Gino closed his eyes.
He had survived Baba Yaga...
Only to be confronted by another creature from legend.
If the harpy intended to kill him, there was nothing he could do. His body was exhausted, blood continued to seep from the wound on his head, and even lifting an arm felt impossible.
The giant bird-woman landed several paces away.
Her talons dug deep into the earth.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then...
The feathers covering her body began to recede.
Her enormous wings folded into her back before disappearing completely. Her bird-like legs shrank into those of a human, and within seconds, the fearsome creature had transformed into a young woman with short black hair, pale skin, and calm gray eyes.
She let out a long sigh.
"...Good."
"We made it."
The woman looked toward Gino and smiled.
"Good job surviving, Jack."
"We needed Baba Yaga to stop moving before I could safely attack."
Jack...
So that was the name of this body's owner.
Gino remained silent.
His mind raced with questions, but he knew better than to reveal that he remembered nothing.
The woman knelt beside him and gently examined the wound on his head.
"...That's worse than I thought."
Her smile faded.
"Baba Yaga hit you pretty hard."
She carefully pressed a clean cloth against the wound to slow the bleeding.
"Stay awake."
"We're almost done, I can sense Captain Rowan and Juno nearby."
Before Gino could answer, heavy footsteps echoed through the clearing.
"Eva!"
A towering man clad in battered steel armor emerged from the trees, carrying an oversized leather sack across one shoulder.
Following behind him was a younger man wrapped in a dark traveling cloak.
Unlike the armored warrior, he carried a beautifully crafted silver birdcage.
The armored man immediately noticed Gino lying on the ground.
"...He's breathing."
Relief washed across his face.
"I honestly thought we'd lost him."
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Eva shook her head.
"Not yet."
"But we need Juno."
The cloaked man silently stepped forward.
So, he’s Juno, that means the armored man must be Captain Rowan, Gino thought.
Without saying a word, Juno carefully lowered the silver birdcage onto the ground.
Gino's attention was immediately drawn toward it.
Could it be...
Juno unlatched the tiny door.
"Come."
A magnificent white bird stepped outside.
Its feathers shone with an almost heavenly brilliance beneath the afternoon sun.
Golden eyes.
A graceful neck.
Snow-white plumage untouched by even a speck of dirt.
Gino forgot the pain in his body.
"...A Caladrius."
The three explorers looked toward him.
"You know this creature?" Rowan asked.
Realizing his mistake, Gino quickly looked away.
"I..."
"I remember seeing one in a picture book."
Eva chuckled.
"Still reading mythology books, huh?"
"I guess those stories stuck with you."
Fortunately, no one questioned him further.
Their attention quickly returned to the mythical bird.
Juno gently stroked its neck.
"...Heal him."
The Caladrius remained perfectly still.
It did not move toward Gino.
Instead...
It simply stared at him.
Silence fell over the clearing.
Even the leaves seemed to stop rustling.
Gino understood immediately.
His heart skipped a beat.
Of course...
In medieval folklore, the Caladrius was more than a healer.
It was a judge.
When brought before someone gravely ill or mortally wounded, the sacred bird would decide their fate.
If death was unavoidable...
The Caladrius would turn its head away.
It refused even to look upon those who could not be saved.
Only those destined to live would receive its gaze.
Only then would it absorb their sickness.
The seconds stretched endlessly.
No one spoke.
Eva quietly clasped her hands together.
Rowan unconsciously held his breath.
Even Juno's calm expression betrayed the slightest hint of anxiety.
Then...
The Caladrius tilted its head.
Its golden eyes met Gino's.
A long sigh escaped Rowan.
"...Thank goodness."
Eva smiled in visible relief.
"I knew he'd make it."
Juno nodded quietly.
"The bird has accepted him."
Only then did the Caladrius hop gracefully onto Gino's lap.
Warmth spread through his body.
It began as a faint sensation in his chest before flowing through every limb like liquid sunlight.
The pounding in his skull disappeared.
His blurred vision sharpened.
The weakness in his arms vanished.
Gino watched in amazement as the wound on his forehead slowly closed beneath the bloodstained cloth.
Every bruise.
Every cut.
Every fracture.
Simply...
Disappeared.
At the same time, the Caladrius trembled.
Its dazzling white feathers gradually faded into silver.
Then gray.
Its once-radiant plumage became dull, as though every injury Gino had suffered had transferred into the bird itself.
"...Amazing."
Gino could barely whisper.
Everything he had spent his previous life researching...
Every forgotten manuscript...
Every obscure legend...
None of them had been lies.
The Caladrius spread its wings.
Rather than flying away, it circled lazily above the clearing.
Sunlight poured over its body.
Little by little...
The gray feathers regained their snowy brilliance.
Within moments, the mythical bird looked as pristine as before.
It descended gracefully.
Juno silently extended his arm.
The Caladrius landed with practiced ease before affectionately rubbing its beak against his sleeve.
A faint smile appeared on Juno's usually expressionless face.
"Good work."
The bird chirped softly.
Then, without being instructed, it hopped back inside its silver birdcage.
Juno gently closed the tiny door.
"Rest."
The Caladrius tucked its head beneath one wing and quietly settled into the cage.
Only then did Rowan finally relax.
He laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"You little brat..."
"You nearly gave us a heart attack."
"When Baba Yaga smashed your head, you went completely limp."
"I was already thinking about how we'd explain this to the Guild."
Eva folded her arms.
"I told you he was tougher than he looked."
Rowan snorted.
"Luckier than tough."
She smirked.
"I'll take lucky."
Gino slowly sat upright.
For the first time since waking in this strange world...
His body no longer hurt.
He looked toward the silver birdcage one last time.
The Caladrius rested peacefully, as though healing mortal wounds were simply another day's work.
"Myths..."
Gino murmured.
"They were never just stories."
Rowan looked back at him.
"What was that?"
Gino smiled and shook his head.
"...Nothing."
Eva stood and brushed the dirt from her clothes.
"We should search the hut."
"The recovery team will be here soon."
Rowan nodded.
"Same plan as always."
"I'll secure the perimeter."
"Eva, search the house."
"Juno, stay with Jack."
The three explorers immediately moved into action.
Gino watched them in silence.
Only hours ago, he had believed mythology belonged in books.
Now...
He was surrounded by people who hunted legends for a living.
And somehow...
He had become part of their world.