Alice and the rest of the group prepare to leave the office, but before heading out, Shelly speaks up.

"Wait a moment."

Everyone turned around to face her, curious about what she had to say.

"I have a feeling you're holding back some information from me," Shelly says, her gaze focused on Noelle. "You came in here knowing a lot about the Depraved, and that's not a coincidence. Care to share anything else?”

Noelle and the girls exchange glances, unsure of how to respond.

Noelle, never one to share too many details on particular subjects, speaks up. "I do know more about the Depraved than I've shared with you, yes. But I have my reasons for not saying everything I know.”

Shelly cocks one brow, shaking her head at the vague response. "And what might those reasons be?”

Noelle, her voice firm but respectful, answers. "Because I don't know if I can trust you fully. I have important information about the Depraved, information that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I don't want to take any chances until I know I can trust you.”

Shelly huffs, her eyes narrowing. "I see. So you think I can't be trusted? I'm the one in charge of overseeing this dam, I've spent my entire career protecting it and this city. And you don't trust me?”

Noelle, stepping closer, responds, "It's not that I don't trust you as a person, ma'am, but I have to be cautious. I don't know if there's someone on your team who might be working with the Depraved, or if there's another unknown factor at play.”

Shelly lets out a frustrated sigh. "That's a ridiculous accusation. I've been working with the same team for years, and they are loyal and trustworthy. There's no one on my team who would work with the Depraved, I can assure you of that. Why so secretive, anyways? Are we truly working together or not?”

“Yeah, Noelle,” Camilla joined in. “Your secrecy is kinda weird.”

The room falls silent as the tension in the air intensifies. Noelle's firm expression is unwavering, her eyes fixed on Shelly.

"We are working together, but it's critical that I keep certain information to myself for now. I promise everything I've shared is all you need to know for our current plan. We need to focus on stopping the attack tonight, then we can discuss the details further.”

Shelly's icy gaze scrutinizes Noelle, weighing her words and considering what she knows. After a moment, she lets out a weary sigh.

"Fine. I'll trust you for now. But know that I don't like secrets, especially when they pertain to the safety of this city. We'll deal with the Depraved tonight, and then we talk. I expect full transparency from you.”

Noelle offers a slight nod, her expression solemn.

"Absolutely. I appreciate your patience. Let's work together to stop the Depraved tonight. After that, I'll be more than willing to share what I can.”

Shelly studies Noelle a moment more, her gaze penetrating. Then, with a final nod, she lets the matter drop for now.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Good. Now move out. We've got a city to protect tonight.”

As the girls leave the dam office and head back to The Royal Palm, the sun dips lower in the sky, bathing the tranquil island of the Royal Marines in a warm, golden light. The streets are less crowded now, and the scent of tropical blooms is strong in the air. The hustle and bustle of the market has quieted down, replaced by the soft sounds of waves crashing against the shoreline and the chirping of night birds.

As they make their way back to their hotel, Noelle walks silently with a focused expression on her face, lost in thought. The outgoing and observant Camilla notices Noelle’s contemplative demeanor and moves closer to her, gently bumping her shoulder against Noelle’s.

“Hey, what are you thinking about so deeply?” Camilla asked curiously.

Noelle snaps out of her reverie, and turns to look at Camilla with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She takes a moment to consider her answer before speaking.

“I was just thinking about our situation,” Noelle replied, her voice laced with a subtle hint of unease.

Camilla furrows her brow, sensing Noelle's discomfort.

“What do you mean?” Camilla inquired, her voice tinged with concern. She looks at Noelle, waiting for her to elaborate.

“...Never mind.”

Rachel then stepped up, eyeing Noelle with scrutiny. “So uh…what was all that about? You being so secretive and all?”

Noelle sighed, her body closing up a little as she gazed at Rachel. “Some things are just meant to be left unsaid until the right time, do you understand?”

Rachel narrowed her eyes in thought, silently contemplating Noelle's words. Meanwhile, Camilla's aqua eyes widened in curiosity, her gaze flickering between Noelle and Rachel.

"But why not share everything you know?" Rachel asked, her voice laced with a tint of frustration. "We're all here to help, after all.”

"I understand that and I appreciate it," Noelle responded, her gaze averted, gazing off into the distance. "It's just...some things are better left unsaid for now. It's necessary."

Rachel crossed her arms, her eyes fixated on Noelle. "And why is that?”

Noelle let out a deep sigh, her shoulders dropping. "It's...complicated," she confessed, a hint of weariness in her voice. "Some secrets are better kept till the right time."

Rachel's frustration grew, her lips pressing into a tight line. "But who decides when that time is? You?”

Noelle glanced back, meeting Rachel's eyes. "Yes, I do," she said firmly, her voice betraying a hint of conviction. "It's my decision.”

"But are you sure that's fair?" Rachel asked, her voice gentle yet firm. "We're all in this together, and keeping secrets...it can be dangerous, Noelle.”

"I know, and I'm sorry," Noelle admitted, her voice laced with a hint of sadness. "But I need you to trust me on this. I'm doing what's best for everyone.”

Rachel couldn't hold her tongue any longer, her hands clenched into fists. "How can we trust you when you won't share what you know? We're a team. Teams don't keep each other in the dark.”

"I'm not trying to keep you in the dark," Noelle responded, her voice tinged with defensiveness. "I just believe in need-to-know information. And right now, you don't need to know. As the assigned guide and guardian of you, Alice, and Zalgo, I have the right to protect you, and keeping certain things unknown is part of that protection.”

"Need to know?" Rachel echoed, her frustration reaching its peak. “I'm not buying that. We're not some damn military unit with classified intel. We're a group trying to help each other.”

"And I am trying to help," Noelle shot back, her patience wearing thin. "But there are some things that...just can't be shared yet. I don't want things to escalate further, so let's just leave it at that, please.”

Rachel huffed. “Fine, fine. Just don't expect us to see eye to eye after this.”

The girls made it back to their hotel room, Alice immediately plopping down on the bed and getting comfortable while Rachel was still tense with Noelle's secrecy.

“We're back, ladies!” Camilla cheered. “So how are we gonna pass the time till midnight?”

Alice groaned when Camilla spoke, her body sinking into the soft sheets as she let out a sleepy yawn. Meanwhile, Rachel walked over and flopped into one of the chairs in the room, still somewhat tense. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she tried to relax, letting her frustration from earlier fade slowly.

Noelle, still keeping a cool composure, let out a sigh and leaned against the wall. "I guess we'll just have to wait," she said, glancing at the clock. It was still several hours until midnight.

The room was quieter than usual, with Alice lying on the bed, resting. Rachel's chair creaked as she shifted her weight, still staring up at the ceiling. Camilla flopped onto the couch, crossing her legs and leaning back. She fidgeted with a remote, flicking through the channels on the TV, only to realize the device was broken.

"I feel like taking a nap..." Alice mumbled, burying her face into a pillow.

"Hey, no naps just yet!" Camilla exclaimed, leaning over and playfully poking Alice. "We need to be alert for tonight."

Alice softly groaned in protest, not wanting to move from the comfort of the bed.

Meanwhile, Rachel continued staring at the ceiling, her mind still dwelling on the exchange with Noelle from earlier.

"I don't think a nap is the worst idea..." Noelle spoke up, her previous stern demeanor softening.

"Hey, don't encourage her!" Camilla said, jokingly rolling her eyes.

Alice, sensing an opportunity, perked up. "See? Even Noelle thinks it's a good idea.”

"I didn't say that-" Noelle started, but was quickly interrupted by Alice.

"Oh, come on, just a little nap. We've been up for hours, and we still have a long night ahead."

Rachel chimed in, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling. "She's got a point. A short nap might do us some good.”

Noelle let out a defeated sigh, realizing she was outnumbered. "Fine, but just a short one."

A victorious grin spread across Alice's face, sitting up on the bed. The others couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.