define a person.” He replied in good humor.

He watched her gaze turn blank as she stood in a daze, her flickering eyes the only telltale sign of her still in the present.

The confused expression on her face made everything clear. Before today, she had never heard from another person's mouth of the existence of magic.

Understanding her dilemma, he held her hand and pulled her out of the hole, slowly setting her slender figure down on the ground.

”Thank you for the help. You are not only my savior but also the first person to lend a hand to me without putting forth any conditions.” Her sad whisper reached his ears, branding itself into his heart.

”It was no big deal. I helped because I could help. But if it helps, you are also the first person that I have ever extended a hand to in my life.” He thoughtfully stated as his figure blurred and disappeared in front of her wide violet eyes.

A 'bang' sounded in his head, shooting pain through his pounding head. As his consciousness and clarity returned, his mind cleared, lifting the fog covering his memory.

Luke opened his closed eyes with a start, the sudden bright light stinging his eyes. After a brief moment of adjustment, he found himself still standing in the same position and spot he was standing last, before blacking out.

The five clan leaders were now looking at him in confusion when they did not hear any reply from him.