~Recap~

“And I'm not gonna let you go without giving you the last and best wonder which is this made by me.” Heard the lady from the latter and she seemed surprised because, did she think that out loud?

“Umm, Theo…”

“Azura, please. Does it smell that bad that you don't even want to taste it?” Theo makes a puppy face and Azura instantly shakes her head, assuring him that it smelt good. “Great because I was going to make you eat anyway.” He concludes mischievously, making both of them chuckle in unison.

Azura tries to lift the spoon and eat but Theo insists on him feeding her. The lady sighs and lets the man be the man and she would lie if she wouldn't admit that it felt heavenly being fed by such a man with such heavenly food. She sets herself free and sinks in the moment.

Besides, it's always her to offer food to Theo so she must take advantage of having it vice versa.

______

Good that Azura agreed to eat food made by Theo because gosh, did it taste good?

She was going to miss this fiestar but thankfully Theo didn't let her do the abomination. Sometimes, his stubbornness worked as a blessing for her. And that's what made him and their relationship special.

Well, correction. Friendship. Not a relationship. Yeah. Or at least, yet.

“Hah… I'm totally full. Now you don't think that I'm just excusing because I already confirmed that it's delicious the moment I tasted it. The reason is, I already consumed so much of it that now I'm afraid if I'll even be able to have dinner.” Azura explains herself before Theo could complain.

He chuckles subtly. “Alright, alright. No need to hustle. I won't just stuff you aggressively.” He jokes but it sounded more like a double meaning slang which makes the situation awkward.

So, he fake coughs and thinks about anything that could change the topic. Thanks to his fortune, Azura jolted in immediately.

“Well, I think I should get going now. As I mentioned about dinner, I just realised that it's almost going to be dinner time so, yeah.”

A nod comes from the latter and Azura was surprised as to how Theo agreed really easily. Then he proceeds to speak and the surprise fades down. “Yeah sure. I'll drop you off since it's getting late. You should be at home safe.”

“Thanks for being the gentleman that you are. But, just to tell you, I'm also a gutsy woman. You should not be worried about me all the time.” Chirps the lady while standing and collecting her stuff.

“I see… But, weren't you the one, disturbed with walking through the woods.” Theo points out and he wasn't partially wrong. But he wasn't also partially right.

So, Azura nods in agreement, but notes in disagreement. “Well, I still am. But I never said that a companionship would make it any better. Well yeah, maybe you can shield me and save me but there will definitely be a time when I'll have no one and have to be on my own. So why not now?”

The lady seemed pretty serious and was quite right somehow. Which is why the latter decided to not intrigue her any further. “Whoa, whoa. Okay, I got you Miss Warrior Princess. But, please stay safe and take care. And you do have my number, right? So make sure to call me if you need me.”

A smile flares over Azura as she perks, “Sure will. Though, I don't think I would need any of that.” She takes a pause as she glances to her bag, having the odd rod from earlier and Theo is once again curious. “Not today for sure.” Azura concludes.

“Take care, Azura.”

“Don't you forget for yourself, Theo.” Replies the lady and proceeds to bid her departure.

As the young woman walks outside, Theo could now clearly see that she had a rod hanging out of her bag. Though, despite clearly seeing that it was a rod, Theo was convinced that it was not. At least not something that simple which Azura would bother carrying along.

She must be after something ferral, ferocious. Something furry.

And this time, Theo won't interrogate. He would investigate.

______

Well, although Azura claimed that she'd be best on her own, she was now having second thoughts of bringing Theo along.

Not because he would protect her or something. But rather for his abnormally comfy and warm jackets. Of course she had her own clothes over but they just didn't feel as warm as Theo's. As warm as Theo…

“Uhh… Huh…” Azura huffs out while shaking her head constantly. As she was hustling to prove that she just didn't think about the said man.

She didn't need to think or blink anymore anyway when she finally began hearing the same sounds in the woods.

Usually, Azura would dash out in intense fear. But today, she was waiting with intense preparation for the thing, or let's say for the living being barge in. Though, there was some slight scare but she didn't care.

Having spear spared, almost crouching down, she is ready. Ready to slash. Ready to smash.

______

Has it been days? Weeks or even months?

One could not even count, especially when the surroundings are deep and dark twenty four seven. When every single second just goes into traumatization, what was even the point of night and daylight?

“Hey, look! Who's awake once again.” Comes a feminine voice.

Which soon is joined by another masculine one. “I wonder, why is there even a need to wake up? When you can sleep forever… What was her name again? Candy? Wendy?”

“Oh, let me clear.” The former sound jolts in jolly. “Cindy Sean, that's what you're known as? No? Phew, remembering your name gave me such a hard time. I mean, we're not used to remembering sinners' names.”

“Please, please…” Breaks the young woman as she lodges over the rugged and partially needled grills.

As she slid her hands down, the duo standing outside forced it onto a fence which fleshed her fingers. The duo begins laughing mercilessly while she quickly dodges back and starts crying while soothing her injury.

However, how many injuries could she soothe in? When her everyday life had become a torment for the almighty knew what reason.

“Why? Why do you keep doing this to me? What have I ever done to you!” Cindy screams in pain.

She was startled when the petite feminine figure almost clawed on the prison door. “So you still have no idea if what you've done?” Although Cindy was ridiculously terrified, she shook her head because she was literally clueless.

“It is not us with whom you did something. It's our princess. Whom you hurt. You dared to hurt Princess Azura!”