Chapter 12: Such A Strange Woman

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Such A Strange Woman To be honest, Isabella’s plan was to go out and look for a water source, but she barely knew anything about this village—or this world, for that matter. She had just gotten here. Plus, it was already so late. By now, the celebrations had died down, and the outside was completely silent. She wanted water—to drink, to wash up—but what if she went out and got attacked by some mystical, oversized beast? She’d be dead. And it wouldn’t be because of these stupid tasks—it would be because she was dumb enough to go wandering off into the unknown at night. No. Not happening. She took a deep breath, glanced at her task list, and made up her mind. She’d sleep outside tonight. It wasn’t ideal, but she was already filthy, and there was no way in hell she was going to ruin that clean fur bed. "Curse you, Bubu," she muttered, standing up with a sigh. "I hope your digital circuits rot." The system remained silent. But she could practically feel its smugness. Ignoring it, she pushed aside the fur curtain and stepped outside, shivering slightly as the cool night air wrapped around her. The village was quiet now, bathed in the soft glow of the dying fire pits. Most of the huts were dark, and the only sounds came from the occasional rustle of leaves or distant animal calls. It was... actually kinda peaceful. She found a spot near her doorway, leaned against the rough stone wall, and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. Not the worst thing in the world. She could do this. It was just one night. She closed her eyes. ... Opened them again. Okay. New problem. It was really, really uncomfortable. The ground was hard. And cold. And there was some kind of tiny rock stabbing into her lower back. She tried shifting. No luck. She shifted again. Still bad. She kicked the tiny rock away like it had personally offended her. Better. Isabella exhaled, crossed her arms, and stared up at the sky. The stars were bright. Brighter than anything she had ever seen in her previous world. It was kind of... nice. A small breeze rolled through, making her shiver. She instinctively curled up, hugging her knees to her chest. A distant howl echoed from somewhere in the forest. Isabella froze. "...That was far away," she whispered to herself. "Super far. No big deal. Right?" Another howl. Closer. She shut her eyes tight. "Not my problem. Not my business. I don’t exist. I am a rock. I am a stone. I am part of the ground." The universe, apparently, disagreed. Because at that exact moment—something rustled in the nearby bushes. Isabella went rigid. Her brain screamed at her to check, but her body refused to move. Okay. Okay. Think. If she stayed perfectly still, maybe— "Chirp." Isabella’s soul nearly left her body. She snapped her eyes open, heart hammering. And then... she saw it. A tiny, fluffy creature sat just a few feet away, tilting its head at her. It looked like a... rabbit? No. A rabbit-lizard? With big, weirdly cute glowing eyes? It chirped again. Isabella exhaled, relieved. But then she felt guilty for that little animal she had killed and eaten. "You almost gave me a heart attack, you little gremlin." The creature blinked. Then, very rudely, it turned around and hopped away. "...Yeah, okay. Fine. Leave me like everyone else," Isabella muttered, resting her head against the wall. The ground was still cold, but she was too exhausted to care anymore. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut. Kian, the Lion Lord, moved through the quiet village like a shadow, his sharp blue eyes scanning the surroundings with cold precision. He hadn’t intended to check on the strange woman, but something about her unsettled him. He didn’t trust her—at least, not yet. His tribe was his responsibility, and he wasn’t going to let his guard down just because she happened to look small and harmless. Yet, when he found her, sitting outside in the damp night air, his steps faltered for just a moment. She was curled up against the stone wall, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her breathing slow and steady in sleep. Was there some monster in the hut?, he wondered. It wasn’t the fact that she had chosen to sleep outside that confused him—it was the way she looked so utterly filthy doing it. His frown deepened. Had she not washed up? He had expected her to at least find a stream, to do something about the dirt and grime that covered her. But no. She was still a mess. She was no different from the others he had met—clumsy, incompetent, incapable of taking care of themselves. Yet... His sharp gaze flickered downward. Her bare feet. They were injured. Not just from walking barefoot—he had seen plenty of people do that without issue. This was something else. Deeper cuts. Fresh wounds. His fingers twitched. He didn’t owe her anything. He could just turn around and leave. And yet, before he even made the conscious decision to do so, he was already moving. With a quiet breath, he crouched down, his large frame casting a shadow over her smaller one. He barely had to lift a hand—just a swipe of his fingers over the worst of her wounds, and a faint, golden glow shimmered over her skin, sealing the injuries without a trace. He watched for a moment longer, his lips pressing into a tight line. There was something about her that felt... off. He couldn’t pinpoint it. She was strange. Too strange. "Strange woman," he murmured, more to himself than her. Then, just as he made to stand and leave— "Stupid Bubu..." Isabella muttered under her breath, shifting slightly in her sleep. Kian froze. His blue eyes snapped to her face. Had she seen him? But then... she muttered again, her voice groggy and completely unaware. "So unfair... stupid tasks... no skip button... I demand a skip button..." His brows furrowed. What in the world was she talking about? Isabella grumbled, shifting again, a tiny frown creasing her dirty face. "Rot in hell, Bubu... you and your dumb... shiny... smug system voice..." Kian stared. And then, to his own annoyance, he felt the barest twitch of something at the corner of his lips. It wasn’t quite a smirk. But it wasn’t not a smirk either. He exhaled quietly, shaking his head. Truly, a strange woman. Without another word, he stood, turning away and disappearing into the night.