Grrrgle...
Grrrr...
The soft rumble of a stomach—barely audible, even to its owner.
"I'm so hungry... Mum... Dad... when will we meet again?"
Yukiara Sonare, a small girl with raven-black hair, ivory skin, and eyes the pale blue of a clear sky, was exhausted. The orphaned child lay slouched against the cold stone wall of a narrow alleyway, just a few turns from the bustling market square.
From here, the sounds of traders calling out, bartering, and laughing drifted faintly, just loud enough to stop her from fully dozing off. Worse yet was the smell—fresh fruit, warm bread, sizzling meat, and other baked goods—wafting temptingly through the air. For Yukiara, it only made her hunger worse. She didn't have the strength to get up, let alone walk over and beg for scraps.
So, she stayed—just as she had the last few days—hoping something... someone... would notice the tiny speck of a girl sitting in a forgotten corner of the world.
[ "System Request: Become Host? Y / N" ]
"Wahh... it's so bright..." she murmured, blinking weakly. "I was just about to drift off again..." Yawn
A glowing blue square hovered in front of her, interrupting a dream she had been sinking into—a dream of warm meals, gentle voices, and her parents embrace. Irritated and weary, Yukiara swatted at the strange light.
"Please just go away... I'm so tired..."
SwatSwatSwat
[ "System Noted: Request Selected – Y" ]
[ "System Request Accepted: Host Confirmed" ]
She groaned as the words buzzed faintly in the air, the light finally vanishing. Peace again... or so she thought.
[ Host Identified: Yukiara Sonare ]
[ Gathering Host Data... ]
[ "WARNING: Host Vitals Critically Low "]
[ "Emergency Protocol: Vitality Boost – Activating "]
A harsh red light suddenly pulsed from the square, screaming in Yukiara's ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, her voice too dry to protest. She didn't want hallucinations. She didn't want help. She just wanted one last dream of her parents before fading away.
But then—warmth.
A faint, green glow coiled around her fingers. Her frail hands filled out. Her skin, once pale and stretched tight over her ribs, flushed with color. Her limbs stopped trembling. And, for the first time in what felt like forever, Yukiara felt...
Alive.
[ Emergency Protocol: Cooldown – 48:00:00 ]
" Huh.. what was that?"
Yukiara slightly shocked looking at her hands improved condition.
"H-how?" "How does it not hurt anymore? "
Drip drip drip
"Huh what's this?"
She looked up, confused. "It doesn't seem to be raining... where's this water coming from?"
Drip drip drip drip
Yukiara glanced around the alley, trying to locate the source of the dripping water.
No fountain nearby.
No one washing clothes nearby.
No leak from the drainage above.
And yet—the dripping continued to fall, landing on her hands.
Her vision begins to blur as the water falls more quickly now. She raised her fingers curiously, tracing back the flow.
Drip drip drip drip drip
" My checks...? No–wait. My eyes? Oh..."
For a long time she sat there crying with her whole heart.
It had been morning, around breakfast, when the tears started.
Now the sky dimmed, the purple haze of sunset fading into deep blue going to black.
______________________________________
["System Quest: Improve Sleeping Conditions "]
Yukiara's tears began to slow, leaving behind dry, salty trails on her cheeks, now slightly itchy.
She sniffled, rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, and blinked up at the glowing blue square floating before her again.
[System Quest: Improve SleepingConditions]
[Reward: Good Night's Sleep, Improved Stamina]
[Failure: Null]
"I-I guess I should probably move away from this stone wall," she mumbled, her voice still a little shaky. "Okay… I can do that. I can find somewhere else to sleep—surely it's not that hard?"
Pulling herself up, she found it surprisingly easy—far easier than it had been just the day before, when even raising her arm had felt like lifting a mountain.
She stood. For the first time in days.
The first time in weeks without feeling like her body would collapse under its own weight.
"Huh? That was easier than I thought it would be…"
Yukiara blinked in disbelief. She had braced herself for a battle just to get on her feet. But this? This was almost... normal. She gave herself a sharp slap on the cheek.
Slap.
'Get yourself together—You gotta focus now. Better sleeping conditions, here I come!!' she thought with renewed determination.
Her eyes darted around the alley for options.
Firstoption: A pile of forgotten building materials leaning against the wall.
"That's just another stone wall in disguise… pass."
Secondoption: An old, broken cart—missing one wheel, the other two clinging on for dear life.
"I don't want to be crushed while I sleep! Absolutely not!"
Thirdoption: A lonesome barrel lying on its side.
"That could work... I guess? It's a slight upgrade."
Upon closer inspection, the inside was slightlysticky, and the air reeked faintly of rottingpickles.
"Nope nope nope! I can't even breathe near that, let alone sleep in it." she sighed slightly disappointed that the barrel turned bust.
Fourthoption: ???
"Huh? That's the last one here. Guess I better search somewhere else..."
As Yukiara turned to leave the alley, a strange feeling washed over her—a kind of longing for the stone wall.
That cold, hard place had nearly become her final resting spot.
It was terrible, yes… but it had been safe. Quiet. Predictable.
She had felt herself slipping away there, unbothered, unnoticed.
But as quickly as the thought came, she shook it off.
"Goodbye, wall. Thank you… for the comfort."
She bowed her head for just a moment, then walked on.
The marketplace wasn't far, though it now sat still in the quiet of night. Empty stalls crowded the space like ghosts. Only the warm glow from nearby inns flickered in the distance.
'Wait! Inns!'
Her eyes lit up. 'I could try my luck there. Heh, I'm so smart.'
She approached the nearest one, watching carefully.
'No lights. No noise. Could be promising…'
Tiptoeing with the exaggerated sneakiness of a cartoon villain, she crept around the side of the building—until something caught her eye.
The stable door. Slightly ajar. Unlocked.
Bingo.
"Perfect! Tonight I get hay!!" she nearly squealed, holding in her excitement.
Slipping through the door, she was met with a soft golden pile, clean and untouched.
Without hesitation, Yukiara dove into the hay like a child into a blanket fort. Curling into a ball, her eyes grew heavy, her breath slow and steady. she was released into her sweet dreams.
Then the system chimed in softly, so quiet not to disturb Yukiara.
["System Quest Complete: Improve Sleeping Conditions"]
[Issuing Rewards: Good Night's Sleep, Improved Stamina]
...