The lost soul

The fire crackled softly as Aurora and I sat on opposite sides, the silence of Purgatorio wrapping around us like a thick blanket. The day's training had left my body aching, but I couldn't bring myself to rest. Aurora had been unusually quiet since we started the evening meal, her eyes distant, lost in thought.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, breaking the silence.

She glanced up, startled as if I had pulled her from a distant memory. "No… not really."

I raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You sure? You've been staring into the fire like it's about to tell you a secret."

She sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "It's just… you surprise me sometimes, Kuro."

I tilted my head, intrigued. "Surprise you how?"

Her lips curled into a faint smile, but there was a softness in her eyes that I hadn't noticed before. "You have this reckless determination—this unwavering sense of what's right, even in a place like Purgatorio. It's… admirable."

I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. "I don't know about admirable. Stupid, maybe. Reckless, definitely."

She shook her head, leaning forward. The firelight danced across her features, highlighting the sharpness of her gaze. "No, it's more than that. It's... rare. In a world where everyone's looking out for themselves, you still find time to care about others. Even when it puts you in danger."

The intensity of her words caught me off guard. For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. "I just… do what feels right," I said finally, my voice quieter.

Aurora reached out, her hand brushing against mine. The touch was brief but sent a warmth through me that rivaled the fire. "You're different, Kuro. And that difference might just be what sets you apart in the trials."

Her words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. Before I could respond, a faint sound reached my ears—a soft, mournful cry carried on the wind.

"What was that?" I asked, standing abruptly.

Aurora frowned, standing as well. "It's coming from the east."

Without hesitation, I moved toward the sound, Aurora following close behind. As we navigated the twisting paths of Purgatorio, the cries grew louder, more desperate. Finally, we came upon the source—a faint, flickering soul, its form barely holding together.

It knelt in the middle of a clearing, its body shifting and unstable. "Please… help me," it whispered, its voice trembling.

I approached cautiously, kneeling beside it. "What happened to you?"

"I… I don't know who I am anymore," the soul replied, its form flickering violently. "I'm lost… broken…"

Something about its voice tugged at my heart. I reached out, placing a hand on its shoulder. "You're not broken. You just need to remember who you are. Let me help you."

The soul hesitated, then nodded. Closing my eyes, I focused on the faint energy within it, guiding it back to stability. Slowly, the soul's form began to shift, taking shape. When I opened my eyes, a girl stood before me.

Her long, fiery red hair shimmered like moonlight, and her piercing violet eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. She looked down at herself in wonder, her hands trembling. "I… I'm whole again," she murmured.

"What's your name?" I asked.

She looked at me, her expression softening. "I don't know. I… don't remember."

Aurora stepped forward, her arms crossed. "You're a demon now. An S-rank, no less."

The girl's eyes widened. "S-rank?"

I nodded. "You've been reborn. You need a name—a fresh start. How about Alice?"

The girl smiled faintly. "Alice… I like that."

She dropped to her knees suddenly, bowing her head. "You saved me. I swear my life to you, Master. I will serve you for eternity."

I stepped back, startled. "Master? No, that's not necessary."

"But you brought me back," she insisted, her voice firm. "You gave me purpose. Please, let me serve you."

I shook my head, reaching down to help her stand. "I didn't bring you back to make you a slave. If you want to stay with me, stay as a friend. That's all I'll ever ask of you."

Alice hesitated, her eyes searching mine. Finally, she nodded. "If that's what you wish, then I'll honor it. But in my heart, my loyalty will always belong to you."

Aurora cleared her throat, her tone sharp. "We don't have time for heartfelt moments. If she's staying, she needs to pull her weight. We're on a strict timeline."

Alice nodded eagerly. "I'll do whatever it takes."

As we made our way back to camp, I couldn't help but feel the shift in our dynamic. Aurora's gaze lingered on me longer than usual, her expression unreadable. Meanwhile, Alice stayed close, her presence both comforting and unsettling.

That night, as I lay on my mat, Aurora sat beside me, her voice softer than I'd ever heard. "You have a habit of changing people's lives, Kuro."

I turned to face her, the warmth in her eyes catching me off guard. "I'm just doing what feels right," I said, echoing my earlier words.

She leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "And that's why I…" She hesitated, then shook her head. "Never mind. Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be even harder."

As she walked away, her words stayed with me, mingling with the faint smile on Alice's face as she watched over the camp. For the first time in a long time, I felt something stir within me—a sense of belonging, of purpose.

And in the depths of Purgatorio, surrounded by shadows and fire, I realized that the bonds we forged here might be the only thing keeping us from falling apart or breaking up.