"I'll lead the way," she uttered drearily, saber in hand and backpack on her toned back as she took another stride deeper down the narrow corridor.

I squinted, trying to guess what objects were laying on the mostly faded color of the walls based solely on their rough outline. Although my eyes had yet to adjust to the dark, I raised my gaze to the burnt bulb above, barely avoiding tripping over the decaying wooden plaque I discovered standing in our path as Mara continued: "If there's a monster here, I'll deal with it."

"If there were any monsters around, they would've approached us already," I stated.

We made quite a fuss while struggling to open the door. That was bound to attract monsters in our close vicinity. If there were any.

"Maybe," Mara uttered, sparing me what I believed to be a grin. "But I have an idea."

I didn't bother asking because I knew it was a poor idea.

"Whatever idea you have, keep it to yourself."

She mumbled a curse, passing by me and getting closer to the door she just closed—Mara lifted her saber. Just as she was about to bash the weapon's handle against it, I seized her wrist. On reflex, she yanked away. As soon as she saw the sticky bandage on my forearm, her face contorted into a pained look.

"I'm sorry, Gray. I—" Mara extended her hand toward me, then hastily withdrew it as she swallowed her words. In my mind, I couldn't help but be bothered by the way she treated me as if I were some fragile thing.

She huffed and brought out her phone. Then Mara played a song in a low volume that echoed across the corridor. There were no lyrics, only the sound of a guitar being played.

Yeah, a good idea to attract others, but here's the catch. Since we spoke so loud up until now, if there were any threats charging toward us, we would've been made aware of them already.

"Did you always have a knack for music?" I scoffed.

"Maybe some monsters are waiting in ambush," Mara excused herself with a cough.

Clever creatures could also plan attacks. The song wasn't too loud, but since most monsters have a more developed sense of hearing in comparison to humans, they were bound to be fooled. Nevertheless, judging by how troublesome it was to open the doors, I was convinced nothing breathing was left—which meant Mara was basically pampering herself, wallowing in the melancholy this place has to offer.

Also, I doubted someone managed to survive the Overflow for so long without any proper supplies, so humans weren't high on my priority list just now.

That's why I chose to leave Mara alone for the time being, despite her unsettling behavior.

"Do you like it?" she asked, her grip on the saber still strong. "The song, I mean."

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"It's," I hesitated, paying closer attention as she led me into the lobby "It's nice."

However, I couldn't help but notice the front door, which was partially obscured by several pieces of furniture. The windows were also covered by nailed planks, allowing only a few strands of light to shine through into the dark interior. A good makeshift during a crisis, I praised half-heartedly as my sight wandered to the unoccupied antique chair at the reception desk. I got closer and began my search.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as I flipped through some paperwork I found in the drawer. "There's nothing of value in there, I think."

I teased: "I was looking for the number of your apartment."

Or perhaps the master key.

"You think I'd forget where I lived?" she mocked.

"No. I was just curious about your family name."

We only met once before this expedition, so even though I knew her name was Mara, I never got her family name. Not only that but since this place was much larger than our previous resting spot, I hoped to find a rough design of the whole structure. Who knew when it might come in handy?

"You could've simply asked—" Mara leaned over the counter, one hand stabilizing herself as the other poked a name on the document. "Here. It's Ives. That's my name."

"Mara Ives," I read.

"And yours?" She rose a brow. "Full name, I mean."

"It's Grayson—" I stopped, a knot forming in my throat.

The only thing I could do was remain silent.

"I get it," she whispered as she drew away, giving me an odd look. It was a sour smile. "Not comfortable talking about it?"

"Uh-huh."

Mara crept toward the winder steps after my dry retort. I followed in her footsteps, clenching the rail at my hip moderately. I just wanted to avoid tumbling as I did in the corridor.

"Gray, I've been wondering," escaped from her lips. "About the reason why Logan called us. Sure, he's a mercenary, I get that but—with Ava's store, there shouldn't be a need for him to come here anymore. There are other opportunities for him to make a quick buck."

There was a vicious claw scratching my skin. I didn't like the direction this discussion was heading.

"And despite that, he chose to call us," she went on. "That didn't make sense at the time, but when I saw you, everything clicked. You provided him the incentive he needed to come here, in this district."

"What are you talking about?" I muttered, tightening my grip on the handrail.

Vast veins protruded through the surface of my thin skin.

"Coincidentally, they mentioned something about the exams on the news," Mara specified as she steadily spun around, looking down on me from above. The sunset shone behind her, making it challenging to discern her expression. "There are all kinds of people, but only the ambitious and reckless aim for that competitive place. You know what I'm talking about by now, right?"

Impossible...

I scowled harder, seeking a clue. Just a subtle change would've been enough to tell whether she joking was or not. Yet my attempts were of no use. All I could see was a vacant face, leaving me pondering just what the hell was going on through her head.

"Gray, I believe you undeniably fit that criterion. Your blatant disdain for monsters is an added bonus, honestly."

I kept my mouth shut. Mara certainly caught me off-guard. That much I had to admit. I had no idea she'd bring such a subject here, in this wasteland, without warning.

"That's an endearing habit you have," she said, flashing a wan smile I wasn't used to seeing from her. "Staying silent whenever you're confronted with something unsettling had piqued my interest ever since we met. Don't tell me you're still trying to read me."

"Do I really...?" I mustered a feeble attempt at retaliation.

"I wasn't sure at first," Mara's smile deepened a tad further as she witnessed my struggles. "Not until you gave yourself away by keeping your trap so firmly shut."

"Sure of what precisely..."

"That you plan on attending Artemis."

Wasn't that just pure speculation? And if she was certain, there would be no need for her to declare it openly. Think, I ordered myself. Yet my mind was fuzzy. It wouldn't work the way I desired it to.

What did she hope to accomplish by divulging all of this?