After a few seconds, the feeling of magic leaves me, and I feel a little tired but also happy.

My grin starts to fade, and I relax a little.

I can still feel the warmth on my skin and a strange energy inside—it's the power, the magic, the rush of victory that I've never experienced before.

It was amazing, and it was all mine.

...

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, focusing on my heart beating to calm myself down.

"Okay… okay, breathe, Kyouko… Breathe."

My tail stops moving so fast and rests against my leg. My ears are still up, but they stop twitching so much as I try to calm myself.

The heat on my cheeks is gone now, replaced by a small flush of victory.

I slowly open my eyes.

My fire is gone now.

The goblins are dead, and there's no sign of Crimson Lotus.

...I guess that's it.

As I turn towards the girl, our eyes lock. It's a strange, sudden pull, like we're both caught in a moment of suspension after a storm.

For a heartbeat, I feel like we’re both lost in the echoes of what just happened, the forest fades away. It’s just the two of us, locked in this strange moment.

Then, she breaks the connection, her gaze shifting away as quickly as it had appeared. The forest comes rushing back, the smell of smoke and burnt flesh filling my nose.

I swallow, feeling the aftershock of what just happened.

Right... I saved her.

I saved her and those goblins are dead, and that's... that's it.

It's strange, I don't know what to say. But I know she’s probably confused too.

I decide to approach her.

I stop in front of her, looking at her face to see how she feels.

"Are you okay?" I ask, in a quiet voice.

Her eyes shift down, then away, breaking our gaze with a quiet deliberation. She doesn't answer, but tilts her head a little, her gaze returning to me as if something piques her interest.

She’s… calm. Too calm. Is this normal?

I tilt my head too, mirroring her, and give her a small smile.

"Just so you know, I just saved you from those goblins," I say with a playful tone.

I point at the bodies, then back at myself, my tail swishing in a way that I can't seem to control.

"It's okay, you don't have to thank me."

"..."

I feel a little awkward waiting for her to say something... anything.

Her brow furrows slightly, a subtle shift in her expression as she scans the goblin corpses, then back at me. It's a fleeting analysis, like she’s processing data, not an emotional response. She still does not speak.

I shrug, my tail swaying gently as I lean towards her.

"My name is Kyouko," I say, pointing to myself with a playful tap on my chest.

I pause, waiting for a response, but she remains quiet.

"Hmm,"

"I guess you don't know how to speak." I gesture to her, pointing at her mouth then shaking my head.

Then, I point at myself again.

"Kyouko."

Her violet eyes finally meet mine, a vibrant, unnatural violet that I didn't notice earlier. They’re like hypnotic spirals, darkening from the center out, edged with luminous highlights that draw my gaze. Sharply angled, dark eyebrows frame them, adding to her intense, focused look.

Her hair is a river of long, straight, ink-black strands that flow down her back with a deep purple tint. Her features are delicate – a small nose, a mouth that’s almost a pout – and she's dressed in clothes that are ripped and worn. She's so small, and it gives her this calm, almost unsettling, quietness.

Despite her silence, there's a sharp, observant intelligence in her eyes that's unnerving.

I sigh. This isn't working.

"Well," I say, clapping my hands together,

"I guess we can't just stand here all day."

I take a step back, scanning our surroundings. This dark, creepy forest is definitely not a safe place to hang around.

"We should get out of here."

As I turn, my kitsune ears twitch, picking up the telltale sound of heavy movement in the dense trees behind me.

Before I can even fully process what’s happening, the small girl acts with surprising speed.

Her slight body slams into my left side, just below my ribs, the impact stealing my breath and sending me stumbling abruptly to my right. It's a forceful shove, not a clumsy nudge, and I'm completely off balance, barely managing to stay on my feet.

"Gh!" I gasp, my small body almost toppling over, caught off guard by the suddenness of the action.

As I regain my balance, I see the source of her urgency.