14: Saviour

   There wasn't a positive word that anyone could say about the Outskirts. Most of the residents were those who once lived in the old Capital but had been cast out when the demons built Central, left to fight for whatever resources that were left outside the marbled walls. Some people moved to Merehua, but most were too weak and too poor to leave, poverty was high, and crime was rife throughout the districts of the Outskirts, but in the end, home was home.

   The Outskirts was split into three distinct rings – the Inner Ring, the Middle Ring and the Outer Ring.

   The area closest to the walls of Central was called the Inner Ring. The districts within were often left abandoned, roamed only by the ferocious experimental beasts let out by Central in their brazen attempt to keep any unwanted beings at bay. The Middle Ring was a wild place; it had some of the busiest and most densely populated districts, filled with travellers and merchants who would travel from all over the country. Businesses, both legal and illegal, thrived without the presence of a central law force. The Outer Ring, the ring farthest from Central, was home to most of the residential districts. Each ring was separated by looming wire fences but the residents lacked the materials to maintain it. Over the years, parts of the fence had been torn down, rusted through and left damaged, forced to bear the will of nature itself.

   The Outskirts was a soulless place, filled with concrete grey landscapes and broken things, but the residents made the most with what they had, trying to stay out of trouble and live a normal life—a feeble attempt to mirror the past.

   Kyungsoo’s home was situated in the Outer Ring, just a couple miles from the Middle Ring, in a small residential district known as Hallowmire. It was a quaint brick house, two stories tall, that he had taken residence in not long ago. It hadn’t been that expensive. After all, it was rare for an outsider to move into the Outskirts. The interior was modest, empty except for a few essentials and some tokens of his previous life.

   The moon was exceptionally bright tonight, highlighting Kyungsoo’s path as he made his way back. It had rained on the way, drenching both him and Jeongri to their skin. Beads of sweat continued to drip down his forehead as the weight of Jeongri bared down on his small frame. He hadn’t expected the journey home to take so long, but there had been too many people in the Middle Ring today. Dangerous people who would have definitely recognise her. Unwillingly, he was forced into taking a long detour and used more magic than he would have liked to boost his stamina and keep them both warm. But even with all that, he didn’t complain. Kyungsoo knew that he had to get her to safety.

   With a fumble with his keys, they burst through his front door, falling into a pile on the floor. Kyungsoo groaned loudly as he kicked his door shut. With the last ounce of his strength, he picked her up and climbed the stairs towards the spare bedroom. With every step, he let out an audible grunt. Physical strength had never been his strong point; his real strength lay elsewhere. With a final groan, he pushed into the spare room and laid Jeongri down on the bed.

   Jeongri awoke on the fourth day to the smell of bacon and eggs, smells that woke up long-forgotten memories from her childhood long ago. Blearily, she opened her eyes, peering over the heavy grey blanket that weighed heavily on her body. Confusion blossomed. She was in a room of some sorts, furnished simply with only the bed that she was in, a little wooden bedside table and a sturdy looking table and chair set that was located next to the window. Long, translucent curtains fluttered in the breeze as the morning sun shone through, bathing the room with a warm glow. On the window sill sat a small clay pot that housed a single blooming cactus plant. Jeongri didn’t recognise where she was. She rubbed her eyes, perhaps she was still dreaming, or maybe this was the afterlife.

   As she sat up, the bed crinkled loudly under her movement. Jeongri looked down to find a thin plastic sheet had been placed between her and the bed linen. It was only then when she realised that she was still in her dirty gown, soiled from three days of not being to move, and a warmth grew in her cheeks. Feeling embarrassed and disgusted in herself, she pushed the blanket away in haste and scrambled out of bed, unknowingly snagging the IV drip and sending a sharp pain shooting through her forearm. She yelped loudly, clutching the wound in pain.

   Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Jeongri gasped and instinctively grabbed the blanket to cover herself.

   “Can I come in?” came a male voice.

   For a moment, she didn’t recognise the voice, but it brought back flashes of what had happened yesterday.

   “Yes…” she replied meekly, pulling the blanket ever closer around her body.

   The door handle turned and a familiar man stepped in. It was then when she finally remembered. She has been saved by this man, a human who called himself Kyungsoo. He stood in the doorway, holding a towel and some spare clothes.

   “Good morning,” he said brightly. Though he was smiling, there was an air of nervousness about him, “I heard you moving around. I made some breakfast, are you hungry?”

   Jeongri gave the smallest of nods before looking away. She had become very aware she was alone in a room with a man who was essentially a stranger and a wave of shyness roll over her which didn’t go unnoticed. They both stood awkwardly in silence. After what seemed like forever, Kyungsoo cleared his throat and made his way over to the table, placing down the items that he’d been holding. Jeongri watched silently as he hurried out of the room, only to come back in moments later with a few more things – a mug of hot water, a plastic comb and a mirror.

   Awkwardly, he stood there, looking as though he was struggling to find the right words.

   “Uh, I’m Do Kyungsoo,” he started, unable to sustain eye contact for more than a couple of seconds, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I found you in the Inner Ring yesterday. You passed out on the way here and uh… The bottom part of your dress got caught in some branches. I didn’t mean to rip your dress. I’m really sorry…”

   Kyungsoo's words fell out into shy mumbles as he gestured towards the bottom of her dress. Jeongri looked down in surprise; she hadn’t even noticed the rip, it was the least of her worries at the moment. Bemused, she looked back at him, smiling at his clumsiness.

   “I didn’t- I mean, I thought it would be best if you changed your clothes yourself so… here they are,” Kyungsoo said, gesturing at the pile of items.

   It was then when he noticed Jeongri had been clutching her arm where the IV had been pulled out. Concerned, he walked over briskly, his nature changing ever to slightly, and placed his hand over her wound. A sudden warmth spread across Jeongri’s arm and she pulled away instinctively. To her surprise, the wound had been partially closed.

   “Please be careful…” Kyungsoo said quietly, pulling a cloth from his pocket to wipe the blood from her forearm.

   Gone was the nervous man who couldn’t find the right words to say to her, replaced by the assertive man who had rescued her yesterday, his movements deft and practised. He placed his hand on the wound again and resumed his healing. This time Jeongri stayed still. She could feel the warmth radiating out from his palms again, the pain ebbed away, and in seconds, her wound was fully healed. Seeing this, he smiled once more.

   “The bathroom is just opposite the landing,” he said, letting go of her and reverting back to his shy demeanour, “If you need anything, please give me a shout. I’ll be downstairs, okay?”

   With that, Kyungsoo turned around to leave and closed the door behind him with a click.

   Bemused, Jeongri found herself smiling again. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions since waking up, but there was something about Kyungsoo that made her feel safe. He seemed like a good person, and like her, a little bit shy but most of all, she was taken aback by his sincerity and kindness. It wasn’t something she was used to. Back in Central, everyone showered her with fake compliments because she was the princess. It was the first time someone had been genuinely nice to her.

   Jeongri walked over to the table and drank from the mug, letting the hot water quench her thirst with a satisfying gulp. Closing her eyes, she vowed never to take something like water for granted ever again. She took the small bundle of clothes and made her way to the bathroom where she discarded her dirty gown and slipped into the bathtub; the silence interrupted only by the occasional splashing as she wiped herself down.

   After patting herself dry, Jeongri slipped into the clothes that Kyungsoo had given her. They were a bit too big for her, but they were clean and they smelt nice, which was all she needed. She tied up the drawstring around the waist of the cargo pants and buttoned up the oversized shirt, rolling up the sleeves that hung inches past her hands. As she was drying her hair, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. A gaunt face stared back, eyes still sunken and paled skin. Her hair lay messily around her face. She looked terrible, she thought as she squinted at the mirror. She looked so frail, nothing like the fearful demon who almost ended the world just a fortnight ago. Scowling at the memory, Jeongri pushed the mirror away and left the bathroom.

   She found Kyungsoo sitting by himself in the kitchen, glasses perched on the end of his nose as he read the newspaper. He had a mug in one hand and on the table in front of him was two metal cloche’s. Jeongri coughed a little, catching his attention, watching somewhat fondly as he broke out into a broad smile.

   “Hey, how do you feel? You look better,” he noted, setting down his mug of coffee.

   She nodded meekly and stood still, feeling a little self-conscious. She wanted to say something, but it