Chapter 83: A Grass Blade Away

"Does it matter? You already said you wouldn't kill me, so this is a test. You're only seeking… for an unconventional answer," says Hazel, pausing to see if there is any indication from Zeris that her theory is correct, but he doesn't show any kind of reaction.

His silence raises some doubts in Hazel’s mind, but she continues, "I like… the nice guy more… but I could get used to seeing… this ugly face of yours every morning."

After a second, the chains disappear, and the agonizing tension in Hazel’s body is quickly relieved. Zeris then morphs back into his human appearance.

"I thought so. I like the nice guy more, too."

Staring at him, Hazel couldn't tell by his response whether Zeris was trying to scare her or if it was a genuine test. As she wiped the sweat from her forehead, Zeris returned to the bed and sat.

Getting to her feet, Hazel walks over and picks up her backpack, swiftly putting it on.

After adjusting the shoulder straps to suit her leisure, she catches Zeris watching her. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she taunts, "Hmph, you're still just as ugly as a human, though."

Zeris chuckles as he drops his gaze, his hands patting the edge of the neatly fitted red blanket.

"Heh, yeah… you got me there…"

Putting a hand on her hip and shifting her body weight to the opposite leg, Hazel says, "Let's get started."

Surprised, Zeris asks, "What?"

"Didn't you say you saw potential in me? I mean, you said I was here for that reason, so I just assumed… that my purpose here is to unlock whatever my potential is, right? Wait, is this how Ace got his fire powers? Does this mean I have powers?" rambles Hazel, her voice warm.

Zeris raises a hand, and Hazel’s voice simmers out. Scratching his more human-looking cheek, Zeris looks Hazel in the eye before lowering his hand back to his side.

"Why… don't you hate me?" he asks, the tone of his voice much lower than before.

As if his words had jolted Hazel’s memories again, she found herself gazing at a large, blank screen surrounded by an endless, black abyss. Little shards then began projecting themselves and appearing on the screen, each containing a particular memory she had of Zeris or his involvement. They appeared and then disappeared, and some even reappeared later on.

Ace's plea during the trial, claiming he was innocent as he put the blame on the mysterious man. Zeris telling Sky to relay a message for him. When the group was too late to find Flora. Ace teaming up with Zeris. Hunter's description of the monster he saw. How Zeris had treated her and Violet. Hearing Sky's footsteps grow fainter as Hazel awaited her death. Everything.

"I do. I do hate you. You killed my friend… and hurt many others."

Taking a second, Hazel tries to determine what she should say next… the eye contact between them causes Hazel to feel increasingly uneasy, goosebumps emerging on her arms and legs. Petrified of the man before her, Hazel knows she can’t uphold this current facade much longer, and she’ll soon return to the frightened, weak, helpless girl Zeris proved she was just seconds ago.

With each passing second, it felt like an hour had gone by. But the longer Hazel gazed into Zeris’s blemished eyes, something about his calm, enigmatic gaze began to quell her fear of him. Her mind and body were soon relaxed enough to share her thoughts, no matter how harsh they were. It felt to Hazel that he wouldn't judge her, like Zeris was inviting her to open up.

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After taking a deep breath, Hazel pushes her bronze hair out of her eyes and brings a hand to her chest, "But I- I hate myself more. I always… I don't know why because I don't remember… but I feel like… I mean… even now, I'm asking myself, will I ever be able to stand up for myself? Or will I continue to just be the weak girl who gets repeatedly walked over by everybody? Nobody has ever once looked back to help me…"

A tear is shed, and Hazel quickly wipes it away.

"So much for that whole potential BS you brought up… I've always been on my own. Not a single person has ever offered their help to me. Why would that change now?" scoffs Hazel, confused about why she hadn't stopped talking yet, but something in her heart told her that she couldn't stop. "I'm not deaf, you know. I heard what you and Ace kept rambling about before. Whose strong and whose weak... how you mentioned that we had disappointed you. That I actually agree with you on! Everybody thinks I'm a disappointment! Especially me! That shouldn't be a surprise to anybody…"

She wipes away another tear as the grief she forcibly blocked out earlier starts to leak, "The fact Violet is dead now proves that, doesn't it? I should've been strong enough to stand up to you, and maybe she would've been fine if I did, but… I'm a coward! As if I could help somebody else when I can't even help myself, right? Look at me, chattering away… saying all this nonsense like I even had the ability or will to protect her, what a load of BS…"

Getting caught up in her own words, Hazel’s voice gives as she stands there staring at the ground, disgusted at herself for breaking down in front of the man who had just killed her friend.

"I understand," says Zeris, his gaze dropped as well.

Hearing the hushed bouncing of the bed springs as Zeris stood up, a calloused hand is placed on Hazel’s shoulder.

"I once saw myself the same way."

Looking up at Zeris, his mutilated face held a gentle expression. For some reason, it was only at that moment that Hazel realized the kind of person she was speaking with. Whether it was because of his damaged face that'll never heal or his belief that he was saving those he killed… Hazel finally grasped a little understanding of the enormous amount of trauma Zeris had probably been through and is still going through to this day.

"I don't want to be weak anymore," she says, determination suddenly coursing through her.

"Then I’ll forge you into somebody strong. Somebody strong enough to fight your own battles," assures Zeris as he lowers his arm back to his side.

Making his way over to the door, Zeris looks back over his shoulder and waves Hazel on.

"Come on, I want to show you something."

The Day After the Signal Flare Crisis

"I'm shocked you showed up here after so many of us died because of you, Scar," revolts Cliff, holding up a large steel sword only inches away from Scar's neck.

"I never assured anybody's safety. There was only probable cause. I also recall announcing to everybody that you may stay at camp if you'd like, which nobody did. You may have heard my plan, but it was your choice to follow it," coldly replies Scar, his icy expression unwavering.

"Don't twist my words! You know damn well that you're the direct cause! If we had just stayed here at camp, we would've been-!"

"Safe? Was that what you were about to say?" interrupts Scar, unbothered by the weapon inching toward him. "Stop being a fool, Cliff. There isn't a single place in this area that's safe. And if you wholeheartedly believe in what you just said, why didn't you stay behind at camp?"

"Nobody has once been threatened, attacked, or killed at camp by Zeris! I didn't stay behind cause I wanted to contribute to the group… but I knew something would go wrong when you convinced everybody to follow your idiotic plan! We would have never reached our current situation if we had stayed put! Was it so wrong to just play it safe for a little bit?! Look around! There aren’t many of us left! A week ago, we had sixteen!"

Murmuring encircles the two men as their quarreling comes to a standstill. Only after the noise hushed back down... did Scar step an inch closer to Cliff, making the tip of Cliff's quivering sword just a grass blade away from Scar's neck.

"Cliff, it seems you've forgotten something important," says Scar as his eyes narrow into menacing silver daggers. His sudden, intimidating presence immediately causes beads of sweat to streak down Cliff's paranoid face.

"Out of the sixteen of us who woke up here… only one can remain."