After Bunny carefully moves Anastasia to the side, Ambrose is able to squeeze herself out from under her. She’s mostly unhurt, besides the scarring across her face and light burns that run along her limbs, but her whole body is exhausted. Stumbling onto her feet, Ambrose staggers to Anastasia’s side and looks down at her. The frigid look in her eyes receded a little, as if the warmth that surrounded them thawed her out. She reaches down and gently puts her hands underneath Anastasia.

Bunny follows along, and with the two on either side they lift her up and bring her next to Meize. After resting her on the grass Ambrose carefully checks the wounds across her body. Her fingers gently touch where the burns aren’t as strong. Anastasia’s eyebrows and hair have completely burnt off, and her eyes were shut tight.

“Water.” Ambrose’s voice comes out stilted, a dry, coarse kind of pain cutting across her throat.

“There was a well in the village.” Bunny says as she checks on Meize, carefully tending to him. “But I don’t think it will work.” Ambrose turns to her quizzically, and she continues. “Felt hungry yet?” Understanding dawns on Ambrose’s face. “Our physiology is strange. We need sleep, but not food. I’ve been thinking about it and I have a guess.” After making sure Meize is okay, Bunny stands up and walks over to Ambrose. She looks down at Anastasia.

“Think of what happens whenever we use energy.” Bunny continues. “Tired right? Let’s call ourselves some type of battery. Sleep refills the bars.” Bunny pauses as she sees Ambrose’s confused look. “Battery?” Ambrose shakes her head. “Huh. Just think of it like a container. When we’re full, we can expend the energy. Sleep gives it back.”

“The reason we get hungry,” Bunny sits down next to Ambrose. Her hands touch her face and carefully check her injuries. Ambrose remains silent. “It’s because our body needs it. Water is the same. Then, what if the rules around what our body needs changes?” Bunny shakes her head. “Well I’m just guessing. But look.” Bunny carefully traces the scarring across Ambrose’s face. “It’s already healed a little.”

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Ambrose reaches up and follows her touch with surprise. As Bunny said, the scarring had gone from a terrible leathery feel to a softer more inflamed feeling. Her head snaps to Anastasia and sees the same thing, but the healing is far less compared to her own. Ambrose test her throat, feeling it far less painful to talk.

“Can’t we give her some of this ‘battery’.” The strange word rolls off Ambrose’s tongue in a stilted manner.

“I don’t know.” Bunny says. “I don’t have things figured out.” She leans over and checks her pulse. “Her heartbeat is strong. If she was going to die, it would’ve been before. We should just wait.”

“Wait.” Ambrose mutters as she looks down at Anastasia. She touches her hand gently. “Okay. Wait.” Ambrose stands up and casts her gaze around the field. The fire had long died down, and the burnt ground stood out in its jagged area, like a beast opening its wide jaws. Beyond that the world is silent.

As Ambrose casts her gaze further, she reaches the town and looks across at it. As she stares, the red moonlight began to recede, turning from blood red to its own clear white. For a second Ambrose caught a figure at the door of the shrine, before its shadow recedes and the empty village turns still.

“We’re alone.” Ambrose’s exhausted voice fills the air as she turns to Bunny and Meize. Unable to hold on any further, she closes her eyes, and collapses to the ground. Bunny stares at her sleeping body. She turns to Meize.

“Don’t follow her lead.” Bunny says.

“Don’t worry. I don’t feel sleepy.” Meize states. He pulls at one of his makeshift bandages and peeks at his wounds. “I don’t see any of that fast healing on my side.”

“It’s just really slow.” Bunny shakes her head. “Ambrose’s wounds were light to begin with. We’re not talking about a miracle cure here.” The two turn silent. After a minute Meize looks up at the night sky, with the bright moon shining above.

“You think we’re safe.” Meize mutters. Bunny follows his gaze and turns her eyes upward. The moonlight is soft, its clear white light lighting up her face as she stares up.

“No.” Bunny answers. “I think we’re very far from safe.”