Chapter 31 - Takeoff

It is 2:00 a.m. After traveling several kilometers, the orphans are still walking in the tropical depths.

_ Maïko: “ How long have we been walking? I'm fed up, I'm tired. ”

_ Ayden: “ Let's take a five-minute break. ”

We sit down to recover our energy.

_ Son: “ I wonder how long we've been walking. ”

_ Ayden: “ I can't say for sure, but I'd guess about an hour. ”

_ Hazel: “ We shouldn't be far from the camp now. ”

_ Son: “ I hope you're right. ”

_ Jenna: " Hey... Do you think we made the right decision? "

Maïko leaps up from her seat, fists clenched.

_ Maïko: “ Of course we will! We're not just going to stand by and let them take our friends away. ”

A slight, sardonic smile appears on her face.

_ Son: “ Oh? I thought you were tired? ”

_ Maiko: “ Raah shut up. ”

_ Ayden: “ It's a hasty decision, I realize that. I can understand that it's upsetting. ”

_ Son: “ What are you talking about, man? We all agreed to leave unanimously. ”

_ Hazel: “ That's true. And besides, there's no turning back now. ”

_ Shailly: “ We'll face any obstacles that come our way. ”

Shailly's words give rise to a melody of rustling sounds under the silvery moonlight. A sincere smile appears.

_ Maïko: “ She seems to be feeling better. That's good. ”

Shailly stands up, her face expressionless.

_ Shailly: “ Well, shall we go back? ”

_ Maïko: “ What, already?? ”

_ Kona: “ The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be safe. ”

_ Maïko: “ Pfff. ”

One by one, they get up and resume their journey.

_ Ayden: “ They're right, there's no turning back now. We'll do everything we can to survive, and we'll fight to the end. ”

On the other side, Moana has just finished her battle without any real difficulty. She slowly straightens up and raises her hands to her forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat. Before her lies an impressive and grim scene. The bodies of the Recluses lie motionless, steam rising from their partially burned bodies.

Without a word, she walks toward her trusty steed. With a mechanical gesture, she mounts it and gallops away, leaving this macabre scene without looking back.

_ Moana: “ I've wasted too much time with these idiots. I need to hurry. ”

Meanwhile, we continue our journey in search of the camp. Little by little, the trail we have traveled fades behind us. Suddenly, a sign appears, indicating that we have entered the middle Zone.

_ Jenna: “ Look! We've finally arrived in the Midzone! ”

_ Son: “ Great! We must be close to the camp then. ”

_ Ayden: “ Did Tutor Ay indicate the exact location of the camp in relation to the sign? ”

Jenna carefully analyzes her scroll, then her cheeks lift.

_ Jenna: “ Yes! If we cross the small bend right here... we'll reach his camp in less than 10 minutes. ”

_ Ayden: “ Perfect. Let's not waste any time. ”

It is 2:30 a.m.

We finally arrive at the former camp of guardian Ay. A wooden barricade about 2 meters high looms in front of us, the entrance clear. A hidden excitement manifests itself in one of the orphans.

_ Jenna: “ So this is the entrance to his camp. ”

_ Kona: “ Look next to the entrance. ”

A small rectangular wooden board hangs half-nailed to the barricade, displaying engraved information.

_ Son: “ Ay's camp, no entry. ”

_ Maïko: “ Why did she write that? ”

_ Hazel: “ Probably to mark her territory. ”

_ Kona: “ Think of it as a warning. Those who enter must accept the consequences. ”

An orphan moves closer to the barricade.

_ Son: “ Still, I'm surprised their barricade has remained intact since she left with her tribe. ”

_ Kona: “ It just means that no one has come yet, or hasn't dared to enter the camp. ”

_ Ayden: “ That's a good sign. ”

We enter the camp, observing its layout. A relatively empty space greets us. There are just two wooden tables, a few fruit trees, and some mushrooms planted in the ground.

_ Ayden: “ Apart from the birds that have left their droppings, the wooden tables are in good condition. But that won't last if it rains. ”

I continue my walk through the camp, which covers an area of about 200 square meters.

_ Ayden: “ I don't see any suspicious signs around here. Even the fruit on the trees hasn't been picked yet. I really think we're alone. ”

Relaxed, he puts both hands behind his head. Then, a sly smile appears on his face as he looks at a certain person out of the corner of his eye.

_ Son: “ Perfect, Maïko will be able to rest, she's so tired. ”

_ Maïko: “ Do you want me to slap you? ”

Relieved to have finally arrived at their destination, a peaceful atmosphere descends in the night sky.

_ Ayden: “ They're calm now, which is good to see. In any case, starting tomorrow, we'll have to reinforce the entrance and improve our security. ”

Jenna moves a few feet away from the group to gaze at the full moon. Unconsciously, I follow her, and immediately, on the opposite side, a twinkling light coming from the sky catches my eye. Skeptically, I watch closely as this point becomes increasingly massive. I quickly realize that a dangerous situation is unfolding.

_ Ayden: “ JENNA, LOOK OUT!! ”

Before the sparkling dot strikes, I throw myself between Jenna and the danger.

_ All the orphans: “ AYDEN!! JENNA!! ”

The fear frozen in the eyes of the orphans combines with their incomprehension of this surprise attack.

_ Ayden: “ Are you okay?? ”

_ Jenna: “ Yes... Thank you… ”

_ Son: “ What was that?? ”

_ Person 1: “ That kid's pretty quick. ”

Our eyes turn toward this unfamiliar voice. Several meters away from us, hanging from a tree, a figure reveals itself. Then, two other individuals appear at the foot of another tree nearby.

_ Person 2: “ No, it's just you who's bad. ”

_ Person 3: “ Look at that, we have guests. And guests, I kill them. ”