?"Big brother... are you alright?"
Wren’s eyes snap toward the direction of the voice, desperately trying to turn his head. But his paralyzed body refuses to budge an inch.
?Rolling his eyes sideways with immense effort, his vision finally catches a glimpse of someone standing beside his makeshift pallet.
?It’s a little girl. She couldn’t be more than seven or eight years old, her small frame swallowed by the rough, oversized rags of prison garb. Her wide, innocent eyes are completely swimming with tears, the crystal droplets trembling on her long lashes before spilling over her cheeks.
?Hmph... sob... big... big brother... are you alright...?
?The little girl sniffles, her small voice cracking as she looks down at him.
?Wren stares at her, completely bewildered, before his heavy, unblinking gaze shifts sideways toward the spectral owl hovering near the corner of the stone cell.
?"Wren, this kid has been waiting here for you to wake up for ages," Envy remarks casually, crossing its shadowy wings. "To be exact, right after you survived that third punch, your legs gave out completely and you dropped like a stone."
?"Hudson...?" Wren mentally rasps, his thoughts sluggish.
?"Oh, exactly like the giant promised," Envy continues, floating closer. "True to his word, he surrendered right on the spot. The prison guards cleared out the arena, announced that it was time for the inmates’ meal break, and dumped your paralyzed carcass in here."
?The owl tilts its head toward the weeping child.
?"And ever since they threw you into this cell, this little one has refused to leave your side, just waiting for you to open your eyes."
?Wren feels a sharp jolt in his chest. It’s almost impossible to believe. A stranger—a helpless little child in a living hell like Norhera—waiting hours for a battered newcomer to wake up?
?In a place built on cruelty and bloodshed, such raw, unfiltered concern feels entirely alien. A strange, unexpected warmth flickers through his chest, threatening to melt the cold walls he had built around himself.
?And then, like a sudden dagger plunging into his heart, a memory flashes unbidden across his mind.
?Mother...
?Stop it, Wren, he tells himself fiercely, shutting down the thought before it can take root. There’s no point in dwelling on the past. Not here. Not now.
?Wren forces his eyes back toward the little girl, struggling to soften his intense glare. He slowly rolls his eyes back to center, trying to project whatever calm he can muster while completely locked in place.
?"I’m... I’m fine, little one," Wren manages to say, his voice rough and strained. "Don’t cry... what’s your name?"
?The moment those gentle words leave his cracked lips, the dam finally breaks.
?The little girl’s quiet, muffled whimpers shatter completely into heartbreaking, wide-open sobs.
?"Aaah... aaah... aaah... WAAAAHHH—!"
The little girl’s sobs grew louder, filling the cold stone cell.
"Waahhh! Big brother! I thought you were going to die!"
Wren stared at her in complete bewilderment.
Big brother?
When the hell did I become someone’s big brother?
"Hey, hey! Stop crying already!" Envy flapped its wings impatiently. "He’s alive, isn’t he? Look at him! He’s even awake enough to complain. What more do you want?"
The little girl immediately turned toward the spectral owl.
"W-Who are you calling annoying?!"
Envy froze.
Wren froze too, at least mentally.
The little girl rubbed her tearful eyes with her oversized sleeves and glared at the owl with all the fury her tiny body could muster.
"You’re the annoying one! Big brother just woke up, and you’re already shouting at him! Bad owl!"
For several seconds, Envy remained completely silent.
Then the owl slowly turned toward Wren.
"...Did that little brat just insult me?"
Looks like it... Wren thinks to himself, watching the little girl cry even louder.
?"Hey, don’t you dare agree with her!" Envy snaps, its feathers puffing up as it glares at Wren. "Are you trying to make the kid cry harder?!"
?"I didn’t even say anything yet!" Wren fires back mentally, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through his head.
?"Well, you were thinking it!"
?Wren blinks in surprise. Wait. Can you actually read my mind right now?
?"Of course I can, you idiot," Envy replies with a smug huff, crossing its wings. "Remember? The two of us are connected."
?Wren groans internally, realizing he has absolutely no privacy left. He looks back down at the little girl, who is still sobbing softly into her oversized rags, her tiny shoulders shaking with every breath.
Wren desperately wanted to rub his temples.
Unfortunately, his body still refused to cooperate.
Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I’ve ended up in another world, nearly been beaten to death, and now I’m trapped in a cell with a crying child and an obnoxious owl that can read my thoughts.
What a magnificent life.
Meanwhile, the little girl had finally stopped sobbing.
She carefully wiped her cheeks, sniffled a few more times, and looked at Wren again.
"Big brother... does it hurt?"
Wren’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
The girl’s gaze had fallen upon his battered body. His bruised face, the bloodstains covering his clothes, and the unnatural stillness of his limbs were apparently enough to frighten her all over again.
Yet she didn’t run away.
Instead, she reached out with her tiny hand and gently touched his fingers.
"Please get better soon..."
Something stirred inside Wren’s chest.
It was a strange feeling.
He had spent so many years surrounded by people who measured his worth through his talent, his strength, and his family name. When he had lost everything, those same people had laughed at him, abandoned him, or treated him like a worthless piece of trash.
Yet this little girl, who looked as though she had barely enough food to survive herself, was worried about a complete stranger.
What a strange kid.
"So," he asked, carefully choosing his words, "what’s your name, little one?"
The girl’s expression brightened slightly.
She straightened her back, wiped her nose with her sleeve, and proudly announced,
"I’m Lilia!"
"Lilia..." Wren repeated silently, committing the name to memory.