Chapter 52 - Illusion

A frown appears.

_ Ay: " That is one of the reasons I hate this Forest. Waste is omnipresent. "

_ Recluse 4: " Huh? Who are you calling trash, you dirty b*tch? "

An aggressive glare takes hold powerfully. Wanting to finish it quickly, the doctor gets off the horse, preparing for combat. But suddenly.

_ Gwen: “ Excuse me, have you seen any kids and a young woman with an armband around here? “

The words, once spoken, freeze time. Motionless, the faces reflect astonishment, the doctor included.

_ Ay: " What is she doing to us now?? "

And then, in a collective burst of laughter, reality reasserts itself.

_ Recluse 1: " Is this girl crazy or what? "

_ Recluse 2: " khakhakha, I don't think she has grasped the situation. "

A Recluse, armed with a whip, stands before her.

_ Recluse 4: " If you want an answer... Then just let it happen!! "

_ Ay: " Gwen?? "

Immediately afterwards, the armed bandit drops stone-cold unconscious. Overwhelmed, they all exchange glances.

_ Recluse 3: " What just happened there?? "

_ Recluse 5: " I don't know, but she's not going to get away with it like that! "

In a frenzied rush, each one brandished their weapon, screaming their bloodlust, and charged toward the guardian, who remained motionless. But a few paces away from her, fate turned. The Recluses collapsed one after the other.

_ Recluse 2: " I can't... I can't breathe anymore… " he said, clutching his throat tightly with both hands.

_ Recluse 6: " I can see... I can't see anything anymore!! "

_ Recluse 3: " Ahhhh get this snake off my arm!! "

_ Recluse 1: " So, you're the one who killed my daughter that day? "

Without batting an eye, the Recluse pierced one of his own with a sharp blade, then, in a whirlwind of blood and terror, cut down his companions, before turning the fatal weapon against himself. In this sudden surge, as surprising as it was incomprehensible, the doctor was left speechless.

_ Ay: " What was all that?? I didn't understand anything! "

In complete tranquility, a half-turn was executed, seizing the reins of her steed, ready to leave.

_ Gwen: " What are you waiting for? Let's go. "

Without delay, the questions started pouring in.

_ Ay: " Hey, explain to me what just happened! You're continuing on the road as if nothing happened. I'm completely lost here! "

_ Gwen: " That was my Source. "

A short breath and a grinding of teeth testify to his growing annoyance.

_ Ay: " I can well imagine! Elaborate! "

_ Gwen: " My Source is the cosmic Illusion. "

_ Ay: " The cosmic... Illusion? "

_ Gwen: " It's difficult to explain, but to make a long story short, I put targets within my field of vision into a 'sleep state,' and they then perceive hallucinations based on the current environment. "

Firmly holding Gwen so she wouldn't fall from the horse, the doctor removed one of her hands to place it under her chin.

_ Ay: " Hmm, I'm having trouble visualizing the concept. “

_ Gwen: " If it helps, it's as if the target is lucid dreaming and fighting their worst nightmares. "

_ Ay: " Oh! I understand better now. That explains their reaction. "

Then, a flash of lightning illuminates her thoughts, projecting her into a new reality.

_ Ay: “ But then you are… ”

_ Gwen: “ Yes. I am of Hypnosis Class, Type N. ”

_ Ay: “ Impossible!? This combination has a 5% probability! It’s the only combination we have no information about in our time! ”

The questions, spurred on by an insatiable thirst for answers, follow one another at a relentless pace.

_ Ay: " How did you get this combination?? Is it hereditary?? "

_ Gwen: " No. No one in my family was of the Hypnosis Class. "

_ Ay: " So it's simply luck?? "

_ Gwen: " Possible. "

_ Ay: " That's just crazy. Since the beginning, this girl has been able to manipulate any opponent without lifting a finger, simply with her eyes. "

Then, a memory resurfaced.

_ Ay: " So, at our first meeting, she could have shot me down at any moment. I understand why she was so calm. "

A light chuckle could be heard.

_ Ay: " You truly will never stop surprising me. "

_ Gwen: " ? "

_ Ay: " Never mind. Let's hurry up and find everyone. "

_ Gwen: " Yes. "

Always the frantic, lost race in their thoughts, time stretches out, mercilessly. The riders, helpless, despair over the mystery of this inexplicable disappearance. The total lack of any trace of the orphans plunges them into increasing anxiety.

_ Gwen: " I don't understand. We've just scoured the entire Zone, and still not the slightest trace of the children. "

_ Ay: " Even after asking people questions throughout our journey, it's impossible to find Moana either. "

_ Gwen: " We've been searching all day without success. I'm starting to not know what to do anymore. "

The sky, adorned with the warm colors of dusk, is reflected in the tranquil waters of the lake. The tension, palpable in the air, mirrors the young girls frozen on the shores of the lake, standing with the horse, their eyes half-closed, seemingly sharing their anxiety. Suddenly, a crucial piece of information bursts forth.

_ Ay: " Now that I think about it... Jenna came to see me the other day. And she told me about a potential visit to my old camp. "

_ Gwen: " What do you mean? "

_ Ay: " She didn't give me any more details, but I lent her my map. "

_ Gwen: " Do you think the group moved to the Median Zone? "

_ Ay: " It's not impossible, although it remains unlikely. They have no means of transportation, and besides, leaving in the middle of the night… "

Eyes widen.

_ Ay: " No, wait! What if everything was connected?? "

_ Gwen: " Explain. "

_ Ay: " I was reflecting that it's impossible to move around in the middle of the night. Except that the period of the full moon ended the same night as their disappearance. "

Gwen's eyes, despite her normally impassive nature, widened considerably.

_ Ay : " I still don't know why they would end up in another Zone, but with these listed elements, the probabilities are increasing! "

With her pupils fixed on the sky, Gwen clenches her fist, powerless against the gloom that is progressively settling in. An overwhelming need for rest forces them to take a break. The waiting burns them, but a ray of hope shines in their eyes. The next morning, the young women, consumed by impatience, prepared to resume their quest, carrying with them the fragile hope of seeing the orphans again.