'This Place Is Boring'
Before Navir entered the village, a cheerful child with bright eyes and a radiant smile sat perched by the window, silently lamenting the dullness of her surroundings. Despite her complaints, shining eyes and lively expression radiated hope, as if the world still held something worth fighting for.
Tilting her head out the window, she caught sight of Navir approaching. The mere sight of him immediately wiped the smile from her face.
"Ugly," she muttered under her breath, passing harsh judgment even though he wasn't particularly unattractive.
Fortunately, none of the village girls vying for his attention heard her cruel assessment.
"Shama!" a woman's voice called from inside the house, but Shama chose to ignore it.
"Shama!" The woman appeared behind her, exasperation clear in her tone. "Are you deaf, child?"
Following Shama's gaze, the woman noticed that Navir had entered the house reserved for honored guests.
"Why didn't you tell me one of the honored ones had arrived?" The woman immediately bustled away to prepare food.
"He's ugly," Shama grumbled again.
"Since when have you called anyone anything else?" the woman replied, already busy in the kitchen.
"He..." Shama's voice trailed off as she pointed out the window, a genuine smile spreading across her face for the first time. "He's handsome."
Startled by Shama's sudden change in tone, the woman turned to see who had captured her attention. It was Vio who had just entered the village.
The woman paid little mind to Shama's chatter, more concerned with the fact that she hadn't prepared enough food for two guests. She hurried back to the kitchen to remedy the situation.
Meanwhile, Shama's eyes remained fixed on Vio. For reasons she couldn't explain, her hopes soared as he approached the ancient pillar at the village center.
'Will he... will he do it?'
Her breath caught in her throat until she witnessed Vio beginning to climb the pillar. She leaped to her feet, clapping her hands in pure delight.
"He's not just handsome—he's a hero! A real hero!" Shama shouted at the top of her lungs, her emotions pouring out through her voice.
The woman emerged from the kitchen, now properly veiled and carrying a tray of food. She headed toward the house where Vio had disappeared, with Shama stealthily following behind.
The moment Vio opened the door, Shama darted inside behind the woman, standing there with a radiant smile directed entirely at him.
'He's the hero! The actual hero! Should I reach out to him?'
Her mind raced with endless possibilities, but her hand moved of its own accord, beginning to rise toward Vio. The woman quickly intercepted it.
"What are you doing, child?" the woman scolded, gripping Shama's hand firmly. "My apologies, honored one. Will you be staying the night?"
Vio nodded his confirmation.
'Staying! Perfect! I'll find a way to talk to him. But first, I need to escape her watchful eye. She'll try to stop me, but no obstacle will change my mind. After all, he's the hero!'
With renewed determination, Shama nodded as well.
The woman promptly escorted her outside, releasing her hand only to begin a thorough scolding once Vio had closed the door.
"Shama, have you completely lost your mind? How dare you look at a man without covering your face properly?" the woman chastised.
"It doesn't matter—he's the hero," Shama replied, her smile never wavering.
Exasperated beyond measure, the woman dragged her back home.
The dining table was set with two modest plates, each containing rice, a small portion of lentil stew, bread, and a cup of water. The woman and Shama settled on the ground to eat.
"Hurry up and finish your meal. I still need to wash the dishes for the honored one," the woman said, beginning to eat.
But Shama left her food untouched.
'The hero isn't as poor as we are. He has plenty of food. He'll feed me when I go to him later. I should save room.'
The woman's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Shama tilted her head with feigned innocence, as if to ask, What?
"Girl, I know exactly what you're thinking. As soon as your father returns, I'm having a serious conversation with him. It's time you were married off."
"I'm still—" Shama began to protest, slamming her hand on the table.
"It doesn't matter," the woman cut her off sharply. "You keep dismissing every suitor with 'he's ugly, he's stupid, he's disabled.' You'll marry whoever is chosen for you, and that's final."
'No, no! Maybe the hero isn't ready to take me with him yet. I need more time.'
"I'm not even fourteen yet! I still have a whole year!" Shama argued desperately.
"You should have been married last year, but you've been taking advantage of your father's kindness. I won't allow it to continue."
Shama searched for something to say, anything to keep the argument going, but came up empty. Her frustration and anger boiled over. Now that she had found her hero, she accidentally let slip what should have remained unspoken.
"Maybe you should worry about your marriage first, you..." She stopped mid-sentence, horrified by what she'd just said.
The woman's face darkened dangerously, but she lowered her head, pretending nothing had happened, and continued eating in silence.
Shama's eyes filled with immediate regret. She hadn't meant to be so cruel.
"I-I'm sorry, sister. I didn't mean to—"
"I'm not..." the woman raised her voice but quickly lowered it again. "I'm not your sister."
"We're alone," Shama said softly, her voice full of affection.
"Don't even think about it," the woman insisted firmly.
Sadness clouded Shama's features as she lowered her head.
The woman sighed deeply and reached for Shama's hand.
"I'm already a burden on your father, and I don't want you to become one too. Now please, eat."
But Shama wasn't ready to let the subject drop.
"The sorceress didn't say anything definitive about your condition!" she protested.
The woman slammed her hand on the table in frustration.
"It doesn't matter! If you turn fourteen and remain unmarried, people will start asking questions. They'll figure out who I am and discover that I'm barren."
Her voice trembled as she spoke. She quickly wiped her eyes before any tears could fall, then tried to calm herself and explain as gently as possible.
"We're human, Shama. Don't let our resemblance to the honored ones fool you into thinking otherwise. They aren't human like us. Even though they emphasize the importance of marriage because they understand its significance, they don't truly need it as we do. But we humans... we're only valued for bearing children and performing labor that ruins our hands. Beyond that, we're considered useless. Now, please, eat your dinner and go to sleep."
'If I leave with the hero, I won't be a burden on Father anymore. And the hero isn't human or one of the honored ones—he's the hero.'
Without another word, they finished their meal in heavy silence.
"I'm going to bed," Shama announced, heading toward the bedroom she shared with her sister. After waiting patiently, she glanced back to see her sister beginning to wash the dishes.
'Don't worry, sister. The hero is powerful beyond measure. Maybe he has a solution for your problem. I'll ask him for your sake.'
Moving silently on her tiptoes, she slipped out of the house into the night.
'Ugh, another tedious evening in this dreadful place. I hate this mountain. Even endless deserts would be preferable.'
She skipped cheerfully toward the house where Vio was staying, only to be stopped by the sound of terrified screaming, followed by a thunderous explosion.
"BOOM!"
Shrieks and deafening explosions shook the very ground beneath her feet, sending her stumbling.
'What's happening?'
Despite falling, despite hearing those bone-chilling sounds, despite witnessing purple flames erupting into the sky and consuming nearby houses, her face remained eerily calm, completely devoid of fear.
Villagers engulfed in supernatural flames ran screaming through the streets, their agonized cries piercing the night as the once-peaceful village transformed into a living nightmare.
"Shama!" her sister screamed, appearing from nowhere and grabbing her roughly. "What are you doing? Run!"
She dragged Shama along, pure terror gripping her heart, while Shama looked on with nothing but puzzled curiosity.
Everywhere they tried to flee, another explosion forced them to change direction. The purple flames seemed to follow their every move with malevolent intent.
"Shama, move faster!" her sister yelled desperately. Seeing her sister's absolute panic, Shama decided to run as well, though her expression remained unchanged.
No matter which direction they turned, the terrifying purple flames pursued them relentlessly, until they froze in absolute horror as Zaves emerged from one of the burning houses like a demon from the depths of hell.
"Ahhhh!" her sister screamed, collapsing to the ground in paralyzing fear.
Zaves smiled with pure, sadistic delight, thrilled by the screams and terror his presence inspired.
The woman pulled Shama into a protective embrace, desperately crawling backward, but the flames behind them cut off any hope of escape.
While her sister trembled uncontrollably, Zaves raised his hand with obvious intent to incinerate them both.
"Burn and—"
But suddenly, his expression twisted into a deep, confused frown.
The longer Zaves stared into Shama's calm, utterly fearless eyes, the deeper his frown became. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
"You... you... you," Zaves stammered, his voice filled with bewilderment. "Why aren't you afraid?"
Held tightly in her sister's trembling arms, Shama found herself unable to speak.
"Woman! Release her so she can answer me. Now!" Zaves barked with demonic authority, and her sister's grip loosened involuntarily, freeing Shama.
"I'll ask you one… one… one more time—why aren't you afraid of me?" Zaves demanded.
Even Shama couldn't fully understand why. She should have been terrified by the horrific scene unfolding around her, but fear simply wouldn't come. When she heard his question repeated, she could only respond with the first honest thought that entered her mind.
"Why would I fear a demon," she said, smiling with innocent confidence, "when the hero is here?"
From the raging flames behind them, something shot forward at impossible speed, catching Zaves completely off guard. A metallic fist aimed with deadly precision straight for his face.
"BOOM!"
Zaves was sent flying through the air, and Vio landed protectively in front of Shama.
"Son of a bitch!" Vio snarled, his voice dripping with lethal intent. "Of all the nights you could have chosen, you had to show up tonight?"