Chapter 30: Into the Wilderness

As we approached the foyer, a row of buses came into view, their sleek frames glinting under the morning sun.

Scarlette slowed her pace and turned to us, her eyes gleaming. "Alright, remember, no slacking off during this trip. Anyone caught lackin’ will get it from me once the camp is over."

I gave her a sideways glance. "What, you expecting trouble at a school camping trip?"

Scarlette glared at me. "Oh, shut up. You, of all people, saying that? Don’t jinx us!” The faint twinkle in her eye revealed that she had found my sarcasm amusing though, with the rest of the group chuckling at our exchange.

A crowd of students had already gathered, sitting in groups, waiting to begin boarding. The buzz of conversation filled the air as teachers checked in on their students, mingling with the hum of engines in the distance. We settled down with some of our already present classmates and waited.

With time almost up, the last group of our class finally arrived. Kazen led the way, with Daxston, Spencer and Raven close behind. With the exception of Spencer, who clearly didn’t look like he was enjoying himself, all of their expressions were unreadable. I sincerely hoped that we would be able to square off against their team somehow in the forest. Who wouldn’t like a Scarlette vs Kazen rematch?

Soon after, it was time to board. Ms Reina performed a quick head count and ensured that our entire class was present as we stood up.

After we stored our bags in the underside compartment of the bus, a small problem became apparent to me: Our team had five people, meaning one of us had to sit alone. It was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it could lead to some awkwardness.

Well, not that I minded being that person.

“You guys sit together, I’ll sit somewhere else,” I offered.

Kaede turned to face me. “You sure? I don’t mind sitti—”

“It’s fine.” Frankly, if there was anyone that I wanted to sit with, it would be Ms Reina. I wanted to ask her more about Dr Connor, but sitting with her in front of everyone would be sure to get people talking.

After boarding the bus, I noted that Mira was sitting with Kaede, while Jonah sat with Scarlette. This was probably the only realistic combination, given the awkwardness between Mira and Scarlette. Being one of the first few to board, the five of us were able to sit close together.

As the bus filled up, I realized that someone would have to eventually sit beside me. Sure enough, the boy who I recognized as Eric clambered onto the empty seat. I recalled him as the one who had asked Ms Reina about the rewards for the camp, so in a way I was grateful to him. He usually hung around with four other guys who I assumed would be his teammates for this camp.

“Hey,” he gave me a nod of acknowledgement. I gave one in return.

“Team leaders, please make sure that your teammates are accounted for at all times throughout the camp. The bus will be leaving shortly, so please fasten your seatbelts. The journey to Covecreek Forest will take about 25 minutes.”

I sank into my seat, fastening my seatbelt as the bus engine roared to life. I glanced out the window, watching as the campus grounds gradually disappeared behind us.

Kaede, sitting right in front of me, turned around. "So, what do you think this camp’s really about? It’s gonna be more than just hiking and tents!"

I shrugged. "Hard to say. Probably a lot of physical drills and maybe some combat practice. Typical stuff for the Combat Division." That being said, I secretly wished that they would throw a curveball at us.

A couple of minutes later, Ms Reina, who was seated at the front of the bus, stood up and cleared her throat, silencing the casual chatter. “Alright, everyone, a quick reminder about the camp. We’ll be arriving at Covecreek Forest soon, where you’ll be setting up your tents and going through a series of challenges designed to test your teamwork, endurance, and combat skills. Remember, this is a team-building exercise, so work together. Leaders, guide your teams wisely.”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Her gaze swept the bus, briefly locking onto mine. For a second, I thought she lingered just a bit longer before moving on. It wasn’t like Ms Reina to play favourites, but something told me she had her own expectations for me during this camp. She did have access to my records from our practical test, so she was probably curious about why I hadn’t yet shown off my full capabilities.

As we neared the forest, the road became bumpier, and the dense canopy of trees loomed ahead. I could feel a shift in the air—an electric tension settling over the bus as we all silently prepared for what was ahead. We were both nervous and excited for what was to come.

Eric, sitting beside me, had been quietly playing games on his phone the whole time. But to my chagrin, he suddenly decided to start a conversation with me.

“So, how’s your team doing?” he asked.

I quickly analysed the motive behind his question. Eric gave off some cunning vibes, and his academics weren’t anything to sneeze at either.

“Alright, I guess. I mean, the camp hasn’t started yet.”

Eric smirked, lowering his phone. "True, but I meant in general. I heard Scarlette’s a bit of a hothead. How’s she holding up as your leader?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly, unsure if he was digging for something or just making conversation. “She’s intense, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Keeps us focused.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Focused, huh? Must be interesting with her around."

"Yeah, it's pretty interesting. Not a dull day around her," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

He leaned back in his seat, clearly not ready to let the conversation die. "Well, you know how these camps go. They push you to your limits, and sometimes people crack under the pressure. Guess we’ll see how everyone handles it," he said, his tone nonchalant.

I kept my gaze on the thickening forest outside the window. I wasn’t about to let him get into my head, and I definitely didn’t want to start discussing team dynamics with him, especially before the camp had even begun.

“Ehh... I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I replied.

Eric shrugged, a knowing look in his eyes. "Guess we’ll find out soon enough." What was his problem?

The bus came to a slow halt near the entrance of Covecreek Forest, amidst a procession of buses. We filed out and started collecting our belongings.

Kaede leaned in close to me. “Mira and I heard what you guys were whispering about earlier. What business does he have with us?!” she seethed under her breath.

“What’s up?” Scarlette called, making her way over.

“Nothing much! Just Eric trying to fish for information!” Kaede brushed it off.

Scarlette smirked. “Let him try. We’re not gonna crumble that easy.”

We joined the rest of our class as they gathered at the edge of the forest. From there, Ms Reina led the way in.

“This is giving me flashbacks to that night,” Kaede murmured, shivering. “At least this time we’re with good company, and the path’s a lot clearer.”

“I just hope we don’t get lost,” Mira added quietly, stifling a nervous laugh.

Jonah puffed out his chest. “You’ve got me, remember? Mr Experienced Camper over here! No way we’re getting lost!”

I couldn’t help but notice his eyes flicking around nervously, despite his confidence. Before long, we reached a small clearing.

“Find a spot to set up your tents,” Ms. Reina instructed. “We’ll meet back up at the front in about an hour.”

The clearing was of ample size, large enough to fit one class. I had a feeling that this area had been cleared out for previous camping sessions as well. Peering past the trees, I could see the other classes each having their own space.

“Where do you guys wanna pitch our tents?” Jonah asked, hoisting our tent bag in the air.

“Why don’t you tell us, Camp Expert?” Scarlette grinned.

“Well, there isn’t much of a difference where we set up, actually. I mean, everyone is gathered around the same place, right?” Jonah began blabbering.

“Let’s try to find a spot near the trees in the east,” I suggested. “The sun rises in that direction, so we’ll have trees shading us from the early morning sun. Anywhere else and we’ll be exposed.”

“You passed the test, Cadel! Well done!” Jonah slapped me on the back.

“Thank goodness we have Cadel here,” Scarlette rolled her eyes.

Jonah blushed. “Alright let’s get to it, we’ll have this thing up in no time. This is something I'm actually good at.”

The sound of rustling trees and distant chatter from the other groups amplified the energetic atmosphere. As I observed the other groups, I noted that both Eric and Kazen’s group had the same idea as us, with our tents pitched near the shade of the eastern trees. They were within earshot, so we had to be careful with our words.

There were a couple of groups near the middle as well, but those of which consisted of relatively weaker members. I suspected that they felt safer if they were surrounded by their fellow classmates.

About an hour later, most of us had already finished pitching our tents. We left our bags in our respective tents—the girls sharing one, while Jonah and I shared the other, and joined the rest of our class in front of Ms Reina. She was standing on a fallen tree trunk.

I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. Its position was too convenient—did someone place it there? Maybe Ms Reina—what Ability did she have? I realised I didn’t know. However, my thoughts were shattered as she held up an egg carton.

“This!” she shouted, using one hand to remove an egg, “will be what each team will be protecting!”