Dama picked up and glanced at the paper again, muttering the next task to himself: "Physical Exercises." His brow furrowed as he scanned the instructions Tsubasa had written. Stretching seemed to be the first step, something he already did every morning before heading out to work. Feeling slightly more confident, he rolled up his sleeves.

  “All right, Giona!” Dama said, setting the paper aside and facing her. “We’re gonna do some stretches next to help you loosen up a bit.” He noticed her puzzled expression and quickly added, “Don’t worry—it’s nothing hard. Just follow my lead, okay?”

  After Giona nodded, Dama began with the hamstring stretch. He gently guided Giona to sit upright, her legs stretched out in front of her on the bed. “Okay, I’ll help you lean forward, but tell me if it hurts, all right?”

  Giona nodded again, leading to Dama placing his hand on her back and slowly helping her lean forward until she could just about touch her knees. She winced slightly but didn’t protest. “Good, good,” Dama said, his voice calm, “we’ll hold it here for a few seconds.”

  After a moment, Dama helped her back up and moved to her arms. “Now, let’s try some arm circles. I’ll hold your arm and move it for you.” He gently took her right arm and moved it in small, slow circles, careful not to strain her. Giona’s eyes followed the movement, her body feeling an unfamiliar, tingling sensation of muscles waking up.

  When Dama switched to her left arm, Mumu, still sitting on the ground, turned his gaze to the pair. He watched Dama closely, then mimicked the arm circles with his paw in the air. Giona noticed out the corner of her eyes and giggled, the sound light and genuine. Dama, confused, then noticed Mumu as well. Combined with Giona's giggle, a smile formed on his face.

  Next, Dama guided Giona into a side stretch. He had her raise one arm above her head with his help, while he supported her torso as she bent to the side. “This one’s a bit trickier,” he said, “but it’ll help loosen your back.”

  After a few repetitions, Dama let Giona rest for a moment, her breathing slightly heavier but her expression calm. He picked up the list again. “All right, next we’ll try some ankle pumps. You just have to move your feet up and down—like this.” He demonstrated by flexing his foot, then pointing it downward.

  Giona tried to mimic the motion but struggled. Her movements were stiff, and she couldn’t lift her feet much. Dama sat beside her and gently held her ankle, guiding her foot through the motion. “You’re doing great...” he said, offering her an encouraging smile.

  As Giona continued, Mumu appeared beside the bed with a small plush ball he’d found somewhere in the cabin. He nudged it toward Dama, who tilted his head. “What’s this for?”

  Mumu tapped the ball, squished it with both hands, then rolled it toward Giona’s hand after it took its original shape. She looked at it curiously, then back at Mumu.

  Dama grinned, realizing Mumu's intentions. “Oh, I get it. Good idea, buddy!” He exclaimed as he took it into his own hand.

  Raising his hand with the ball Infront of Giona, catching her attention, Dama then clutched it into his palm. “Giona, I want you to take this ball and do two things: roll it around on your palm, then squeeze, like this." He said as he repeated the motion. Smiling at Giona nodding, he then gave it to her. "It will help with grip. Here, first, try rolling this back and forth.”

  Giona’s fingers trembled slightly as she wrapped them around the ball. She began to copy Dama, rolling it slowly across her palm and back, her movements determined.

  Next, without Dama even having to tell her, she squeezed the ball, feeling her fingers sink into the plush fabric. She could feel the muscles of her hand and fingers struggle at first, but as blood came rushing in, it got easier. When she released her grip, she was somewhat fascinated by how the ball seemingly inflated itself back to its original shape.

  By the end of the session, Giona was visibly tired but also smiling—a mix of exhaustion and quiet pride in herself. Dama laughed as he patted Giona's shoulder. “That’s enough for now. You did amazing, Giona, Granny Tsu’s gonna be proud!”

  Giona smiled wide, and for the first time, she felt a glimmer of hope that her body could grow stronger.

  Next on the list was "Reading & Talking Exercises", which Dama noticed Tsubasa had written down simply as: "Read aloud to her and encourage her to try simple words. As she progresses, try to encourage her to speak full sentences."

  He nodded at this, thinking back to the promise he’d made to Giona the previous night. He had intended to read Tales of the Cataclysm to her, but by the time he was finished going over the papers Tsubasa had given him, Giona had already fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb her rest, he had left it for another time. "I hope she doesn't hold that against me..."

  Turning to Giona, he smiled and said, “Next up is reading exercises. And since I forgot to read to you last night like I usually do, we’ll use Tales of the Cataclysm for the exercise. How does that sound?”

  Giona didn’t catch every word, but the mention of the book’s title immediately sparked recognition. Her eyes lit up, and she perked up in excitement. Her mouth opened into a wide, joyous smile, and she pumped her fists in front of her chest, a clear expression of her enthusiasm.

  Dama chuckled at her reaction, a grin spreading across his face. He then turned to Mumu, who was still amusingly twirling his arm in a circle, mimicking the stretching exercise from earlier. “Hey, Mumu,” Dama called, “could you grab the book from the shelf, please?”

  Mumu gave an exaggerated nod of agreement. He walked toward the bookshelf, though humorously, he continued to spin his arm in a wide circle as he moved. Giona giggled at the sight, and even Dama had to suppress a laugh.

  Mumu retrieved the book and handed it to Dama, who gave him a playful pat on the head. “Thanks, buddy!”

  Settling beside Giona, Dama opened the book and flipped through the pages. “If I remember right, we were still on Tale 1, Chapter 4, Province 16—the last province before the next tale.” He stopped at the beginning of Province 16 and placed the book on both of their laps.

  Just as he was about to start reading, Giona placed her hand on his. Startled, he looked up at her. She shook her head firmly, her expression clear: "That’s not where we are."

  “Oh?” Dama muttered, then realization dawned on him. Giona must have read ahead on her own yesterday. With a grin, he leaned back and said, “All right then, Giona. Lead the way.”

  Though she didn’t understand the words exactly, she caught the intent behind them. She nodded, her wide smile mirroring his. The way she nodded reminded Dama of how Mumu and Nini often did it, a small detail that made his heart warm as he thought to himself, "Mumu and Nini must be rubbing off on her!"

  Giona eagerly flipped through the pages until she stopped at the part she recognized. She tapped the top of the page, looking up at Dama with a proud smile. He leaned forward to see where she had stopped and immediately noticed the title: Tale 2, Chapter 1, Province 1.

  Dama’s eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at her in delight. “Wait—did you really get this far?”

  Giona nodded vigorously, her smile growing even wider.

  “Well, color me impressed,” Dama said, grinning, "you must’ve been really into it!” He glanced back at the page and let out an amused chuckle. “If you liked what Tale 1 had to offer—Hero-King Adam’s beginnings and how he met Giona Evelyn Tamaki—then I’ve got a feeling you’re going to love Tale 2!”

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  “This one,” Dama continued, tapping the header at the top of the page, “is all about Tharloin Elandor—the first Elven King! He’s...let’s just say, a very different kind of king than Adam.”

  Giona’s eyes sparkled with curiosity at the name, and her fingers hovered over the page as though she could sense the importance of the story within. Dama chuckled at her enthusiasm, settling more comfortably beside her as he prepared to read. “All right, let’s dive in. But remember, this is an exercise too. I’ll read, and then you try a few words, okay?”

  Giona nodded again, her excitement palpable as she leaned closer to the book, ready to begin Tale 2.

  -

  Tale 2, Chapter 1, Province 1

  1 In the days when the world was young, and the forests were endless, the light bright, there lived Tharloin Elandor, son to a high elven family, keepers of the emerald flame at the heart of Purus Forest. 2 His birth was foretold by the whispers of the trees and the songs of the rivers, for he was chosen to lead Elvenkind in their hour of great need.

  3 In his youth, Tharloin wandered the forests of Elandrial, learning the ways of the earth. 4 He listened to the voice of the wind and spoke with the beasts, for the goddess, the great Purus, had gifted him with wisdom and compassion. 5 Though, this did not bode well for his hubris, as he soon found out how special he was compared to his peers.

  6 Years into his adolescence, it came to pass that a shadow fell upon the land, a darkness born of greed and hatred. 7 A war that soon engulfed much of the forests Elvenkind called home in flame. 8 The Elves, scattered and leaderless, cried out for a savior. 9 And Tharloin, though still young, stood among them and said, “Fear not, for we are the children of the Creator, and the emerald light shall guide us!”

  10 Thus, Tharloin sought out the emerald flame's power, beckoning its divine protection to smite those that dared to hurt the forests of Purus. 11 However, it was that fateful day—that Tharloin went missing...

  -

  Dama’s voice was steady as he read the verses aloud, pausing occasionally to look at Giona and smile. “Okay, Giona,” he said, pointing at a word, “repeat after me: forest.”

  “Forest,” Giona echoed softly, her pronunciation clear but hesitant.

  “Good!” Dama said with a grin. “A forest is a big area with lots of trees!”

  Giona nodded, her eyes lighting up with understanding.

  “Next one,” Dama said, pointing to another word. “Light.”

  “Light,” Giona repeated, a little more confident this time.

  “Exactly! Light is...well, like the sun, or a flame, like the one in the fireplace." Damage pointed to the fireplace. "It helps us see when it’s dark.”

  Giona mimed the shape of the flame with her hands, making Dama laugh. “You’ve got it! Last one for now—king.”

  “King.” Giona said, her voice a bit louder as she caught on.

  “A king,” Dama explained, “is someone who leads a group of people. Like Tharloin and Adam in the story, or, well, not me.” He added with a chuckle.

  Giona tilted her head, curious, and pointed at the book, as if asking to hear more.

  “Don’t worry!” Dama said, ruffling her hair. “We’ll read the next part soon. For now, let’s just let Tharloin rest in his forest kingdom a little longer.”

  Dama set the book aside and rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, Giona," he began with an unsure tone, "we're going to continue the talking exercises with some words we didn't read."

  As Giona straightened up, curious to what Dama had for her next, he cleared his throat and glanced at the list again. "So, the goal is to say some basic, but very important words and get you comfortable pronouncing them. Let’s start simple. Repeat after me: ‘Hello.’"

  Giona blinked, then softly repeated, "He—He...H... Hewwo..." Her voice was quiet, her lips hesitating slightly over the syllables. causing her to mispronounce them.

  "It's a start! But you have to pronounce the middle with your tongue like this: heelllooo." Dama articulated, making sure to exaggerate the motion of his tongue for Giona to copy, using hand motions too. "Now, let’s try it one more time. ‘Hello.’"

  This time, Giona spoke a little more clearly. "H-Hello...?"

  "Perfect!" Dama exclaimed, his enthusiasm making Giona first flinch, then grin. "Okay, next one. ‘What.’"

  Giona’s brow furrowed as she tried. "W-wha..." She stopped, feeling the word get caught in her throat.

  Dama leaned in slightly, his tone soft and encouraging. "Take your time. Focus on the sound. ‘What.’"

  After a moment, Giona tried again. "What..."

  "There you go!" Dama said, clapping his hands. "You’re getting the hang of it, let’s keep going."

  He pointed to the next word on the list. "Now try this one: ‘When.’"

  Giona gave a small nod, focusing hard. "W... Wen."

  "Close! It’s ‘When', with a little ‘h’ sound in there. Listen again: ‘When.’"

  "Wh-When!" Giona repeated, her pronunciation much improved.

  "That’s it!" Dama beamed. "You’re doing amazing. Let’s do one more before we take a break, ‘Why.’"

  "Why...!" Giona said almost immediately, surprising both herself and Dama with how clear it sounded.

  Dama blinked, then broke into a laugh. "Well, look at that! You nailed that one like it was nothing!" A comment that bolstered Giona's confidence.

  Dama looked at the list of words they’d just practiced, then turned to Giona with a thoughtful smile. "Alright, before we move on, let’s go over the words we practiced one more time. I’ll also tell you what each one means so you can use them to make your own sentences later. Sound good?"

  Giona nodded eagerly, sitting up straighter in anticipation.

  "First word: ‘Hello,’" Dama began. "It’s a way to greet someone. Like when you see someone for the first time, you can say, ‘Hello,’ to be polite and friendly."

  Giona mouthed the word, then said it quietly to herself, as if memorizing it.

  "Next up: ‘What,’" Dama continued, "this word is used when you want to know about something. Like, ‘What is that?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ It’s a question word."

  Giona tilted her head, repeating, "What."

  "Good! Now, ‘When.’" Dama said as he leaned forward. "You use this word to ask about time. Like, ‘When will we eat?’ or ‘When will Dama stop talking?’" He added the last part with a playful grin, earning a tiny laugh from Giona.

  "W-When." Giona repeated whilst still giggling.

  "Perfect," Dama raised a finger in the air, "now here’s a tricky one! ‘Why.’ This word is for asking the reason something happens. Like, ‘Why is the sky blue?’ or ‘Why do I need rest?’"

  Giona giggled again, clearly enjoying his examples. "Why!" She exclaimed out loud, her voice clear and firm from her pride in herself learning.

  "See? You’re already getting it!" Dama said, clapping his hands. "Now, let’s try a little test. I’ll ask you a question, and you tell me what word you would use to start it, okay?"

  Giona gave him a curious look but nodded.

  "Okay, if you want to ask about time, what word would you use?"

  "When...?" Giona answered, though a little unsure.

  "Exactly!" Dama responded, washing away Giona's hesistation. "And if you want to know about the reason for something?"

  Giona thought for a moment before leaning forward with an excited expression. "Why!"

  "Right again! Last one—if you’re asking about a thing, like an object or idea, what would you say?"

  Giona hesitated but eventually answered, "Hello?"

  Dama chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, the word 'Hello' is used for greetings." He stated before he perked up, an idea striking him then and there. "Here, I'll show you!"

  The boy now turned tutor got off the bed and ran inside the pantry room, making sure to close the door behind him, leaving Giona a bit stunned. Then, a few seconds later, he opened the door and walked back into the main room. With a warm wave, smile, and tone, Dama completed his example with a, "Hello, Giona. Just like that!"

  Sitting back upon the bed, he then asked his previous question again. "Now that you know the difference, let's see if you can get it right this time. If you’re asking about a thing, like an object or idea, what would you say?"

  Giona gave it some thought before straightening her back and looking Dama in the eyes, which mirrored her determination and confidence in her growth. "What."

  "Correct! I knew you'd get it!" Dama exclaimed, his smile beaming with pride. "With these words, you can start building your own sentences in no time. Now let’s move on to the last thing for the morning, shall we?"

  -

  Next: (Extra Chapter 19) Cursed Friendship