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━━━ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ━━━
Before long, Akaza had healed my leg in full.
I wasn't sure how it was possible, but he'd done so using all his focus to make sure I was able to use my leg the same way I could before.
It was strange to me, how gentle he could work with things like ointments and bandages. He had such careful movements while he worked, and I found it hard to look away from his still and calm manner.
We didn't talk much as he healed me—but I did manage to thank him. Not just for my leg, but for everything that he did. The fact that he saved my life multiple times.
Surprisingly enough, I even got to hear a swift apology from him for hurting me. I almost missed it, but I definitely heard it; I could tell that he wasn't used to saying such words. I'd smiled at him in response, only to earn a dismissive scoff in return.
And then, after a few days, I was able to use my leg almost to perfection once again.
Akaza never let me get a good look at my wound, and every time I attempted to watch him work, he would merely give me a warning look. Or he would straight up push me back onto the bed, mumbling to me about how I couldn't strain anything by trying to watch him work.
But I still managed to get a peak of it—and I was surprised at how well he had taken care of it. As if he had years and years of practice. Which didn't make sense considering that he told me demons could regenerate in a flash.
Our conversations during those few days were bleak—since he mainly just wanted to focus on my leg. Which in turn gave me the worst sense of boredom I'd faced in years.
I could tell he had been both annoyed at me as well as my leg—even muttering to himself that if only I could regenerate, we wouldn't be in this mess.
But eventually, I was healed for the most part, and we could finally leave the small ridden house—which had been too cramped for even one person, let alone two.
Standing back outside during the crisp night, I stared at the gravel area, my mind flashing back to when I'd last been there. And how helpless and weak I had been...
I squared my shoulders, shaking my head at the thought. And instead, I filled it with another.
Because right here and now I decided to make a promise. A promise that I would never be so useless again. That I would do anything I could to become stronger.
For my sister, my brother... my family needed me to be there, to use that strength to help them.
In the end, that was all that mattered to me.
"Ready?" Akaza's sultry voice dragged me out of my head, finding him carrying a bag over his shoulder with what I assumed was anything useful from the house we'd been staying at.
I nodded, letting out a breath as he approached. "I'm more than ready."
He gave a toothy grin as he came up beside me. I didn't turn to look at him—instead my gaze was set on the forest in front of us, my leg feeling all the more heavy as I thought about what happened here.
"Forget about it," the demon's voice sounded.
Fingertips grazed my arm, and I looked beside me to see Akaza watching me oddly. His smile was gone, but he seemed to be more alert. As if watching me and waiting for something.
I didn't respond right away, tearing my gaze away from his analyzing gold one to look back into the undercover forest.
"Right—let's go," I said without looking at him, taking in a shaky breath and beginning to walk forwards.
Only to be interrupted by a strong, tattooed covered arm that was placed in front of me, halting my movements.
I groaned. "What is it now?"
Akaza frowned at me.
"You aren't going to be walking. Not with your leg still healing."
I raised a brow and gave him an exasperated look. "Huh? I thought the whole reason for us leaving was because I can walk now." I turned my body around to face him, standing right in front of him; yet somehow not scared of how he might react.
The demon rolled his eyes slightly, as annoyed as ever. "You really love to talk back, don't you?"
I glared. "I'm asking a genuine question. If I can't walk, how the hell am I supposed to train?"
His eyes flickered. "We're leaving because we can't stay here."
I paused, shrinking back a bit at his tone. "Why not?"
"Because," he said, glaring into the forest the same way I'd been a minute ago, "I'm not the only one who's been coming after you."
Oh.
Whatever. "You seem to forget I'm still a trained assassin," I said, ignoring his claim. "And you must know that I've had to deal with far worse than this."
"Of course I am," he said, looking down at me underneath his pink lashes. "But that's not why you aren't going to be walking."
I frowned, crossing my arms and waiting for him to continue. "I had to follow you around for days on end at a pace as slow as yours—there is no possible way I'm doing that again. Not with the amount of distance we have to cover."
I opened my mouth to speak, my irritation towards him growing. Only for his blue fingered hand coming to cover up any hopes I had of defending myself.
