Chapter 2: The Girl
19:49 PM
Inside an abandoned house in the heart of the city, Guto slowly regained consciousness.
Coughing weakly, he muttered, "Where am I?"
A soothing, feminine voice responded, "It's best if you stay still. You're still injured."
"Who are you?" Guto inquired, his gaze drawn to the captivating figure before him.
"So beautiful," he whispered under his breath.
The young lady chuckled softly. "Hehehe... thank you."
"I'm Frøya Fengári. And you?"
Frøya was a striking teenage girl with lustrous black curls, with a slight dark tone in her skin. Her green eyes were large and enchanting, and she wore a necklace adorned with a radiant yellow amber stone.
"H-hi, I'm Guto Mörker," he stammered, inwardly cursing his sudden bout of nervousness. "Why am I here?"
"I found you unconscious on the ground and decided to help," she replied with a smile.
Her laughter was music to Guto's ears. "So, how did you end up in that forest, and why did you pass out?"
Guto hesitated before responding. "I'm a mercenary. Our camp was attacked in the middle of the night, and there were too many of them. I had no choice but to run."
Frøya expressed her sympathy. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It's not your fault," Guto reassured her, secretly finding her laugh endearing. "So, where are we now?"
"We're in an abandoned house in the neglected city."
"The neglected city?"
Frøya explained, "Indeed, there is no ruler in this city, much like many others in the vicinity. It's infested with dangerous creatures and mutated individuals."
"How far are we from the forest?" Guto inquired.
"We're about 4 kilometers away," she replied.
Guto contemplated his situation. 'My muscles are still a bit sore. Resting in this city might be a good idea before heading back. Besides, the longer I'm away from Throel, the better.'
"Why are you in this city, though?" he wondered aloud.
Frøya's expression turned somber. "I have no place else to go."
"What about your parents?"
Frøya remained silent, her face clouded with sadness.
"I'm sorry, Frøya," Guto said sympathetically.
"It's okay," she replied quietly.
Amidst their conversation, Guto's stomach rumbled audibly. He blushed and apologized, "Sorry, I haven't eaten in a while."
"Hehe, it's okay. Luckily, I've prepared dinner for us."
"Dinner? I don't want to be a burden. You should eat; you need it more than I do."
"Don't be silly; there's plenty for both of us."
"Okay, thank you very much."
Twenty minutes later, they were both eating.
"Hmm... This is delicious." Guto said with a polite smile.
'This is the worst thing I've ever tasted.' he thought to himself.
"Thank you, Guto. I put a lot of effort into it."
'She's so cute.' he couldn't help but think.
Guto noticed her curiosity. "I see you have purple highlights in your hair. How did that happen?"
'I can't tell her about my powers...'
"I don't know. I guess I was born this way," he replied.
"Hmm... it looks cool," she complimented.
"How old are you?" Frøya inquired.
"I'm 15. And you?"
"You look older than you are. I'm 16."
"Are your muscles too sore?" she asked, noticing his discomfort.
"Hmm... yeah, I suppose," Guto admitted.
"Would you like me to give you a massage?"
'YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!'
"No, thank you very much."
Guto couldn't help but question his response.
Frøya nodded understandingly. "Alright then, I'm going to head out to deal with some business. I'll be back in the morning."
"This late? Are you sure you'll be okay? Given the story you told me, this place seems dangerous. I can accompany you if you want!"
Frøya smiled gently. "It's alright; I know these streets like the palm of my hand."
"Alright then, be careful, and thank you again" Guto said.
As Frøya left the house, Guto prepared to rest and recover as quickly as possible.
***
In a dimly lit street alley within the neglected city.
'How fortunate that I found a boy with a Black Plague mutation. Those bastards would love to get their hands on him. And he's quite cute.' Frøya thought to herself, her cheeks reddening.
A male voice emerged from the alley's corner. "I've never seen you like this, Frøya. Something must have happened."
"It's none of your business, Marcus," she replied with a poker face.
"Now that's the Frøya I know," he chuckled with a lecherous grin.
"Shut up. Where is Dyskólios?"
"He's in the hideout, but be cautious; he's rather irate today."
"What happened?"
"You'll find out once you get there."
"I see. I'm on my way now." Frøya said.
***
Outside the hideout, Frøya heard shouts emanating from within.
"FIND HIM NOW! I WILL HAVE HIS GUTS AS MY BELT AND HIS EARS AS MY NECKLACE!" a furious voice roared from within.
'Damn, I've never seen him this angry. What could have provoked this reaction?' she wondered.
Frøya entered the hideout and found Dyskólios angrily tossing objects around the room.
Dyskólios cuts a slender figure, his fiery red hair and striking attire reminiscent of a circus performer. His face is perpetually concealed behind a plain white mask adorned with two bold red lines running from his forehead to his eyes, framing a large crimson smile.
"What in the world is going on, Dyskólios?"
"FINALLY, YOU'RE HERE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT YOU ALL DAY," Dyskólios snapped.
"Alright, there's no need for shouting!"
"Very well, I apologize. Back to the point, a Lugarious soldier reported seeing a boy who invaded their castle who looks familiar to me."
"Why are you so furious about that?"
"Because he's an ENEMY! Two years ago, I saw him wandering alone in the woods. I thought he'd be an easy target, but NO... that kid is a devil. How could he defeat me, the Great Dyskólios Soumiés? He had some sort of mutation in his body. So I pondered for a long time on how I could beat him, and you know what they say, 'If you can't beat them, join them.' So that's exactly what I did. I injected myself with a sickness, and I-"
"Alright, that's enough. I'm tired of listening to your story," Frøya interrupted, her tone blunt.
"I came here to deliver the details of the last mission you gave me, not to hear this nonsense," she added, retrieving a bag. Inside was a human head.
"Great job, that's the right guy. That's why I like you, you're always so efficient," Dyskólios praised.
Frøya turned to leave but was halted by Dyskólios's request.
"Wait... if you happen to come across that boy, bring him back to me alive. I'd like to have some fun with him," he said, handing her a drawing of the boy's likeness. As she looked at the drawing, her expression shifted to one of surprise, which didn't escape Dyskólios's notice. He gave her a suspicious glance before turning and retreating to his room.
Walking outside, Frøya couldn't help but think, 'That boy is even more special than I thought.'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone