"Luma," Clara's tone was worried, "what do you mean by that? How can the situation be so bad? What happened?"

"Clarinha, it's not that you did something wrong, far from it. What I'm saying is that every action has a consequence. And what you did was open a range of possibilities for many other groups to go after the Reservoir."

"Yes, I noticed movement," Marcus said. "They came in and took several things last week."

Luma smiled at Marcus.

"Always so observant." She brought the cup to her mouth and sighed in pleasure. "I love this weather. We're getting close to winter, and the winds are getting colder. It's also in winter that the temperature drops a lot, the hunting season shortens, and the farms produce nothing. It's understandable that everyone is trying their best to stock up on resources, and the Reservoir has become a major target lately. You didn't go there, remember?"

"It was a personal choice, Luma," Clara replied, not hiding her displeasure at the comments. "Even if we took everyone there, it would take months to organize everything. Building without resources is slow, but people going there isn't our problem. The city isn't mine to dictate who should or shouldn't enter."

Luma pointed at her immediately, shaking her head.

"Exactly. That's what's happening. For some reason, everyone has the same mindset. It's like watching the group fall apart. Did you hear about Antton? He went after Clind and the Jones brothers. He wants the battery they took at any cost, but Clind immediately said he wouldn’t do anything to interfere with your plans, Clarinha. He likes you, you know that."

Clara said nothing. Her expression didn’t change. She knew.

Dante expected Marcus to defend her from something, but he remained silent. The two just stayed there.

"Can you explain why this is such a big problem?"

"Oh, of course." Luma shifted in her chair and struck a bit of a pose before speaking. "So, before the Reservoir was cleared, Kappz was well divided. There are gathering groups, mining groups trying to find a way to forge again. Clind handles armor and clothing. That idiot Antton is in charge of hunting. And Clara organizes this side of the city, but before, she had no role."

"They put me in the meetings because of Simone's pressure," Clara explained. "She always said I should stay alert because many people relied on me, and I could help by going on expeditions with Marcus. Clearing parts of the city, finding lost objects. But it was never my intention."

"Of course not." Luma waved her fingers, shaking her hands nervously. "But as soon as you made that place lose its negative aura, the Jones brothers saw the possibility of clearing out Sharm Prison. Can you believe that?"

Marcus coughed when he heard that, having to cover his mouth as he coughed harder.

"Sharm?" He almost choked on the word. "That place is an infested nest of strange creatures."

"Yes, that's true." Luma pouted. "But they think that if they had your battery, they could forge better weapons. And they carry that message that says there's a food stockpile inside Sharm. They stored supplies before everything was consumed by the negative energy of the Felroz."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Dante wasn’t sure if she was talking about 'negative energy' seriously or just exaggerating. It felt odd to hear that creatures capable of tearing a human apart in seconds had such a generic trait.

"The two Jones brothers said they would come looking for you next week, and they want… him." Her finger pointed straight at Dante. "They said Dante should be the one leading because he fought and won against what was down in the Reservoir, in the tank."

Marcus furrowed his brows, looking intrigued.

"How did they know what was down there? There was no sign that anyone else had been there."

"I don’t know, my dear Marcus." Luma shrugged, feigning ignorance. "But they knew and told me. What I'm saying is that they will want the battery, and they will also want Dante. And Antton got really angry because he wanted the battery for something else. I just don’t know what. They didn’t tell me."

Diving into a Felroz nest again was not a good idea. In fact, it was the worst one. He had seen that without preparation, without a solid plan, things could spiral out of control. If people entered that place and died, he would carry the guilt for life.

How could strangers trust his strength just by hearing rumors?

Was their faith that blind?

"The idea is terrible," Clara was the one who answered, serious. "Jones may think he knows Sharm, but he’s never gone more than two floors down. The prison is underground, completely beneath the surface. If the exit gets blocked, everyone is trapped. That’s what happened last time—you have to remind those two that it was this very mission that got their sister killed."

Luma pulled her head back, feeling the weight of her words. Marcus also stared at Clara, slightly surprised by her tone. Dante liked when she spoke firmly, making her stance clear.

He was there for her, so it was natural to support her decisions.

"The battery isn’t a resource for people to get themselves killed," Clara continued. "It was made to bring peace to those who never felt safe in the darkness. The light is there to illuminate what people have lost. I won’t give them the battery, and I won’t give them Dante."

Luma accepted her response with a smile.

"I understand, Clarinha. Mr. Dante is a man about your age, isn’t he? You both share the same desire to help others and are always together. It’s normal not to want to risk someone you care about so much…"

"It’s not like that," Clara quickly interrupted. "Where did you get that from? Dante is a loyal and trustworthy friend. He helps us more than I could ever thank him for."

Dante felt a bit embarrassed. Really, the way Luma put it, Clara seemed to hold some affection for him. But he doubted it went beyond that. He didn’t really live there—he came from a part of the world so distant that no one knew it, and he wanted to go back soon.

Getting involved with someone like him would be crazy, and Dante agreed.

But… why was he even considering the possibility?

"Of course, I know he’s your friend." Luma waved both hands. "Look, I know you’re just friends. But the Jones brothers will come after you. Be ready, alright? And if possible, I’d like to discuss bringing power here, if you have more of those cables. Our rice and corn fields would be much better irrigated with electricity, huh?"

Clara had already refused more than twice, and Luma kept asking for energy. The meeting ended about twenty minutes later. Clara stood up and said goodbye. Dante just waved. Marcus, however, went all out in his farewells to Luma, and she enjoyed it, laughing at him and whispering things.

Even the sharpshooter’s demeanor seemed more relaxed. He definitely liked her.

"He’s been playing this game with Luma for years," Clara said with a small laugh. "I’ve told him to move here, but he refuses."

"I don’t doubt that when he disappears, this is where he comes. Now I understand why you told me to dress up."

Clara chuckled and nodded. She held the white dress she wore, long, with minimal decorations.

"He asks me to wear white so I don’t take away from the beauty of the green and yellow, can you believe it?"

"I believe it, but you look exactly like that rose in the garden. Even with all the colors around, none of them take away your beauty."

Clara turned to him, but Dante had already turned his back and started walking down the street. She stood there, mouth slightly open for a few seconds, then let out a shy smile, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Dante, on the other hand, had held his breath, almost turning red with embarrassment for saying those words. He could die right there. That would be better than facing Clara again.

"Muscle tension levels: extreme. I suggest you breathe, Dante. You won’t die from this."

Damn Vick… Dante obeyed, breathing as instructed, and stayed ahead the whole way back to the building islands."