Sunlight came through the cracks in the roof. It made warm stripes on the dirt floor. Lys moved slowly as he woke up. His body felt heavy from sleep. He reached his hand to the side where his mother usually slept. His fingers touched the straw mat, but it was cold.

  He found no one there. Elara was not next to him.

  He sat up slowly. The rough blanket fell to his waist. Mira was sitting nearby. Her fingers were busy weaving straw into a new mat. The grass made a soft sound every time she twisted it.

  "Where’s Mom?" Lys asked. His voice was deep and scratchy.

  Mira looked up. Her long hair moved over her shoulder. "She’s already out. She left way before dawn today. She said she had to get a head start to collect herbs in the forest. Honestly, she seemed almost too eager to get out of here. It was weird. Usually, I have to drag her out of bed."

  Lys nodded, but his mind was spinning.

  ‘I pushed too far last night,’ he thought, a knot tightening in his stomach. He could still feel the way her breath hitched when he touched her, the sudden heat that had flared between them. It had been an impulsive move, fueled by the system’s cold prompts and a hunger he couldn’t quite control.

  ‘She must be in total shock, he realized. She’s been my mother for eighteen years, and suddenly I’m looking at her like that?’

  It made sense to him, why she had practically bolted out of the hut before sunrise. If he wanted her, truly wanted her, he couldn't just jump her and expect things to be fine. That would only breed awkwardness and fear, not the deep connection he was after. He needed to be smarter. He needed to give her space to breathe before he made his next move. He understood that now.

  "What is she doing for work exactly?" he asked. He swung his legs over the edge of the mat. The cool floor felt good. It reminded him that this new life was real.

  Mira stopped moving her hands. The straw made a noise. "Gathering herbs in the forest. The same one we were in yesterday. She’s been doing it every single day for a month now. Ever since your fever got really bad. She sells them at the market just so we can get by somehow. Since you aren’t out there hunting, we don't have anything else."

  The words felt heavy in his gut. Even with the goddess giving him a mission, life did not stop. And he understood that now, he was not Alex anymore. He was not just a poor person in a world where he was all alone.

  He was Lys now. He was part of this family. He wanted to live this life fully. He wanted to help them. But how? The system was like a puzzle with missing pieces. He could only get stronger by doing quests. First, he had to understand this world. That meant he had to go outside.

  "Hmm," he said quietly. He stood up. His legs were a bit shaky with weakness, but he held onto the wall to stay steady.

  Mira put the mat down. She looked worried. "Whoa, take it easy. You aren't going out there by yourself. You're still shaking like a leaf. Just wait until I finish this. It'll only take a minute."

  He looked at the half-finished mat. Then he sat down next to her. Their shoulders touched. She smelled like fresh grass and a little bit of sweat from her work. "Fine. Show me how to do it then."

  She smiled. She started weaving again. "It’s simple. Twist the straw like this. You have to keep it tight, but don't pull so hard that it snaps. Then you loop it through the other grass to make it strong. We get this from the riverbank. It keeps the bugs out a lot better than the plain grass."

  Lys watched her fingers move. It was a nice rhythm. "Do people actually buy these? Or are we just making them for ourselves?"

  "Mostly for us," she said. She sounded tired but kind. "Sometimes the neighbors will trade a bit of food for one. Mom taught me when I was a little girl. She told me it’s important to have a skill that doesn’t depend on luck or waiting for some man to help."

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  They talked easily while they worked. Mira laughed at him when he tried to copy her and messed up. Their hands touched in the straw. By the time she finished, the sun was high. The air inside the hut was getting hot.

  "All done," she said. She rolled it up. "Now we can go. But stay right next to me. No wandering off."

  They got out of their house. The village looked bright in the morning light. It looked as poor-looking as he had seen yesterday evening. The huts were leaning over. The walls were fixed with mud and old straw.

  As they walked to the market, people watched them. Most were women. Their eyes were sharp. They looked at Lys like they were hungry. Some women leaned against their doors. Their clothes were slipping off their shoulders. They whispered to each other. Lys felt them watching him. In his old life, nobody noticed him. Here, even though he was weak, every woman looked at him. Which ignited something in him, but he held it in.

  The market was a dusty square with many stalls. People were arguing over prices. Elara was sitting at the edge. Her mat was covered with herbs and roots. She also had some fruit beside the herbs. She used a leafy branch to keep the bugs away while calling out to people. "Fresh herbs! Come get your healing balms! I have berries to sweeten your day!"

  Lys stopped and watched. Some memories from the old Lys suddenly came back to him as he saw the woman. He used to hunt rabbits and other animals. He brought meat and fur to trade. Elara helped him sell them sometimes. But now, when he saw her sweating in the heat, her clothes stuck to her body as she moved, he realized she had been taking care of the family all by herself while he was sick. He felt a strong desire to help.

  He watched his mother for a long moment, a sharp realization hitting him.

  ‘I need money,’ he thought, his jaw tightening. ’And I need it fast.’ He hated seeing her like this, exhausted, sweating under the sun, and carrying the weight of the whole family while he stood by. He wanted to step in right now and take over, but he knew it wasn't that simple.

  ‘If I try to help now, they’ll just freak out and tell me to sit back down,’ he realized. ‘They still think I’m one foot in the grave. I have to play it cool and prove I’m healthy first, or they’ll never let me lift a finger.’

  "Let’s go back," he said to Mira. He turned away.

  She blinked and looked at their mother. "Wait, what? Why? She's right there. Let's at least go say hi."

  "No. I want to go home. Now."

  Mira moved her shoulders. She was curious, but she agreed. "Alright, fine. If that's what you want."

  ------

  The path back went through the center of the village. The ground was muddy from the rain. Suddenly, they heard a loud noise. It was the sound of horses and wheels. A fancy carriage was moving fast on the road. It was made of shiny wood. It was heading straight for an old woman with a cane, moving too close to the edge. She did not see the danger.

  Everything seemed to move slowly, as Lys moved before he could even think. His lungs stopped for a brief second as he jumped. "Move! Look out!"

  He hit the woman and grabbed her. They rolled into the mud together. The mud was cold on his skin. The carriage flew past them. The wheels missed them by only a few inches, while the lady driver yelled a curse, but still kept going.

  Mira’s face was white. She put her hands over her mouth. "Lys! Are you crazy? You could have been seriously injured!"

  He pushed himself up and helped the old woman stand. She was shaking. There was mud on her face, but her eyes were thankful. Before he could say anything, another woman ran over. She was strong with gray hair.

  She was the daughter of the old woman. "Mother! Oh, thank the stars! Young man, you saved her life. Are you injured anywhere?"

  "It’s okay. I’m just glad she’s alright," Lys said. He brushed mud off his clothes. His heart was beating fast. It was not just fear. He realized this world was real. The danger was real. He really could have been hurt, he knew that. But before his mind could process the thought his body moved on its own.

  The daughter grabbed his arm. Her grip was strong. "I won't hear it. That was incredibly brave. You are coming to our house for lunch. It’s the very least we can do for you."

  Mira shook her head. "Oh, we couldn't. We don't want to be a bother."

  But the woman would not take no for an answer. She looked at Lys with a mix of relief and interest. "I’m not asking. I am insisting. Now, follow me. I cannot let my mother’s savior go away without showing the proper courtesy. Please allow me."

  Lys and Mira looked at each other, but after a silent communication with their eye movements, they followed her.

  ------

  As they walked to a big and sturdy-looking house, Lys saw the daughter look back at him. This was the first properly built house Lys had seen after coming into this village.