"Do you believe him, Rowan? Is it not safe here? Are we missing something?"

He'd expected to report in the hall or something. But when he thought about it, this made more sense.

Garuda sat on the wall, her eyes fixed on him. Those unsettling dark blue eyes were scary and familiar? But her hand on his was what had really startled him.

Rowan winced. "I'm not sure. We didn't get a chance to ask him. I think he's known where the boundary is for a while. He used it to surprise the Vile during our fight."

The warm orange light was an awful reminder, watching. The camp had stirred as the whirring activity prepared for the night's feast. He wanted to enjoy this brief quiet while he could.

"But what did Nero mean then?"

Rowan sighed. "I. Don't know Garuda. Despite what he's like, I do trust him, in a way. I don't think he would say something like that for no reason but to mess with us. That would be ridiculous."

Saying it out loud after everything felt more ridiculous. However, the squeeze of her hand helped distract him.

"You're right. Then, we have to expect the worst. Don't we? With all the Devoured changing their behaviour."

Rowan nodded. She finally noticed him staring at her hand clasped over his. She tilted her head. "What?"

"Well, it's... why are you doing that?"

She blinked. "What? I thought? Because of last time?"

Rowan stared. Then it hit him. The day before they left, he'd grabbed her hand when convincing her. He'd done it to help persuade her, but... what had he done?

Using his other hand, Rowan coughed and straightened. "Right, more importantly, we need to talk about that. I went with Hector to help him investigate the boundary."

Garuda smiled. "Right, I remember."

"He said. It might be the right zone. That rescue is still likely." Rowan paused. "Wait, what do you remember?"

She smiled. "I didn't hear anything Nero said because I altered far too much that day. But your conversation at the boundary was this morning, no? I wasn't involved in what happened to any of you today. So I should have already heard everything word for word in yesterday's vision."

Rowan scowled. "Wait, then, how does it actually work? Can you just hear the future of everyone who's part of camp?"

"Almost. I think it's based on proximity. I can hear the future of Defected. No. I suppose because of your case, it's humans. Everyone within a certain radius of me. Not just Defected."

"Everybody?"

She nodded.

Rowan leaned back on the wall, avoiding that orange-blaring sky. His face scrunched. 'What if they made it back? How would she even survive somewhere like Civilia or any country?'

His eyes scanned the grass cluttered with stones that had slipped from the wall. He'd wondered it before, but with all the wooden buildings around, where had these stones come from? What had they tried to build here?

"I wish you were with us back then. When this all began."

Her hand, even now, she hadn't let go of him.

"We were so clueless. Afraid. If it wasn't for Hector, I'd..."

He'd found the pain only distracting at first. Despite her ability, she had two Defects. Perhaps she'd never cultivated either. But it still hurt as she squeezed his frail hand.

"Even these stones. We tried to bring them here to build something. We didn't even know what. It was the rubble of our school sent here with us. But there weren't even enough stones to build with. Even the process, just putting them on each other without cement..."

She laughed. "We were clueless. It's a reminder for me of how far we've come. Now, we just have to sit and wait for help."

Rowan frowned. "For your siblings? It's been two years, but you're still relying on them?"

"I am. I haven't seen them in a long time. But they were both Defected before I could walk. My brother especially. He has authority, power, everything. They call him the Desserted. I'm sure he'll do everything he can to save me."

Rowan chewed his lip. That oblivious smile was frustrating. That painful, tense grip on his hand refused to let him go.

He cast his gaze away and turned to the forest. It was leering with deep shadows that could spring at them any moment.

"Do they owe you that much? Can you really say you deserve it?"

She frowned. "They're my family. Of course, I can."

"Right. I understand."

He pulled away from her hand. Her eyes were big, blue orbs of confusion. He used both hands to untangle himself from her grip.

Then he jumped down. "We need to go. They shouldn't have to start without their leader. Besides, we need to build trust again to use the visions efficiently."

"Yes. You're right."

Rowan offered his hand and helped her down. Then, he was clasped back in her grip. He frowned.

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

With each violent leap, she tore through the snowflakes. The hazy cold hid everything from view as she threw herself at the fog harder.

"His fault. It's all his fault."

Panting, she wiped the blood from her icy, pale face. Her eyes were wide, luminescent, and blue as she grabbed the ground with them. Within her stare, anything could be wielded, tugged and reigned in. Unless it was greater and larger than she was, which many things were.

This immense speed propelled her forward. She could only cut through the fog this fast, thanks to how small she was in her surroundings. Yet, it still wasn't fast enough.

"My fault. It's all my fault."

Unlike Sid, whatever she wanted was always beyond her grasp and sight. Even now, he was probably chasing her with ease and stark clarity in the mist.

Again, the snow beneath Garnet's feet tremoured, and she gasped. Cursing, she jumped through the fog on unsteady legs.

Her figure ripped through the haze. Until her face slammed into the jagged mountain rock. She cried out. But then, she was already crawling up despite the pain.

There was more rumbling below. More blood and more fog in her eyes as she scrambled up. She had to ascend faster.

What Sid had said earlier was true. She didn't have the clarity that he did in times like this. But she had the will that he didn't.

The cold killed any loose tears as she dragged herself up the mountain. Even with her powerful eyes and a sister so special to her. She couldn't even envision that face now. There was too much blood.

"I, I did it. A whole day. And no Devoured."

The peak of the enormous rock was freezing, but she needed this moment, this beautiful view. Hands, fingers, Defected eyes, all of her was ebbing with cold and strain.

She exhaled rough, haggard breaths as she scoured the cold land. She was fortunate. The fog had receded at such a high altitude.

The risk had paid off. She was this high, yet there was no tug. No risk of being pulled back into their world. It must not have been high enough.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

There was a Crash.

Garnet looked down. But it was too foggy to see anything. It was safest to keep moving, and so she took a last breath and jumped.

She heard it scrambling first. A long shadowy arm was slithering up the mountain. It lunged from out of the fog with an outstretched black palm.

Garnet's blue eyes widened as she crossed her arms. It struck her mid-leap. She was falling down the other side of the slope. Hitting the rock harder and harder. Her vision shaking each time.

But her eyes never lost sight of it as it chased her down the mountain. The dark arm was nimble and fast. Gravity couldn't rescue her quickly enough.

"A vile?"

Garnet grit her teeth. Then, her descent slowed. And soon, she was propelled up. As she got closer, the black hand got bigger. Covering her in a huge shadow.

She growled and thrust her hands forward. The collision threw her back down. And she was falling again. Had she batted it away? She checked her hands as she fell. The skin was blistering and blue.

The rocky slope hit her harder this time, and she yelped. A little more tumbling, and she hit the snowy ground, gasping, then rolling.

On her feet, leaping and bounding, she heard a screech behind. But there was no stopping. Already, she could feel the vibrating ground warning her. She had to reach another mountain fast. One not inhabited by something like that.

A thick black array of fingers snaked behind her. She counted nine on one hand as they caught up and began to enclose. She turned and faced it, sliding back in the snow. Batting one finger away with her fist. The first fierce blow made the dark hand shrink back.

But soon, fingers were around her again. She stopped one with her hand. But once they curled around her, she couldn't see. The darkness was pressing in on her from all sides. She could feel them pressing and pushing in on her.

"AGGHH." Garnet shrieked. Its fierce, icy grip tightened, biting into her skin. It was dark, and she could see nothing to pull on.

But then it stopped. Fog, light and everything cold returned to Garnet's eyes. A black fist was shrinking away from her, pausing, watching. She found herself unable to move as well.

The hand clenched itself twice, twitching. Ivory veins littered its shadowy silhouette. Then, it lunged for her again.

"I said it would take seven days. But I'm amazed."

Her face slammed into the ground, and her chest thrust into the dense snow below. Garnet tilted her head up, red-faced and smeared with snow. She could see the hand, too, lying on the floor, writhing as a figure waded through the fog.

"You did it again. YOU USED IT ON ME."

Sid frowned. "My eyes can't differentiate between you and that. Did you really want to be killed by it instead?" He approached, towering over her with a smile.

"Honestly though, when I said seven days. You must have misunderstood. I meant it would take me seven days to reach her. But you really were quite fast. You exceeded my expectations, sister."

She wrinkled her face so hard that Sid raised an eyebrow. He took a step back and turned to the Vile, his eyes flooded with lucid blue. Finally, the weight pressing Garnet down vanished.

"Well, I say that. But for just a Vile Imp to nearly do you in. That's not like you. You've used your Defect too much."

Sid didn't turn to her. Keeping the Devoured's hand in his periphery, his focus seemed lost in the snowy ground.

She grit her teeth and pulled herself to her feet. His cloaked back was right there in front of her, all pristine, blue and vulnerable. Her hand was shaking as she put a foot forward.

"Regardless. It seems it's too late to drag you back to the group. So we can only make the best of this."

Garnet froze. With a tense, wrinkled gaze, she watched his hair and cloak flutter in the wind. His eyes still trained on the floor.

"If you can keep your current pace, it will only take you a couple weeks. It's your Defects the Devoured can sense. The only thing more enticing than two Defects would be three."

Sid smiled. "Go. I will cause a ruckus and draw them to me. But I won't be able to get through this place myself. Garuda only has you now."

He raised a hand and pointed past her without looking back.

"This will be the last direction I can give you. Don't get lost. And goodbye for now."

Garnet followed his finger with her mouth hung open. She raised her shaky hand and stared at the deathly blue patches on her skin.

"Sid. I-"

She was hurled away as something emerged from the ground. She saw no sign of Sid as she was sent flying, dozens. No, then it was hundreds of feet.

Yet somehow, even from up there, she could not see all of it. That enormous tendrilled creature arising from the snow was just too big.

The force finally caught up with her as her world went dark. The cold night sky swallowed her.

###

When she opened her eyes, it was dark and quiet. She staggered to her feet with the wind ripped from her stomach. It was night, yet she could still see the outline of that beast twisting and turning.

No, it wasn't a beast, but the figure of a monolith.

"Just two more weeks. Two. Weeks. More." Murmuring, she wrapped her arms around herself. Her body blotted with patches of awful frostbite.

She turned and trudged away. Resting her eyes. Allowing them to recoup what little they could.

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

A gentle warmth flooded the room. The dining hall was not too crowded nor too loud. No jeering, no squabbling, just the gentle haze of words carried over tables and pews.

Rowan could feel himself nod off. But someone would always approach their table and talk with the Boss, waking him. When they did, it was impossible not to think and to examine the room again.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Rowan winced as Garuda's words ushered another Defected couple away. Her tone and mask were mostly convincing. But hidden under the table, his hand was suffering in a deadly grip.

'How? How did things get like this?' It was clingy and offputting. Being dragged around, clung to, and squeezed. Uncomfortable, yet it was helping distract him. No matter how peaceful and warm the surroundings, his mind was filled with very different imagery.

"Rowan, you must be tired. I really shouldn't keep you up so long. After what you went through yesterday."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." She sighed. "Thank you for looking out for me. I think I'll be fine as soon as Hector shows up. You can get some rest then."

Rowan nodded. Only half listening as his eyes slowly scanned the dining hall. He was able to keep track of the names and Defects better now. But the room was shifting, with different people rotating around and leaving with food and drink in hand.

They had houses for themselves and their cliques, after all. Only now was he getting a real sense of this settlement's size. How much was at stake.

"Are you sure you're okay? Really?"

Rowan nodded the same as before. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

Rowan frowned. "I just need some space. To think."

"Right. Sorry."

He winced as she let go of his hand.

Just like that time, he was feeling strangely jaded. Was it tiredness? A pinch of hunger? Of course, those were just excuses. Rowan shuffled on the bench drawn to the drink on his table. The liquid was dark black and pooling, staring at him with deep dark swirls.

He picked it up and drank a large gulp. Unconcerned with who owned it. He saw a tall figure looming over him as he put it down.

"Hector? How'd you sneak up on me again?"

The Defected was smiling. Faint as it was, it was still strange to see on the stern, rigid man. His face was covered with small cloth patches, hiding yesterday's wounds.

Garuda smiled. "Ah, Hector, it's good to see you're okay. What did she say? Will you recover soon?"

Hector nodded as bobbing, blonde, curled hair followed behind him. With a beaming smile, her gaze was like a merry-go-round, spinning around the room until she found the Boss.

"Ah, Miss Boss, you're here too? I definitely did my best with him. He'll definitely make it. I think."

Garuda looked confused as her eyes darted between them. Rowan stared at her. That fidgety, small figure. Round blue eyes. How had it happened?

With nothing to lean on and clutch, the angst was clear in her every movement. And not once did leader come to mind.

Marie clasped her chest with her single arm. "I'm sure he'll recover. But, I was a little worried, so I did some extra tests. I'm concerned his Defect might have harmed his sight and smell."

Hector's face didn't twitch. He just seemed content to have somebody do the talking for him.

Garuda was pale. "What do you mean? His sight? How long does he need to rest?"

Marie's eyes closed as she leaned on him. "Aside from the pain, he shouldn't need much rest. He's a hard worker, unlike me."

Hector glanced at her and snorted. But Garuda's eyes were wide.

"So his sight will be fine?"

Marie pulled Hector by his hand and sat opposite them on the table. The hall was at its loudest and warmest as more Defected trickled inside.

It was nothing like the past nights, as if there was an unspoken limit on the noise. Even the rowdiest culprits seemed to abide by it.

"It's fine." Marie closed her eyes and leaned in on Hector. "After all, he made it back in one piece."

"I-"

Rowan interrupted. "It was a good plan. It tired the Vile out and bought us time. This wasn't the first time he used it, was it?"

Marie smiled. "The first time was when we met. I remember patching him up back then. Even now, all we have is alcohol for sanitisation. I wish I could do more."

Rowan frowned. "Don't you already make all the spears?"

"She fixes them too. Sorts all the housing. And deals with the wounded," Hector said.

Rowan scoffed. He eyed her metal Defected arm. It was longer and had grown past the elbow. Glancing around, she raised it and realised her limb was still missing. She scratched her head with her other hand, laughing.

"You're all too nice. I just wish I could fight on the field like all of you."

Hector shrugged. "You'd probably be good at that, too. But you're too useful to risk."

Marie blushed. "No, not at all. I'm not like you or Alicia. Speaking of, is she here? Where is she?"

Marie's gaze fluttered about. Rowan shrugged, and Hector did, too. Garuda was quiet, and her arms remained by her side.

Hector coughed. "I'm not sure. But you must be hungry, right? Marie hasn't been here before so can you show her where to go? Boss."

Garuda perked up. "Um, what? I suppose." She rose to her feet, and Marie clutched onto her shoulder.

"Ah, thank you. I'm so hungry. How did he know?"

Garuda turned back to them, concerned. But she was slowly shuffled away by the taller, aloof Defected. Once the crowd swallowed them, Hector folded his arms and glanced down.

He didn't say anything. For Hector, it wasn't that strange. Still, the Defected's demeanour was odd, even for him. The corner of Rowan's mouth twisted.

"Your sight. Is it that bad?"

Hector looked up at him. The focus of his dark pupils seemed to shimmer as he winced.

"I wanted to keep it from both of them. But Marie knows me too well."

Rowan frowned. "Of all the things I thought you'd say. It's the truth, isn't it? Why are you trying to hide it?"

Hector shuffled on his chair. The ink of his face, or what was left of it, swirled.

Rowan said. "Didn't we do all this because we wanted to be transparent with everyone? Right? Since when have you been the type to shy away from harsh truths?"

Hector blinked. "I know. I just couldn't help it. This time"

Rowan scowled. "Why? You heard her. Clearly, Marie cares more about you than your sight."

"It's not Marie I'm worried about."

Rowan sighed and allowed his gaze to wander. He managed to find Garuda's short silhouette at the front of the hall. Marie had her arms clasped around her as Defected turned to them.

The hushed echoes of words rose as some extra laughs escaped the crowd. Rowan and Hector's corner was muffled and had fallen behind the rising noise of the dining hall.

"It's bad, Rowan. Even now, across this table. I can only just make you out."

"You should tell them."

"I can still do it. I can still lead. I just need Defected to act as my eyes. I don't go out on my own anyway."

"This isn't like you." Rowan cursed. "Why are you only telling me?"

Hector hunched over the table. Thick, muscular arms and shoulders covered the wood. Food and drink were scattered around, but he didn't spare them a glance.

Even leaning over the table. His frame still towered over Rowan as he stared.

"It wasn't just Kane. We lost a lot of elites. They still need me."

Rowan bit his lip. "No. You mean the Boss needs you. Don't you?"

"...Yes."

Rowan nodded. "I thought so. Kane said something like that, you know? That you're over-attached. But it's not her. It's the position you're attached to, isn't it? Aren't you being selfish?"

Hector's eyes seemed to gain their focus as they followed Rowan's. But he said nothing.

"You'll have to tell them eventually. But if it's just for a while. Then I suppose it's not a problem."

Hector leant back on his pew. "Thank you. I just needed to talk it over. There's a lot we both need to consider."

"We're back!"

Rowan nodded as the girls returned. Garuda sat beside him again. Marie took her seat and went to take a bite from her boned meat, smiling.

But a hand stopped her. Marie watched the food leave her hand with wide eyes as Alicia sat beside her.

She took a bite as everyone turned to her. "What? I'm hungrier than she is." In the dim light, her face was smeared with sweat, but there was not a drop of blood on her.

"Ah, Alicia, you're here. Of course, we can share."

Alicia snorted as she took another bite. Her red hair was darker than usual, matted and wild. She made no effort to brush it behind her ears.

Hector frowned. "Well? Did you find enough Devoured to take your anger out on?"

Alicia glared. "I did. Actually."

Rowan waited as a content Marie pried the bone back from Alicia. The redhead watched with disgust before turning to face them all.

Rowan asked. "So? What is it?"

Alicia rested her head on her hand. "What is what?"

"You have something to say, don't you?

"Maybe." Alicia shrugged. "More like I have something to say to you."

Hector kept his silence as Garuda glanced at Rowan. The brief liveliness of the hall dwindled, and the sweltering heat was beginning to brim.

"Okay? I'm listening."

"We tired the Vile. We injured it. We distracted it. But you saw what Nero did. He snapped it in half. I'm sure I would have landed a killing blow very soon. But not like that."

Garuda was suddenly holding his hand again under the table. He frowned.

Alicia grit her teeth. "I lost my only two elites from my squad of twelve. Every hunt will be more dangerous than in the past. I need the manpower. I want you to join us, Rowan."

Rowan blinked. Marie and Hector titled their heads in surprise. The pain in his hand only got worse. Alicia's keen red eyes caught him as her gaze followed his arm below the table.

Hector said. "I know you're upset. But Rowan isn't Nero. He's needed elsewhere. You can't claim him as your next toy."

"Toy?"

Alicia glared not at Hector. But at Garuda, who flinched away from those piercing red eyes. Hector looked startled as he stood and looked down at Alicia. But he said nothing more.

"The only one treating you like a toy is her Rowan. If you want to do something meaningful, then come help me. She might be the Boss. But it's always better to do what you think is best."

Rowan shuffled. "Alicia, I can't fight? I thought you knew that? You even had to protect me during the battle. I didn't do anything. I was in the way, and then..."

Alicia grabbed the table and leaned forward. "Then I'll teach you. Unlike the Defected, we don't know your limits." Alicia scowled. "I don't know how long it will take, but you can get stronger. Isn't that what you wanted? We have proof and-"

"I can't. I can't do it."

Rowan was sweating a little. There were some windows open, but not enough. The heat really was too much.

That grip on his hand finally weakened, so he turned to Garuda. When he looked at her, there was still some frustration. But there was something stronger, too.

Every time he saw those frightened dark pupils. He was reminded of her. Reminded of darkness and disappointment. They were supposed to be different people. Yet he couldn't disappoint her, not again.

"I can't do it. Sorry."