He Who Walks the Grave

Kazuya had lost count of how many times he'd died. His attempts at surviving Eldora alone had been nothing short of a nightmare. The first time he tried to leave the kingdom, he had wandered into the wilderness, only to be torn apart by creatures lurking in the darkness. The second time, he had collapsed from starvation, his body giving out long before he could find civilization. And every time he tried to fight back, the results were the same—death.

Yet now, standing beside Lilith, something felt different.

The town square buzzed with energy, merchants shouting their prices, children darting between the legs of tired laborers, and knights patrolling with the ever-present reminder of the kingdom's law. Kazuya instinctively kept his head down, remembering the last time he had tried to steal.

"You're not seriously thinking about doing that again, are you?" Lilith muttered, eyeing him with amusement.

Kazuya sighed. "No, I've learned my lesson."

"Good," she said, her crimson eyes flicking toward a stall selling fresh bread. "Because if you're going to survive, you need a better plan than 'hope no one notices me being a dumbass.'"

"Then what do you suggest?"

Lilith tapped a finger against her chin, as if considering his options. "Well, first of all, you need money. You have none."

"Thanks for the reminder."

"Second, you need skills. Right now, you look like someone who couldn't even swat a fly, let alone handle yourself in a place like this."

"Again, thanks."

"And third," she continued, ignoring his sarcasm, "you need to stop acting like you're going to drop dead at any second. Confidence, Kazuya. People can smell desperation."

He groaned. "So, what? Do I just magically become a competent person overnight?"

Lilith smirked. "No. That's why I'm here."

She grabbed his wrist, dragging him toward the bustling streets. Kazuya barely had time to react before he found himself being pulled into the current of the crowd.

"Where are we going?" he asked, stumbling slightly as he tried to keep up.

"To get you started on something called 'not dying in the first five minutes of your day.'"

The alleyway smelled of damp stone and rotting wood. Lilith had led Kazuya through winding backstreets, away from the eyes of guards and merchants.

"You wanted to know why you never met me before?" Lilith said, leaning against a wall. "Simple. You never lasted long enough."

Kazuya tensed. "What do you mean?"

"You died too quickly," she explained bluntly. "Every time you got caught stealing or got yourself killed, you reset. You never survived long enough to cross my path."

It made sense. Every time he looped, his actions dictated who he encountered. His failures had prevented him from ever reaching this moment.

"But now you're here," she continued, "which means you've finally done something different."

Kazuya exhaled. "Yeah. I suppose that's progress."

Lilith smirked. "Barely. But we'll take what we can get."

She crouched down and pulled out a small pouch, jingling it slightly.

"Where did you get that?" Kazuya asked.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "You think I survive just on charm alone?" She tossed the pouch to him. "Open it."

Kazuya hesitated but did as she said. Inside were a few silver coins—more than he had ever managed to obtain on his own.

"Consider it an investment," Lilith said. "Don't waste it."

Kazuya stared at her, uncertain. "Why are you helping me?"

For a moment, Lilith was silent. Then, with a shrug, she said, "I told you, you're interesting. And besides…" She turned, walking toward the alley's exit. "Maybe I just want to see if you can actually make it past tomorrow."

Kazuya clenched the pouch in his hand. This was his chance. No more blind trial and error. No more aimless deaths.

For the first time, he had a reason to fight.

And he wasn't going to waste it.