The cool night air wrapped around them as Paritraan landed in a secluded alleyway, the city lights flickering in the distance. The girl, still shaken, clung to him for a moment before realizing and quickly letting go.
Paritraan exhaled, scanning the surroundings. "We're safe for now."
The girl nodded, her breathing still uneven. "T-Thank you…"
Before she could say more, a familiar voice echoed in her ears.
"Wow, hero, that was quite a ride! But tell me… have you no shame?"
Paritraan narrowed his eyes. "What now, Anahata?"
"You rescued a girl, fought an entire gang, and now it's almost midnight…" A dramatic pause. "AND YOU LEFT HER HUNGRY?!"
The girl blinked, as if just now realizing it.
Paritraan crossed his arms. "She's fine."
"Fine? You absolute menace! Feed the poor girl!"
The girl waved her hands. "No, really, I'm okay—"
"Nope! Food. Now."
Paritraan sighed. "I don't have anything to cook with."
"Oh no, how tragic. If only you had some kind of futuristic tech that could generate fire and hold things at the same time—oh wait! You do!"
The girl's lips twitched into a small smile.
Paritraan, however, groaned. "You're insufferable."
"And yet, here we are."
"Defeated", Paritraan sat down. Seeing his frustration, the girl spoke up. "I can cook. Just tell me what you have."
Paritraan hesitated before searching his pockets. After a moment, he pulled out two packets of Maggi.
They looked like they had been through a war.
The girl took one look at them and smiled softly. "This will do."
Paritraan frowned. "You're… not disappointed?"
She shook her head. "But I am worried." "How are you living like this?"
He had no answer.
She didn't press further and instead got to work. "I need fire and a utensil."
From Paritraan's chest, two tendrils emerged—one holding an old pot, the other igniting a small, controlled blue flame.
The girl flinched at first, but after a moment, she adjusted. "This is actually pretty useful."
"Finally, someone appreciates me," Anahata hummed.
As the Maggi cooked, a comfortable silence settled between them. The warm scent filled the air, cutting through the tension of the night.
Once it was done, the girl handed Paritraan a bowl. He accepted it without a word and began eating.
Then he stopped.
Not because it tasted bad. Not because he wasn't hungry.
But because, for the first time in a long while, someone had cooked for him.
Anahata's voice cut through the moment, quieter than usual.
"How long has it been since someone made food for you?"
Paritraan didn't answer.
The girl, watching him closely, felt something stir inside her.
He wasn't just a hero. He wasn't just a fighter.
He was alone.
Anahata, sensing the shift, decided to break the tension.
"So, hero, what do you think? Five-star meal, right?"
Paritraan exhaled. "It's edible."
"Rude!"
The girl giggled, and for the first time that night, things felt a little more normal.
As dawn approached and the city calmed, Paritraan escorted the girl back to her home. She lingered at the door, hesitating.
He had never once asked for her name. Never asked why she was kidnapped.
But she knew his face.
As he turned to leave, she made a silent promise.
"I'll help him. I'll help him live like a normal person."
As Paritraan leaped onto the rooftops, Anahata spoke again.
"You never asked her name or what happened. Why?"
Paritraan didn't stop moving. "For her safety. The police can handle a kidnapping. But if she gets involved with me… she won't have a normal life."
A pause.
"Or maybe," Anahata mused, "you're just afraid of losing another important person."