Gemm

It was clearly out of breath, panting uncontrollably as it trudged toward her. It wasn't too far either; in fact, it was sticking close to the rocky path which would soon lead it to her.

Gemm wasn't worried about that, though.

Instead, she seemed to be rather confused.

The breathing sounded very human… so, was it a Corrupted?

That could be the case, but the reason it wasn't her initial answer was because the being had no… aura. 

It was mundane in all aspects. Typically, a Corrupted Human exudes a sense of dread, spreading its Cursed Energy through the air, igniting an unbidden fear. 

Gemm felt nothing, however.

With knitted brows, she continued listening to the being's steps as well as labored breaths.

The closer it came, the harder Gemm gripped the hilt of her katana. 

Several thoughts drifted within her mind, but she kept herself calm and resolute.

Whatever it was, it was about to die.

With a clenched jaw, she waited patiently, and just as the being was about to appear from the obscured side of the alcove… it fell.

'What in the world…'

Perplexed, Gemm reluctantly walked forward, taking a peek outside to her left. Her brows immediately lifted in surprise a moment later.

"It's… a human."

A boy dressed in some black military-like clothing was drenched from head to toe. His skin was pale — almost bluish — and he was shivering uncontrollably, his lips trembling. 

'He's experiencing hypothermia.'

Acting upon instinct, Gemm dragged the boy — who seemed to be about her age or younger — into the dark alcove. 

Then, quickly, she resummoned the [Ghostly Feather] and placed it within the ring of stone.

Sparks of ember ignited before the ghostly flame returned, spreading its warmth.

After that, she held him close, setting his head on her lap and using her hands as cushions of heat to soothe him. Only… she quickly realized it wasn't enough.

'Just how long was he in the damn water for?!'

Hesitant at first, she eventually began removing his clothes. They were drenched with coldness, and having them on would only make him suffer more.

'Why the hell am I doing this…'

She didn't know why, but she was. 

The guy was a total stranger… but he was dying. 

Gemm's conscience didn't allow her to just let that happen — even if they wouldn't see each other again.

Over the last year, she had grown used to seeing the same faces everyday, so it was a little weird to encounter a new one — it made her a bit hesitant as well, especially since she was all alone. 

But, he was a human nonetheless. 

He wasn't a vile creature, nor was he a Corrupted Human trying to kill her. 

Plus, she wasn't twisted enough to just let him die when she could prevent it.

Gemm struggled a bit, but successfully managed to undress him, leaving him with only his undergarments on. 

He was quite frail, his bony ribs stark against the surface of his flesh with several chills running over his pale skin.

Blushing, she began using her hands as cushions again.

Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough. 

He suddenly began shivering more, his body uncontrollably shaking.

'Damn it! He needs a more drastic amount of body heat.'

Blushing even more than before, Gemm began undressing herself. Not fully, though. She simply dismissed her breastplate before pulling down her tunic from the shoulders, revealing her covered chest. 

With that, she stuck close, hugging him.

***

'W-where am I…'

June was dazed.

The first thing his consciousness picked up on was how warm it was.

Opening his eyes fully, he was met with the rocky surface of a ceiling that was illuminated by a nearby fire, its shadows swaying.

Confused, he sat up, and that's when he realized he was shirtless. No, he was damn near naked.

"About time."

Suddenly, the sound of a voice made him flinch.

Turning around, he spotted a girl huddled in the corner of wherever they were, lingering in the shadows.

'W-what…'

Upon noticing her, he realized what had happened.

The wave had done a number on him, and by the time he left the cold depths of the horrid water, he was drenched.

This, in turn, affected him gravely. 

Eventually, he drifted onto land trying to find shelter… only, his mind and body were teetering on the edge of freezing over, affecting his senses. 

Ignoring it, he trudged down a rocky path that was partially obscured by the surrounding fog… before he couldn't stand any longer.

However, after he fell and his consciousness began to fade, he recalled hearing a pair of footsteps near him. At that moment, he thought he was just hearing things, but he indeed was not.

Which explained where he was now. She had saved him from the cold.

"Looks like you've come to your senses. You were quite out of it earlier due to the cold."

She said, remaining within the shadows. For some reason, her voice sounded a bit flustered, but maybe it was just June.

"Ah, y-you saved me. Thank you… wait."

Suddenly, June looked down at himself realizing something.

But before he could say anything about it she stopped him from doing so.

"Don't. You're alive, so… just don't."

He lingered for a bit… before nodding in return. Then, he said:

"My name's June by the way, thank you again."

He was lying on dirt but it was padded well, offering him some comfort. Not only that, but she had kept watch over him. 

She was never required to do any of these things, yet she did. Which is why he was thankful. 

If it wasn't for her, he'd surely be dead.

"Well, it was no problem. However… you should probably refrain from swimming in such places. I know humans younger than you that know better."

Surprised by her words, June replied immediately.

"A-actually, that was purely by accident. See, the Rift I came through summoned me up in the air so I kind of had no choice."

It was truly an unfortunate entrance to the Trial.

"Hold on a minute, did you say Rift?"

She suddenly asked, her attention piqued as she shifted forward.

"Uh, yeah, the Rift… you know, for the Trial. I guess it just spawned me randomly so I had no choice over where I arrived after entering it. Thankfully, you were here."

For some reason, she seemed rather interested compared to before.

"That's right…" She uttered underneath her breath, as if figuring something out.

'What is she on about?'

A few seconds later, she inched forward.

"You're part of the new batch of Challengers… which means, it really has been a year."