The scenery spun before her eyes as a tall, vicious-looking man appeared in front of her—or rather, she was the one being spun around. The tightening grip around her neck made her vision blur.
Gabriella's eyes burned crimson as he glared at the girl he was strangling. If it weren't for her, his younger brother, Olga, wouldn't have been blown to pieces by that fireball. Damn her! If Harriet hadn't stopped him, he would've killed her back at the camp. But fate had finally given him this chance for revenge. He wouldn't waste it. He wanted her to savor every second of death. His fingers slowly tightened, and a cruel smile twisted his lips.
Sophie's hands lost the strength to pry away the fingers choking her. Her consciousness faded, and she gazed weakly at the last sliver of the world before her. If she died again, would she return to Earth? To her family?
They said your life flashed before your eyes when you died. The first time had been too sudden—she hadn't thought of anything. This time, there were no memories, no reflections. Only a fleeting image of Serei. Funny, that in her final moments, he was the one who came to mind. Too bad he wasn't here to save her like some fairy-tale prince. With a faint smile, Sophie closed her eyes.
As Serei led his men charging into the bandit fortress, a deep unease gripped him. Something terrible was happening. Leaving his men to handle the swarm of bandits, he sprinted toward the source of his dread.
Drunken bandits lay sprawled along the path, empty liquor barrels rolling at their sides. The sight only sharpened Serei's foreboding.
Rounding a corner, he saw a towering brute ahead, holding Sophie aloft by her neck. She gave what looked like a weak smile—then her arms went limp.
**"NO!"**
Rage fueled Serei's speed. In an instant, his blade severed the arm holding Sophie. Catching her gently, he set her down before turning his murderous gaze on the petrified bandit.
Gabriella stared in horror at the stranger, then at his own severed arm lying on the ground. Blood gushed from the stump, yet he felt no pain—only terror. He'd faced death countless times, but this man's gaze made his soul shrivel.
Gritting his teeth, Gabriella lunged.
The fight lasted seconds.
Ignoring the corpse, Serei rushed back to Sophie and pressed trembling fingers to her throat. No breath.
Without hesitation, he summoned a massive healing spell, pressing the glowing orb into her chest. Now, all he could do was wait.
Regret tore through him. Using her as bait had been a mistake. In just one day, she'd brought laughter back into their lives—dusty but witty on the monibeast, radiant at the oasis, picky at meals, joyful while cooking. He'd never really looked at her, yet she'd briefly made him forget his pain.
Why had he sent her into danger?
Shaking his head, he stared at her still form. She looked peaceful, almost sacred. He'd never truly seen her before. He'd thought no woman could ever matter to him again.
Now, all he wanted was for her to wake up. To give him a chance to make things right.
Darkness swallowed Sophie again, just like before. But this time, before she could take a step, a light flared behind her—someone was waiting. Cautiously, she moved toward it. Closer, closer—
Then she fell.
**"Damn it! Who digs a trap here?!"** she tried to yell, but only a weak groan escaped. Her throat burned like fire.
Grimacing, she forced her eyes open—and met Serei's relieved gaze.
**"Mmm…"** She wanted to ask why *he* was dead too, but the pain silenced her.
A cooling sensation soothed her throat as Serei's hands hovered over her, glowing faintly.
**"Don't speak yet."** His eyes softened, but fury simmered beneath as he studied the bruises. **"I should've made that bastard suffer."**
The clash of battle grew louder. Fleeing bandits sprinted past, pursued by Serei's men. Spells and blades cut down the stragglers.
**"Sophie?!"** The whole caravan had arrived. At the sight of her injuries, their faces darkened with rage.
**"Serei,"** Baz growled, catching himself. **"The bandits are routed. Wipe out the rest?"** Others nodded fiercely. None deserved mercy after this.
Serei exhaled, watching the last bandits vanish. Nothing mattered now except Sophie. **"Let them go. Retrieve our goods and move out."** Gently lifting her, he carried her to his monibeast.
The caravan had tripled in size since reclaiming their stolen cargo, though the new monibeasts were scrawnier. Sophie's throat healed slowly under constant care, though she could only direct Baz's cooking efforts. Not as good as hers, but better than gruel.
She still didn't understand why the caravan—so strong—had abandoned her that night. Serei stayed silent, the others dodged the question. It frustrated her, though everyone now treated her like treasure—even the formerly grumpy Serei.
Years later, Brook would slip, revealing the truth. The instigator then slept on the couch for days, enduring endless family teasing.
**"Sophie, we reach the Beastman Kingdom tomorrow,"** Serei said carefully. **"We'll stay a few days before heading to the Outer Realms. Do you want to stay and return to Bell with another caravan, or… keep traveling with us?"** He hoped for the latter but wouldn't pressure her.
**"Hmm, I'll decide later."** She took a big bite of honey melon. She'd never seen beastmen before—then recalled the gorilla-like bandit and shuddered.
**"Serei, teach me self-defense? So I can handle trouble alone."** After days together, she joked and roughhoused with the whole crew, even tossing out risqué Earth jokes that left them scandalized.
**"You don't need it. I'll protect you."** Guilt flickered as he eyed her fading bruises.
**"But we'll part ways someday. I want to stand on my own—maybe even become a heroine!"** She grinned, though the thought of leaving pinched her heart.
**"…Alright."** Serei pretended indifference at her mention of parting.
**"Hey, why aren't you eating?"** She handed him the biggest melon slice.
**"Thanks."** Amused, he wiped golden juice off her cheek before biting into his own. He missed her blush.
Studying him as he ate, Sophie really looked at him for the first time—dark skin, lean build, average height, forgettable face.
Smirking, she returned to her melon. Time to rest up for the Beastman Kingdom's wonders. Would there be a Liu Zhenhan? Fox spirits as beautiful as Hailun?
**"HELP!"**
A fiery figure sprinted toward them from the distance.
Snapped from her thoughts, Sophie slid off her monibeast and ran toward the voice. Serei sighed and followed.
**Was it a trap? Coincidence? A real victim? Who was this crimson stranger?**
*(Will Sophie's kindness lead to danger? Stay tuned!)*