That night, the conversation between Anindira and Halvir still had not come to an end.
Moonlight slipped through the gaps, casting a dim glow across the wooden walls and animal hides.
The atmosphere was quiet, with only the sound of their breathing brushing against each other in that narrow space.
“Kak, is something wrong?” Anindira asked with a frown.
Her body tensed slightly within Halvir’s embrace.
“I was only talking to them.
Am I not allowed to do that?!”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Halvir replied.
His tone sounded indifferent, but his voice carried a firmness that left no room for argument.
“But they have to defeat me first!” he added.
The certainty in his voice was absolute, almost arrogant.
“Why does it have to be like that?!” Anindira exclaimed in confusion.
She turned slightly, though she remained seated on his lap.
“Kak, I know you’re strong.
But being too arrogant isn’t good!”
Her voice was firm.
Not angry—more like a principle she could never let go of.
That lesson had been deeply rooted within her.
Her father was a psychology lecturer at a prestigious university, her mother a surgeon, and although her family lived comfortably, their lifestyle was simple—shaped by grandparents who had come from a peaceful rural village.
Humility was not merely a lesson.
It was a habit.
“Kak,” Anindira continued, her voice softening slightly but remaining steady, “no matter how strong someone is, they can’t live alone forever.
Sooner or later, there will come a time when we need help from others.
That’s why it’s better to build good relationships with people.
Especially when they all come from the same village as you.”
The young woman was advising a man nearly half a century old—without hesitation, without fear.
Halvir smiled faintly.
The smile was almost invisible in the darkness, yet it could be felt in the warmth of his breath against the back of Anindira’s neck.
This was the first time a woman her age had spoken to him with such wisdom.
“Of course I know that,” Halvir finally answered.
His voice was deeper now, quieter.
“Maybe you don’t understand it yet, but this world has shown me that lesson many times.
I’m *Sapphire, but I can’t stand alone…
before you, maybe I could.
But now…” His pause felt heavy.
“Now I have to think about it.”
There was meaning hidden within those words.
Anindira sensed its depth, but she did not fully understand it.
Especially since she could not see Halvir’s expression.
“You’re more like Ezra than Zia,” Halvir continued.
“Even so, I still don’t like seeing you being too friendly with other men.
You need to know how to keep your distance.
It doesn’t matter whether they’re my friends or not.”
“Eum…” Anindira gave a small nod.
“It’s like this, Kak,” she said carefully.
“It’s been less than two days since I entered this village.
And you know that, aside from you, I hadn’t met anyone since I arrived in this world.”
She drew a breath, her instincts urging her to explain.
“Kak Hans…
he’s the only person who’s ever spoken to me, and even then it was through you.
I talked to him because he was the first person you met after entering the village.
So I assumed you trusted him very much,” Anindira said softly.
“Am I right?”
“Yes, you’re right,” Halvir answered without hesitation.
“Unlike most people, for some reason, I get along with Hans.
A friend—you can call him that.
I’m quite close to him. New chapters come out on g.com first.
He’s persistent and not easily bothered by what other people say.”
“I don’t know much about Kak Hans,” Anindira said.
“But I trust your judgment.
You introduced him to me because you’re sure he can be trusted.
I also see him like an older brother.
The two of you look about the same age.”
“I don’t know about your brother,” Halvir replied.
“But I know Hans.
I’m more than ten years older than him.”
“Hm?!” Anindira exclaimed in shock.
She turned quickly despite the darkness.
“Really?!
You look the same age to me,” she blurted out.
“Eum…
my oldest brother is twenty-one.
Then how old are you, Kak?”
“Your brother is much younger than Hans,” Halvir answered with a chuckle.
“I’m already forty-five years old.”
“That’s a lie!” Anindira shouted reflexively.
“Dira, I’m not a liar,” Halvir replied.
His tone was gentle but firm.
“Sorry, Kak,” Anindira answered sincerely.
Yet she refused to back down.
“But why do I feel like you’re teasing me?” she asked suspiciously.
“If you’re forty-five and Kak Hans is ten years younger, that means he’s thirty-five.
Did you two drink Black Orchid like in the movie Anaconda?!”
The suspicion in her voice was obvious.
Her stubborn nature—the habit of observing and questioning everything—surfaced naturally.
A trait very similar to Hans’s.
“What’s Black Orchid?” Halvir asked curiously.
“The immortality medicine.
The thing that keeps people young forever!” Anindira answered bluntly.
“Oh.” Halvir chuckled.
“So that’s what it’s called where you come from?”
“Hah, so it really exists?!” Anindira blurted out.
Her face immediately lit up—only to become sullen again a moment later.
“Yes.
Although it can’t exactly be called immortality,” Halvir answered casually.
“But making you look younger than your real age—that part is true.”
His smile widened, clearly enjoying Anindira’s expression.
“Kak!” Anindira protested.
“Do you think I’m that stupid?!” Her eyes widened even though neither of them could see it.
“Do you enjoy making me look foolish?!”
And in the darkness, Halvir laughed softly—without restraint.
Anindira immediately slipped out of his embrace and turned around until they were facing each other.
Even so, the darkness swallowed everything, and she still could not see anything.
Yet the sudden distance between them felt very real.
“Kak, do you enjoy seeing my stupid face?” she continued.
Her lips pouted in annoyance.
“You must be happy that you can see everything in this darkness.
You can clearly tell that I’m angry right now!”
Her expression was undoubtedly terrible—and she didn’t care.
Her frustration spilled out freely.
“Hahaha…”
Halvir’s laughter rang out.
It wasn’t loud or explosive, yet it was enough to make Anindira fall silent for a moment.
It wasn’t mocking laughter—it was warm, rare, and genuine.
“You’re mean…
You were teasing me…
Mean!
You’re making fun of me!
I almost believed you!”
She complained while unconsciously shaking Halvir’s shoulders.
Without realizing it, her face drifted closer again.
Too close.
Halvir held his breath.
Chu.
The brief kiss landed on Anindira’s lips—quick, light, yet enough to stop everything.
Anindira froze.
Her complaints vanished.
Heat rushed through her chest.
Her face burned, and for some reason…
she didn’t pull away.
Instead, a strange tremor made her heart pound even faster.
Halvir recovered first.
He immediately held Anindira by both shoulders and gently turned her around, returning her to her previous position—sitting with her back against him.
A safe distance was restored.
If Anindira had been able to see him, she would have known that Halvir’s face had turned bright red, as though steam were rising from his skin.
“Dira,” Halvir called softly.
His voice trembled right beside her ear.
“I’m not making a fool of you.
I’m forty-five years old.
Hans is thirty-five.
That’s true.”
He lowered his head until his jaw rested against Anindira’s shoulder.
“In your world, there’s ‘Black Orchid.’ Here, we have Green *Amber.
I wasn’t laughing because I was teasing you…
I was laughing because of your expression.”
Warmth entered his voice.
“You’re cute.
Adorable.
What’s wrong with me laughing?
I enjoy being with you.
It’s comfortable.
And that’s something that rarely happens to me.”
His breath brushed across Anindira’s neck, warm and slow.
One large hand rested over her shoulder while the other wrapped around her waist—protective and reassuring.
Anindira’s heart pounded wildly.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her body stiffened as though frozen.
She heard Halvir’s voice…
but her mind was empty.
Aware, yet somehow drifting.
The silence of the night enveloped them.
Usually quiet, it now felt full—filled with the loud beating of Anindira’s heart in Halvir’s ears.
Halvir smiled softly as he noticed the change.
He slowly rose, removed his clothes, and shifted into his beast form.
Carefully, he lifted Anindira—who was still trapped in a waking dream—and carried her toward true sleep.