The kid sat silently, his eyes darting between the group.

Kyle sighed, breaking the tense silence. "Are you hungry?"

The question caught the child off guard. His lips parted, but he couldn’t seem to find the words. Before he could respond, a loud growl from his stomach gave him away.

"I’ll take that as a yes," Kyle said with a faint smile.

Azrael guided the child to sit on the grass near the campfire, joining the group. Jarred, who was closest, handed over a freshly roasted fish skewered on a stick.

"Careful. It’s still hot," Jarred warned.

The child hesitated before taking the skewer. Slowly, he began eating, savoring each bite.

Azrael leaned back and shook his head. "Caught him trying to eat raw meat from the carriage earlier. Good thing I stopped him."

Mika raised a brow and looked at the boy. "Eating raw meat? You could’ve gotten sick, you know."

The child shot her a glare. "What’s it to you?"

Mika’s eyes narrowed, and she started to rise. "Oh, this kid is really testing my patience!" she snapped, only for Azrael to gently hold her back. "We give you food, and you’ve got the nerve to be rude? I’ll teach you a lesson!"

The child ignored her, continuing to eat without saying a word.

Jarred spoke up, his voice calm as he stared into the fire. "Let him be. If he doesn’t want to talk, we shouldn’t force him."

After a long pause, the boy finally spoke, his voice quiet but clear. "I’m being chased by men."

Mika froze, her irritation giving way to curiosity. "Chased? By who?"

"Men," the boy repeated.

Kyle leaned forward, his brows furrowed. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Carl raised a hand to stop him. "Let him finish eating first. We can ask questions after."

*

Once the child finished his meal, he stared into the fire, his expression dark. "They’re after us. Strange men wearing masks."

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

"Us?" Mika asked gently. "You mean there are more of you?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. There were others with me."

Carl rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tancki Valley is crawling with syndicates. This sounds like their work."

Jarred looked at the boy. "What do they do to the people they take?"

The boy’s voice wavered as he answered, "I think... they use them for organ harvesting."

A heavy silence fell over the group, the weight of his words sinking in.

Kyle gasped, horrified. "Organ harvesting? Are you serious?"

Carl clenched his fists. "So the rumors are true. There’s an illegal slave trade happening in Tancki Valley."

Jarred turned back to the boy, his tone urgent. "Do you know where they took the others?"

Carl frowned. "Hold on, Jarred. You’re not seriously thinking about getting involved, are you?"

"But—"

"No buts," Kyle interjected. "We don’t know who we’d be up against if we try to interfere."

Azrael’s voice cut through the tension, firm and resolute. "We can’t just abandon those kids."

Mika tilted her head, considering the situation. "Do you think the Kent family is involved in this? They’ve been all over Tancki Valley lately."

Azrael shook his head. "We can’t jump to conclusions without evidence. Besides, they’re royalty. Why would they risk their reputation with something as vile as an illegal slave trade?"

Mika's gaze didn’t waver. "Think about it. The rumors only started after the Kent family showed up in Tancki Valley for their so-called 'business ventures.' Coincidence?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The group fell silent, the implications weighing heavily on their minds. The fire crackled softly, its warm glow unable to dispel the growing unease that surrounded them.

"I mean… isn’t it possible this is just a coincidence?" Azrael said, his tone uncertain.

Mika sighed heavily, leaning back against a tree. "Believe whatever you want. I’m just pointing out the possibility that they’re involved."

Carl hesitated. "I don’t want to accuse royalty either, but Mika might be right. There’s a chance the Kent family is behind this."

Kyle crossed his arms. "Even if they are, it’s best we don’t meddle. We’d be going up against a powerful family. That’s not something we can take lightly."

The boy’s face fell at Kyle’s words. Despite knowing the risks, he’d placed his hope in this group, thinking they might help him.

Azrael noticed the boy’s disappointment and spoke up. "Didn’t we plan to apply for work with the Kent family? Why not use that as an opportunity to find out if they’re really involved?"

"That’s a good idea, Az," Mika said, her gaze sharp. "But... what do you plan to do if you find out they are responsible?"

"Uh…" Azrael trailed off, unsure how to respond.

Mika straightened her posture, her tone firm. "Let me remind you all, I was chosen to lead this group. That means I have the right to reject any plan I believe will put us in unnecessary danger."

Her words struck Azrael hard. He looked down, feeling a surge of disappointment. Deep down, he knew Mika was right. As their leader, she bore the responsibility of protecting them, even if it meant making tough calls.

"Wait," Carl interrupted, raising a hand. "If we manage to secure jobs with the Kent family, why not try to save the others while we’re there? Are we really going to turn a blind eye if something happens right in front of us?"

The group fell silent, Carl’s words cutting through their doubts.

"I’m sure that if any of you were there, you wouldn’t be able to ignore what’s happening," Carl added. He turned to Mika with a knowing look. "Especially you, Mika. Remember when you saved Azrael, even though he was a stranger at the time? That wasn’t something you could just ignore."

Mika’s lips parted as if to respond, but no words came out. Carl’s reminder hit a nerve.

She stared into the fire, the memories of past mistakes weighing heavily on her. She had suggested taking a shortcut to Tancki Valley, a decision that had nearly cost them everything. She still blamed herself for what had happened.

And now, they were about to walk into another potential disaster, one that could endanger the group yet again. The decision rested on her shoulders. Everyone watched her in silence, waiting for her response. Whatever choice she made, they would follow her lead.

The crackling of the fire filled the stillness, a reminder of the burden she carried as their leader.

"I'm going to sleep. Let’s continue this tomorrow," Mika said, standing up and walking away from the group.

Kyle let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. "I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m sure she’s struggling to make a decision about all this."

"Maybe we just need some rest," Carl suggested, lying back on the grass.

Jarred stretched and stood up. "Yeah, I’ll turn in early, too."

Azrael glanced at the boy, who was quietly sitting by the fire, and handed him another stick of grilled fish. "Here, eat more."

The boy hesitated before taking it, mumbling a soft, "Thank you."

Kyle leaned closer to Azrael. "What will you do if Mika decides against helping?"

Azrael shrugged. "Then I’ll follow her decision. I chose her as the leader of this group. It’d be pointless to defy her now."

Carl, already settling near the bonfire, added, "We should all get some sleep. It’s a cold night, so staying close to the fire will help."

"He’s right," Kyle agreed, pulling his blanket closer. "We can talk more in the morning."

The boy, now visibly upset, muttered, "I’m sorry."

"You’ve done nothing wrong," Azrael said, sitting beside him. He gently placed a hand on the boy’s bowed head. "I’ll find a way to help your friends. I promise."

"But… what if they don’t agree to help?" the boy asked, his voice trembling.

Azrael gave a small smile. "I didn’t say I’d ask for their help if Mika refuses. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure no one else gets involved in whatever decision I make."

The boy looked at him, tears glistening in his eyes. "I don’t know why you’d want to help me… but thank you."

Azrael’s smile widened. "What’s your name by the way?"

"Hafa."

"Nice to meet you, Hafa. I’m Azrael."

Hafa tilted his head. "That’s an unusual name."

Azrael chuckled. "Yours isn’t exactly common, either."

The two laughed quietly, their shared moment breaking the tension in the air. As the others rested, Azrael and Hafa continued talking.

Azrael asked Hafa about his life, what he liked to do, and how he ended up in the forest.

Hafa explained that the children who had been taken were his friends. They were orphans, like him, with no homes or families. The seven of them had roamed the streets of Tancki Valley, scavenging to survive.

"We noticed someone was following us days before it happened," Hafa said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I ignored it. I thought we were just being paranoid. Then, one day, these men came after us. They… they tried to take all of us."

Azrael’s expression darkened. "So that's what happened."

Hafa clenched his fists, his voice shaking. "One of my friends… he… he sacrificed himself so I could escape. He held them off while I ran. I didn’t even look back."

Azrael’s heart sank. "You’ve been running ever since?"

Hafa nodded. "For a week. I’ve been wandering this forest with nothing to eat. I only found your carriage by chance. I… I didn’t know if you were good or bad, so I waited until nightfall to sneak some food."

Azrael placed a comforting hand on Hafa’s shoulder. "You don’t have to run anymore. We’ll figure this out, I promise."

Hafa stared at the fire, his eyes brimming with tears. For the first time in days, he allowed himself to feel a glimmer of hope.