Chapter 86 - Division (4)

At the same time, the three young girls, somewhat distanced from the rest of the group, are unsurprisingly tense. Kaya, draped in a stoic stillness, stands tall, her face cold. Beside them, Maïko paced the floor tirelessly, her nervousness manifesting in incessant pacing. Further away, a devastated Kona sat huddled alone on a tree trunk, her hair veiling her face. Suddenly, a sound broke the silence.

_ Maïko: " This is all Ayden’s fault. Shailly is way too influenced by him, and I’m fed up! “

Seeing neither of the twins react, his teeth clench.

_ Maïko: “ Fuck, because of him I'm stuck in this group, it's impossible to talk to them! “

Insisting on some form of communication, the young girl in curlers approaches Kona.

_ Maïko: “ We can't let him keep doing this forever. Someone else needs to start making decisions for him; things could take a turn for the worse, don't you agree?? “

_ Kaya : “ Let her be. ”

_ Maïko : “ Stay out of this. Why are you even talking to me? “

_ Kaya : “ You’re making a scene for nothing. Can’t you see now is not the time? ”

A growing irritation emerges; fingers tighten before gradually clenching into fists. Then, with furrowed brows, a brisk approach is made toward the other twin.

_ Maïko: “ Is it in your nature to be a pest? ”

_ Kaya: “ I prefer being a pest to having a low IQ. ”

The distance between them shrinks relentlessly, drawing them closer until they nearly touch. An electric gaze ignites between their eyes.

_ Maïko: " You wanna go? "

_ Kaya: " Step up. I'm ready. "

A dull thud from a bag broke the girls' conversation, drawing their attention toward it.

_ Kona: “ For God's sake, shut up. “

Their heads whip around, and the twin’s words strike Kaya and Maïko with a mix of surprise and an unexpected chill. Kona, usually so tender and caring, reveals a vulgarity and a freezing expression they had never seen before.

In the heart of the tension, Hazel emerges, breath held, discovering the hostile scene, the explosion narrowly escaped. After several seconds of silence, sensing that any poorly chosen word could lead to a delicate situation, he gets straight to the point.

_ Hazel: " I just want to grab the care kit, then I’ll leave you alone. “

Not ignoring the marks appearing in their field of vision, the two young girls stepped out of their classmate’s way, each hoping secretly that no altercation would occur between him and the twin.

Then comes the walk toward the bag, already placed on the ground but still pressed against its twin, forcing him to speak. But even before he could utter a word, Kona picked up the bag and handed it to him, his face remaining impassive. Moments later, however, his features betrayed a look of shock that he was unable to conceal.

_ Hazel : “ Thank you. “

_ Kona : “ … “

Not pushing for a dialogue and understanding the stakes, the young man grabbed the bag and returned to his position to tend to his wounds. Watching from afar, we feel a sense of relief seeing that, although it was a close call, no incidents occurred. This relief gradually fades with the arrival of the Recluse, who is visibly impatient.

_ Edna: “ Still not done? I’m not spending the rest of my life with you guys. “

Everyone is on their guard; brows furrow mechanically.

_ Ayden : “ He’s almost done; we’re leaving after that. ”

_ Edna : “ Tsss, hurry up. ” she said, already turning toward the horizon.

Once the treatments were finished, everyone got ready and set off again in the same formation as before the break, with Shailly back on my shoulders. In this palpable atmosphere, without a single word spoken, a sense of curiosity begins to take root within me.

_ Ayden: " Back in the cave, you said you didn't give a damn if we kicked the bucket, so why didn't you just kick us out right then? You could've easily made your escape that way. "

_ Edna: " Huh? What kind of rubbish are you spouting now? " she said, with a slight turn of her head.

_ Ayden: " Give me an answer. I'm curious. "

Looking straight ahead once more, a sigh escapes her.

_ Edna: “ Because that's not my principle. I'm not a bitch, I don't use cowardly tactics like that. "

Her response, as blunt as it was sincere, does not leave me indifferent.

_ Ayden: “ So, even enemies can have principles. "

_ Maïko: “ Hold on! We're not alone. “

In the distance, the view opens up. Two figures standing near a pond come into focus; one is seated, presumably fishing. Whispering, we agree to move closer without raising any suspicion, so that we can identify the individuals.

Halfway there, we spot two adults, a man fishing and a woman watching him, neither of whom is wearing a visible armband. Suddenly, however, Edna comes to a dead stop.

_ Edna: “ I don’t believe it… They’re part of the Khalos camp. ”

Everyone, myself included, is taken aback by these remarks. Indeed, upon closer inspection, we can see some kind of patterns on the faces of these Recluses.

_ Ayden: " Are you sure about that?? "

_ Edna: " Have you never seen zodiac signs or what? Those are tattoos representing Scorpio and Aquarius. "

But meanwhile, without us realizing it, one of the individuals has just spotted us, despite our presence having been stealthy until now.

_ Individual 1: " Oh, look, look! Some kids. "

_ Individual 2: " … "

Then, their pupils gradually dilate.

_ Individual 1: “ Hey... their irises are clear-sighted! ”

Two steps forward on her part are enough to compel us to caution. Finally, she raises her voice so that she can be heard.

_ Individual 1: “ Do you know Gwen? “