Chapter 90: Nocking the Arrow

Cliff's POV

How did she figure it out? I reviewed my cover story dozens of times…

Sweat beads down my face.

Could this be another test of hers? Possibly. I haven't spoken much with Ember, but from our short conversations… she always seemed perceptive and calculated. Nothing she ever did or said was without a purpose. She must’ve figured me out and waited for me to lower my guard.

I eye the sword.

Damn it, I was careless. I wanted to know what was inside these crates so badly… it could change everything. The door is already slightly open… just a little further, and I would have seen what was inside! Why did Ember have to interfere now?! I was so close!

Shit… okay, I need to relax and think. If I don't respond soon, Ember's suspicions of me will only continue to grow. But what could I say that I haven't already said? Should I double down on my story? Or should I take a different approach?

"I don't understand the question. I told you everything there is to know. Could you be referring to something I am unaware of?" I counter after some thought.

Yes, this is the correct play. Spin the questions back on her and make the others doubt Ember. Ember might have cornered me, but I still have the advantage over her because I have something she does not. The keys to the crates. And while Ember is distracted, I'll make my move.

Slowly lowering my right hand to the ground below me, I tenderly place all five of my fingertips on the soiled dirt. Now comes the hard part. Presently, my left knee is on the ground, while my right leg is propped up with my knee at a ninety-degree angle. The difficult pill to swallow, though, is that directly in between my fingers and the keys... is my right foot. A few seconds ago, if I had attempted to seize the keys directly, everybody to my right side, especially Ember, would have instantly noticed.

Do I try to seize the keys discreetly? Or do I quickly swipe for the keys in one swift motion? Either method may get me the other two keys, but they’re risky... especially the second one. For now, I’ll prepare for both.

"Cliff… what a stupid question," says Ember, resting the sword's point on the ground between the two keys. Without averting my straightforward gaze, I glare directly down to my side, side-eyeing the sword as annoyance and wrath fester within me.

Did Ember somehow notice me moving my right hand?! My broad build should've acted as a shield, limiting her vision between her and where my right hand is currently positioned! Now… if she doesn’t believe that I’m telling her the truth, she will knock the keys away, eradicating any kind of control I currently have.

And if I try to fight and grab the keys, she can quickly readjust the sword to strike me. Ember doesn't need much strength behind her attack… I bet she knows the sword's sharpness will do the job for her. She only needs to injure me enough to gain a temporary upper hand, nullifying my size and strength advantage, tipping the fight in her favor. Ember is a formidable strategist, that's for sure. She might even have me beat… but I can't let things end here, not after the promise I made him.

I scoff at how hard my mind is being forced to work.

"What's so funny? Answer the damn question. What happened yesterday? And I'll advise only once more… tell us the truth," orders Ember.

Damn it… what should I do? The key is still in the lock for the first crate, so I can't regain possession of it. This crate will be opened at one point or another, which I must accept. As for the other two, I must gain control over them! If I grab the keys and cut tail... if I can make it to the spot, they won't stand a chance against me! Even if it is five against one!

Scheen! Scheen! Clink! Clink!

What? What was that sound?! It was so close to my ears…

Scheen! Cli-clink!

My eyes widened at the realization of what was happening.

Whipping my head back to check my quiver, I immediately recognize fewer arrows in my quiver than before. Looking beyond my quiver, I see a small collection of three arrows piled on the ground behind Ember. I then locked eyes with Ember, whose fierce and determined expression caused shivers to shimmer down my spine. Then, a sharp gleam of silver is promptly raised and placed just underneath my chin, reflecting the sunlight into my eyes and tickling my facial hair.

"I told you not to move. Eyes front, now!" decrees Ember, her stature unflinching. Blinking until my vision comes back into focus, I gape back at Ember for a few seconds, but then, I listen to what she says and look ahead at the dull grey crate again.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

No. I'm done playing her game!

Banking on my brute strength and long reach, she had no time to react as I delivered a crude elbow jab right below her breast, making contact with her lower ribs. With the wind slightly knocked out of her and pain ruminating throughout her torso, she staggered a step back, and her sword wavered. All I needed was one second. And this exact moment… is that one second!

Snagging the other two keys, I stuff them into my pocket as I run around to the other side of the crate and dash a few feet away. As I distanced myself from the group, I brought out my bow and grabbed an arrow from my quiver. I turned back around with my bow raised to survey the scene only after I nocked my arrow.

Off to my left, it looked like Hunter initially attempted to follow me, as he was currently closer to me than the others. However, he must've comprehended that he didn't have a weapon while I did. Hunter also likely recognized that I was already readying an arrow for fire, which gave me an advantage over a conflict of distance. If he took me on in a foot race, I would've been able to strike first, no question. Hunter's hand is still injured, so he is bound to lose if he gets caught in a fistfight.

Standing beside one another off to my right, Forest and Sky hadn't moved an inch. I couldn't figure out the reasoning behind their lack of movement, but I wasn't complaining, nor did I care enough to ask why.

As for Ember, she is currently hunched over and leaning against the crate… still wearing the same expression of cunning resoluteness as her dagger-like eyes bore into me from a distance. Faith, who previously resided beside the firepit as she waited for us to open the crates... is now standing beside Ember, checking up on her, most likely asking if she is okay.

As I continuously shuffled my feet, individually aiming down at each of the five who stood only roughly thirty feet away, my mind raced to formulate a plan.

Furious at Ember for forcing me into this position, I barked, "Ember, what the hell is your problem?! I told you everything!"

She somehow must've gotten her wind back because she quickly shouted, "Yeah, right! What a load of shit, Cliff! If that's true, why is your bow raised at us right now?!"

"The hell you mean?! Maybe because you held a sword to my neck a few seconds ago?! We could've just talked things out like adults, but you wanted to elevate things beyond conversation! Well, guess what? Two can play that game, Ember!" I shout, aiming my arrow toward her.

Ember glanced at the others around her and gestured to the others as if to say, 'Let me handle this.' I grin at her arrogance as she steps closer to me by walking around the crate, raising the sword in front of her.

“You're telling me you came back to camp with these new shiny weapons and didn't expect to come off as intimidating or suspicious? Did you really think I would buy that bullshit story about how Crow 'gave you' these weapons to fight? That he let you escape? Come on, open your eyes. Cliff, you could've at least tried to come up with a half-decent lie for a story," says Ember with a calm tone resonating much more self-control than she expressed earlier.

My hand was beginning to shake from holding back the arrow's nock for a prolonged time. This drew my concern, but not as much as Ember's sway over the rest of the group.

My only bargaining chip is the keys. I could just try to kill them all and retrieve whatever is inside the crates after. I mean… they’ll all have to die at some point anyway, right?

"And why would you originally omit that you found keys with Blue's bag earlier? If that statement is true and I was in your position, I would immediately recognize those weren't any normal keys and inform the rest of the group upon my return. Your choice to wait and reveal the keys after the fact… only made you even more suspicious than you already were," continued Ember, her current stance one of preparedness.

Enraged by the calm and subtle aggressive tone behind her words, my teeth rattle as I lose my cool, "Shut up! What the f*ck do you know about me?! Nothing! You don't know anything, Ember! Nobody does! You didn't see what Zeris and Ace… you didn't see what they did! You didn't have to watch your friend die! You don't have the slightest idea about how bad the stench of burning flesh smells! How cruel they both are! So shut the f*ck up! They killed my only friend without the slightest lick of remorse! Damn it! I told you everything, so back the f*ck off!"

Following my outburst, silence lingered as I stood hunched over, puffing in rapid breaths. My sweaty backhand then began violently shaking, practically screaming in agony from holding the arrow back for so long. Still, the adrenaline coursing through my body suppressed that pain enough to retain my focus and aim.

With the arrow still pulled back, I transferred glances between each person's face. I was too wound up to process their differing expressions while my mind was preoccupied with a different matter.

After that blowup, I can’t imagine any of them could trust me even a little bit. They probably only see me as dangerous right now… so be it.

As I made eye contact with each of the five, wagering the pros and cons of each person, my mind raced to decide who I should shoot first. And then, it came to me.

If I kill her… will Ember finally understand where I'm coming from? Will she finally understand loss? Will she acknowledge the decision I made back then? Will she recognize the purpose and burden I've placed on myself now?

I sneer.

What a farce. Who gives a shit? She'll also be dead soon.

Transferring my aim from Hunter to Faith, I line myself up for the perfect shot. Then, closing one eye, I ensure that if I let the arrow fly… it will hit my target. It must. Taking a deep breath, I steady my exhausted hand and focus. I practiced all morning, and although I'm not entirely adept with a bow, it feels natural in my grasp. And now, it's time.

If I do this, there's no going back. A human's life will have been taken because I willed it. There is no changing that fact.

So, if this is my destiny, let this arrow fly true to its course.

I finally affirm my resolve by reminding myself of what Zeris told me about over the video.

If I want to survive this hell, I must become the strongest. That's the only option I have. And the only way to achieve that title is to be the last one standing.

"So, you were lying. Who's Zeris?" abruptly asks Ember with a tone leaking discontent.

Caught off guard by her question, I lose focus, and my loose, sweaty grip on the nock slips. As if time suddenly traversed into slow motion, I could only watch as the arrow rapidly rummaged through the air, directly on course to strike Faith right through the heart.