Night had fallen, and the sky of Uranion was filled with glittering stars scattered between thin layers of clouds. After spending the entire day traveling away from Kertarimba Village, Sancaka, Alfa, and Daiva decided to stop at an open field on the edge of a forest. There were no houses or villages nearby, only grass, trees, and the sounds of nocturnal insects.
"Hah! I'm tired," Alfa complained as she dropped her medicine bag onto the ground. Daiva immediately sat down beside her.
Meanwhile, Sancaka began gathering scattered branches and twigs around the area. Seeing that, Alfa joined in to help. Even though she often complained, the red haired girl still did her share of the work. Not long, they had piled up a small stack of firewood.
Once everything was ready, Alfa crouched down and picked up two stones. 'Clack, clack, clack.' Tiny sparks began to appear. Then she pulled a small bottle from her bag and poured a little clear liquid over the dry branches.
"What is that?" Sancaka asked.
"A highly flammable liquid." Alfa replied.
"You carry things like that everywhere?" Sancaka asked.
"I carry a lot of strange things everywhere." Alfa said.
"That doesn't surprise me. The smell of medicine clinging to your clothes explains everything."
Hearing that, Alfa smiled proudly. After several more sparks, one finally caught the liquid 'Swoosh.' A small flame ignited. Gradually, it grew larger, illuminating the area around them. Daiva clapped happily when the campfire finally came to life.
Sancaka, however, remained silent. His gaze was fixed on the flames. The red and orange light reflected in his eyes, and in an instant, his mind was pulled back into the past. A past filled with burning houses, the screams of Wanasura Village's residents, a crimson sky covered in black smoke, and countless bodies scattered across the ground.
Without realizing it, Sancaka took a step backward. Then another. Only stopping when he was standing a fair distance away from the fire. Alfa noticed the reaction. Daiva turned to look as well.
"Sancaka? Are you okay?" Alfa asked.
Sancaka looked away. "I'm fine." he said.
"You looked like you just saw a monster."
"That's none of your business."
Alfa rested her chin on her knees. "Are you afraid of fire?" she asked.
"I'm not afraid."
"But I just saw you step back."
"Like I said, I'm not afraid."
Alfa stared at the flames for a moment. Then her expression became slightly more serious. "You were reminded of your village being destroyed, weren't you?"
Sancaka didn't answer. But his silence was answer enough. The night breeze drifted through the field. Daiva also looked at Sancaka with concern. Seeing him retreat from the campfire had made it seem as though he was frightened of it. Eventually, Sancaka let out a sigh.
"You don't need to think about it too much." he said. "I'm fine."
Alfa chuckled softly. "Heh."
"What?" Sancaka asked, noticing her laughter.
"So you actually have something you're afraid of."
"It's not fear."
"But it still looks like fear."
Alfa continued while raising both hands, still covered by gloves. "Everyone has something they hate. Like me."
"You?"
"I hate getting my hands dirty."
Sancaka looked at her gloves. "You really are strange."
"I'm serious. I'm not joking." Alfa stared at her hands, and her expression changed slightly. "My father used to get angry whenever he saw me making medicine," she said. "If my hands got dirty from medicinal ingredients… he would punish me." She paused. "One time, he even burned my hands."
Daiva listened quietly.
"After that, I started hating having dirty hands." Alfa continued. "Whether it's dust, mud, stains, or anything else, I can't stand it." She clenched her gloved hands. "That's why I wear these gloves. Even when I'm making medicine, I do everything I can to avoid getting even the slightest bit of dirt on my hands."
Sancaka listened to her story before replying flatly.
"You're still strange."
"Hey! I was telling you about my past!"
"And it's still strange."
"Seriously, you have no empathy."
"I never said I did."
Alfa grumbled irritably. Daiva, on the other hand, giggled at their exchange. The atmosphere became noticeably lighter.
After a while, Sancaka stood up.
"I'm leaving for a bit."
"Where are you going?" Alfa asked.
"To find dinner."
He lifted the gunblade hanging on his back.
"I'm going hunting. We'll see what kind of animal I run into."
Alfa nodded.
"Don't take too long."
Without replying, Sancaka walked toward the darkness of the forest. Before long, he disappeared among the trees.
Now only Alfa and Daiva remained by the campfire. The surroundings became much quieter. Daiva sat beside Alfa. The two of them watched the flames for a while before Alfa looked at the child. Daiva turned when she noticed her staring.
Alfa smiled.
"Want to play a game?" she asked.
Daiva immediately nodded enthusiastically.
Alfa raised both of her hands. "How about a clapping game?"
Daiva smile widened. They began clapping their hands together in a simple rhythm.
'Clap, clap, tap, clap.' Daiva and Alfa laughed together as they played beside the campfire.