Chapter 99: Three Minutes

Hunter’s POV

We spoke for a long time. By the time our conversation was over, the sun was already beginning to set, and an orange tint had swept across our campgrounds.

69:09:47… 46… 45…

The conversation began with Code. He told us about everything that had occurred to him yesterday, making sure to answer each of our questions. His day began similar to the rest of ours… without conflict. He and Scar ventured quite a distance away from camp as he made it clear they were trekking up a mountain on a slightly elevated path when things took a turn.

Code explained that up to that point, they had walked nonstop. And for the sake of efficiency, he pleaded to Scar that they should take a break and rest. Delta butted in then, sending a verbal jab at Ember that she was saying the same thing, but Ember just ignored her and asked Code to continue.

Scar supposedly claimed not to be tired… but ultimately agreed to Code’s request. The two settled down for a quick break and to eat some of the food they had brought, but that’s when something bizarre happened. Code stressed that he didn’t know whether or not he fell asleep between the two of them, but considering the circumstances and Scar’s attitude… he believes Scar was the first to get some shut-eye. Sky asked why he thought this, and Code replied that if he fell asleep first, Scar would’ve woken him up once he deemed their break should be over.

Either way, that point is irrelevant. All that mattered was that they both fell asleep. I couldn't really wrap my head around how they managed to fall asleep... or why they allowed themselves to fall asleep…

When Code woke up, he said it looked like it was in the afternoon. He had taken a long nap and woke up completely alone. Scar was gone, as was Code’s bag. Oddly, only the torch Code carried was left behind, but its flame was extinguished. In a frantic attempt to sniff out anything he could find regarding where Scar may have gone, Code searched the nearby area in a panicked frenzy from top to bottom. There was nothing.

Hearing this, suspicions began to arise within myself and everyone else. I'm sure it was written on all of their faces, as well as mine. Forest asked Code if he thought Scar pretended to fall asleep and then betrayed him… explaining that Scar took his bag, which contained extra food, water, and clothes, leaving Code behind with nothing. If Scar wanted to split up and abandon Code to die, he did what needed to be done. Depending on how much Scar took with him, he could survive comfortably on his own for at least a few days now.

Hearing Forest’s reasoning, Code didn’t reply with a nod, shake, or a simple yes or no. Instead, he responded, “I’ve thought about that too… ever since… well…”

After drinking some water and taking a deep breath, Code explained that he eventually gave up searching for Scar after an hour or two, and that’s when he noticed the signal flares. He began his descent back to camp but came face to face with Zeris soon after, and Code emphasized that Ace was not with Zeris. What occurred then was… a beatdown. That’s what Code described it as, at least, but from how he told it… it was far worse than a mere pummeling. Zeris tortured Code for several hours, seemingly testing him on only one thing.

His will to live.

Code was degraded and dehumanized. Leaving out the more explicit details, all Code said was that if he tried to run, he would be killed. He was punched everywhere, Zeris repeatedly cycling through each of his limbs like it was a trained or practiced routine.

During the times when Zeris refrained from attacking, he only calmly asked Code if living was worth all this suffering. He never gave in, and Code was sure if he passed out at any moment… he would be killed. So, Code endured hours of Zeris’s brutal torment. At some point, to distract himself from the pain and trauma, Code had closed his eyes and started murmuring phrases to keep himself awake, numbing his mind to what was happening.

And eventually, the assaults stopped. Code hadn't even realized when they did, but when he reopened his eyes, Zeris was gone, and it was already dark out. The chains around him had loosened, and after slightly leaning his body weight forward, he fell right off the tree’s trunk, nose-diving straight toward the ground.

With his instincts coming into play... he caught himself, but that muscle memory reaction ended up harshly reminding Code of how severely battered his body was. Blood painted over his bruises from head to toe, and he didn’t even possess the strength to lift himself off the ground. He eventually gave up and sprawled out in the dirt until he fell asleep.

When Code woke up earlier today, his anguished body cried to him in disdain. But… fully aware of how crucial it was for him to return to camp, Code forced himself to get back at any cost. Limping back to camp, Code had nothing… and was constantly afraid of being killed\, as he could only hope that Zeris showed him mercy yesterday.

When he arrived at camp, Code deduced that he must’ve passed whatever test Zeris put him through, similar to how Ace and Blue did. Otherwise, Code claimed that he surely would’ve been killed.

And just like that, his story was caught up with the rest of ours. He had no idea where Scar was and didn’t discover any groundbreaking information. Delta asked why Ace was not with Zeris, but Sky spoke up, claiming that based on the timeline, Code definitely encountered Zeris after her group was attacked. And during that brief period, Zeris had also attacked Ace before he sent Sky back to camp with a message.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Hearing that, Delta started laughing in hysteria, mocking Ace for his hilarious stupidity. The question about whether Ace was also killed was brought up after Delta calmed down. Still, nobody could come forward with an answer.

Code’s… ‘beat down’… was not discussed further. It was more than evident why he hadn’t brought it up sooner. During his explanation, Code’s voice wavered, cracking at times, and his body sweated and trembled through most of the story. Even though I was sitting several feet across from him, I could clearly see an army of goosebumps had emerged on his quaking legs. At the same time, he constantly played with his hands, trying to calm himself down.

Ember apologized for her blunt discourtesy earlier, and Code was surprisingly quick to forgive her, telling her he would’ve said and done the same if their roles were reversed. We then informed him about everything that happened to us, and many expressions from Code were displayed as he soaked in all the information.

Once we were done, Code slid his hands down his legs until they rested on his kneecaps as he said, “So, that’s everything you- we… know. While I didn’t discount their clear relevance earlier, this map and the locators will be crucial to our survival. If we are to re-enter that maze, we won’t be able to navigate it without these.”

And so, discussion continued, transferring over to the early stages of what might be called ‘developing a plan’. Ember vouched that the map should be called ‘map model’, or if needed… ‘MM’, for short, to which everybody agreed. Forest then recommended that the items acting as compasses and locators should be renamed to ‘beacons’, and once again, everyone agreed.

While some other matters were discussed, they weren’t quite as important as the final point. While the darkness of night further set in and conversation appeared to be dying out, Ember raised one more line of interest as she rose to her feet.

“We aren’t sucked dry of information quite yet. There is one more person here who is still withholding the truth… Cliff.”

Cliff? Oh yeah, he’s been so quiet… I had forgotten about him.

And just like that, people stopped yawning, and eyebrows raised again. Ember told us how Cliff used her special hearing to propose a deal to her without the rest of us knowing... and informed us of everything he had said and the conditions he put in place.

“It seems Cliff was the one who solved your riddle without even knowing it, Sky. Whatever Cliff found there runs far deeper than just those upgraded weapons he brought back,” said Forest, a thumb to his chin.

“And let’s also not ignore that he claimed one of us remembered, or I guess… still remembers their life before this,” I say. “And it’s not me. I would’ve told you all if I did.”

“It’s not me either,” said Sky.

“Make that three,” added Code.

“Hey! You all better not go around accusing people! Because I don’t remember shit either!” declared Delta.

“Okay! Okay! Can we all settle back down…?” asked Ember to keep the peace. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The truth is that if nobody has come forward yet… they definitely won’t come forward now. And… hell, this person might already be dead. So, let’s not stress about it too much. I believe for now… we should focus more on Cliff. He might talk if we bring back the food basket as he requested.”

“You’re kidding, right? Nobody would be willing to go out into the dark woods at this hour… and what if it’s just a trap? Accident or not, he almost killed me earlier and claimed that only one of us would live,” said Faith, expressing sincere concern, her face wrinkled in stress. "He's only out for himself!"

“I’ll do it.”

The words left my mouth before I even realized what I was saying. And then… as if my mouth had developed a mind of its own, I continued, “Cliff said I couldn’t miss it… the basket… right? Even with a torch, I should still find it without any real trouble, despite how dark it is.”

“Hunter…” Forest clicks his tongue. “You don’t have to do this… you shouldn’t do this! It’s unreasonable… and stupid! We can just wait ‘til tomorrow more-”

“We don’t have time to spare! Look!” I say, pointing toward the red timer ticking down.

65:52:34… 33… 32…

Not giving him time to fortify his disapproval, I began moving toward the supply corner to grab a torch and Cliff’s sword. A hand then forcibly placed itself on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks, and I looked back to see it was Ember.

“If you’re this determined… I won’t allow you to go alone. I’m going with you. Odds are better that way,” she said. “Plus, my hearing will be beneficial for this mission, whether it’s day or night. Cliff said it was a five-minute walk, which should only be a minute or so if we go at a jogging pace.”

Turning toward everybody else and releasing her grasp on my shoulder, Ember continued, “We’ll be back safe and sound in less than three minutes. You can even time us if you want.”

Delta scoffs, “You’re sure acting tough. There’s no honor in proving yourself if it gets you killed.”

Returning to Ember’s side, I dip the torch into the fire and hand the sword over to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a smirk on Ember’s face, “Honor… huh. In your head, I wouldn’t put it past you to be wishing death upon me right now… Delta. But I’ll stand my ground and return as full of life as I am now. Maybe you’ll understand a little bit about what honor really is.”

Ember then broke away and headed toward the Western path, and I followed close behind, an illuminating torch in hand. Sticking her free hand in the air, Ember put up three fingers, “Three minutes! Time it!”

And just like that, we were off to the races in search of this food basket.

65:51:21… 20… 19…

***

The assassin was on the move now with a plan in mind. His destination: camp.

Meanwhile, with Zeris, Ace and Hazel have begun their vigorous short-term training regiments... both for very different reasons. Ace, who is consumed by all-encompassing revenge, and Hazel, who is invigorated by a newfound purpose and obligation… are both striving to become as strong as they can be.

What their and Zeris’s roles will be in this end game… will soon come into play.