Garnet trampled across the snow, kicking it as she went. The mountains weren't far, not far at all. There would be shelter there. She knew it.

"Sister, come back already."

The voice hit her amid the cold winds, and she wanted to scream. She made it one step forward before her body was twisting around. She managed to cast a final glance at the mountains before pacing back the way she came.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She screamed. But there was nothing there, just cold.

But then a head peaked out. He stepped into the cold world from nothing with glossy light blue eyes and a gentle wave of blue hair. His blue cloak didn't have even a speck of dirt from their harrowing journey.

"Garnet, please. Just talk it through with me. And I won't have to use it."

His steps were calm, unchanged by the sudden crushing of icy winds as he stood and faced her. The gust hardly ruffled his hair or robe.

"Sid. If you use your fucking Defect on me again-

Sid sighed. "You'll what? Kill me?"

Garnet stopped in her tracks. But the tugging on her mind dragged her forward until she was right before him.

"Sisters can be such a handful. Come back already. You'll only freeze yourself here."

Garnet looked up at him. His eyes were deep and vibrant, welling with lucid blue. A lighter colour than her own. Her bottom lip twitched as she felt the brisk tinge on her skin. She lowered her head.

"Sid, you were right. I, I'm sorry, I should have trusted you."

She just knew he was smiling down at her. His lower figure was still and patient. Her mouth twitched as she faced the ground. It didn't matter what it took. She had to make him, make him see.

"I should have let you come alone. You were right." Garnet paused and looked up.

Sid's smile remained, but his gentle blue pupils had left her figure and wandered across the landscape behind her.

"Please entrust everyone to me. I'll bring them all back alive. So go! Go and save her, Sid. You can do it, I know. I know you can do it-"

"I cannot."

Those awful words shattered her heart like ice. She lunged for his cloak, her mouth wide.

But Sid was quicker. "The boundary Garnet. It's a lot farther than we'd hoped, at least a week's journey. The Devoured above aren't so bad. But... below."

Sid cast his shallow blue eyes down at the snow. With both hands on his cloak, Garnet went to shake him. But he didn't budge and continued to stare.

Sid frowned at the snow. "If only I was as combat-oriented as you. If anyone could get past... all of those. I'd like to meet them. That's for sure."

Helpless, she held onto his cloak as the cold ebbed and ate away at her skin. Then, she had to do it alone. She would. If the journey was only a week, she'd survive the cold, surely. If she just ran, maybe she could avoid the Devoured by chance.

Fabric wrapped around Garnet as his cloak shielded her from the cold. Arms followed and hugged her tight.

"Let go. Let go." She snivelled.

Sid whispered, "I can see them, Garnet. There must be a lot of them for me to see them from so far. She's surrounded by friends. I'm certain."

Sid was leading her away. But she didn't have the strength to resist. If only.

"I don't want to fail her, Sid. Please let me do something. I need to do something."

"We're not abandoning her. We'll come up with something. If you keep overusing your Defect, you won't be able to come up with a proper plan. Come on. Let's go talk it over in the warm."

Bound by those lean, strong arms, she was pulled back through the boundary.

###################

Rowan rested alone on the dining hall steps. He shared a glance at the foot of them, but there was no one there to greet him. Inside, he could hear the bustle and last of the preparations. But he had no place inside.

His spear lay useless on his lap, with fierce grey scars embedded in the metal. Rowan was lost in the sight till he heard the door open behind him.

"Huh, Rowan? How long have you been here?"

Rowan shrugged. Green eyes, a grotesque arm and a stocky build. It was Kane. He approached Rowan and stood beside him.

Rowan sighed. "I've been here a while. Why? Did you want something?"

Rowan raised an eyebrow as Kane stopped and blinked. "Oh, right." He said.

Kane descended a couple of steps and glanced up at Rowan.

"I was just going to get some sleep before we set off. But now that you mention it. I'm sorry about yesterday, by the way."

Kane squinted. "I mean, you remember, right? About yesterday?-"

Rowan snapped. "Yeah, I remember. Alright? Apology accepted."

Kane froze again and shuffled on the steps a little.

"Are you sure?"

Rowan snorted and looked away from the slow Defected. He'd gone and believed Alicia's words yesterday. That Kane was the first to cultivate his Defect, reaching the limit of its power. An idiot through and through.

Maybe he really had recklessly chased down the most Devoured. When he thought about it like that, it made sense.

"Rowan?"

Rolling his eyes, he glared at Kane.

"What?"

"Are you sure you're not coming with us?"

Rowan frowned. "Yes. What do you mean? You heard the Boss. Let me guess, you weren't listening."

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

Kane blinked. "But you know where the boundary is."

Rowan paused. Then he was laughing. A rough, raspy chortle as he leant back on the stairs, the spear slipping from his lap.

"What, what are you even saying, Kane? You didn't think that reason was so convincing yesterday. What changed? Since you pushed me around like that in front of everyone."

Kane took a step back. "I, I thought you said you forgave me already?"

Rowan snickered. "I say a lot of things. But you don't seem to do much thinking, do you? Why should I forgive you? You haven't done anything for me."

Rowan crossed one leg over the other and watched Kane's mouth flap open. There was a short-lived silence before the amusement drained from Rowan's face.

"Go get your sleep, Kane. We can call it even."

But the Defected didn't move. Rowan felt his face pale. He put his hands on the stairs, ready to jump to his feet. 'He wouldn't.' Climbing to his feet, Kane remained standing below him.

"Rowan, you wanted to come, didn't you?"

"What?"

Kane paused. "I'm sorry about yesterday, really. You seemed pretty upset about not going back then when I confronted you. Now, too. You've been waiting out here for how long? Why not get some sleep?"

Rowan scoffed. "Sleep, is it? Shows how little you know about me.-"

Kane took a step up. "I saw your face when the Boss told you to stay. You wanted to go with us, didn't you? That's what this is about. Even though you were on the fatality list, like me, you still wanted to?"

Rowan found himself lost for words. Insults, mockery and rage came to mind. But none of them felt convincing. How could Kane get him so wrong? He didn't know anything about him.

"I know I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but I can tell what you lack. I know because I'm much better at it. Great even."

Kane's boisterous tone pushed a derisive smile onto Rowan's face. He knew he had the capacity to fight. Nero had demonstrated that to him. Why not test it now?

Rowan stepped forward. But before he could get in arms reach, he was hoisted in the air. Kane's long, contorted arm grabbed his uniform collar. Wrenching him off the ground. Rowan struggled as Kane's grip grew tighter.

Kane blinked. "Well, that's more like it."

His green eyes were light and innocent, with no tension in his sturdy figure as he raised Rowan higher. "It's ego you lack, Rowan, especially with the Boss. That expression. It was like you were terrified of her. Of disappointing her?"

Rowan listened with a scowl, helplessly suspended in the air. Forced to listen to Kane's vague, thoughtless speculations.

"When you ground yourself all around one person. You end up like Hector. Desperate to please, no real sense of self. No ego." Rowan couldn't take his awkward mumbling any longer.

"Let me down, you fucking idiot," Rowan shouted.

Startled, Kane dropped Rowan and reeled back in shock as Rowan clanged to the ground. It hurt, but he jumped back to his feet. His fists raised.

"Just shut up. You're an idiot. No more advice. No more bullshit, just spare me."

Kane rubbed his Defected arm for some reason. His face was deeply pale. Rowan felt a pang of regret as he watched those nervous green pupils.

"Look, I. My bad. I don't know where that came from, really."

Kane nodded. "It's alright... I've seen scarier."

Rowan thought they'd reached a compromise, yet Kane kept rubbing his arm. He watched him for a while and turned to see eyes looking in their direction.

"What's this about?" Hector let the dining hall door swing close and looked down at the two on the stairs.

Kane and Rowan looked between each other with puzzled, pale faces. Kane's mouth hung open. But he failed to actually say anything.

Rowan sighed. "We... we're fighting."

"You were?" Hector raised an eyebrow. The tall Defected looked down at Kane, who shrunk back from that swirling dark face.

"Kane-"

Rowan interrupted. "I started it. Really. It was me. Sorry."

Hector turned to Rowan with indifference. It was probably supposed to be disbelief. Then he shrugged and went to descend past them.

"Well, anyway, wrap it up. Come on, Kane, we need to get some sleep in while we can."

"Hector, wait."

Hector was about to pass Kane but stopped and turned back to Rowan. The swirls on his face grew still as he waited.

"Hector, I, I want to come. I want to join the team."

Hector turned back fully to Rowan as his dark eyes locked onto his.

"You heard the Boss. You died in her vision. With her information, the outcome should be different. But still, it's far too dangerous to bring a non-combatant. Follow your instructions, Rowan."

"I know where the boundary is. I'm confident I can lead you all there. I walked through the cold zone, too. I know how to handle that area, I-"

"Enough." Hector stood firm and tall as always as he crossed his arms. "It's not just about that. The Boss wants you by her side."

Rowan's eyes widened. "What?"

Hector shrugged. "Can't you tell? She trusts you and me. Even though she's a leader, her relations with the camp aren't what they should be. If what you really want is to help out. Then I want you to stay by her side. So she can rely on you when she wakes."

Rowan stopped. 'Rely on me?'

He couldn't find the words. His memory lingered back to that person. The one he'd tried to forget over and over. Haunting him even now.

"I get it, Hector. But I can help more. I can. I'm witty, good at problem-solving, and I can navigate for us. I remember exactly where the boundary is. I promise."

Hector cast his gaze down. "No, it's too dangerous. We must follow our orders. We can't put you in front of a Vile. It's suicide."

"Hold on," Kane said as he stared at the tall Hector. Still, even now, he was rubbing his arm. "There's definitely something up with Rowan. Just now, he was heavy."

Hector turned to Kane at his side. "Heavy? What?"

Rowan was equally puzzled. He watched Kane gesture to him. Tilting his head, Rowan descended the stairs slowly.

"Uhm" Standing before the two, Rowan frowned.

Hector stuck a thick finger out and prodded Rowan. Bewildered, he watched as Kane did the same. Soon they were both poking his chest. Rowan backed up.

"Woah, what the hell are you doing?"

Hector was silent, but Kane spoke. "See? He's a little too sturdy, right? It's not just my imagination, right? I mean, compared to other Defected, it's hardly much. But I'd guess he weighs almost five people."

"He's not squishy like I expected a normal person to be," Hector murmured.

"Does that mean? I can join the team."

Hector watched him, and Rowan stared back. Soon, his dark pupils were glancing around, avoiding Rowan's gaze.

"You" He shut his eyes as the darkness on his face swirled. "You can come."

###############################

Rowan frowned. He glanced over his shoulder at the distant, desolate settlement a last time. The camp was empty for once.

'Word spread fast. It's like they're all hiding.'

There were over a dozen of them all together. They grew further from the camp and closer to the forest with each step. Rowan lingered comfortably at the back of the group but was forced to stop as a figure barred his path.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alicia scowled.

He gripped his spear tight. "I'm coming with you. Obviously."

He could hear the mumbles now as eyes and faces turned to watch him ahead. Alicia's eyes were red and glaring, as always. Rowan would have shrunk back. But Kane startled him by walking to his side.

"Too late, Alicia, the missions started now. Hector already permitted it," Kane said.

Alicia clicked her tongue. "Yeah, right. Like he'd disobey the Boss's orders."

Her snide words failed to throw Kane off. They even seemed to urge him on as he grinned.

"It's true. You know I wouldn't lie to you. Rowan proved to us he could make the journey. That's why he's on the team. He knows where the boundary is, too, remember?"

Alicia growled. "It's not the journey I'm concerned about. This is not some fucking trip."

Alicia paused and glanced at the other Defected ahead. She waited until their heads turned to listen closely.

"Things were going exactly how I wanted. We can minimise fatalities by throwing the greatest of our strength at the Vile. That's our job as elites. We protect the weak selflessly."

She stared at Rowan. "So don't be selfish. It was wrong of me to put you in danger the first time. Stay behind."

Rowan paused, then gripped his spear tight. The same one she'd stolen for him. He was going to approach, but Kane put his contorted arm on Rowan's chest.

"I understand Alicia. But our insight has changed. Me and Hector were talking about it. And we think Rowan's more similar to us than we'd realised."

"What?" Alicia's vermillion eyes gleamed. "Rowan, what's he talking about?"

He finally had room to speak. "I think I was wrong. It's not that I was lying yesterday. I really didn't feel any different after killing the Devoured."

Rowan bit his lip. But he met those red eyes as best he could.

"But slowly, it's like my body has been changing while I sleep. Mabe Nero is the same? I really wanted to ask, but he's been gone since yesterday."

Rowan pulled the sleeve back on his uniform and rubbed his arm. Scrawny and slim with not a lick of muscle. But Hector and Kane were right. It was firm. It was almost like his skin and skeleton were harder.

"If that's true... fine. Just don't get in our way." Alicia stared as her lips curled. Then, she turned away with a huff and pushed through the bulk of the elite. Soon, she was stepping through the forest with two other Defected.

Rowan lowered his head and followed the group as he heard the sound of steps beside him.

"Don't let Alicia get to you, Rowan. She's a little bit of a control freak. But I don't mind that about her."

Rowan tilted his head at the smiling Kane. Soon, he was smiling, too.

"Why do you like her, Kane?"

Lagging in the back, they approached the leering forest as Kane's green pupils looked at him and widened. He was holding a bundle of spears in his left arm, which he had almost dropped.

Rowan smirked. "Don't be an idiot. It's obvious. What do you see in her?"

"It is? Is it, really?" Kane scratched his head. " Ah, I mean, I dunno. I guess, well, she's selfish in a selfless way. You know, right?

Rowan nodded. "Totally."

"Even today. She forced everything to go her way and pushed everyone around. But it's all with good intentions. It's because she believes in that much."

"Is that right?" Rowan hid the grin as he turned away.

It looked like Alicia's role would be scouting ahead along with those two other Defected. He'd recognised them as the small one of Kane's trio and another from Alicia's own squad. All the others hung together in one tight group while they lingered behind.

But Rowan couldn't find the most important figure among them.

Hector sighed. "I hope I don't regret this, Rowan."

"What the..." Rowan twisted to his right as the tall Defected walked beside him. He even had a spear in his right hand.

"What?"

Rowan scowled. "Dammit. Don't just appear like that. You're way sneakier than you look. Say something next time."

Hector blinked. "But I did say something."

Rolling his eyes, he turned to Kane only to find him close to his left. Together, they flanked both Rowan's sides.

"Um, do you mind?"

Kane laughed and stepped aside while Hector only stared with a brief swirl of his face.

"Rowan, I hope I don't have to make this clear. But you are not to fight under any circumstance. Just hide in the centre. With all the Boss's info, we can expect less losses. But most likely. One of them will be you.

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "Right. Ok, I get it."

"Do you?"

Hector stared at Rowan as the ink on his face twisted. Then he looked towards the Defected up ahead. Rowan felt inclined to follow his eyes. Only then did he notice they'd not uttered a single word. In fact, they'd probably been listening close to everything the noisy trio at the back was saying.

"Is there, is there something wrong?"

Kane sighed. "No. Not really. But I'd rather not say it out loud."

"They're scared, Rowan." Hector looked back down at him. "Don't forget it wasn't just you. Almost all of them were on that list."

As they entered the forest and its shadows, the figures ahead grew tense. Rowan wasn't sure whether it was Hector's words or the environment.

Almost unnaturally, they faced totally different directions, forming a rough, oval perimeter. Rowan watched one Defected curse and stumble on a tree root.

"Someone who can vanish into smoke might not get it. Someone who hasn't fought Devoured wouldn't either."

Rowan winced and turned to Kane, who had a similar grave look.

"Anyone of us could die. And if we all died. The camp will sink slowly. It won't have the muscle to resist Devoured, the strength to get enough food. This strategy you helped create, Rowan. Will work. Or it won't."