CHAPTER 20: CH 20: SECOND RESCUE - PART 2

"Not so fast—keep the water moving over her hands, not her feet. Extremities warm last,"

Lucian said flatly, his eyes sharp as he guided Berry’s clumsy attempts.

Berry gritted his teeth, but obeyed. His thick fingers weren’t made for this delicate work. Every time the little girl’s skin twitched or her lips parted with a faint groan, his pulse jumped.

’She’s alive... but barely. One wrong move, and she’s gone.’

Lucian worked with unnerving precision. His small hands didn’t shake, not even once. He rotated cloths, monitored her breathing, and dictated instructions like an experienced physician.

"Not too hot. Lukewarm, Berry, lukewarm. If she sweats, you’ve overdone it. Stop immediately."

Lucian repeated.

Berry bit back a sigh.

"You sound like some village healer... No, more like a doctor from the capital. How the hell do you know all this?"

"Books."

Lucian’s reply was curt, clipped.

Berry almost laughed.

’Books? He says it like it’s that simple.’

The more he heard Lucian speak, the more his conviction solidified. This wasn’t some ordinary kid.

Every order, every calculation, every warning—Lucian spoke with the tone of a man who had seen death, seen survival stripped to its barest bones.

Berry glanced at Lucian’s small frame. The boy looked no older than twelve, yet his words carried the weight of someone who had lived twice, thrice that long.

A curse. That was the only explanation Berry could cling to. Some learned scholar or sage, reduced to a child’s body through cruel fate.

His musings were cut off as Lucian leaned closer, pressing fingers to the girl’s wrist. His eyes narrowed.

"Her pulse is steadier. That’s good. We’ve bought her time."

Berry exhaled deeply, shoulders relaxing for the first time since they dragged her in. He placed the damp cloth back into the bucket, staring at the unconscious girl.

"Then she’ll live?"

"If nothing else goes wrong. The supplies we left—those parts are still vulnerable. If scavengers find them before we return, all this effort will be wasted."

Lucian muttered, straightening. He glanced toward the door.

Berry clenched his fists.

"I’ll go get them."

Lucian’s gaze flicked to him, sharp.

"Eat first."

Berry blinked.

"Huh?"

"You’ve been running on empty since morning. If you go now, you’ll collapse halfway there. Sit. Eat."

A flush crept up Berry’s face. He wasn’t used to being told off by someone barely reaching his shoulder. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"...Fine. You’re right."

Lucian didn’t bother to respond. He was already back at the girl’s side, adjusting the blankets and checking her skin for dangerous patches of frostbite.

Berry rummaged through their packs, pulled out dried meat and stale bread, and began chewing with deliberate slowness.

He hated to admit it, but Lucian was right. His body had been trembling from exhaustion.

It was then that the girl stirred.

Her lips parted, a shallow breath escaping with a faint whimper. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes clouded with confusion and pain.

Berry froze mid-bite.

"Lucian—she’s waking up."

Lucian didn’t look away.

"Stay calm. Don’t crowd her."

But calm was the last thing the girl knew.

Her gaze darted around wildly, landing on Lucian’s small figure at her side. Her expression twisted—fear, panic, instinct. With a feral snarl, she lashed out, her arm swinging clumsily toward him.

"Careful!"

Berry shouted.

But Lucian had already anticipated it. He leaned back just enough, her frostbitten fingers swiping the air inches from his cheek. His face didn’t so much as flicker.

The girl tried to rise, her body shaking violently with the effort. Her movements were sluggish, heavy from the cold’s toll, but desperation drove her forward.

Lucian rose smoothly, retreating a step, then another. He didn’t try to restrain her—he simply moved toward the furnace.

And just as he calculated, her attention snapped to it.

The moment the waves of heat brushed her skin, her entire body swayed toward it, trembling hands stretching out.

She staggered forward, dragging herself closer, hungry for the warmth like a moth to flame.

But the furnace was merciless.

The blast of heat hit her fragile body like a whip. Her arms recoiled, muscles spasming as pain surged through her. A raw cry tore from her throat.

Her mind cleared—sharpened by the agony. The daze lifted, and wild, instinctive fury took its place. Her eyes, sharp and untamed, locked onto Lucian again.

"Calm down. You’ll only destroy yourself like this."

Lucian said evenly, his voice cutting through her labored breaths.

Her lips curled into a snarl. She lunged, body clumsy but driven by primal force.

Lucian didn’t flinch.

Instead, his hand darted into his coat pocket and pulled out a small pouch. With practiced ease, he scattered the dried leaves into the edge of the furnace’s flame.

A bitter, sharp scent filled the air instantly. Smoke curled upward, greenish-gray, enveloping the small space.

The girl froze mid-step, her snarl catching in her throat. Her eyes widened, then blinked sluggishly. Her movements faltered, legs wobbling.

Berry coughed, waving the smoke from his face.

"What... what the hell is that stuff?"

"Sedative blend. Harmless for us."

Lucian’s tone was cool, unbothered, even as the girl’s body sagged and crumpled.

Within seconds, she collapsed onto the floor, unconscious once more.

Berry stared, mouth agape.

"...You—what kind of child carries something like that around?"

Lucian didn’t answer. He stepped forward, grabbed the girl by the wrist, and with surprising strength for his small frame, dragged her across the floor.

He dropped her onto the edge of the cot with a thud, indifferent to Berry’s incredulous expression.

Satisfied, Lucian dusted his hands and turned away.

"She’ll stay under until morning."

Berry blinked at the sight—the boy standing over two unconscious figures, one sedated, the other barely breathing before, both alive only because of him.

’This isn’t normal... this isn’t a child.’

Lucian sat cross-legged near the furnace, closing his eyes for the first time since they’d begun their rescue.

His small chest rose and fell steadily, utterly composed, as though the entire ordeal had been nothing more than routine.

Berry swallowed hard. The silence stretched, broken only by the crackle of the furnace.

"...I’ll finish eating. Then I’ll get the supplies."

Lucian’s voice came, quiet but firm.

"Don’t take longer than you need to."

Berry nodded, but his eyes lingered on Lucian for a moment longer.

The more he saw, the more certain he became.

This wasn’t a child who had stumbled into his path by chance.

This was someone far older, far more dangerous— A learned man trapped in the shell of a boy.