***

"Moon, wake up!" Kristina's voice echoed in my ears.

"Nnnn... Moon...?"

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Can you stand?" Kristina was asking me repeatedly.

"I'm fine, thanks for worrying about me." I said.

"I thought you were gonna die, I really did!" Kristina exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, that's how things go sometimes. And that's why I need to keep practicing my gun skills." I said.

"Don't be like that. I was really worried." Kristina sighed.

I looked around. Our surroundings were quiet. No one was attacking us anymore. After defeating our enemies, it seems only half an hour passed. In the meantime Kristina bandaged me and Sebastian. I felt better after the treatment.

"Hey, where's that girl they were attacking?" I asked.

"She's sleeping. Don't worry, she's isn't dead." Kristina assured me.

I stood up and walked towards the bandits. They had been killed by my bullets. I stared at their corpses for a moment. I felt my hands shaking.

"What's wrong, Moon?" Kristina asked me.

"Nothing." I lied.

I searched the corpses. I realised that they too had that strange blue rose sewn on their clothes. I was seeing that rose a bit too often lately.

After the search the men had quite the sum of money, all in all it was 20 goldens.

Later I walked towards the girl we saved earlier. She was starting to wake up. Her face was pale. I helped her sit up and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"You're awake." I said.

"Y-yeah..." she stammered."Where am I?"

"We're near the river." I explained. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Um... yeah... I was ambushed..." she answered.

"Well, I'm Moon. This is Kristina and Sebastian. We fought off those guys, so don't worry." I told her.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to die." She breathed out.

"So, what's your name?" I asked her.

"My name is Ririn." She replied. "I'm a famous prospector."

She puffed up her chest proudly.

"Ririn, huh? Do you know what happened to you? Why did they attack you?" I asked her.

"I was walking along the river, searching for gold, when suddenly two men attacked me. They were dressed simply and were aiming at me their guns. I was scared." She told me.

"They were definitely bandits." I frowned.

"Yes, they were obviously bandits. But they weren't normal bandits either. They had a strange mark on their clothes." Ririn continued.

"Yeah, that blue rose, I saw it too." I agreed with her words.

"Is that bad?" Ririn asked.

"I think so, I've seen it before. I think something bad is coming." I told her.

"I see..." Ririn pondered. "Anyway. Thank you again. I need to go now." She got up.

"Wait!" I grabbed her hand. "Shouldn't we escort you? You are all alone here."

"Well, uhm... you don't have to. Oh, right." she pondered something then showed me the map with a certain location marked on it. "I need to get there as soon as possible. You can meet me there if you want to. Thank you again and bye."

The girl ran away from us without another word.

"Wow, she sure runs fast." Kristina commented.

"Yeah, she does.” I agreed.

"She sure is." Sebastian said too.

***

After a while I got up on Donkey and we resumed our journey. I was riding on my faithful mount, who was taking me far away from danger. I was thinking about Ririn and her story. I knew that her life was endangered by these mysterious people. I remembered the strange rose on their clothes and decided to investigate further. I wanted to find out more about them. All I knew was that they might be rebels. Then the night came and we stopped to camp.

I had to sleep. I dismounted from my horse and lay down on the grass. While I was sleeping, I heard someone approach me. I turned my head and saw a man in black standing next to me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't have to know. Now die." he said without emotions.

He pulled out a knife and tried to stab me. I dodged his attacks and punched him hard in the stomach. He groaned and stumbled back. I threw a punch at him, but he blocked it with his fist. He kicked me hard in the side. Pain shot through my body.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"..." he didn't say anything.

"Leave me alone!" I said.

"I can't. You made enemy of some very dangerous organisation." he finally answered.

"Enemy? Who?" I asked. Then I realised. He was from that dangerous organisation Lufas mentioned before. I started to tremble.

'So they found me!' I thought. 'I hope Lufas is alright.'

I tried to run away, but the man in black caught me easily. I struggled against him, but he held me tight. I felt the cold steel pressing into my neck. I closed my eyes.

"Shh, calm down. It's okay, everything is going to be okay." The man whispered to me.

Then he pushed me onto my knees. He was holding a small dagger. He was using it to cut my shirt. He put it on top of my left shoulder.

"Stop!" I shouted.

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "But you have to die. It's your fault."

I didn't understand what he meant. Why? Why was this happening to me? I tried to ask this myself, but he just pressed his blade harder against my throat.

"Please don't!" I begged him.

"It's fine. You'll die soon enough." he assured me.

"What's going on?!" I heard Kristina's voice.

"Tch! An useless woman." He cursed.

I felt Kristina grab the man's arm. She was trying to stop him. But he moved quickly and punched her in the stomach. She grunted and collapsed. Sebastian tried to protect her, but the man kicked him in the gut and knocked him down.

"Kristina! Sebastian!" I screamed.

"Stay still, Moon." he replied.

I was shocked. How did he manage to reach them so fast? I tried to get up, but he grabbed me and dragged me to the ground.

"Wai-" I started to shout.

"Hush." he interrupted me. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you live. You must die." he said.

"No, please don't do this!" I cried.

"I'm sorry, but it's my job. I can't leave any witnesses alive."

Then man swung his knife at my neck. I closed my eyes, but the pain didn't come. Instead, I felt something warm running down my throat. I opened my eyes and saw that the man was bleeding profusely. Blood was pouring from his nose and mouth. His expression changed to shock. From his head, an arrow was sticking out.

"Wha- what's happening?!" I exclaimed.

"You are so careless, as always." I heard another voice. I knew that voice! It was Lufas! He appeared in front of me with a bow in her hand.

I stood up and rushed towards him. I hugged him tightly.

"Ugh." he sighed. "Moon, calm down. Don't touch me."

He looked exhausted and it looked like he was bleeding.

"Lufas, what happened to you?!" I screamed.

I released him. He staggered a little, but managed to stay upright. He wiped the blood from his nose.

"I had a fight with some of them" he said. "They used their strange techniques to make me bleed."

"Strange techniques?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it." he told me. "You should rather worry about your own safety."

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes, you. Your life is in danger. There are enemies after you. Did you already forget?" he asked exasperated. "Also your followers are lying there. Shouldn't you worry about them more?"

"Ah, Kristina, Sebastian! Are you okay?!" I run towards them and asked worried. But, they were still unconscious.

"Ugh. They were hurt because of me." I muttered. "I need to... I need to get more home as soon as possible. So, I won't endanger them anymore."

"Right." he nodded. "Anyway, Moon. I will go now. Be careful."

"Eeh?! Aren't you going to stay a bit more? Please?" I pleaded.

"I can't afford to waste time here." he said. "Stay alert."

He walked away from me.

"Wait!" I called out to him.

"Don't follow me." he told me.

"But..." I said with sadness. For some reason I didn't want him to go.

"Just complete your assignment with them and hide yourself. That's an order." he ordered me.

"Okay..." I said reluctantly.

"Good kid." he smiled and ruffled my hair. "Bye bye."

Then he vanished.

"Damn, I miss him already." I sighed. "Ugh, what's with him? And what's with me! Aargh, I don't know anymore!"

***

I was waiting for Kristina and Sebastian to wake up. In the meantime, I searched the man in black clothes. I found a small golden pendant hanging on his neck. On the bottom of the pendant, it read '5,20'. I took it and went back to the others.

"I wonder what it means." I talked aloud to myself.

I sat and hugged Beary, while for the other two to wake up.

Kristina and Sebastian finally woke up, when the morning came. We were all tired, but I was happy that we managed to survive last night.

"Hey, guys. Good morning." I greeted them cheerfully.

"Oh, hey." Kristina yawned.

"Morning." Sebastian yawned too.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked them.

"Eh? Oh, I'm fine. I feel much better than yesterday." Kristina said.

"Same here." Sebastian added.

"Are you really okay? You were punched rather hard, right?" I asked worried.

"Punched? What do you mean?" Kristina asked confused.

"Err, uhm, well, uhh, during the fight earlier, the man punched you in the stomach." I explained. "Don't you remember?

"I see. Those were pretty good punches. Are you alright my Lady? I'm sorry for getting you hurt." Sebastian commented.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm not hurt. Just a little sore." she said.

"Still, I think you should rest for today. Tomorrow, we can continue our journey." Sebastian suggested.

"That's a great idea!" I agreed. "Let's heal up and get both of you home!"

"Umm. Are you alright Moon? You sound different somehow and look pale." Kristina asked concerned.

"Yeah. I am." I admitted. "I'm just a little exhausted. Ehehe." I laughed, trying to hide my weakness.

"You're weird." Kristina said with a smile. "You don't act like this normally. Do you feel sick or something?"

"Maybe. But, I'll be okay if I rest for a while." I said. "Don't worry about me!"

"Well, if you say so."

After resting for a day we continued travelling towards Kristina's manor.

***

We reached Kristina's manor. It was a huge building which was built from red bricks. The building was surrounded by many trees and bushes. A large garden was located near the manor.

"Wow, it's beautiful." I remarked.

"It looks pretty impressive, doesn't it?" Kristina boasted about her home. "Do you want me to show you around inside?"

"Sure." I agreed.

"Come on then, Moon." Kristina said excitedly. "Sebastian, please take care of the horses and luggage." she called to her butler.

"Yes milady." Sebastian bowed and got to work.

I followed Kristina through the garden. The garden was huge and well maintained. It had a large pond, which was decorated with colourful plants and flowers. On one side, it had a stone bridge, where several stones were placed into the water.

"This place is amazing! This is the first time I've ever been in such beautiful place!" I exclaimed.

"Hehe" she laughed. "I guess I have a pretty nice place, huh?"

"Whoa!" I gasped when we entered the building. I was in awe of how big it was. The hallway we were walking on was wide enough to fit four horses on each side.

"H-how big is it?" I stuttered.

"Big. Bigger than you would expect. Don't worry, I'll guide you through, so it will be easier for you." she reassured me.

On our way we were greeted by servants.

"Welcome home Lady Kristina." the servants said respectfully.

"Thank you." she greeted them. "Where are my parents?"

"They are in the study. Would you like to meet them?"

"Of course." she agreed.

"Please follow me."

The servant led us to the study. When we reached there, there were some people sitting around the table. They stood up when they saw us coming. They looked older than Kristina and Sebastian. One of them was dressed in a fancy suit.

"My dear daughter!" the man shouted, "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Dad!" Kristina exclaimed joyfully and ran to hug him. She also embraced her mother next to him.

"It's been so long." the woman said. "How was your journey? Was it fun?"

"It was wonderful! It was so exciting! I met many interesting people!" she exclaimed happily.

"So, did you bring me anything from your journey?" she asked curiously.

"Of course I did!" Kristina said proudly. "And I brought you presents! Look." she held up a box in her hand. "These are for you."

"Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much!" her mother exclaimed.

"You're welcome." Kristina smiled and put the box on the table. "I hope you like it."

"We'll try them later." her father said. "In the meanwhile, could you introduce us?" he looked at me. "Who are you? And why are you with my daughter?"

"Oh, right! I forgot, it's my friend Moon!"

"Um... that is... I'm Moon. „I said awkwardly. "I was asked to escort Kristina here and somehow we became friends."

"Friends? That's good! My daughter always had problems making friends..." the man said with somewhat pained expression. "Well, come on in. I'm sure you'd like to sit down." he invited me. His wife nodded approvingly.

His house was very warm and inviting. It smelled delicious. Like freshly baked bread or something else sweet. I liked the atmosphere here. Maybe even more than the outside. Everything felt safe and secure. It made me feel relaxed.

"And those are my parents". Kristina introduced us.

"Nice to meet you," I greeted them. Then, Kristina showed them the gifts she bought for them.

She gave her mother a perfume bottle with a rose design and her father a wooden carving. Both were handmade and exquisite. Her parents seemed delighted with them. They thanked Kristina repeatedly and hugged her again and kissed her cheeks.

"What a lovely girl!" her mother gushed with excitement. "Such a caring child."

"Mum, stop embarrassing me!" she complained with embarrassment. "Anyway, let's eat lunch now."

After that one of the servants guided us to the dining room. There was a table set up for ten persons. However only four of us ate together – Kristina, her parents and me. Two servants served food to everyone.

While we were having lunch, Kristina told me everything about herself. Apparently she grew up in this manor since she was born. Her parents were merchants. Their business involved selling all sorts of merchandise, like spices and exotic fruits. Because of that, they travelled often throughout the continent. While they travelled, they hired local guides and guards to accompany them.

One of these days, when Kristina was twelve years old, she accompanied her family to an unknown land. As usual, she spent most of her time playing with Sebastian. For some reason, Sebastian never left her side no matter where she went.

Kristina noticed that I was getting tired after the entire journey and decided to show me around her home. After eating we walked along hallways until we arrived at her bedroom.

Her bed was covered in silk sheets. In front of her desk there was a small bookcase filled with books. Above the door hung a painting showing a sunset over a lake.

Kristina pointed out various things as she talked. Some paintings caught my attention, but I wasn't able to read what they said. Most of the pictures were of landscapes.

"This is my favourite picture. I painted it myself. Isn't it beautiful?" she asked pointing at it.

"Uh, yes. Yes it is." I answered hesitantly. "Very nice indeed." I complimented her art.

"Really? Thanks." she grinned. "Now, I know you must be tired, so let me show you my treasure chest." she opened a drawer under her bed. "See? Inside it are lots of stuff I collected during my journeys."

"Treasure chest?" I inquired.

"Yep. Treasure chests full of goodies!" she explained enthusiastically. "Most of it isn't useful though. My mother says that it's all just junk. It makes me a bit sad."

"Why do you keep collecting them?" I wondered aloud.

"Because it makes me happy."

Kristina talked a lot today. Even though she laughed a lot, she also had that desperate expression on her face. Something was bothering her. As if she wanted to tell me about all her life until now. As if... As if...

'That's right...' I realised.

Tomorrow I will leave this place. Tomorrow, I will resume my journey. Without Kristina and Sebastian.

I tried hard to ignore the feeling of sadness coming over me. Instead, I focused on listening to Kristina talk.

"...and so on." Kristina concluded. She looked down, like she didn't know what to talk about anymore. We both remained silent for a moment before Kristina suddenly spoke. "Would you like to stay overnight here?"

"What?! But, isn't this your room? Your parents aren't going to allow—" I started reluctantly. "Sleeping with a girl in the same room is a bit..., I... I'm a boy... after all..." I managed to squeeze out weakly.

"Yes, I know. So, don't worry." she cut me off quickly and confidently. "I already told them that we would sleep together tonight."

"What?!"

Kristina grabbed my hands with hers and looked into my eyes. "Moon, do you hate me?"

When she finished asking that, her voice sounded different. Stronger and bolder. Almost demanding. Suddenly, I felt goose bumps run across my skin. Why am I reacting like this? Is this really happening? What's wrong with me? Did someone cast a spell on me? Or maybe it was because Kristina was acting differently. If anyone acted like that, I would think they were crazy. Crazy, yet attractive. But...

"I... I don't hate you." I managed to say.

"Then, do you love me?" she demanded again.

"Huh?!" I couldn't believe what I heard. No way! Not possible! Impossible! "Wha—what are you talking about?" I stammered nervously.

"Tell me." she insisted. "Because... I love you a lot..."

Kristina hugged me tightly against her body and pressed her lips onto mine. I opened my eyes with surprise. At first, I thought she was joking; however, her kiss was firm and passionate. The warmth spread throughout my entire being. This was not a joke!

For some reason, my heart beat faster. A part of my brain screamed inside my head telling me to resist. To push her away. Yet another part of my mind knew that resistance was impossible. With great effort I pulled back slightly. Only then did I realise how close our faces were. Our noses touched each other. And still, the heat between us continued unabated.

I mulled over her question and confession.

'What do I feel about Kristina? Do I love her?'

I remembered how we met, all the time we spent together. All the times we argued and laughed and cried. It felt pleasant and warm. The answer came easily. Of course I loved her. But, I loved her as a friend or a sister. Nothing more and nothing less. Just as any normal person loves his siblings or friends. Right?

'I don't love Kristina in that way. I think. If.. if there is someone that I love then...'

Then momentarily I saw Lufas in my mind for some reason.

'W-why is Lufas coming to my mind now?! L-let's just forget about him.' I chased away weird thoughts that came to me suddenly.

'I-I don't like that brutish man, not at all. Rather, I hate him, he is just an idiot. Idiot ! Idiot! Idiot!'

Ugh. What was I even thinking about. I tried to calm myself down. I thought about that person, still lingering in m memories.

I remembered the boy that gave me Beary at that time when I was small. He was kind enough to give it to me without asking questions. It saved me. Even though I never saw him again. That boy definitely saved my vulnerable self. I closed my eyes trying to remember his face. Who was he? Where was he now? Was he alive somewhere...?

The image of the young boy was slowly vanishing from my memory. Perhaps I imagined him. Maybe he was imaginary. An invention of my imagination to protect my mentality when I was younger.

But, was it true that he was gone forever?

'I want to meet him.' I whispered to myself. A strong desire came over me. It was stronger than anything. I wanted to see him once more. Hear his laugh again. I wanted to know what kind of man he grew up into. Touch his hand and look deep into his eyes. Feel his soft hair brushing gently against my cheek.

There was no use thinking about it anymore. I looked at Kristina and smiled sadly. I pushed her away from me gently. "I'm sorry Kristina, but I love someone else." I confessed honestly. "It might sound selfish, but I have to follow my own path. Someone very special to me has been waiting for me. You understand, right?"

Kristina stared at me blankly for a while. Then she put on a smile as if already knowing my answer from the beginning and hugged me tight again.

"So that's how it is." she sighed. She lifted her chin proudly. "You're so kind Moon. Thank you for letting me know your feelings."

"No problem," I replied softly.

We stood like that for a long time. Neither of us moved. Finally she broke the silence.

"So who is 'he'? The one that stole your heart? You will tell me everything!"

She was quite persistent, even though she seemed unsure whether she should ask such a thing.

"Now hurry up and get undressed because it's late and I want to sleep soon too."

She turned away from me and began rummaging through drawers in her dresser. Suddenly, she found what she was searching for and pulled out two nightgowns. A pink one and a blue one.

"Here." she handed me one of them. "Put this on." she commanded me while gesturing toward the other drawer.

"Wha...?!" I exclaimed surprised by her sudden change in attitude.

After putting on the nightgown, which barely reached above my knees, she helped me take off my clothes. When I hesitated for a few moments, she took hold of my wrists and forced me to strip almost naked.

"W-what are you doing, Kristina?!" I protested loudly. There was something odd about her behaviour. Her actions made me nervous.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her, wearing the nightgown she handed me. She giggled happily watching my embarrassed state. "You look so cute like this!" she praised me. I was sure I looked ridiculous.

"I'm... I'm not cute at all! I look terrible!" I objected.

"Nonsense! You look adorable!" Kristina disagreed cheerfully. She held my hand and led me to her bed. "Come on! Let's go sleep together. You will tell me about your beloved person and we will talk about all sorts of other things before we sleep. It will be fun."

Her words calmed me down. After all, there wasn't much choice left anyway. Still, somehow, I felt guilty for accepting Kristina's offer. In fact, it felt good. I liked being around her. Especially since she kept calling me "cute". It made me blush every time.

While lying side by side on the bed, Kristina cuddled me close. We talked about all sorts of things. Some trivial matters. Others about life and death. And about love. The time we spent felt really warm. Eventually, we fell asleep while holding hands.

***