Soren supported himself against the shrubs and staggered forward a few more steps before his knees suddenly gave out, nearly sending him crashing to the ground.
He hurriedly caught himself against a nearby tree trunk.
His palm scraped against the rough bark, and only then did he barely steady himself.
The emptiness in his stomach had turned into sharp hunger pains that rolled upward in waves, making his vision blur.
“If I can’t find food soon… I’m seriously not going to make it.”
Panting, he lowered his head to look at his hands.
The cold-white fingertips carried a faint bluish tint, and even clenching his fists felt weaker now.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail had wilted as well, hanging limply against his leg.
The tail tip occasionally twitched barely, as if worrying alongside him.
Supporting himself against the shrubs, Soren walked slower and slower.
The cramping in his stomach grew worse with every passing moment, and even the scenery before him started turning hazy.
Just as he was about to give up and lean against a tree to rest, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of an orange-red glow flickering beyond a nearby slope.
Firelight.
His spirits instantly lifted a little, and the drooping heart-shaped tail swayed lightly.
His fingertips unconsciously tightened around the hem of his clothes.
“Could it be adventurers?”
After all, in Teyvat, campfires in the wild were usually lit by adventurers or travelers, both for warmth and cooking.
And the moment he thought about cooking, the hunger in his stomach intensified.
Even his steps became lighter.
“Maybe I can ask them for something to eat… Even half a piece of dry bread would be fine.”
Following the direction of the firelight, he slowly tiptoed forward, trying his best not to let the grass beneath his feet make any noise.
The closer he got, the clearer the scent of roasted meat drifted through the air.
Though mixed with traces of dust, it still made him swallow hard.
When he reached the edge of the slope, he didn’t dare rush out immediately; he hid behind a dense cluster of shrubs, carefully pushing aside several leaves before cautiously poking half his head out to look downhill.
But the instant he saw what lay below, the faint light in his eyes immediately dimmed again.
Even his breathing unconsciously softened.
The figures gathered around the campfire weren’t adventurers at all.
They were a group of squat, stocky Hilichurls.
Some held stone axes, while others crouched beside the fire gnawing on strips of unknown dried meat.
Strange “woo woo” growls rumbled from their throats, and under the firelight, their rough skin looked especially savage.
Terrified, Soren immediately pulled his head back, pressing himself tightly against the cold tree trunk behind him.
His heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst from his chest.
Subconsciously, he tucked the heart-shaped tail between his legs.
Even his fingertips trembled.
“Okay… I definitely overthought this…”
He muttered softly, his voice filled with disappointment and lingering fear.
At the same time, scenes from fan comics and stories involving Hilichurls flashed through his mind.
“Good thing I didn’t rush over there.
If those Hilichurls noticed me, things definitely wouldn’t end well.”
Occasionally, rough Hilichurl howls drifted from the campfire below, frightening Soren so badly that he didn’t dare move at all.
Crouching within the bushes, he stared at the flickering firelight below.
The hunger in his stomach and the panic in his chest tangled together, making his eyes sting.
What he’d thought was hope for survival had instead become an even more dangerous trap.
He could only clamp both hands over his mouth, terrified that he might accidentally make even the slightest sound, while carefully crawling away into the distance.
“Yaya!”
At the sudden shout, Soren’s body jolted up.
He stiffly turned his head.
A Hilichurl was staring directly at him.
And with the way he was currently sprawled on the ground, he really did look suspicious.
“C-Could you maybe just pretend I’m not here?”
Naturally, the Hilichurl had no intention of honoring such a request.
With a guttural growl, it slammed its stone axe heavily against the ground, and the harsh shout instantly drew the attention of its companions downhill.
Three or four Hilichurls charged toward him with weapons raised.
Their heavy footsteps sent leaves and grass scattering everywhere as their eyes locked onto Soren like he was prey that couldn’t escape.
“I’m dead!”
Every hair on Soren’s body stood on end.
He no longer cared about appearances and scrambled backward on all fours.
His pale hands scraped across gravel and tangled roots, leaving behind tiny bloody scratches he didn’t even notice.
The panicked heart-shaped tail wrapped around his legs several times, nearly tripping him over.
The Hilichurls’ roars grew closer and closer.
At one point, a thrown stone grazed his back before smashing into a nearby tree, showering him with wood splinters.
He ran desperately deeper into the forest.
The cramping in his stomach worsened with every step, and darkness repeatedly crowded the edges of his vision.
He could only rely on instinct to avoid crashing into trees.
Fortunately, the forest was dense with bushes.
After squeezing through several low shrubs, the Hilichurls’ howls gradually faded into the distance.
They had probably become disoriented by the complicated terrain.
Leaning against a crooked tree, Soren bent over and gasped for breath.
Cold sweat dripped down from his temples, and the clothes on his back were already soaked.
Just as he tried to catch his breath, a violent cramp suddenly twisted through his stomach.
It felt as though a hand were wringing his insides.
Most of his vision instantly blacked out, and even the strength to cling to the tree trunk disappeared.
“So… so hungry…”
He muttered weakly as his body slowly slid down the trunk before collapsing heavily onto the grass.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail gently brushed against the back of his hand, as though trying to wake him.
Regardless, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Even his fingertips no longer had the strength to move.
…
Soren’s consciousness felt submerged in warm water, slowly being pulled upward by gentle yet persistent shaking.
His eyelids felt unbearably heavy, and lifting them even a little bit required tremendous effort.
Within the blurry light and shadows, the first thing that entered his vision was a striking shade of gold.
Twin tails hung over slender shoulders, the ends dusted with fragments of grass that glimmered softly beneath the sunlight.
“Are you okay…?”
A gentle female voice drifted over with the wind, carrying anxious concern as it softly fell beside his ear.
Soren blinked again, and his vision finally focused.
The girl before him possessed sky-blue eyes like melted glaciers.
She stared at him without blinking, the worry in her gaze so overwhelming it nearly spilled over.
Even the fingertips clutching his arm had tightened a bit.
His throat felt painfully dry, and the emptiness in his stomach still ached faintly.
He couldn’t even manage a complete sentence.
Frowning, he exhausted all his strength just to force a single word from his throat.
The voice that emerged was hoarse and barely audible.
“Hungry…”
The moment those words fell, the girl’s eyes instantly lit up.
It was as though stars had fallen into her pupils.
She immediately released the hand supporting him and turned to rummage through the bag she carried with hurried movements.
She didn’t even notice the strands of golden hair brushing across her face.
Shortly after, she pulled out a loaf of bread wrapped in cloth and carefully brought it to his lips.
Her fingertips lightly supported the bottom of the bread as though afraid of dropping it.
“I have some wheat bread here.
I bought it this morning, so it’s still soft.
Eat a little first, slowly now.”
Soren lacked the strength to raise his hands.
He could only tilt his head up a bit and take a small bite.
The soft bread carried a faint wheat fragrance.
Though simple, it slid into his painfully empty stomach like a stream of warmth, finally allowing his tense body to relax a little.
As he chewed, he could feel the girl’s gaze remaining fixed on his face, moving from his lips to the horns atop his head before falling onto the wilted heart-shaped tail behind him.
Within those sky-blue pupils, the worry gradually faded, replaced by an almost unbearable curiosity, as though she were carefully tracing every detail of him.
Once he had recovered a bit of strength, the girl finally spoke.
“My name is Barbara.
I originally came to Wolvendom to pick some Wolfhooks, but then I found you collapsed on the ground.”
After finishing the bread in his mouth, Soren took a few small sips of the water Barbara handed him.
At last, the dryness in his throat and the hollow ache in his stomach eased considerably.
Leaning against the tree trunk, he straightened himself and looked at the blonde girl before him, gratitude filling his heart.
“Thank you, Barbara… If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be lying here.”
Barbara merely shook her head gently.
His reflection shone clearly within her sky-blue eyes.
“You don’t need to be so polite with me.
Helping people who need help is a deaconess’s duty to begin with.”
As she spoke, her fingertips unconsciously brushed against the horns atop Soren’s head again.
The movement was so gentle it resembled caressing fragile porcelain.
“But how did you end up fainting here in Wolvendom all alone?
Monsters appear around here sometimes, so it’s very dangerous.
And your appearance… you don’t seem to be from Mondstadt, do you?”
Soren’s heart tightened.
Subconsciously, he hid the heart-shaped tail further behind his legs.
He still hadn’t figured out how to explain his origins or his unusual appearance, so he could only answer vaguely.
“I… I’m a traveler from a very distant place.
I accidentally got lost and couldn’t find any food, so I…”
Before he could finish speaking, Barbara gently interrupted him.
“So that’s what happened.
You poor thing.”
She leaned closer, shortening the distance between them.
Soren could clearly smell the faint Sweet Flower fragrance clinging to her.
“Your body’s still very weak right now.
You definitely can’t keep traveling alone.
Why not come back to the Church with me?
There are clean rooms there, and lots of delicious food too; I can make Sweet Madame and Mondstadt Grilled Fish for you.
I’m sure you’ll recover much faster.”
Barbara’s tone carried perfectly measured warmth, yet for some reason, Soren felt a bit uncomfortable.
At some point, the hand gripping his wrist had tightened again.
And within those sky-blue pupils, besides gentleness, there hid a faint trace of obsession difficult to notice… like a hunter firmly locking onto prey.
Before Soren could respond, Barbara had already helped him to his feet.
Her movements were gentle, yet impossible to refuse.
“Come on.
Mondstadt isn’t too far from here.
I’ll support you, so we can just walk slowly.”
Her fingertips pressed tightly against Soren’s arm.
Even through the fabric, the warmth of her palm carried an almost burning intensity.
Supported by her, Soren’s steps remained unsteady.
Behind him, the heart-shaped tail swayed lightly, the tip carrying a trace of unease.
Looking at Barbara’s serious profile, he knew perfectly well that she meant no harm.
Yet an odd feeling lingered stubbornly in his chest.
The way Barbara looked at him was far too focused.
Focused to the point that it felt like she wanted to carve his appearance into her eyes, unwilling to miss even the slightest shift in his expression.
The two slowly walked toward Mondstadt.
Along the way, Barbara softly chatted the entire time.
Most of it consisted of little stories from Mondstadt: mischievous children in the Church, the pigeons beneath the Anemo Archon’s statue.
Her tone brimmed with familiarity and affection, as though they had known each other for a very long time.
However, the longer Soren listened, the stranger it felt…
Barbara would casually ask about his preferences again and again.
Did he prefer sweet food or savory food?
Did he like quiet places or lively ones?
She even asked whether he preferred sleeping on his side or on his back.
“Um… Barbara, why are you asking all this?”
Soren finally couldn’t help but ask softly.
Barbara turned toward him and revealed an especially gentle smile.
An unusual light shimmered within her sky-blue eyes.
“Because I want to take better care of you.
From now on, you can stay at the Church.
I’ll make your favorite foods for you every day, keep you company, and never let you go hungry or face danger again.”
As she said those words, the hand gripping Soren’s arm tightened further.
He could feel the pressure of her fingertips, as though she feared he might suddenly disappear from before her eyes.
The unease in Soren’s heart deepened more and more.
Yet when he looked at Barbara’s gentle face, he simply couldn’t bring himself to reject her.
After all, she was the only person he knew in this world.
By the time they reached Mondstadt’s gates, the setting sun had stretched the shadows of the city walls long across the ground.
The Knights guarding the entrance smiled and nodded upon seeing Barbara.
When their eyes swept across Soren’s horns, they showed some curiosity but asked no questions, likely out of trust in Barbara.
Subconsciously, Soren hid his tail behind himself as he followed Barbara into the city.
The streets carried the sweet fragrance of baked apples and the rich aroma of wine.
Pedestrians wandered in small groups, and whenever someone glanced his way, he immediately lowered his head, the tips of his ears heating faintly.
Barbara, however, seemed totally unconcerned.
She deliberately slowed her pace and even raised a hand to hook herself around his arm.
Her voice turned soft and sweet, just loud enough for nearby passersby to hear.
“This is my friend.
He just arrived from far away and still hasn’t fully recovered yet, so please be kind to him.”
As she spoke, she smiled toward a passing child.
The entire scene felt strangely like she was announcing, “He belongs to me,” causing the unsettling feeling in Soren’s chest to deepen once more.
Once they arrived at the Church, Barbara directly led him to a corner and had him sit down there.
“Rest here for now.
I still have a few things to take care of.
If you need anything, you can go to Sister Maria.
She’ll help you.”
“Don’t worry.
We Mondstadters are very kind people.”
…