After several hours, morning finally ignited.
The sky was like a clear canvas, bathed in a pure blue hue, stretching endlessly like an infinite ocean above the horizon, evoking a sense of serenity and openness.
Inside a square black tent, neither spacious nor cramped.
Hinako opened her eyes.
"Ah… Where am I? … Wait, Kogan…!"
She jumped up from her bed but immediately collapsed back down.
Her legs were weak—she hadn't eaten in a while. On top of that, she had walked a long, long distance.
"Don't move like that. You need to rest. I'll get you some food," said the woman who had treated her, sitting beside her.
Then, she stood up and left the tent to fetch the food.
Hinako wasn't fully conscious; her mind was hazy.
The only thing she could clearly remember was Kogan.
"Kogan…" A wave of relief washed over her as she saw him lying beside her.
She moved closer, checking if he was breathing, and only then did she truly relax.
There were no visible wounds on their bodies.
Hinaoko had fully recovered, but Kogan's condition remained uncertain.
After a few minutes, a man with his hair tied in a ponytail entered the tent, dressed in brown—it was the captain.
With him were two women: one was the healer who had treated Hinako, and the other was her work partner, the man who had attempted to treat Kogan.
They carried a basket of fruit along with some loaves of bread.
"Are you alright? Can you speak?" the captain asked.
Hinako looked at him with unfocused eyes, as if she were drugged. "I can speak."
"That's good. Here, take whatever fruit you like," the captain said, taking the basket from the woman beside him and personally offering it to Hinako.
He leaned toward her with a gentle smile.
Hinako stared at him for a moment, then reached out and grabbed a random fruit.
"It tastes awful," Hinako's face scrunched up. She didn't spit out what she ate out of respect for those present.
"I see. You can throw it here," the captain gestured to the woman who treated her.
She moved swiftly, handing Hinako a small container to discard the fruit.
"Here, you can eat this bread. It's delicious. And here is the water," the captain gestured with his hand.
Each person handed her something in turn.
"He hasn't woken up yet?" the captain looked at Kogan.
He was lying quietly on the bed, covered with a white blanket.
"How long have we been here?" Hinako asked.
"Since yesterday. I'll wait here until he wakes up, then we'll talk about what happened to you both. For now, just eat and regain your strength."
The captain sat quietly on a mattress on the ground, while the others remained standing in silence.
Hinako ate the soft brown bread, finding it delicious.
This allowed her to regain a bit of her vitality.
After several minutes, Kogan opened his eyes, his face pale.
As soon as they noticed, they quickly gathered around him.
Hinako was the first to approach him, followed by the captain, while the others kept some distance.
"Kogan, how do you feel?" Hinako asked with concern.
Kogan looked at her face—her red lips moved, but no sound came out.
"Can you move?" the captain asked with a smile.
Kogan turned to look at him, but it was the same—his lips moved without making a sound.
His breathing quickened, and panic and tension spread across his face.
Pressing his palms against the ground behind him, he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
He clutched his head, glancing around in confusion. "Aaa… I-I…"
Hinako stared at him, bewildered—she felt that something was wrong.
The captain looked at Kogan, then turned toward Hinako.
The rest of the onlookers exchanged glances, question marks practically hovering over their heads.
"Aa… Aa…" Kogan tried to speak, but only strange sounds escaped his mouth.
"Aa… Aa…" He continued, his eyes darting around in panic.
"Kogan, what's wrong?" Hinako grasped his hand.
Her worry deepened—could he have lost his mind? That thought terrified her.
She wanted to cry upon seeing Kogan like this, but she forced herself to stay strong.
She was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers. She hadn't even asked who they were or where they were.
Thinking rationally, she had remained calm, avoiding any suspicious behavior or unnecessary questions.
She had been eagerly waiting for Kogan to wake up and take control of the situation.
But seeing him like this, her heart sank into despair.
"Are you alright? Can't you speak?" the captain asked.
Kogan didn't answer. His eyes darted around the tent, his face filled with panic. To him, the world had fallen into an eerie silence, and that terrified him.
"Kogan… do you remember me? What's wrong? Don't scare me like this!" Hinako shook his arm, her voice trembling. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving damp trails on her skin.
She couldn't hold it in anymore. If something had happened to Kogan, then it was over for both of them.
In that brief moment, a flood of thoughts overwhelmed her.
Could she take care of him as he had taken care of her?
Even if she couldn't do it the way he did, she would give it everything she had to ensure they both survived.
'It seems his brain has been injured, affecting his mental state. Unfortunately, this type of injury cannot be healed.' The captain sighed internally.
A hint of regret settled in his heart. Had he known the extent of Kogan's injuries, he might not have treated him at all.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
A warrior of this caliber… wasted.
The cost of healing him had been immense.
That meant two things: first, his wounds had been incredibly severe. And second, and far more important—this man was beyond ordinary humans.
He had been eagerly waiting for him to wake up and answer all the questions in his mind.
How did you become this powerful? And why did your partner remain just a weak human?
But his hopes were shattered after seeing Kogan in this state. Now, he had no choice but to ask Hinako.
So why hadn't he asked her from the start?
First, she was just a weak person whose treatment cost less than two first-tier essences.
Second, from his experience, he knew that Kogan was the one making the decisions.
Wouldn't it be better to get answers from the person in charge?
Third, he could tell that Hinako was fragile. Her answers wouldn't be entirely reliable.
Even someone as strong as Kogan had ended up in this state, meaning they must have gone through something terrifying.
Forcing her to recall what happened would be a bad decision—one that could push her into another breakdown.