Hinata

Starila floated closer, her tiny fingers brushing lightly against his left rib. A twisted smile curved across her lips.

"This healed, too…" she mused softly.

She paused, her eyes narrowing with feigned disappointment as she hovered in the air, her delicate wings fluttering.

"Hmph. Looks like you've fixed everything—108 shattered ribs, a stopped heart now beating again… even that empty brain of yours has returned to its original shape."

She let out an exaggerated sigh, pouting as she drifted away.

"What a pity… I can't make fun of you anymore."

Shiro spun around, anger burning in his eyes, as Starila floated above him, disappointment dripping from her like a dark cloud. "Hey… you jackass fairy," he snapped, stepping closer. "Mind telling me why the hell you dropped me into a battlefield?"

Starila tilted her head, laughter bubbling up as she drifted lazily through the air. A wicked smile curled on her lips. "Where's the fun in letting you skip the most badass part of your story?" she teased, her voice dark and playful.

Starila stopped laughing and floated closer to Shiro, a mischievous smile curling her lips. Leaning in, she whispered softly into his ear, "Alright, let me cool down a bit quicker."

She paused for dramatic effect before adding, her breath brushing against his skin, "I'll let you take any three things from the world in your dream."

Pulling back, she watched his eyes widen, his mind clearly buffering. But before he could even open his mouth to reply, Starila continued with a sly grin, "It can be any three things. You could choose the girl you like, some badass powers, your favourite weapon… or anything else. As long as it exists in that world."

Shiro just stood there, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. "Anything… seriously?"

"Yep, anything," she hummed playfully. Her smile darkened a shade as she floated back to his ear and whispered teasingly, "Though I already know what your first choice will be… definitely a girl. So try to make the other two at least a bit useful, okay?"

Shiro's face flushed deep red. He turned his head away, stuttering out in an embarrassed tone, "W-Wait… that's not… I mean… you've got it all wrong…"

Shiro calmed himself, narrowing his eyes with an intrigued look as he spoke in a knowing tone, "In the story, right? I can take anything in the story."

Starila spun around quickly, waving her hands to clear his misunderstanding. "Nooooo, dummy! Not like that at all!" She flew closer to his ear and practically yelled, "ANY THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO TAKE – I'LL LET YOU BRING THEM FROM THE DREAM WORLD TO THE REAL WORLD WHERE YOU LIVE. YES, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT. FROM DREAM TO REALITY."

Shiro immediately shoved her away with his hand and covered his ears, wincing at her loud voice. Then he looked at her with pure shock on his face and whispered, "Anything from this world… to the real world. To my world, where I live. You're kidding… right?"

"Why would I joke about that, idiot?" Starila snapped, rolling her eyes. Then her voice softened with a smug little smirk. "After all, you're surviving this hell. I've gotta give you some motivation to keep going."

Starila floated back a little, then turned around with a playful smile and whispered, "This time… please, I beg you, don't die so quickly. Let me enjoy the show for a bit, okay?"

With a flick of her tiny hand, a swirling white portal opened behind him. Before Shiro could even react, she pushed him back with her spell, her voice ringing out in a cheerful tone, "And don't forget to find yourself a good girl down there. Someone who cares about you. Alright? See ya~"

As Shiro fell backwards, he yelled in frustration, "No—at least tell me before you push me, you damn fairy, I'll—"

Before he could finish, his words were swallowed by the blinding white light as the portal absorbed him completely.

—

In a wide open field near a lone tree, Shiro found himself once again back in the battlefield area. This time, he was standing close to the tree on the left side of the war-torn plains. All around him lay fallen soldiers, their bodies cold as the battle raged on in the distance.

Suddenly, he felt a hand land on his shoulder. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as he spun around in fear.

Standing behind him was a boy, probably just a year younger than Shiro. He had light greyish hair and deep black eyes that seemed almost hollow yet strangely gentle. The boy smiled softly and spoke in a friendly tone.

"You don't look like you're from around here."

He paused, studying Shiro with narrowed eyes, then added,

"Are you from Yukari Garden?"

Shiro blinked, completely lost, and asked, "Who are you? And… what's Yukari Garden?"

Hearing Shiro's confusion, the boy froze for a second, his expression unreadable, before smiling again.

"It's dangerous here. Come with me. My place is far from this hell. You'll be safe there."

Shiro hesitated, his mind racing.

Should I trust him? I don't even know what powers I have yet… which means I can't fight back if something happens.

And wait—where's my weapon? Didn't Starila say something about my weapon…?

Trying to maintain composure, Shiro replied in a calm, low voice,

"I'm… a traveler. Or you can call me a dreamer. I'm just passing through this world. Before I go anywhere with you… May I know your name?"

The boy's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Did you say dreamer?" He chuckled lightly, bowing his head a little before speaking.

"Ah, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself in such a hurry." He straightened up, a faint sadness crossing his face.

"I'm Hinata. I… don't know my surname. My parents never told me. Or rather, the people who raised me never did."

Hinata glanced to his right, scanning the smoky horizon, then continued with a hollow laugh.

"You're probably wondering who this random kid is, wearing rags like these… Don't worry about it. I've gotten used to it. It's just daily life for me now. I was raised by the darkness of these shadows."

He turned his gaze back to Shiro, his black eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight.

"I think you're like us, too… Someone whose parents were killed in the war. Come with me. I promise you won't regret living with us. People say darkness is dangerous… but whether you're a traveler or a dreamer, there's no place safer than darkness itself."

Shiro thought to himself, a bit confused,

Is this dude mad or something, calling darkness a safe place? Bro must've fallen off a mountain or something… But judging by his expression, he's not lying. It's like he hates this world that much.

Shiro lifted his head to meet Hinata's eyes and said with a cheerful tone, "Alright, I'll come with you. You seem like a good guy… dude."

"Dude? What's that? Some kind of code name?" Hinata asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Oh, right, I forgot. This is a fantasy world. Gen Z slang won't work here," Shiro whispered to himself. I need to control my tongue… and my swearing too. Better talk carefully here.

Then he quickly added with a casual grin, "Ah, it's nothing. Just… a word I learned from a friend. He was a good guy, but with a devilish brain."

That's me I'm talking about, he thought, laughing awkwardly to himself.

"Okay then, if you're ready, follow me," Hinata said with a warm smile.

Shiro began following him into the forest, but as they walked deeper, he suddenly sensed a dark aura surrounding the place. He whispered internally,

This forest feels like bad news… I should stick close to him. Seems like he knows his way around.

Far ahead, away from their path, a strange bird sat perched on a tree branch. Unlike any normal bird, it looked… almost eerie. It suddenly spread its wings and flew toward a hidden place overflowing with lush green plants, vibrant flowers, clear lakes, and a waterfall cascading down glimmering rocks.

The bird landed gently on a slender finger and spoke in a small voice, "My lady, a boy has entered the forest. He's with Hinata…"

"Oh? It's been so long since someone wandered into these woods," whispered the figure whose hand the bird perched upon. Her voice softened with a gentle laugh.

"It seems… the time has finally come after all this long wait… haha."

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