And somehow, we found ourselves

"I didn't think you'd remember me so quickly, it's been a while since we've met and even then, it wasn't something I'd think anyone would want to recall." Krista said, her tone tinged with surprise, her gaze lingering on Kim as she gently placed the freshly washed clothes beside her on the bed.

"Yeah... hard to forget someone who tried to save my life once," Kim replied with a faint smile, his fingers grazing the fabric of the clothes as he picked them up, moving gracefully to the corner of the room to change.

"Did I do that?".

"Now it seems, you are the one that doesn't remember," Kim retorted, his voice carrying a hint of playful reproach.

Krista couldn't help but stifle a giggle, her eyes tracing the lines of Kim's toned physique from her seat. Unlike Ciel, who seemed practically entranced by it up until the point she began drooling, Krista managed to maintain her composure.

Zipping up his hood, Kim pivoted to face Krista, his expression shifting to one of concern. "So tell me..." His words hung in the air, his tone indicating a genuine curiosity.

"And I really don't mean this to be rude or insensitive, but how... are you alive?" He asked, his eyes searching hers for an answer.

She remained quiet for a while. "I guess that makes sense... it's normal for you to have questions," Krista replied, her smile as warm as she met Kim's gaze.

"I saw you die,right in front of me" Kim blurted out, the words escaping him in a rush. "You tried to help me, even though you knew the odds were against you, and got torn limb by limb, no one can survive something like that, but somehow you're still here... completely healed up".

"I mean, I wish I could also tell you what happened and all..." Krista murmured, twirling a lock of her hair as she looked down at the ground. "But even I don't know why I'm alive. I remember thinking I was going to die and all, and then all of a sudden, I was in this village".

Kim stared at her, his brow furrowing slightly as he tried to make sense of her words.

"But it's not all bad. I'm glad I'm alive, and the people of this village seem very keen on letting me stay here, not like I had a family to return to," Krista explained, her gaze gradually meeting Kim's.

But unlike Kirsta, Kim still felt a hint of guilt, he knew she was partially in that situation, where she was forced to fight to begin with because she wanted to help him.

Sighing heavily, Kim stared at her and uttered, "All in all, I'm glad you're alright".

A weight lifted off Kim's chest as he spoke, his relief palpable in the stillness of the moment.

"I'm glad you are too... you have no idea how happy I felt when I saw you, alive," Krista replied, her voice soft with genuine relief.

From the side of the room, Ciel, swiftly gathering her silver hair into a ponytail, interjected, "So... does that clarify why you bonked my lord on the noggin with a stick?"

"Ciel!"

"Master?" Krista's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?! I bet you were curious too. If she missed you as she said, why'd she give you a whack on the head?" Ciel flashed a grin at Krista from her perch on the bed.

"I was gonna ask when I felt like it, didn't need you helping.," Kim retorted, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"Ugh, you're such a soft touch, master, obviously she's itching to spill, so why not let her? A little pressure doesn't hurt anyone." Ciel grinned, casting a suggestive glance at Kim while licking her lips.

Caught off guard, Kim couldn't shake off the memory of that awkward dream he had about her. Flustered, he glanced away, ready to reply when Krista intervened, her expression tinged with sadness.

"I owe you an apology for that," she murmured softly.

Both Kim and Ciel swiveled their attention towards Krista, their expressions expectant.

"The thing is…" Krista clasped her arm, her gaze darting nervously to the side, "The head honcho has a strict policy against intruders".

She went on, "Over the last few months, we've had unidentified folks sneaking into our village, stirring up trouble to the point where we almost considered abandoning the Orid forest altogether. But we, the villagers, managed to argue against that, opting instead to defend ourselves, instead of turning tail and running".

'So, basically bandits?' Kim mused inwardly.

"Lately, we've managed to keep things hush-hush and fortify the village with traps, even around the perimeter. So when I spotted you, I jumped the gun and assumed you were one of them, hence the attack... I'm sorry," Krista confessed.

"And these troublemakers? Have you figured out what they're after, or are you just blindly swinging back, 'cause you don't strike me as all that bright," Ciel blurted out, prompting Kim to grab a small bead from the table and toss it at her.

Ignoring the hint, Ciel deftly dodged the projectile and instead darted towards Kim, wrapping him in a hug from behind while flashing a grin at Krista.

Kirsta's brows twitched a bit and it was clear she was offended by it. Instead, she closed her eyes calmly and replied, "I'll have you know, the head hunco isn't dumb. He did exactly that and we know these people only want to take what we possess".

"Possess?" Kim asked back.

"Yes, the village has a valuable item that has been with us for years now, but no one knows about it, so it's kinda shocking for people from the outside to suddenly want it." Kirsta opened her eyes, and a serious look played on her face.

"This item? Do you perhaps know what it is?" Kim asked.

"Uhmmm…" Krista placed her finger under her jaw while looking at the ceiling, thinking, "I don't really remember, but I think it's a…"

"...secrets that shouldn't be revealed to anyone, even if they are visitors from the outside."

Chimed the thick voice, and next, an old man walked into the room, with two other men behind him.