Chapter 3: Crossroads. Part 2

The glow reflected off the white blankets of the shelters. In their shadows, the wounded were being prepared for the return trip to the capital. They lined up near the bus.

There was no more time to waste. Some of them were getting worse, as their moans made clear.

"My leg, my leg..."

Only a few minutes separated them from the start of the returning journey.

Between them, Alon checked Brawell's wounds. He carefully changed the reddish bandages on his limbs. Fortunately for him, they were mere superficial cuts.

"Ouch!"

"Bram. Don't move. You'll be in a hospital soon. They'll anesthetize you if necessary."

"I doubt it will be."

"...At least it's good to see you're better."

"..."

Not far away, Haeri approached Ketsy and Eldan, watching Gitta treating these wounded men on sheets on the grass as best he could.

"Haeri, do you need me to check you too?"

"I told you I'm fine... Be careful with her neck; it looked like she hurt it. It's best not to move her too much."

"Yes..."

The boy moved on to his last patient. With a doubtful expression, he decided to make a proposal to Haeri while he treated him.

"We should stay with her."

"With her? What do you mean?"

"With the girl."

"What are you talking about? We have to take them to a hospital."

"We will, Haeri, but we shouldn't follow them..."

"Why?"

Gitta paused for a moment, and then continued his task, replying in a more subtle tone.

"...It just seems like they know what they're doing. If they're telling the truth, it's safer to be on their side."

"What are you...? Look at my uncle, he can't move a finger!" Tch… I can't believe what I'm hearing… Gitta, do you want us to just abandon them in a place that even God doesn't know about?

"Come on, Haeri…"

"Haeri… Listen…" The conversation woke the gray-haired man. Exhausted, he stretched out his hand as if summoned and continued. "Go with them. It's dangerous for them to accompany us to a crowded place like any city, although we wounded have no choice."

Seeing that his guardian had woken up, Alon approached the group.

He didn't know the reason for his proposal, but he agreed to go along with it now and listen to reason later, unlike Haeri.

"For that very reason we must go with you—"

"No! That's precisely why you won't," Eldan exclaimed. "You are all my responsibility; I won't expose you to unnecessary risks. We just got very lucky this time."

"Don't worry, Haeri," Alon intervened. "If it makes you feel better, I'll accompany them." It's not like I escaped the accident unscathed, but as you can see, I don't feel that bad either. Everything will be fine. Besides, your cell phone is working, right? When we get the signal back, we'll be in contact using Bram's.

The strangers stared at the young woman, waiting for her response. She looked at each of them, concluding with Ketsy that she was still asleep. Their reasons finally convinced her.

"Okay, okay! It's absurd, but if that's what you want, I'll agree," Haeri stated, massaging her forehead.

It seemed that the course of action had been decided.

"I knew the day would come when you'd listen to me... Now, could you help me get to that bus? My legs..." Eldan said with a weak smile, as Gitta helped him up. "Gitta, stay with her at all times."

"…"

-[Ø]-

As midday approached, the heat caused the metal coverings of the cabin to expand, making tiny crackling sounds. The interior, the back of the cabin, and the bus proved to be the only places to shelter from the scorching heat of the sun. And in the second, the beautiful young blonde spent her time gathering each of the numerous sleeping bags on the ground to roll them up with ropes, ready to be packed later for the return trip.

Her companion, the green-eyed boy, struggled between a reserved silver minibus and the corner of the settlement, carrying bottles of water in both hands.

"Xiomara, please have some. It would be a serious problem if you fainted from dehydration."

"Thank you, but... I'm fine," the girl declined, tucking a bag under each arm.

"I'll give you a hand, if you'd let me."

"It's no problem, really..."

Miruno walked toward the student and exchanged the bottle for the bags. She took it delicately in her hands in silence.

Without taking a sip, a sad expression appeared on her face.

"Um..."

"Have you decided?" the young man asked, continuing to squat.

"About that... You don't have to do this for me..."

"It would be wrong to say I'm the strongest at carrying objects, but it would also be wrong to lie that I'm incapable of such a basic task."

"I didn't mean that…" Xiomara took a couple of steps closer to him and gripped the bottle more tightly. "I really appreciate what you've done for me, but I don't want to force you to come with me..."

"It won't be like that. I desperately want to come with you. We're more than friends, aren't we?"

"Miruno..."

"Hm?"

"Our routes will be different when we return, and... I know you want to check on Cadie near the capital... I understand."

Miruno paused, looking at the piled-up sacks.

"You know well I don't lie, and this time will be no exception. I do want to be with her... I want to make sure she's okay. I want to see her radiant, blinding smile once more. That would comfort me enough to leave this world without regrets."

The boy was known for his strange, poetic way of expressing himself. Under normal circumstances, it only caused a certain amount of unease or even embarrassment, but at that moment, the innocent student felt distressed upon hearing it; it only worsened her condition.

"Then..."

"However," he interrupted before finishing, standing up and slowly approaching her, "That's also directed at you, Xiomara."

"(If it weren't for what she told you...)," she thought. But he could understand perfectly.

"…The fact that our paths crossed at the orphanage or because of our promise doesn't change my appreciation for you." The boy stared at her as he placed a hand on her right shoulder “...If you will offer your trust to Izzy, without a doubt... I will do the same.”

-[Ø]-

Inside the small cabin, Nisha was rearranging the rustic furniture previously moved to house the sleeping bags. These had already been collected.

All that remained was to sweep and clean the place; that was Izzy's job, a task she let pass. There was no urgency for them. They wouldn't be the ones transporting the wounded after all.

Instead, she spent her time sitting cross-legged on a chair next to the only table, resting an elbow on it and a hand against her cheek.

Silently thoughtful, she contemplated the natural landscape of birds and livestock through the window, covered in fine gray dust at its corners. Acracia has always been a province renowned for its abundant vegetation and wild animals, free to roam in miles of forests and green fields.

"Well, we're done packing both buses," Garwin announced, coming through the door, "Of course, it wasn't a problem for football players."

"...I didn't know we had another bus."

Sein followed close behind.

"It's a minibus, less spacious, but it'll do. Did you think we could all fit in one? It was behind ours the whole way. Sein, you must have fallen asleep."

"Uh... he he..."

"Thanks, Garwin, Sein," Nisha said. "I'll be done with this soon, too."

"What about Izzy? Avoiding her responsibilities again?" the robust young man questioned.

"Uhm... Izzy, is something wrong?" Sein asked, walking toward her.

The young woman turned to look at him, yawned softly, and went back to appreciating the scenery.

"...It's nothing, Sein."

Garwin took a seat and, turning it upside down, rested on it for a while.

"Hm... Right. What will we do from now on, Izzy? Of course, assuming we're not mistaken."

"Sorry, guys... I'll take full responsibility if anything happens to any of us," the black-eyed student clarified.

"Don't worry about it, Nisha. If this turns out to be a lie, we'll just be branded as weird and paranoid. It's not like this is the first time, he he."

"Could we have exaggerated a little...?" Sein chimed in.

Garwin settled back in his chair and answered.

"It's better to expect the worst. If nothing happens, we look like idiots. Better than something to happen that takes you by surprise. Besides, we just witnessed a plane crash right under our noses. It's not like there's any way to take this lightly."

"I just hope I'm wrong about all of this," Nisha added.

"And if you're not, we'll take advantage of it," Izzy said, still maintaining her seriousness.

"Izzy, are you really going to do this...?" Sein asked with some trepidation.

“Yes.”

A plain answer.

The three men shuddered upon hearing the curt reply. They didn't know if it was due to nerves over such a decision or the overwhelming heat of the mountains. Either way, not having noticed the slightest trace of doubt in those words convinced them they were serious.

“Heh, I can't believe we're going to do this... “ Garwin stammered, somewhat uneasy. “Iz, it's true that this has been a topic of discussion between us for years, and I must admit that among those jokes were some of our realities... But about this... My friends, to be honest, I don't know what to say... And you know I don't usually hesitate.

“Things are very bad bu-but..." Sein looked at his two companions, then silently shifted his gaze to the young woman. "It's... It's a step too big for us, d-don't you think?"

"I'll ask you something," the girl said, staring at her classmates. "Do you know the reason why not everyone participates in a good cause?”

A strange question that came from nowhere, common from her.

“Each person's reality," the young woman commented as she placed her hand against the cloudy window, gathering the dust between her fingers. "The tangible defines our interest, what matters to us. If it can't be seen, if it can't be touched... it doesn't concern us, it doesn't happen, it doesn't exist."

She let the particles drift into the air, watching them disperse until they disappeared.

"It's a good metaphor about our circumstances." Garwin said.

"But the current situation is different. The inhabitants of the eight provinces, our acquaintances, our families, our friends, you and I... This world no longer allows us to escape its own reality. These days, no one can afford that luxury again, and for that very reason, it's the right time to correct the results of our intentional ignorance."

Without changing her expression, the light-eyed woman looked at the silent Nisha. She hoped to hear his opinion on the matter.

He looked down at the ground, thinking.

"As Garwin said. This... has never been done before, at least not the way we're thinking of doing it... Besides, we have very little chance of... And there are too many factors to consider, both now and later... It's too complex..."

"Nisha... what are you afraid of?"

It wasn't a mockery. She wanted to know the reason for his reasoning.

The black-eyed boy gulped, raised his trembling gaze, and focused on her to answer.

"...You'll always have our support, Izzy. We understand how you feel about all of this..."

“I know very well the risks...

It was contradictory. They would change course to avoid risks, and at the same time, they would take different risks. So then, their decision to diverge wasn't about that, but about the benefits they would gain from one or the other.

“I believe we can't continue living this way, that we must make a change. I have faith in that belief... Do you?”

“...”

“Impressive... Somehow this reminds me of the old days, uh...” Garwin replied smiling. He raised his hand in front of him, four fingers apart from the thumb. Remembering the past has always been a way to comfort people “'Like the last quarter.'”

Nisha, who had been restless, felt reassured seeing him perform such a gesture. A kind of ritual characterized by more than one meaning, and marked in the past of each of them.

“You're right... “The brown-haired boy sighed, and immediately imitated “Like the last quarter...”

Izzy continued without hesitating for a moment. Sein, still hesitant, gathered the confidence to follow them.

“If there's no opposition, it's decided...” exclaimed the light-eyed lady, standing next to that small, dusty window. She shifted her gaze to the young people, troubled by anxiety, to the answer they knew would be revealed.

"We are going to take control of this nation."

-[Ø]-

The moment had finally arrived. The moment when their paths would dissipate.

The wounded were inside the bus, their luggage in its place.

Finally, Chase, Brawell, and Alon stood out in the group determined to head toward the capital, along with several other students and those injured in the recent accident. Meanwhile, Nisha, Garwin, Izzy, Sein, Xiomara, Miruno, Haeri, Gitta, and a new boy were among the believers who would follow a different destiny.

This unknown boy was named Doger Biast, and although he was already known as a classmate and friend of theirs, the reason why he decided to stay was unknown.

"Doger, isn't Earlene joining us?" Xiomara, the young blonde, asked him.

The boy ruffled his messy hair, unwilling to answer.

"She made a decision. Good for her..."

"...?"

On the grass, Haeri took a few steps closer to his comrades, with Gitta at his back.

"Let's be clear, this isn't goodbye. We'll see each other again, guys." The dark-eyed girl extended her open hand. She seemed to still be unhappy with the decision.

Alon approached her in the same way, and they shook hands firmly.

"Both of you, take care of yourselves. After all, this is unfamiliar territory for us."

Brawell, at his side, nodded at his friend's statement.

On the other hand, coming from the wooden cabin, the light-eyed woman approached with her hands in her pockets. Chase was waiting for her with his arms crossed and a malicious smile.

"Izzy, don't make that face. Do you expect me to call that a 'smile'? At least make an effort."

"I never intended that." The young woman sighed and, ignoring the mockery, raised her head. "We've talked it over, Chase. You already know our objective."

"Yeah... And by any chance, didn't you also notice my expression and Jevo's when you did it? We're still not over the joke."

"...If the situation gets complicated, you can contact us. Nisha managed to get Xiomara's cell phone turning on again. The signal should be back by then."

"Tsk, as if I needed your help with anything," the young man added, turning his back on her and readjusting his baseball cap, about to board the bus with the others. "Don't overestimate yourself. You're just one of us."

"What else can I do..." she mused, closing her eyes, just as the bus doors in front of her did.

The engine started, and their destination was in sight; The nation's capital city, Matria.

But that wasn't the goal of her own group. Where Izzy was headed was a more humble place: the village Los Canes.

Amidst the wind, smoke, and dust left by the bus, Miruno approached, covering his mouth.

"Shall we visit the homes first?" He questioned, unloading a bag from his back onto the ground, which indicated he was ready to board the minibus that would take them away from the mountains.

"Family comes first." she replied.

After a silence, they both watched the bus heading toward the capital in the distance.

"Izzy Rylee... I will act on the assumption that you know what you're doing, and I shall place my trust in you along with that of the others. Remember that, always."

"...I appreciate it."