I woke up to the faint glow of morning light streaming through the small gaps in the walls. The fire had burned low, leaving just embers casting a gentle warmth through the room. Stretching under the cozy wool blanket, I blinked groggily and looked around.

Allmer was nowhere to be seen.

I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My gaze drifted to the other side of the room, where Felix was sprawled out in his human form, still snoring softly. His hair was a mess, and his face was half-buried in the crook of his arm.

“At least there’s one person here who isn’t a morning person,” I mumbled to myself with a faint smile.

Unlike Ace and Allmer, who seemed to have an inhuman ability to wake before dawn, Felix appeared to be more like me—someone who needed the sun to fully rise before they even considered starting their day. I felt a little pang of guilt when I thought about how often Allmer and Ace had to wait hours for me to be functional.

Just as I was contemplating whether I should try to drag myself out of my sleepy haze, the door creaked open. Allmer stepped in, carrying an armful of items that looked heavy enough to make my shoulders ache just by looking at them. His ruby eyes flicked over to me immediately, and the faintest smile tugged at his lips when he saw I was awake.

“Morning,” he greeted, his deep voice warm and steady.

“Morning,” I replied, voice still thick with sleep. I tilted my head, curiosity taking over. “What’s all that?”

Instead of answering right away, he carefully set down the load on the floor, then went back outside. I sat up straighter, my curiosity growing as I realized the room was already more crowded than it had been last night.

That’s when I noticed.

The house was filled with things—things I’d mentioned just yesterday. There were clothes, thick and heavy, clearly meant for winter. Utensils made from stone and polished wood were neatly stacked in a corner. Random fruits and vegetables, some I couldn’t even name, were piled up in baskets.

My jaw dropped slightly as I took it all in. Allmer had gone out this morning and gathered everything I’d brought up during our conversation.

By the time he returned, his arms laden with even more supplies, I couldn’t hold back my amazement. How did he even gather so many things in just hours.

“Allmer, did you—?”

He set the items down with a heavy thud, which startled Felix awake. The sleepy beastman groaned, stretched his arms above his head, and sat up with a bleary look on his face.

“What’s all the noise?” Felix mumbled, running a hand through his tangled hair.

“Make breakfast,” Allmer said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Felix blinked a few times, clearly still processing the command. “Ugh, fine,” he grumbled, dragging himself to his feet and heading toward the small cooking area.

I turned back to Allmer, who was now dusting off his hands after unloading the last of his haul. He met my gaze and walked toward me, his expression calm but with a flicker of something softer in his eyes.

“Allmer,” I began, my voice quieter now, “you didn’t have to do all this all at once.”

His brow furrowed slightly, and he tilted his head as if the thought confused him. “Winter is coming,” he said simply. “You needed these things.”

The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, made my chest tighten. I shifted slightly, pulling the blanket closer to myself as I tried to find the right words.

“I know, but… I didn’t expect you to go out and do all of this in one morning. It’s—” I glanced around at the sheer volume of supplies—“it’s a lot. You could have taken your time.”

He crouched in front of me, his gaze steady and unwavering. “I promised to take care of you, Shira,” he said quietly. “That means preparing for everything.”

His sincerity made it hard to argue. My cheeks warmed, and I looked down, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Well,” I muttered, “thank you. I really appreciate it.”

"Additionally-” he continued.

“Breakfast is ready, sleepyheads” Felix called out, his tone less irritated now, probably soothed by the promise of food.

I looked over to see him setting down a plate of steaming rice and fruit for me and for himself. Though Felix was a Tiger, unlike Allmer, I guess he enjoyed food other than raw meat. The smell made my stomach growl, reminding me how hungry I was.

Allmer stood, offering me a hand to help me up. I stretched my arms outward, still wrapped in the cozy blanket, silently asking for a morning hug before getting up. Allmer’s ruby eyes glinted with faint amusement as he stepped closer—not to embrace me, though. Instead, he scooped me up effortlessly, his strength undeniable, and set me on my feet.

“Come,” he said, his voice softening. “Eat first. Then we can sort through everything.”

I blinked up at him, still half in a dreamlike haze, as he dusted off the blanket I’d dragged with me.

“What’s the rush?” I asked, tilting my head.

“I’ll be leaving today,” he said, meeting my gaze. “I need to meet the ape beastman I mentioned earlier.”

That woke me up instantly. The dreamy fog I’d been floating in evaporated, and I blinked at him in surprise. “Wait... the ape you mentioned? The one who might know how to get me back to my world?”

He nodded, his expression unreadable.

I took a step back, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly. “You’re leaving now?”

“The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll return,” he said. “If I travel alone, I can make it there and back in two weeks. But if you come along…” He hesitated, his gaze softening. “With winter approaching and the slower pace we’d have to take, it could take months.”

I frowned, torn between wanting to argue and knowing he was right.

“Allmer,” I began, my voice quieter now, “What if—”

“Nothing will happen,” he interrupted gently but firmly. “I’ve made this journey before. I know the way, and I’ll be careful.”

I bit my lip, my stomach twisting uneasily. I knew this was important—not just for me, but for us. He was willing to make this long journey just to help me find answers about returning to my world.

“Okay,” I said finally, my voice wavering slightly. “But… you have to promise me something.”

His head tilted slightly, curiosity flashing in his eyes. “What is it?”

I hesitated for a moment, then met his gaze with determination. “You have to come back before the first snow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Before the first snow?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “In my world, there’s a tradition—if you watch the first snow with someone you love, it means you’ll stay together forever.”

For a moment, his expression softened into something unreadable, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

“I promise,” he said, his voice low and steady. “I’ll be back before the first snow. There's plenty of time, more than few weeks, before it starts snowing anyway.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, even though a small part of me still wanted to protest.

“Good,” I murmured, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

“All right,” he said, stepping back. “Let’s eat before I leave.”

We made our way outside to where Felix was just about to start digging into his own food. The smell was delicious, and I could tell immediately that Felix had worked his usual magic.

Felix glanced up from where he was sitting, his expression still groggy. “Finally awake, huh?” he said with a smirk.

“Barely,” I muttered, taking a seat across from him.

Allmer joined us, sitting down beside me. “She’s going to need to wake up earlier while I’m gone.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “Gone? What’s this about?”

“He’s going for some.... errands". I say, not sure how much to tell Felix.

Felix’s expression shifted, a rare hint of seriousness crossing his face. “Just directly say it's hibernation due to winter. I'm sharper than that you know.” He said. Well he's wrong but should I correct him?

Before I could say anything, Allmer nodded. “Yes. So sharp that you don't even know not all Snakes hibernate cub. I’ll be back before the first snow.” Allmer said flatly.

Felix didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back and muttered, “Good luck, then. Try not to get eaten by anything.”

I shot him a glare. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” he said with a faint smirk.

Allmer ignored him, focusing instead seeing that I complete my food. I ate in silence, the warmth of the food doing little to ease the nervous knot in my stomach.

* ** *** ****I just realised since I didn't open Wattpad for few weeks, I missed many notifications >< Will now go through all chapters and reply to the comments I missed ▼⁠・⁠ᴥ⁠・⁠▼