Amari's eyes widened at the sheer size of Sylvia. She was much bigger than he had imagined.
Safiya, on the other hand, was paralyzed with fear. She couldn't move, certain that death was near.
Sylvia's piercing gaze locked onto them as she spoke, her voice commanding the air around them.
"Speak, humans. Why do you dare approach my lake?"
"We're just passing through," Amari answered calmly. "We don't mean any trouble."
Sylvia narrowed her eyes. "Such a casual tone to use in the presence of a demi-god… You treacherous human."
Silence fell between them.
Sylvia studied them closely—first Safiya, who trembled visibly, the fear evident in her face. Then Amari.
Unlike Safiya, Amari wasn't panicked. In fact, he didn't seem scared at all. He stood his ground, staring directly into Sylvia's glowing eyes without hesitation.
That made her furious.
She had struck fear into the hearts of warriors, entire nations cowering before her. But this boy—this frail child—showed no fear at all.
With growing frustration, she opened her mouth wide, preparing to devour them whole.
Safiya let out a scream, her voice raw with terror.
But Amari?
Amari moved.
His stance shifted, ready to fight.
Sylvia, inches away from consuming them, suddenly halted.
She retracted, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Her expression changed.
She recognized him.
"W-W-What are you doing here?" she stammered, her tone no longer dripping with confidence but caution.
"What?" Amari furrowed his brows.
"I told you to never come back here again!"
"This is the first time I've ever seen you, lady," Amari responded, confused.
"Don't play dumb with me—I know your scent."
Sylvia's voice wavered.
Amari didn't understand what was happening, but before he could ask more—
"Just leave. Get out of my lake, and don't ever come back!" Sylvia commanded.
With a flick of her enormous tail, she struck their raft, sending it spinning wildly across the water, splintering it into pieces.
Reacting instinctively, Amari grabbed Safiya, pulling her close to shield her as they crashed into the ground.
They tumbled across the land, rolling several times before slamming into a tree.
Safiya groaned, brushing dirt off her knees and elbows. She glanced toward the lake, watching as Sylvia disappeared beneath the surface, leaving only rippling waves in her wake.
She turned to Amari, eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you for protecting me… I really thought that was the end for us."
Amari remained silent, catching his breath.
But Safiya's gratitude quickly turned into shock when she turned fully toward him.
His leg—between the knee and foot—was broken. His left forearm too.
Safiya gasped, quickly covering her mouth.
"You need help," Amari muttered, wincing.
"I—I can't!"
"You can."
"No, no, no! I can't do this! I don't know what to do!"
"SAFIYA."
She froze.
Amari's eyes locked onto hers.
"You can do it."
Safiya had never heard that tone from him before.
Not disgust. Not impatience.
For the first time… trust.
She swallowed hard, then quickly reacted, hoisting him onto her back and carrying him deeper into the woods.
After carefully straightening his broken bones, Safiya ventured out to find food and healing plants.
She returned with a collection of herbs and fruits, placing them in front of the fire.
"I couldn't find any meat—"
"You didn't find any," Amari corrected, "or you couldn't catch any?"
Safiya sighed, crossing her arms. "Alright, fine. I couldn't catch any. Happy?"
Amari smirked slightly but said nothing.
"But I did find something great," Safiya continued, holding up a small golden fruit. "These are Marula peaches—only found near my village. And these," she gestured to the plants, "are Kava Healers, known for their fast healing properties."
She hummed softly as she crushed herbs, grinding them into a paste for Amari's wounds. As she worked, she started singing in a gentle rhythm.
Amari stared at her, then suddenly—
He laughed.
Safiya stopped, startled.
"What?"
"You sing while you do this?" he chuckled.
Safiya tilted her head. "It's a song from my village. We sing it to celebrate something—or someone. In this case, I'm celebrating that we survived everything, and… I get to see my family tomorrow."
Amari's smile faded.
"Family…"
Safiya noticed his shift.
"You don't have family, do you?" she asked quietly.
Amari nodded.
Safiya inhaled slowly.
No wonder he was the way he was.
He had only ever relied on himself.
"I'm sorry," she said, sincerity lacing her voice.
Amari shrugged. "It's fine."
"Well, tomorrow's a big day," Safiya said after a moment. "We should get some rest."
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm not hungry."
Safiya didn't argue. She just watched as Amari stared into the fire, lost in thought.
The following morning, the two woke early.
Amari barely spoke, still haunted by their conversation the night before.
"You seem troubled," Safiya noted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Amari said bluntly. "Let's just keep moving."
They continued their journey, passing through thick layers of trees, until Amari suddenly stopped.
Safiya hesitated.
"What is it?"
Amari scanned the woods, eyes sharp.
"Something's coming."
The sound of heavy footsteps grew louder, shaking the earth beneath them.
Then—
A humongous white tiger burst through the trees, charging toward them at full speed.
"RUN!" Amari shouted.
Safiya sprinted, but Amari remained, standing his ground.
Despite his injuries, despite his exhaustion—he refused to retreat.
The tiger lunged.
Amari leapt forward to meet it.
The battle against the beast was vicious—Amari's arm torn, his body slammed repeatedly against the earth. Safiya watched in horror but quickly gathered herself, grabbing a thick wooden staff and tossing it toward him.
Amari seized the staff, using it to strike the tiger's eye. A brutal exchange followed, Amari pounding its skull with relentless force until the beast finally collapsed.
Despite being drained, Amari stabbed the fallen creature once more—for caution.
Blood dripped from his shredded arm, his breathing ragged.
Safiya rushed to help him, but Amari pushed forward.
"We need to keep moving," he said through gritted teeth. "We're close."
As the sun reached its peak, Safiya recognized her surroundings.
"Amari… I think we're near my village!"
"Good," Amari murmured, barely able to stand.
But he had no strength left.
His body finally gave out, collapsing to the ground.
Safiya caught him before he fell, struggling to keep him upright as she continued walking.
She saw the village ahead.
She screamed, waving her arms.
A man spotted her from a distance. His eyes widened in realization.
"Safiya?! SAFIYA! SAFIYA!! EVERYONE! Princess Safiya has returned!"
Villagers rushed forward. A man and woman broke into a run.
Safiya smiled weakly.
Then—she collapsed.
The man reached her, lifting Amari onto his shoulder and cradling Safiya in his arms.
"You can rest now, princess," he murmured.
The woman dropped to her knees, sobbing.
"My child… my child is finally home!"
The man beside her smiled, tears spilling down his face.