Chapter 6：The Log Cabin

Corie POV：

Darkness had swallowed most of the sky.

The brutal reality finally crashed over me—I had zero survival skills out here in the wild.

No adequate food, no sense of direction, and not a shred of experience.

Worse, the fever was ravaging my body in violent, relentless waves.

I had been dragging myself forward all day, and the bloody tears on the soles of my feet were swelling painfully, every single step feeling like I was treading on hot razor blades.

"Mia... are we lost?"

I collapsed back against a rough tree trunk, my voice trembling.

"Are we going to die out here?"

Mia went quiet for a long second before whispering, "No..."

But there was no confidence behind her words.

I could feel her soul shivering—she was terrified, too.

Right then, a sharp rustle cut through the pitch-black woods.

It wasn't the breeze whispering through the leaves.

Something was creeping up on me.

My entire body snapped rigid.

My shaking fingers scrambled for a heavy stick off the muddy ground.

"Mia, what is it?"

"I... I can't smell it..."

Her pathetic admission sent a wave of absolute ice through my chest.

I backpedaled inch by inch until my back slammed against a thick oak.

The rustling grew closer...

Cold sweat drenched my palms, making the stick slip in my grip.

Is this it? Am I going to die here?

Just as my sanity was about to snap completely—

A little wild rabbit burst out from the thicket, brushing right past my bloodied ankles before darting away.

I froze for a few surreal seconds, then let out a breathless, half-hysterical laugh.

"Mia, it was just a rabbit."

I felt her long sigh of relief in my mind.

"I told you, my senses are just—"

"I know," I murmured softly.

I never blamed her for being weak.

But once the hysterical laugh faded, reality hit me like a blow—I couldn't move another inch.

The fever had completely drained my reserves, blurring my vision into a haze of dark spots.

Night fully descended, burying the whole forest in a suffocating, dead silence.

I forced my chin up, scanning the infinite dark through the trees.

Far off in the distance, almost at the edge of the horizon, a microscopic flicker of warm light cut through the shadow.

I blinked hard, rubbing my stinging eyes, staring until the faint glow solidified.

A choked gasp tore from my throat.

"Someone lives out there! Mia, look! Let's go."

"Can you even walk?" she whimpered softly.

I grit my teeth until my jaw ached. "I'll crawl on broken bones if I have to."

I was never turning back.

I would never crawl back to Kent.

~~~

Dragging my broken, exhausted body, I forced one bloody foot in front of the other toward that distant light.

Slowly, the silver moon rose into the sky, spilling a river of moonlight across the forest floor, illuminating the path ahead.

"Mia, do you see that?" I whispered into the quiet dark. "The Moon Goddess hasn't abandoned us."

She let out a soft, faint hum of agreement.

But it wasn't long before my body hit its absolute limit again.

I stumbled, collapsed, and forced myself back up, completely losing track of time until I finally stumbled onto the porch of a isolated log cabin.

Tears burst through my eyes, unbidden, but survival instinct made me pause to peek through the window first.

A middle-aged woman was standing by a roaring stone hearth, stirring something in a warm iron pot.

The faint, savory scent of real food seeped through the cracks, making my hollow stomach cramp up violently.

I dragged myself to the wooden door and used the absolute last drop of my strength to bang my fist against it.

The door swung inward.

I only had enough air in my lungs to choke out two words.

"Help... me..."

And then, the light completely cut out, plunging me into total darkness.

~~~

When I finally drifted back to consciousness, the crackle and pop of burning logs filled my ears.

A soothing, radiant warmth washed over my shivering skin.

Someone was gently supporting the back of my head, tilting a spoon to feed me warm broth, drop by drop.

The earthy scent of medicine blended with the rich aroma of food—a tender warmth I hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime.

"Rest now, child," a soft voice echoed gently above me.

I desperately wanted to say thank you, but my body was too heavy, pulling me back down into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~~~

Finally, I drifted all the way back into consciousness.

Warm morning sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in gold.

I cast my eyes around—it was a cozy, rustic log cabin.

Bundles of dried herbs hung from the ceiling beams, and the corners were packed with mortar and pestles, glass vials, and tools for processing plants.

Clearly, this was the home of an experienced Healer.

I glanced down at my feet; both were wrapped neatly in clean white bandages.

Even my shoes—previously ruined by mud, dried blood, and pus—had been washed spotless and set neatly beside the bed.

A sudden, hot prickle stung the back of my eyes.

The kind of care my own parents had never bothered to give me... a complete stranger had done without a second thought.

Right then, the wooden door swung open, and a woman slightly older than my mother stepped inside, her arms cradling a fresh bundle of wild herbs.

She didn't have the pampered, polished look my mother obsessed over.

Her hair was streaked with silver and deep lines etched her face, but her eyes shone with sharp, radiant wisdom.

"Oh? You're finally awake," she murmured, eyeing me up and down. "Hungry? You've been out cold for two whole days."

I forced myself to sit up, my joints aching.

"Thank you for saving me..."

"Stop right there."

She cut me off flatly before I could finish.

I froze, caught off guard.

"You're still sick as a dog. What are you blabbering thank-yous for?"

She set the herbs on the workbench and brought over a steaming bowl of dark medicine.

"Drink this first."

I took the warm bowl carefully in my hands.

"I'm Corie, by the way."

"Maeve."

"Thank you, Maeve."

Her brows knit together into a stern scowl.

"There you go again."

I blinked, thoroughly stunned.

She looked at my wide, startled eyes and let out a soft, heavy sigh.

"Listen to me, girl. I didn't drag you inside to collect gratitude.

"The only job you have right now is getting your strength back. Period."

I lowered my head, my heart swelling as I whispered, "...Okay."

A rare, satisfied smile finally touched her lips.

"That's more like it."

After I choked down the bitter brew, she leaned over to inspect the bandages on my feet.

"Do you have any idea how close you came to dying out there?"

I stayed dead silent, my throat tight.

Her voice softened, dropping its harsh edge.

"Running into the deep woods all alone with a raging fever and raw, infected wounds...

"What on earth happened to you, child?"

My hand twitched, the spoon freezing midair.

The nightmare at the altar.

The brutal, endless road back home.

The blindingly expensive crystal wine glass swirled in my mother's hand...

A sudden tidal wave of agonizing grief rushed back into my chest.

I clenched my jaw, desperately trying to swallow down the hot tears threatening to spill.

"Alright, alright," Maeve said gently, clearly reading the torment in my eyes. "We won't talk about it. Time heals all wounds."

I kept my chin tucked down against my chest, not wanting her to see how red my eyes had turned.

"There's a big pot of warm porridge on the hearth," she added softly. "Don't be shy in my house. Treat it like your own home."

"Mm."

I practically buried my face in the bowl.

Maeve went back to her workbench, busying herself with sorting her herbs.

I sat there staring blankly into the steaming rice porridge.

My own home?

My actual home was never half as warm as this tiny cabin.

A couple of silent, scalding tears splashed straight into the bowl.

I lifted a full spoon to my lips and swallowed.

It was, without a doubt, the sweetest thing I had ever tasted in my life.