CHAPTER 42: CH 42: RESCUE MISSION - PART 3

Luna stirred slowly, her lashes trembling as her eyes blinked open.

For a moment, the world felt unreal, hazy, like she was caught in a dream. She lay on her side, staring at the faintly glowing cave ceiling above her, trying to piece together the last fragments of memory.

Something felt wrong.

No—something felt different.

Her body... it didn’t hurt.

That realization struck her like lightning. She jerked in place, testing her arms and legs in disbelief.

The sharp, familiar pain that usually came with every movement was dulled, softened, almost gone.

Her ribs no longer burned when she breathed, her back didn’t scream from welts or bruises, and her head wasn’t spinning with fever.

She was—better.

Luna sucked in a sharp breath and forced her trembling body upright.

A shadow moved.

"Don’t."

The boy’s voice was firm, cutting into her daze. His hood had slipped just enough for her to see his eyes, cold and sharp as blades.

He looked too calm, too steady for someone who had pulled her out of hell.

"Lay down. You’re still recovering."

He ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

Recovering?

Her lips trembled as she tried to form words.

"Where... what happened? Where am I—"

But then she froze.

No. She wasn’t supposed to ask. Questions led to punishment.

She had learned that long ago. Her throat closed up and she clamped her mouth shut, staring at her own hands in shame.

The boy across from her sighed quietly, his expression tightening.

"You collapsed in front of me. I saved you."

He said, his voice quieter this time.

Her gaze darted up, meeting his for just a heartbeat before falling again.

Saved her? That word didn’t make sense. Nobody saved people like her. People like her were left to rot, or sold to the highest bidder.

Silence stretched, heavy and awkward.

Then his next words cut into her.

"Do you have family?"

Luna froze, lips parting. The question sank like a blade into her chest.

Slowly, stiffly, she shook her head.

The boy didn’t react. No flicker of pity or disappointment. It was as though he had expected it all along.

And he had.

Lucian sat back slightly, his eyes narrowing. The system had already told him everything he needed to know—Luna was an orphan, a girl dragged into slavery when she was still a child. Her life was supposed to change only when she met the hero of this story.

He would free her, and together their tale would unfold into something the world called destiny.

But Lucian’s gut churned.

He didn’t trust destiny. Not anymore.

’For the drake of my debt, I will do what I have to. If the fate won’t flow normally, then I will force it to flow as I need it to.’

His very existence here was already an interference. Every step he took, every choice he made—threads of fate shifted around him.

If Luna followed her original path while he was still tangled in this world, she might not live long enough to meet her destined hero.

And if she died, his mission would be compromised.

’Unnecessary risks are inevitable, but I would rather not increase the risk more than I already have.’

Lucian hated the thought, but he had learned the truth the hard way in past lives.

Fate only flowed smoothly if all its pieces were present. The how didn’t matter. The order didn’t matter. But the people—those who carried the threads—had to survive.

Which meant this girl had to come with him.

"If you’ve got nowhere to return to, then come with me."

Lucian said at last, his tone flat but steady.

Luna blinked.

She stared at him, suspicion flashing across her fragile features. She wanted to refuse, wanted to snap that she had no reason to trust him.

But the words wouldn’t form. Because deep down, she knew the truth.

He had already saved her once.

And in her world, where kindness was rarer than food, that was already too much. And only one thought formed inside her head when she looked at Lucian.

’He’s a good person...but he seems a little foolish as well, saving someone like me and even wasting resources on me. Is he...somehow a little easy to scam? I feel sorry for him.’

Despite these complaints, Luna could not bring herself to speak to Lucian.

Her throat felt clogged at that moment as she nodded, slow and hesitant.

A faint glow sparked between them—the light of the contract. The mark etched itself into her skin as she pressed her name into it. Her bond to him was sealed.

"I’m Luna Lunalight. Also, when do we leave?"

She asked quietly, still not daring to raise her voice above a whisper. She finally managed to gather enough courage to speak up.

Lucian pushed himself to his feet, tugging his hood lower over his face.

"As soon as I’m done. I came here to save my companions. That comes first."

Luna bit her lip but said nothing. She followed when he gestured, slipping behind him as they made their way through a narrow crack in the cave wall.

The cold night air rushed against her skin, making her shiver.

The world outside was cruelly bright, stars glimmering above as if mocking her memories of darkness.

They reached a small clearing.

Luna froze.

Ahead of them, a cage had been dragged out, its bars bent and broken. People tumbled out of it—men, women, children—faces bruised and eyes hollow. Their bodies trembled as they collapsed against the ground.

Lucian’s gaze sharpened. He recognized them instantly.

The three men who had signed with him. Their families.

They had been discarded like garbage, their prison thrown aside as if they were nothing more than bait.

Luna’s breath caught in her throat. Her hand went to her chest, trembling.

"Are you... are you going to help them?"

Lucian didn’t answer immediately. He stared at the scene with eyes colder than winter.

Then he moved forward, each step quiet, deliberate.

"That’s why I came here."

He said.

His voice was steady. Unshakable.

And for the first time since she had met him, Luna realized—this boy wasn’t lying.