The red eyes dotted around the circular room stared at Florence, Aisling, Yuze, and Stella. Florence shivered with her skin burning from her soaking wet clothes. The droplets and blood trickled down her face, splashing on the concrete floor.

The crashing of waves echoed.

Holland bleated as Jack pushed her into the brick wall.

The spiral staircase creaked with Feno leaning against it. She sniffed a lily in her hands.

Sam meowed, shaking his body. A sprinkle of water flew across the room. Then he rested on Stella’s lap, scratching his head with his hind leg.

“Let me go,” Holland said. She clenched onto Jack’s wrist.

Florence’s nerves in her ankle and knee screamed. Half of her facial muscles drooped, unable to move. From a glance, a red glow illuminated the wet fabric in the pocket of Stella’s blouse.

Florence placed her hand on the back of her head, squeezing her cheeks between her knees. Aisling’s words still lingered in her brain. What did she mean by they never left the Wellor Tower… It doesn’t make sense. Florence hunched over, pulling the ends of her blond, unkempt hair.

“Traitor,” Holland said. She spat a strand of saliva, splashing on Jack’s face.

“Look, we’re on the same boat,” Jack said. “Just calm down.”

“I’m already calm.”

“You ain’t even close to calm.”

Florence raised her hand up.

“Great, look at that,” Holland said. “Looks like one of your fellow Players wants to ask a question.”

Jack rolled his television head. “She is not my employee.”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly. Wait… never mind… that is sarcasm. Isn’t that right?”

Florence shrugged, pointing at the red eyes dotted all over the wall. She waved her hand above her head.

Jack and Holland looked at Florence, then back at each other.

Holland pawed her hooves on the brick wall. “I didn’t know you like to hire this type of crazy.”

“I didn’t hire her,” Jack said.

“I’m kinda sure they do not understand what you just told them,” Aisling said. She leaned closer to Florence’s ears. “But at least this is getting better.”

Florence raised her eyebrows.

“I’m talking about our investigation. Not your face,” Aisling said.

Florence dipped her chin. Her jaws dropped open.

“Let me do it, Jack,” Holland said. “I know you want me to do it.”

“There ain’t any point in this.” Jack stared at his feet. His voice strained. “You do realize killing them wouldn’t help us at all.”

Holland swiftly raised her hooves. She kicked Jack, cracking the screen on his television head.

Jack fixed his neck. Not budging an inch. His fist whitened, tightening on Holland’s clothes.

A glimmer shone under Holland’s shadow.

A click reverberated throughout the circular room.

“Jack, watch out,” Feno said.

A bang flashed beneath Holland, shivering Jack into a flinch. Blood flowed from the bullet wound in Jack’s left foot.

The casing clattered on the floor.

Jack released his grip on Holland. He dropped to his knees, pressing down on his bleeding injury.

The concrete thumped beneath Holland with a pistol in hand. She lowered her head, staring and pointing her horns at the red glow in the soaked pocket of Stella’s blouse.

Florence untied the belt around her waist and scrambled to her feet. The pounding footsteps echoed along with the crashing waves, drawing closer to Jack.

In a blur, Holland kicked Florence in the stomach.

Florence groaned, covering the hooves stamped on her abdomen.

Holland stomped onwards. She placed her finger on the trigger, aiming through the sight at Stella.

Sam hissed. “What’re you doing?”

“That Memory EXP Crystal in your pocket doesn’t belong to you,” Holland said. She glared at Stella.

Stella fidgeted her skirt, rubbing her puffy eyes. “I mean… it actually belongs to someone else.”

A click echoed through the room.

“I’m not asking you to give it to me,” Holland said. “I’m ordering it to hand it over.”

Stella put her knees up, resting on her arms. She faced the floor, sniffing as the corner of her mouth downturned. “Do you think I care? Just do it.”

The pistol clattered.

Holland dropped to the floor with a thud, clenching onto her knees. She rolled to her side. A bleat echoed. She pulled up the legs of her pants, revealing and clawing at a red eye tattooed on her skin.

Florence tapped on Aisling’s shoulder, pointing at the red eye on Holland.

“I know.” Aisling wheezed. “But which one of amongst them is the ghost?”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Florence shrugged.

“Yup, exactly,” Aisling said.

Holland clenched her fist, whitening her knuckles. She punched herself in the face. Then she pushed herself onto her hooves, snatching the pistol into her palm.

Feno crossed her arms. “I think you might’ve crossed the line. So, take a break or something.”

“Give me that Memory EXP Crystal,” Holland said. She lunged at Stella, smashing onto her forehead.

Stella flew, crashing into the brick wall behind her. Her shoulder slumped. She curled into a ball, hiding her head between her knees and arms.

“This crystal you’ve doesn’t belong to you,” Holland said.

“Could you stop lecturing her? She already kinda knows it.” Aisling hugged herself, stumbling to her feet, her knee still blotched and reddened. “Is that right, Stella?”

Stella sniffed, rocking from side to side. “I mean… do I’ve to explain it myself?”

“So, you do know how this Memory EXP Crystal is made,” Holland said. She stomped her hooves, cupping the red eye tattooed on her skin, marching towards Stella.

Florence crawled onto her back. Which one should she even help now? Stella or Jack? Florence gritted her teeth, sinking her nails into her palm.

Holland wrenched on the collar of Stella’s blouse. Then Holland lifted Stella up, dangling her feet into the air.

“Stop it, Holland.” Aisling unsheathed her dagger. “Do you hear me?”

Stella lifted her face up, averting her eyes away from Holland.

“You murderer,” Holland said.

“I… I don’t know.” Stella sniffed. “That is all I’ve left of… you know.”

Holland huffed, pushing the muzzle of her pistol on the side of Stella’s skull.

“Don’t do it,” Florence said. She crawled with her nails screeching on the rough surface, inching closer to her.

Sam snarled, baring his fangs. He pounced, biting into Holland’s leg.

Holland bleated. She swung her hoove, shaking Sam off.

The nerves in Florence’s knee and ankle screamed as she dragged her skin across the floor. The concrete beneath poked her belly. She blinked.

In a blur, Aisling stood behind Holland. Then Aisling pressed the tip of her dagger onto the veins in Holland’s neck.

Florence screeched to a halt.

Holland pawed her hooves. She huffed, arching her body over Stella.

“Let her go now,” Aisling said. “And drop that pistol.”

“As if I would.” Holland laughed. “Why would I care? We did all those raids back in District Nine just to survive. You Players don’t give us the necessary nutrition to let us get by.”

Feno looked up at the red eyes dotted across the brick wall. “Holland, you should probably do as she said. Or else our leader will be mad at you. And you already know what happens if our leader is mad.”

Holland tossed the pistol away, releasing her grip on the collar of Stella’s blouse. Immediately, Stella slipped away with her arms around herself.

“Good,” Aisling said.

“So, what’re you going to do now?” Holland raised her hands. “Rip my Natural EXP Crystal out? Isn’t that right? And let me guess, you’ll eat it or change it to a Memory EXP Crystal?”

Jack groaned. His fingers and palms were caked in blood. “Believe me, this wouldn’t be the first thing she does.”

“I would rather sell your Natural EXP Crystal. Not changing yours to a Memory EXP Crystal,” Aisling said.

Holland clicked her tongue, slamming her head.

Stella yelped.

“Hey, don’t move,” Aisling said.

“Well, it’s not like I’m going to run away,” Holland said. “If anything is obvious, then it would be that I’m not a master of stealth.”

A blur under Holland’s shadow thrusted at Aisling’s blotched knee.

Aisling screamed. Her leg swayed sideways. The dagger clattered. She clutched her knee, falling onto her shoulder with a thud.

“You see, I told you,” Holland said. “I’m not stealthy.”

A shriek rang above Florence.

The scratching on the ceiling reverberated with gash marks appearing on it.

Holland crouched, reaching for the pistol. She flinched, clawing the red eye tattoo on the skin of her legs.

Feno crossed her arms. “I told you what would happen if you don’t listen.”

“This is stupid,” Holland said. “Those Players are going to kill and starve us to death if we don’t fight back, Feno.”

“And our leader disagrees with it.”

“That is what you and this leader would say. Clearly, this charity of yours is not solving our problems at all.”

“Tell me, what would happen when us NPCs take over the Wellor System through this radical action of yours?”

“Who cares about it? We’re just trying to survive through whatever means possible.”

Feno leaned away from the spiral staircase with a creak. Her hair rustled, and her footsteps grew louder. She picked up the USB lying on the concrete floor.

At the same time, Florence clutched on her belt. She turned around, inching closer to Jack. She brushed his hand away from the gunshot wound in his left foot.

Blood flowed out of his injury.

She straightened her belt, wrapping around his left foot. Then she tied a reef knot, tightening the binding with a pull. The bleeding stopped.

Static played on the screen of his television head.

“Our leader should tighten that leash around your neck,” Feno said.

Florence glanced over her shoulder.

“Do you think our leader approves of your action? Tell me, Holland,” Feno said. She kneeled down, dangling the USB in front of Holland’s face. “Do you even know what this does?”

Holland huffed. “Why wouldn’t I know?”

Aisling coughed, wiping her mouth. She wiggled towards Florence’s side.

“So, why did you set District Nine?” Feno clenched her fist. “Why did all of you do it?”

“Those pink androids and that monster did it,” Holland said.

“Really?”

“Of—”

Feno slapped Holland in the face.

Holland’s head jerked to the side.

“You caused it in the first place,” Feno said. “I’m sure the Wellor System will never ever send supplies to my charity again. And did you think our leader wouldn’t have noticed your actions?”

Holland bleated and laughed. “Sure, this charity of yours isn’t effective. You failed us.”

“I know.”

“You pathetic little—”

Holland wheezed, digging her nails on her neck. She rolled to her side until her gasp fainted away. Her fingers relaxed. Her pupils dilated. The saliva drooled from the corner of her mouth.

Feno stood up, spreading her arms out. “Don’t worry, she is not dead.”

“I think the ghost is watching us,” Aisling said. She leaned close to Florence’s ears. “Anyways, who do you think this is?”

Florence shrugged, pointing at the half of her paralyzed face.

“Yup, sure,” Aisling said. “It is you. Isn’t it?”

Florence shook her head.

“I’m just joking,” Aisling said. She flicked her finger on Florence’s forehead. “Whoever it is, they might have red eyes. But … where do we begin searching for them?”

“It ain’t that great,” Jack said. He squeezed his television head in between Florence and Aisling. “What’re you two talking about anyways?”

“Nothing much… kinda.”

“Really? Is it ain’t that much for real?”

On the other side of the room, Stella stared blankly at the ceiling, rubbing her puffy eyes. She reached into the pocket of her blouse and took out the Memory EXP Crystal.

Florence got up on her feet, limping towards Stella.

Blood oozed out of Stella’s nostrils.

Florence kneeled next to Stella, sliding down the brick wall.

“I’m… fine,” Stella said. She fidgeted the Memory EXP Crystal between her fingers, turning her head away from Florence. “I know she is not… I mean out there.”

Florence pinched the sleeve of her dress, wiping the blood off of Stella’s face.

“What… am I talking about?” Stella shook her head. “Just forget about it.”

The room rumbled.

Sam released his bite into Holland. He dashed and dove into Stella’s lap.

A ray of intense orange glow flooded into the room, blinding Florence.

She blinked, tilting her head upwards.

At the top of the staircase, the humanoid silhouettes clad in armor towered over them.