20. The man with the dragon tattoo.

"It's a man," Alita said again, her voice barely above a whisper. She and Elna had been standing there for what felt like an eternity, staring at the stranger sprawled before them. Neither spoke, uncertain of what to do, what to make of him, or where he had come from. His presence was an enigma, a puzzle that neither of them knew how to solve.

"Oh, I didn't notice," Elna replied dryly, her gaze lingering on his bruised feet and neck. "What are these?" Elna continued, reaching out to touch his shoes with a tentative finger.

"They're shoes. They cover their feet," Alita explained matter-of-factly, though her mind raced with questions about where he had come from and how he had ended up in their secluded corner of the island.

"You know too much," Elna teased gently, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But seriously, how did he get here?"

"I don't know," Alita admitted, bending down to check him out. "He must have gone through a lot, poor soul."