opportunity
The tavern door burst open.
The sound echoed through the room, cutting through the tension outside.
Inside… there was warmth.
Light.
Life.
Erza rushed in, holding the girl tightly in her arms.
— Rin… — her voice trembled — my daughter…!
She dropped to her knees near a table.
Carefully… gently… she laid the girl down.
Her hands trembled as she brushed the dirty hair away from her face.
— You’re alive… you’re really alive…
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Around them, the workers gathered.
Silent.
Emotional.
Aira entered right after, supporting Daichi, who could barely stand.
— Lay him there… — someone said.
But Daichi shook his head.
His eyes were only on her.
— …
Erza held Rin’s face with both hands.
— Stay with me… please…
The girl’s breathing was weak.
Too weak.
Aira stepped forward.
Her expression changed.
Serious.
Focused.
— She needs treatment. Now.
Silence filled the room again.
Aira turned toward the back.
— Mother!
Footsteps echoed.
Then…
A woman appeared.
Calm.
Composed.
But her eyes… firm.
Her presence brought peace.
— What happened? — she asked.
— She was locked away… — Aira said — she’s barely alive.
The woman approached.
Knelt beside Rin.
Placed a hand over her chest.
Closed her eyes.
— …
A brief silence filled the room.
Then she spoke.
Softly.
But with power.
— Oh God… creator of all things…
The air shifted.
— Hear my plea…
A green light began to emerge from her body.
— Bring life once more…
Golden particles appeared, like tiny sparks.
— To the one who is weakened.
The light intensified.
Flowing through her arms…
Gathering in her hands.
And then—
It spread.
A green aura enveloped Rin’s body.
The golden particles sank into her skin.
Her wounds…
Began to close.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Cuts disappearing.
Bruises fading.
Her breathing…
Stabilizing.
Everyone watched in silence.
Erza covered her mouth.
Crying uncontrollably.
— My daughter… my daughter…
Daichi watched.
Quiet.
Tense.
Hoping.
The light shined one last time—
Then…
Faded.
Silence.
Rin’s chest rose.
Then fell.
Stronger.
Steadier.
Her face… regained color.
The woman opened her eyes.
— She will live.
The tension broke instantly.
Erza collapsed over her daughter.
— Thank you… thank you…!
She hugged her tightly.
Aira exhaled slowly.
Daichi relaxed his shoulders.
— …
Then—
A sound.
— grrrr…
Everyone froze.
Another one.
— ggrrrr…
They looked.
Rin’s stomach.
Growling.
Loud.
Silence for a second.
Then—
A laugh.
One of the maids couldn’t hold it.
— She’s starving…
Others laughed softly.
The mood lightened.
Erza laughed through tears.
— Of course you are…
One of the workers ran to the kitchen.
— I’ll be right back!
Moments later, she returned with a warm bowl of soup.
Steam rising gently.
Erza carefully lifted Rin’s head.
— Easy…
She brought the spoon close.
— Open your mouth…
Rin moved weakly.
But responded.
The first spoonful.
Then another.
And another.
Each one…
Bringing her back.
Little by little.
Life returning.
Erza smiled, crying.
— That’s it… my girl…
Daichi watched.
In silence.
A faint smile forming.
— …
For now…
That was enough.
She was alive.
Rin finished eating slowly, still weak, but visibly better. Erza, with a relieved heart, looked around and made a firm gesture.
— Everyone, please… leave us alone.
The people understood. In silence, they left the tavern, respecting that moment.
Erza then carefully picked Rin up in her arms and carried her to a room in the back. There, she prepared a bathtub with warm water. With all the delicacy in the world, she began to clean her.
The dirt, the dried blood, the traces of suffering… everything was being washed away by the water.
Erza passed her hands gently, as if she wanted to erase every pain her daughter had lived through.
— If you were still here… — her voice came out low, choked — and could see that your daughter lives…
She took a deep breath, smiling through tears.
— And she is so beautiful…
Erza dried Rin’s body with a soft cloth and then dressed her in a simple but beautiful dress. The light fabric highlighted her skin, now clean and smooth.
Rin looked like another person.
Almost like a doll.
Fragile.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Rin looked around, still confused, her eyes calm.
— This place… is it heaven?
Erza smiled tenderly, caressing her face.
— Heaven… is wherever you are, my dear.
Rin said nothing more.
She just smiled.
A small smile… but real.
And then, overcome by the exhaustion of days of suffering, she closed her eyes.
She slept.
Deeply.
Meanwhile, outside, Daichi had also been treated.
Yotsu, Aira’s mother, once again used her healing magic, fully restoring his body.
His wounds disappeared.
His breathing returned to normal.
He was standing again.
The village, little by little, began to fill with voices.
Some were still crying.
Others were laughing.
But most… were celebrating.
It was as if a weight had been lifted from everyone.
Erza left the room carefully, closing the door slowly so as not to wake Rin.
Her eyes were still moist, but now there was strength in them.
She walked to where Daichi was.
The village chief also approached.
People began to form a circle around them.
Everyone wanted to know.
Erza stopped in front of him.
— Tell me… everything that happened there.
Daichi opened his mouth, but before he could speak—
Aira stepped forward.
— I’ll tell it.
Everyone looked at her.
Her face was serious.
— We are in danger.
Silence fell again.
— It was a setup against Daichi.
She took a deep breath and continued.
— I was in the hallway at that moment… he had already finished dealing with the rats and was in the office. I stayed behind the door… and heard everything.
The looks became more attentive.
— The man said he could ask for anything… and Daichi asked for resources for the village.
She glanced quickly at him.
— I didn’t know who he was yet… but I heard everything.
Her fists clenched.
— Suddenly… that perverse man accused Daichi of theft.
Murmurs began.
— The guards came in… knocked me down… — her voice faltered for a moment — and started beating him.
She swallowed hard.
— There was so much blood… I had to clean it afterward…
The silence was now heavy.
— They threw Daichi into the pit.
Some people held their breath.
— Down there… it’s full of dead things. Animals… and people.
She lowered her gaze.
— Maids have been thrown there… after being beaten… abused…
Some women began to cry.
— Our lives were hell.
She raised her head again.
— But… somehow… he got out of there.
She looked at Daichi.
— He fought the soldiers… alone.
— And in the end… when he was already at his limit…
She took a deep breath.
— We united… and put an end to that bastard.
The silence was absolute.
— I met Daichi in the hallway… and helped him save Rin.
She looked toward the room.
— She had already been more than a week without water… without food…
— And I had never seen her before in the mansion…
A pause.
— So… she had been imprisoned there for much longer.
The words weighed in the air.
— After that… we came here.
Silence.
Erza stood still for a few seconds.
Then she turned her face to the village chief.
Her eyes were now cold.
Firm.
— Rub… go to the mansion right now.
— Check everything.
— And come back to inform us.
The man nodded immediately.
— Yes.
Erza took another step forward.
— And this time…
Her voice hardened.
— If they come here…
— They will come to die.
The air seemed to freeze.
— I will not lose my daughter again.
The sky was beginning to lighten.
The dawn was slowly fading.
The first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon.
Erza took a deep breath.
And then looked around.
— Everyone… return to your homes.
— Rest.
— We will resolve everything… very soon.
People began to disperse.
Slowly.
Still processing everything.
But with something new in their eyes.
Hope.
And, for the first time in a long time…
The feeling that they were no longer alone.
