By the ti Madison and Bella returned to the cave, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the entrance. They moved quickly, their minds still racing from what they had discovered in the wilderness, eager to show Ryder what they had found. But as they stepped deeper into the cave, a strange heaviness settled over them.
The air was thick, suffocating, like the remnants of a storm that had passed but left destruction in its wake. It wasn't just the dim lighting or the usual tension of survival—they could feel sothing wrong. The people around them moved sluggishly, their faces etched with unease. So were sitting in small groups, whispering amongst themselves, while others simply stood, staring at the ground, lost in thought.
Madison's brows furrowed as she scanned the faces of those they passed. "Hey," she called out to one of the n leaning against the cave wall. "What the hell happened here?"
The man glanced at her briefly, his lips parting as if to say sothing, but then he quickly looked away, shaking his head.
Bella narrowed her eyes. "Didn't you hear her?" she pressed. "What's going on?"
No answer.
Just more silence.
It was unnerving.
Exchanging a look, Madison and Bella picked up their pace, heading straight for Ryder. When they finally reached him, he stood with Jack, both of them discussing sothing in hushed tones. The second Ryder saw them, he exhaled heavily, like he had been expecting this mont.
Madison's eyes locked onto him. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"
Ryder hesitated, but he knew there was no point in hiding it. So he told them everything.
Everything.
By the ti he finished, Madison was fuming.
Her fists clenched at her sides, her entire body shaking with barely contained rage. "That bitch." The words left her lips like venom. "When the hell did Nate ever do anything to harm her?"
Ryder ran a hand over his face. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice heavy. "I don't understand any of it either."
Bella was standing beside Madison, but unlike her usual quiet deanor, her expression was one of pure disbelief. "Where's Nate now?" she demanded.
Ryder exhaled. "He's locked up."
For the first ti, even Bella was left speechless.
Her eyes widened slightly, then darkened with irritation. "No way," she said, her voice sharper than usual. "You're telling that everyone actually believed Claire's bullshit over Nate?"
Jack sighed and crossed his arms. "It's not about believing Claire," he said, his voice calm but firm. "It's about showing the people that nobody is above punishnt. If we let Nate walk free after what happened, after what they think he did, then we'd be sending a clear ssage that certain people can get away with things while others can't. That wouldn't be fair. Locking Nate up shows equality."
The second those words left Jack's mouth, Ryder saw sothing in Bella he had never seen before.
Pure, unfiltered anger.
Her face twisted, her eyes sharp and filled with a cold fury as she stepped closer, her voice like ice.
"Equality?" she repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief. "Where was equality when everyone was trapped underground and Nate went alone to save them?" She took another step forward, her eyes boring into Jack. "Where was equality when he was tortured for days protecting the sa people who are turning their backs on him now?"
Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Bella wasn't done.
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"He fought for you," she said, her voice rising. "He bled for you. He risked his life while the rest of you sat here in your safe little caves." Her hands clenched into fists. "And you really think he would kill one of his own because of a misunderstanding?"
The cave was silent.
But Bella had one last thing to say.
Her gaze swept over Ryder, Jack, and anyone else nearby. Then, with a sharp, cutting voice, she spat,
"Why the fuck would he force himself on Claire when he has a girl like Madison?"
And at that, silence fell like a hamr.
For a long, tense mont, nobody spoke.
Bella's words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
She was right.
When they looked at the situation again, when they put aside their emotions and thought about it logically—why would Nate even think about forcing himself on Claire?
He had Madison. He had Alice.
Two won who were not only far more beautiful than Claire but stronger, smarter, and more capable. Claire wasn't even close to their level. She could only dream of standing beside them. And if she were being honest with herself, she knew it.
It was like a crack appeared in the foundation of the lie she had built.
Doubt spread across the faces of the people around them. The ones who had been so quick to condemn Nate suddenly found themselves unable to et each other's eyes. The truth was obvious now, sitting in front of them the whole ti.
Ryder rubbed his temples, exhaling heavily. He looked at Madison and Bella, already knowing what was coming.
"Where is he?" Madison asked, her voice cold.
Ryder tensed. "Don't do anything stupid," he warned.
Madison snorted. "I didn't ask for your advice," she shot back. "I asked you where the hell he is."
Before Ryder could answer, a deep chuckle echoed from the shadows behind them.
All heads turned.
Ray stepped forward, his potbelly swaying slightly as he moved, his usual playful smirk in place. "Relax, Ryder," he said casually. "They won't do anything stupid."
Ryder frowned. "Ray—"
Ray waved a hand, cutting him off. "It's fine." His gaze landed on Madison. "He's being held in the lower cavern, near the old water storage room."
The second the words left his mouth, Madison vanished.
Gone.
She didn't even wait for further explanation. One blink—and she had already teleported away.
As Madison vanished, a heavy silence settled over the group.
Ray exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly before turning to Bella. "Now," he said, his tone casual but laced with curiosity, "why don't you tell us what you two found out there?"
Bella crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "We ran into sothing," she said simply, before turning and dragging the creature into the light.
Gasps erupted from the people nearby as they caught sight of it. The Stalker was still bound, its strange, shifting body twitching weakly against the restraints. Its unnatural form looked even more grotesque under the dim cave lighting, its elongated limbs twitching, its sharp claws flexing as if still trying to fight despite its injuries.
Jack took an instinctive step back. "What the hell…?"
Ryder narrowed his eyes. "Is it dead?"
Bella shook her head. "No, but it's weak," she replied, nudging the creature with her foot. It let out a low, eerie hiss but made no real attempt to move. "We caught this thing outside."
Ray's expression darkened. "When you were hunting?"
Bella nodded. "Yeah, and this one—" she gestured toward the creature at her feet "—had a sigil that looked just like Zoro's."
A ripple of unease spread through the group. Ryder's jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists.
"So they're connected to Zoro?" Jack asked.
Bella glanced at him. "Looks like it."
Ray scratched his chin. "That ans these things aren't just random monsters. If they're tied to Zoro, then they were probably watching us—maybe even waiting for the right ti to strike."
Ryder ran a hand through his hair, processing the new information. "Great," he muttered under his breath. "As if we didn't already have enough problems."
Ray crouched beside the Stalker, studying its bound form closely. "We need to figure out what it knows."
Bella smirked. "Good luck with that."
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