The squad abruptly stopped. Something wasn’t right.

A deep rumble rippled down the valley, sending shivers down their spines. They watched in confusion as the ground trembled and rocks fell. The mountain appeared to be moving as if it was alive. Massive boulders slam down the hill, leaving a path of devastation in their wake. Trees crack like twigs, and the earth trembles with each collision. A cloud of dust and debris rises, partially blocking the view. From a distance, it looked like a monster consumed the mountain and pulled it apart a piece at a time.

“Isn’t the town on that mountain?” Nadia asked.

Ruby stared at the dreadful scene. “We got to get there quickly.”

“Tug the breaks,” someone said, “It’s not smart to charge a collapsing mountain.”

“Zen’s there. He’s responsible for this. We’ll never get this opportunity again if we don’t capitalize on it.”

“I don’t recommend it,” said another member.

“Same here. It’s too risky.”

Most members opted to return to camp, claiming the risk wasn’t worth it. Even Nadia insisted on calling it a day.

“So we're calling it quits? This opportunity was hand-fed to us, and we’re calling it quits? I refuse. I refuse, I refuse, I refuse! Never let a one-time chance fall in vain. We have the opportunity to strike and put an end to Zen, and you guys are backing out because of some mountain?”

“It’s not just ‘some mountain.’ It caved in itself. It has to be an Ionian item Zen has, and I’m not trying to mess with that.”

Everyone agreed, besides Ruby and Jill.

Harely couldn’t tell whether Jill agreed since her face was emptier than a clear sky.

Nadia insisted Ruby to retreat. If anyone could convince her regarding battle advice, it would be Nadia. They were perfect together like bracelets and wrists.

“Then…”

“It’s fine, Ruby. You don’t have to do it for me,” Harley said.

“Harley.”

“It’s ok. Besides, it’s better if I do it myself.”

The others complained, calling Harley reckless. Ruby shut them up, ordering a retreat. Nadia and Jill silently gave their final looks before turning away.

Harley called Ruby’s name, promising to be back within two days.

“I don’t have to worry. You have the extra fuel to power through.” Ruby left with a smile, and with that, Harley was alone.

***

Harley rode through the trees, uneasy. She shifted around while her horse didn’t seem to care.

“I’m so—Achoo! Bored…”

She sniffled, wiping her nose with the neck of the shirt. Allergy season was the worst. Constant sniffles annoyed the living hell out of her. She couldn’t go a few minutes without sniffling. How troublesome.

Even with nature’s curse, she admired the blooming flowers bursting with life. Bees flew around to pollinate, and animals out of hibernation stuffed their faces with food. That’s something Jill would do whenever dessert was on the menu.

“She’s such a wacko.”

It’s been hours since Harley separated from the others. No luck in finding Zen. How would she find him? Where could he be? He could've killed himself during that explosion or whatever that was.

Should she check the mountain? It wouldn’t make sense since the rubble buried everything. Zen’s body could be there, but going grave diving wasn’t something Harley was fond of.

“Rexy, Rexy,” her voice was high-pitched while petting her companion. “You must be hungry. We can take a break.”

She tied her horse to a nearby tree. The leash covered tons of ground, giving Rexy freedom to munch on shrubs of her choice.

Harley sat on the spiky grass with her legs wide. The urge to sneeze controlled her body. It sucked. She sneezed as if it was a hobby, not covering her mouth. Who would, though? It’s not like anyone was around.

“Rexy, you have it pretty easy, right?”

She continued munching on food without care. Why would she care? Born and raised in the cult. Fed, bathed, played, raced, slept. What a beautiful life. Everyone cared and loved her. No one dared to leave her alone. Everyone loved her.

Everyone.

It must be nice to be loved by others. Harley knew people cared for her, but something was missing: an inseparable bond so tight it’d never snap. She believed she had that bond with Jill.

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Harley grew to love Jill in a sisterly way. She always wanted to be beside Jill—to eat, sleep, and shop with her. Everything had to involve Jill, and it did. Things were amazing. It felt as though nothing could go wrong.

But she set herself up for disappointment. Jill’s connection with her desire grew as the days died. She spoke about how her stay was only temporary. Those words shattered Harley’s soul. She didn’t want this to be temporary.

She loved Jill’s presence and looked forward to her company. She relied on Jill for a particular emotion, and that emotion was associated with Jill. The more Jill distanced herself, the more that emotion was being stripped away. She feared losing that emotion. Jill became part of Harley. She’s grown attached to her to the point where she couldn’t live without her.

Harley knew the best way to ditch this feeling, yet she couldn’t.

“I don’t want to grow on my own. I want to be with her, with them. The four of us together forever.” She lifelessly dropped her body, her head facing the branchy sky. “There’s no way I can shatter fate like this.”

She laughed. It was a hollow, desperate sound as if she forced herself to find a laugh despite her emotions.

“I’m so pathetic.”

Rexy neighed incredibly loud. Harley jumped up and noticed a man, not slender yet not broad, standing by her horse. His abdomen bled through his thin brown shirt, and his lip was severely busted.

He crouched, falling against the tree, defeated.

“I was hoping this horse was unattended,” he snickered.

Those eyes.

She could never forget those bright orange eyes. She looked into them was like looking into two miniature suns—menacing and repulsive. Her head turned away from instinct.

“You mind lending a hand?”

Harley looked back at the beaten man. “No.”

He held his abdomen, crouching. He strained his teeth in sharp pain. Harley could only imagine what the man went through.

“My horse tumbled downhill and rammed into a boulder. I took a decent fall as well. Help a fellow man out.”

“Your sob story ain’t gonna cut it.”

He dropped to his rear. “You’re gonna leave me to die? Is that how my life ends?”

“Those eyes,” Harley said while pointing. “Those unforgettable, orange eyes. You threw me in hell, leaving me to rot in a cage, took advantage of my defenseless body, and beat me black and blue if I spoke too loud. There’s no way I’ll ever forget the eyes who stole my childhood.”

He sighed in defeat. “I apologize for the rough times. I thought it’d be worth it. It was a fat lie. Everything I worked for, my aspirations, was built up for something that isn’t here.”

“Boo hoo, should I sympathize?”

“I don’t need sympathy. Maybe redemption would be nice.”

Harley sat adjacent to the man, her back facing his shoulder. “Do you deserve redemption, Zen?”

“Do you want to kill me?”

“Maybe I do.”

“You’re not the first. Lotta people are after my head.”

I wonder why, Harley thought.

“It sucks. Hiding for a decade, hoping people forget about me. I couldn’t go outside, eat at a restaurant, shop, mess around with people. I couldn’t do anything.”

Harley couldn’t sympathize. How could she? Zen was the reason her child-self suffered, so it was only natural not to sympathize.

“To keep myself busy, I plotted to steal the most powerful weapon in the outside world. It can kill from afar with one hit. Lethal to the maximum. I had no intention of using it. I just wanted my hands to feel what beauty is made of.”

Zen’s words became choppy. His light breath was an indicator of what was to come.

“That doesn’t explain why you kidnapped and sold children to filthy merchants.”

“Information comes with a hefty price. Along with information, I received food, clothing, weapons, horses, to name a few. Those bastards would give anything for a kid.”

“People can be pretty inhumane.”

Zen agreed. “I bet Ionia isn’t like this.”

“Do you think about Ionia often?”

“Of course. They are modern humans thriving in wealth. They have elite medicine, righteous laws, and awesome gadgets for sale. I want to step foot in that paradise.”

Paradise. That word reminded her of Jill.

“Is it possible for an outsider to enter the city?”

Zen tittered, straining harder than before. “I—It’s doable. There gotta be a way.”

“What about outsiders living in Ionia?”

“Now, that is a fairytale. It’d be damned if that happened. But who knows, anything can happen.”

“What if your friend goes to Ionia? Would you go with them?” Harley asked.

“Let me segway our chit-chat because this intrigues me. You’re speaking to me as an equal. It’s odd. It doesn’t seem like you hate me. What do you see me as?”

Harley questioned what Zen meant.

“To put it in different terms, do you view me as a human?”

“I do hate you. You stripped my childhood away. You snatched me away from my village and caved me in. The constant suffering and starvation, thin clothing to protect my skin from the harsh winters, unknown for the potential future. You replaced my once carefree life with agony and horror.”

Life is a journey of trials and tribulations that can test even the strongest wills. The unprepared happened, altering her path forever. It’s easy to deflate when faced with adversity, to feel as though life is no longer in your hands. Despite the hardships, she never fell. She refused to let those days break her. The obstacles and challenges she pushed through strengthened her resilience. She grew mentally stronger, and her unwavering resilience refused to snap.

“When I heard you were alive, I was happy, ” continued Harley, “I could finally brush the grudge off by killing you. It’s what I wanted. Sweet revenge for everything you put me through. But I gave it some thought. Without you, I would never get to join the Bariac Cult. I would never make the friends I have, learn to wield a blade, and have so much fun on raids. My life would be completely different, for the better or worse. Right now, though, I’m content with life, the cult, friends, everything. I know it’s stupid, but I wouldn't be here if it weren’t for you.”

“You’re quite the character,” he chuckled.

Zen groaned while pushing himself up. He wobbled back and forth, not able to keep his feet planted. Harley stood up with him.

Zen placed one hand on her shoulder. His head sank, and he breathed jagged.

“I appreciate you—for making me feel somewhat better about myself.”

In this unpredictable circumstance, under nature’s shade, the two exchanged soft, innocent smiles.

They exchanged more words than imaginable, but Harley had no choice but to complete her duty. She sent him off after feeding him a sense of redemption.