Matt walked in the forest, ignoring the turmoil in his heart.

Since returning to his flesh, troubles after troubles keep on popping left and right. Though dangerous, Matt calmly faced them without any worry. Matt strongly fears for his mental state. Meeting little Kaira was just the first of his worries, and at the rate, he is going atꟷ Matt won’t see the last of it.

Matt shoved his unnecessary worries at the back of his mind, as he channel stimulate to himself. Magic techniques to Matt are almost instinctive, like breathing.

This forest is surely full of life, unlike the desolate state of the city where Matt woke up. His magic spell, DANGER SENSE, is at full throttle. Matt taking initiative to see the presentiment danger is nothing short of impulsive. But like how Matt felt his ‘mage instinct’ acting up, Matt just cannot find it in himself to deny the mystical implications of his subconscious mind.

Matt’s legs tensed as he parkour among trees, literally jumping from one tree to another. When he put his mind to it, he feels like he can do it as long as it is humanly possible. Matt can’t see the common sense in it, he reckons that it might be because his physical attributes were somehow enhanced after his petrification.

The agility and dexterity Matt is exhibiting are nearly superhuman. This is the fastest and most covert way that Matt found reasonable, so Matt steadily maintained his soaring figure between the lush green trees, to see what he wants to see.

But what is it that he wants to see?

Matt doesn’t truly know. What he knows is that he wants it…

“Just where this ‘mage instinct’ could be bringing me to…”

Matt has heard enough from his mentor about how reliable and powerful a mage instinct was… But it’s happening far too often for Matt. This ‘mage instinct’ is supposed to be rare! The idea of something as great as fate guiding him feels uncomfortable and odd.

After some time, Matt stopped on his feet, carefully balancing himself from the branch. The sight of a butterfly stuck in a spider’s web caught his attention. It ticked him off, so he destroyed the webs, setting the butterfly free.

A cold wind passed by~ swoooosh~ it is weak, nothing short of a breeze. But it still managed to push Matt at his moment of carelessness.

“Shit.”

Matt fumbled as he struggles to maintain his balance. His descent is inevitable, so Matt took it to himself to land without any scruple. He lay backward, headfirst giving up his weight to gravity. There, he saw a silhouette of a robed figure.

“Move out of the way!”

Move out of the way? Matt felt that his choice of words is too dumb for his own good. His DANGER SENSE is not acting much, but a stranger in the middle of this forest might as well be a harbinger of danger for Matt.

The robed figure raised its hand, casting a thin shield of translucent yellow. But Matt’s descent is too fast, that even with Matt’s telekinesis, he can hardly stop his fall.

‘A mage?’ Matt consciously thought, asking, as he collide with the robed figure. Matt made sure to hold the person, aware that he will get in trouble if this mage go hostile to him. Matt doesn’t have any confidence in beating a mage in a spellcasting duel, so Matt made this countermeasure of physically restricting the stranger.

Matt held the stranger’s slim waist, feeling the lack of mass and height. They crashed, rolling several times along the dirt and grass. Before even Matt got a look at the stranger’s face, Matt has long ascertained the robed figure’s gender. The momentum ceased, their roll finally coming to a stop.

Matt locked his legs above the figure’s waist. He restrained the stranger with his physique, as he presses his palms over her shoulders. A little bit aggressive, but the fact that this mage might know something of the danger in Matt’s strange vision demands Matt to be more cautious of whatever he is dealing with.

Then he saw it… her…

***

She woke up estranged from her surroundings. She felt scared and at the same time, curious… Just where in the world is she?

She remembers… she remembers… remembers what? Her forehead scrunched in pain, her face in a grimace... she remembers nothing.

“Why? Ack! My head… My name, what is my name again? Why can I not remember anything?” Migraine assaulted her mind, she can hardly find order among the chaotic emotions she is trying to resist.

There were sadness, despair, and longing… Just why is she feeling these emotions? With no memories to refer to, she is as clueless as she can get. She breathed slow and steady, calming the turbid emotions in her mind with little ease.

With her receding fear of the unknown, came the clarity in her eyes. She saw a blur of green, then there was grass… then the forest~

“This place looks like a forest.” When she finally gathered her thoughts, she made a casual observation of her surroundings. She inspected herselfꟷ a black robe, well-endowed nails layered with black ink, and “Haaaaaa” she exhaled in her palms then smelled her breath… inwardly telling herself 'yep, definitely not a bad breath,' as if enforcing the factuality of her observation.

The sight of the quirky lady is heart-warming. She even had the gall of raising her arms to smell her armpits. Her odd behavior aside, she felt mighty fine without any complications or whatnot.

“Move out of the way!”

Huh? Move who?

When she looked up, she saw a rapidly descending shadow, it was a young man in a shabby suit. She felt something inside her, urging her. She raised her hand, suddenly summoning a thin shield of translucent yellow. Maybe because her concentration is lacking, the shield was easily torn upon impact.

It was magic! She felt surprised at the revelation of the mystical power she possesses. Alas, there is something else she should be wary of first… BAM!

The descending figure held her without any hesitation as the two of them succumb to inertia.

They rolled… rolled… rolled… EEEK! ‘Did he just touch me?!’ Then stopped…

She can feel the strong arm grabbing her waist. When they finally stopped, she struggled to escape the young man, but the young man just won’t let go of her. She can feel something restricting her. Strong arms pressed on her shoulders. As the young man put more weight into restricting her, she happens to gaze unto the young man’s eyes.

Then she saw…

Absolute ebony eyes, strands of hair as dark as the starless night skies… Who is this super-duper-handsome guy? Or an average handsome guy? Below average? Ordinarily average mister?

Weird thoughts aside, she can feel an undeniable attraction to the young man.

‘But I don’t even have memories of him?!’ She didn’t even realize it, but her nose is just an inch away from him. Like how she was attracted to the young man, the young man felt the same.

An impulse so primal, it is driving the two of them crazy… She cannot endure anymore, seemingly out of nowhere, she ignored reason.

The tip of their noses touched. She lunged, pressing her lips to his~ wet… the distinct information of wet rushed into her brain… so is this a kiss?

Matt’s ego protested ‘What am I doing?!’

It was…a long one, and damn, the amnesiac curious lady even went as far as sticking her tongue out. Matt was scared by the intrusive behavior, but he is too out of breath to complain.

Their lips parted leaving a string of silver stretching from their lips.

Matt looked into her dim eyes reminiscent of the day she last looked at her.

“Len…” He whispered, full of love.

YOWCH!

Matt felt a stinging sensation in his head, feeling the nausea of the impact. ‘Len? Did she just hit me?’

The so-called Len head-butted Matt without remorse, even actively casting stimulate and a magic spell worth four techniques. Matt was able to detect the fluctuations of magic accurately, as his DANGER SENSE provide him with incessant warnings.

BAM!

The impact is heavy, and another stinging sensation once again announced itself at Matt’s brain. The amnesiac lass just kneed him in his gut.

“Die, rapist!” She announced, her mentality surged, and the mana flared. She raised her hands, gathering the fire elements in the surroundings. Stationary fireballs floated around her.

“Len? Ch-chill, will you?” There is just so much Matt wants to tell her. There have been so many changes that happened along their petrification.

It was then, that Matt finally noticed. The magical elements gathering around Len are too deadly. Matt extended his mentality, trying to discern Len’s emotions. There was... embarrassment, rage, and killing intent.

‘W-why? It was just a kiss, right? It doesn’t warrant a death sentence, right? Wait… it was her who did the kissing, right?’ Matt exclaimed in his mind because of Len’s unreasonableness.

“L-len?” Matt awkwardly asked, his racing heartbeat won’t settle.

“What Len? I am…” Her voice trailed not sure of what to call herself.

“I am forgetful-lady-with-black-nails!” But her shamelessness knows no bounds.

‘That definitely sounds like Len, especially when drunk…’ Matt thought to himself.

Len introduced herself as such, and with a thought, she unleashed her magic. The series of fireballs launched themselves with fury; Matt can feel the danger of a magic spell worth four magic techniques.

Matt stood there, shocked by Len’s words. He cannot be mistaken, this is Len… She should be Len… The properties of Matt’s mana together with the unique application of his mentality say that this is Len. But reasoning seems to dictate a different truth.

It cannot be. It pains Matt’s heart that the girl that has occupied his heart for centuries doesn’t recognize him.

“There is something wrong with Len…” Matt told himself, convincing himself that the current Len needs to be fixed. Matt can still remember that day when Len lost her mind to some unknown forces.

The heat of the blanket of fireballs threatens to engulf Matt. But Matt’s calm won’t allow any of that. Magic is composed of two parts: mentality and mana. The former is the will that controls the magic, while the latter is the fuel that drives that magic. Matt’s mastery of the two is as immaculate, as much as his understanding of magic techniques.

Matt raised his hand, sending his intentions to his mentality. Magic spells are essentially composed of two or more magic techniques, and given Matt’s profound understanding of such techniques; it is an easy feat for him to dismantle them.

And that is what he did. The flames as they got closer to Matt became smaller and smaller. The magic techniques that bounds the magic spell as a whole started to falter. The flames went faint, only to vanish into sparks as Matt unravels Len’s magic.

“Wow.” Len was shocked witless by what she witnessed. She didn’t feel any magic, only the sudden disassembling of the mana she accumulated. Matt’s display of dispelling her magic is impressive, but the most surprising of all for her… is that she can now use magic!

The lass can’t still get over it.

She stared at her hands with disbelief, then at Matt, and then searched the heat wave that momentarily surrounded her. With a thought, a wisp of fire found itself at her fingertip.

“HAHAHAHA! I can really use magic! It is not a dream, it really is MAGIC!” She laughed like a madwoman who just won the lottery. Matt awkwardly watched from a distance, cautious of Len's fluctuating emotions.

It took Len some time to stop laughing, and return to composure. Matt doesn’t remember Len being manic, but Matt can understand… After all, who wouldn’t go bonkers if they suddenly learn that they can use magic?

“Have you calmed down, Len?”

“Huh? Ah… yeah? YEahe!! I am calm!”

“You don’t sound calm to me.”

A back and forth, a familiar exchange of dialogues, and an acquainted face. Matt feels overwhelming fulfillment in his heart as he exchanges a quip or two with Len. Through their dialogues, Matt was able to gain some insights into what happened to Len. Matt to the best of his abilities tried to convey what might’ve happened to her. All of this feels so good to be true for Matt, that’s why he can’t make any mistakes in reconnecting with Len.

“So, my name is Len… We are like, in love… We got stoned because of magic… and maybe because of the passage of time while under petrification, I forgot a lot of my memories… Is that right?” She summarized, remaining reluctant about the truth. The shock is still evident on her face.

But really~ Stoned?

“It is just a theory though; maybe you forgot your memories for a different reason. Are you ok, Len?”

“Of course, I am not. I woke up in the middle of the forest without memories of my past. Coincidentally meeting you, someone who knows me, then… then…” Len stuttered not keen on continuing her words. Matt looked at Len’s face, only for her to tilt her head away. Matt can see her slight blush even with this angle.

“And the rest is history…” Matt added to her stuttering voice, recalling that deep passionate kiss.

“…”

Len silently replied with a nod. She cannot make head or tails of what is happening. From there, they walked. Matt led the way, as the two of them find their way into these forests.

The sun is at its peak, and the shades of trees offer a cool comfort as the heat subsides. The two of them sat at a thick root adjacent to the other. Len decided to follow Matt for whatever’s worth are the man’s words. Len’s actions can be interpreted as naivety; to believe in someone’s words like that easily is tantamount to gullibility.

Len’s amnesia is a vulnerability she dares to risk, a brave and insolent move of hers. But Matt sees none of that for his happiness is breaking through the roofs~

“I love you, Len.” Matt’s sudden words caused the resting Len to panic.

Wh-whaat? Len’s cheeks blush a deeper shade of pink.

“Wh-aat aare you suddenly saying… What?”

“Sorry about that, Len… I feel just so eager to make up for the lost time. I don’t even know how long it has been since that incident. And now that you have amnesia, I feel obligated to help you.”

“It must’ve been hard for you.”

“I don’t know, Len… My heart is now weak. My emotions are… dying… My love for you is one of the few emotions that keep my mind intact. In some instances, my ‘mage instinct’ acts up, as if trying to remind me not to lose my emotions. When I woke up in this era, I witnessed a war machine inflicting murder without any grievances. I watched it while feeling nothing at all, as those men lose their lives. Then my ‘mage instinct’ suddenly acted up, when this little girl that is about to die by the machine’s hands caught my attention… she was… sigh… I don’t even know why I am saying this…” Matt glumly said, ending his rant. His words are frank and true. Len stares at him intently, her gaze of worry is like a salve to Matt’s weak heart.

“What did you do then? Did you try to save the girl?”

“I think I did, but I don’t know now.” Recalling the terrible events that followed was uncomfortable for Matt. Realizing that her inquiry must have been unpleasant, Len felt guilty.

When Len woke up in this forest, learning none of her memories, she felt fear more than curiosity. After all, the unknown has been always a deterrent to the insightful mind. The Matt in front of her is more than capable of an insightful mind, but he just has too many fears…

Len stirs, her movements are like that of a cat. She hugged Matt from behind, spoiling him in her embrace.

“Weak heart? I don’t think so. I think there were never a strong heart and a weak heart, to begin with. If it is about hearts then there could only be oneꟷ a heart.”

Len placed her chin above Matt’s shoulder, softly feeling his presence with her touch. Her hand slithered to Matt’s hands, their fingers interlocking together.

“Hmmm… What should I say…?”

Len without any respect for boundaries, like the old Len that Matt knows, whispered to his ear.

“Matt, have a heart.”