Chapter 9: The Girl Named Camellya
552 Words
Rain had begun to fall softly, washing away the blood and ashes that covered the forest floor.
Chris sat by a tree, breathing heavily, his gloves torn and damp. The Voidedge Sword had vanished once again, leaving behind only that faint ache in his palm — a reminder that the power was real.
Beside him lay the red-haired swordswoman, her chest rising slowly. The wound had closed, though she remained pale and unconscious.
Chris sighed quietly. “You’re lucky… and so am I,” he murmured. “If you’d seen what I did, you’d probably run too.”
He rested for a while, the sound of rain blending with the hum of cicadas. Eventually, the woman stirred, her fingers twitching.
Her eyes fluttered open — bright crimson, sharp yet calm. She blinked a few times, confused.
“W-Where… am I?”
Chris quickly straightened, trying to appear casual. “You’re safe. I found you collapsed in the woods after a monster attack.”
Her brows furrowed as she sat up, wincing a little. “Collapsed…? I—” She glanced at her blade beside her, still faintly glowing with red vine patterns. “I don’t remember… the battle ended so suddenly.”
Chris looked away. “Yeah… the monsters ran off when I got here. You must’ve scared them off.”
She studied him for a moment, then gave a small smile. “I see. Well, thank you… stranger. I owe you my life.”
He shrugged. “You should rest for a bit. Moving too soon might reopen the wound.”
The woman chuckled softly. “You sound like a healer.”
Chris tensed for a moment but nodded. “Something like that.”
She stood up slowly, brushing the dirt from her cloak, her hair catching the faint red of the setting sun.
“My name’s Camellya,” she said, extending a hand toward him. “A wandering swordswoman. I don’t stay in one place for long.”
Chris hesitated, then took her hand. “...Chris. Just a healer doing small quests.”
Camellya smiled gently, though her eyes carried a spark of curiosity. “A healer traveling alone in monster territory? That’s brave—or foolish.”
“Maybe both,” he said with a faint grin.
She laughed softly, the sound like a flicker of warmth in the cold forest.
“Well then, brave fool, let me at least walk with you until the next village. Consider it repayment.”
Chris wanted to refuse—to stay alone like always—but something in her tone made it hard to say no.
“Fine,” he said. “Just don’t push yourself.”
As they walked together through the misty woods, Camellya talked about her travels, her sword style, her dream of one day forming her own guild. She laughed easily, like someone who’d never known fear.
Chris listened quietly, hiding the tension in his chest. She didn’t know what really happened back there—and he wanted to keep it that way.
But somewhere deep inside, the Voidedge mark pulsed once more, as if reacting to her presence.
> “Two souls of red and black… destined to cross again.”
Chris ignored the whisper and kept walking beside her, unaware that this meeting would change everything.
- Writer
