Encounter

Eating a power bar and sipping from her water canteen, she got lost in her thoughts while sitting on a rock. Flashbacks came through her without a warning. Hands pumping a chest, desperate screams, a light as bright as the sun, and a dangling pocket watch were the vivid memories that suddenly entered her mind and rendered her a statue on her seat.

What are those flashbacks? Are those the things she forgot before she came to this forest?

Sunny's head started to throb when she tried to focus her mind on those blurred memories. She stopped when she couldn't take it anymore. Rubbing her temples, she shook her head, as if by doing that she would also shake her thoughts away.

When she came to her senses, she almost jolted from her seat when she spotted a snake coiling on a branch near her. Sunny held her breath and swallowed hard. There are anti-venoms in her first aid kit for snake bites, but it would be best not to get bitten because venom from snakes comes in different varieties. And a snake in an unknown forest shouldn't have an ordinary venom.

Carefully sidestepping away, she ran on her feet when she reached a safe distance. She just stopped in her tracks when she heard a howl. Looking around, she tried to calm herself down. 

But the hair on her nape stood eeriely when she felt something dangerous on her back. Her body ducked automatically, as if it sensed an upcoming danger, and as expected, a wolf jumped over her out of nowhere. She would have been pounced on if she hadn't ducked. When she got up, she hit another wolf that jumped on her, using her umbrella with all her might. 

The wolf cried from pain as its body was struck on a tree.

Sunny breathed harshly from her mouth while finding her feet to run for her life. With her little body, she couldn't last that long.

Without a particular direction, Sunny touched the gun to her waist while running. Should she use it now? Sensing those wolves behind the foliage after her, it would only be a matter of time before she wore herself out.

Determined, she took the gun as she lowered her speed. However, she tripped on the protruding root of a tree, stumbling her down. She fell on her face and the gun in her hand flew away because of the impact. 

Terrified and hurt, she rolled her body to get up, only to meet the inclement eyes of the wolf that jumped on her. But before those sharp fangs sank into her flesh, a sword slayed the wild animal, spraying its blood on her clothes. 

Sunny gasped as her heart hammered against her chest. She thought she was done for. She looked up at the person who had just saved her life. He's tall and he's dressed like an ancient Chinese warrior. Blood was dripping from the tip of his sword. She could only see his wide back as he slayed the remaining wolves. 

But what an agile movement! The sharp movement of the young man was not normal. Is he a martial arts master like she sees in the movies?

Soon enough, the young man dropped his bloody sword and fell on his knee. Wondering, Sunny noticed that the man was wounded as he clutched his chest. But that wound wasn't caused by the wolves. Those wolves didn't even have the chance to lay their paws on the warrior. 

"Are you alright?" she asked out loud, with a tone of worry. 

At that very moment, the man turned his head in her direction, making Sunny's eyes widen in awe.

He's so beautiful. Transparent milky eyes, a pointed-straight nose, and lips that are as red as the peach blossoms; his face is so gorgeous that it almost takes her breath away.

Is he even a human like her? His facial features looked so perfect. 

But when Sunny glimpsed the whole face of the man, half of his face had weird black marks, like a tattoo. What a blasphemy to blemish that flawless skin! Still, that didn't stop her from admiring the beautiful man. Did the Gods already hear her prayers and send her a handsome husband-to-be? Does he have a number? Should she approach him and ask him out on a date?

Those thoughts vanished when she saw an upcoming wolf that was going to attack the guy. And the guy remained on his knees, panting, not doing anything to defend himself.

In a hurry, Sunny stood up and grabbed the gun on the ground. She wasted no time and loaded it, firing the wolf in the air and killing it after the process. A loud bang echoed in the forest, startling the other animals that scuttled away. 

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sunny looked at the mysterious young man who was looking in her direction too. But he wasn't particularly looking at her. His transparent eyes are weird. It remained steady and stagnant, like his sight couldn't be distracted by anything.

The young man still didn't say anything, but his confused face told her that he was bothered by what she did. Or rather, bothered by the firing of the gun. Is this his first time hearing such a thing? Is he really an ancient man and not a cosplayer?

Sunny walked up to him, and strange as it may seem, he never followed her direction with his gaze. She just confirmed that strange thing when she got closer to him.

The young man is blind. He couldn't see her, but it seemed like he could feel her presence. Just to make sure, Sunny waved her hand in his face, and he just remained calm as a statue. Not even blinking. 

"Are you okay?" she asked again. "Are you hurt?"

He didn't speak and just clutched his chest on his knees while trying to suppress the pain in his expression.