"Then, we’re dead."
A heavy silence hung in the air as everyone stared at Lola. She had answered Scarlet’s question without a second of hesitation.
Even Scarlet looked a little surprised by Lola’s directness. Everyone — except Haji and Atlas — expected Lola to soften the blow, reassure them, or at least downplay the danger to raise morale.
"One misstep in these tunnels, you’re dead," Lola continued, emphasizing the map before them. "One wrong move, one wrong decision, one wrong timing — that’s all it takes. We cannot screw this up. If we do, we’re as good as dead."
It wasn’t a scare tactic. It was the truth.
Ravah was not a place ant for humans. It wasn’t even a place — it was hell on Earth.
There were other lawless lands, yes. But unlike those, where the leaders could still be reasoned with, Ravah would not negotiate. She knew. She had seen worse with Vito.
"New faces like us will easily draw attention," she warned. "Especially in places where the boss’s people used to frequent. But their trading centers are always open to newcors. So it’ll be safe to blend in there briefly."
The tunnels were simply a ans of moving through Ravah undetected. It didn’t an they would spend their ti searching underground. Those trapped soldiers would likely be hiding so place above.
"That’s it?" Scarlet muttered, her lips curving down. "We’re just going to die?"
Everyone turned to her again as she added, "No backup plans?"
"If you get caught, you fight back and retreat," Lola replied with a blink. "Isn’t that a backup plan?"
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"I am," Lola shrugged, feeling Atlas’s pettiness rubbing off on her. "This mission has no room for failure, Scarlet. If you screw up, then you’re screwed. Don’t drag everyone to the grave with you."
She straightened and continued, voice steady and rciless:
"If any of you make a mistake, accept that it’s your ti. Run, hide, crawl — do whatever you must. Just don’t do it near your comrades."
Her tone grew ice cold.
"Make your deaths aningful. Be the sacrifice for others’ survival."
The room darkened with grim acceptance. They had known this already, but hearing Lola lay it bare was unsettling. It didn’t feel good.
"So your best chance is to make every breath, every step, every movent count," she pressed on. "If not, it’ll cost your life... or soone else’s."
She tapped the table, shifting their focus.
"If that’s clear, let’s move on to the teams. Since the rescue squad will split into two, Haji will lead the first, and I will lead the second."
"You’re really going?" soone blurted and realized it was too late to swallow the words.
"Yes." Lola nodded, completely unfazed. "I have to."
She nodded at Allen, who began distributing printed manuals.
"These are the mission briefs Haji created with Allen’s help. It includes which team you belong to, the camps, and also pictures of those soldiers trapped in Ravah."
People casually flipped through the pages until their eyes widened.
Scarlet squinted, then slowly looked up.
"You’re coming?" she asked, eyes locked on Atlas.
Atlas blinked, then noticed everyone staring. Their disbelief was loud enough to feel, but his face remained unreadable.
"It says so," he replied simply. "So I am."
"Allen," Scarlet hissed, turning on him like a scolding mother. "You knew about this."
Allen pressed his lips into a thin line and shrugged helplessly. He knew they wouldn’t like it, especially Izu.
"With all due respect, Master..." Izu spoke up, nervous but firm. "Madam is already joining the mission. Having both of you go... would risk the entire Order."
"I’ll stay at the camp base," Atlas replied coolly. "Baby will be with . I’ll be safe."
"But—"
"The master will serve as reinforcent," Allen cut in. "As long as we secure the camp and avoid mistakes, we’ll all leave Ravah in one piece."
Scarlet scoffed. "This is ridiculous."
"I’ve already decided," Atlas countered.
"Then we’ll need more guards," Scarlet snapped. "If the rescue team dies, then so be it. But with more at stake, everything must be reconsidered."
"We don’t have ti," Lola interjected, smiling sweetly. "And more people is like asking to be noticed."
Scarlet glared daggers at her, convinced this was Lola’s fault. Everyone knew Atlas avoided dangerous zones like a plague. He wouldn’t even walk near crossfire because, in his words:
"It’s dangerous."
But now he was willingly going to Ravah — even if just to supervise?
"It’s my wife’s debut mission," Atlas said, as if announcing sothing to be proud of. "I need to be there to watch her shine."
Because truthfully, Atlas could wage a war against Ravah. He simply chose not to waste lives when the conflict wasn’t his problem. The Ravah crisis belonged to the Bellemonte. Atlas was only helping to repay a debt.
Haji’s brow twitched. "Shine?" he whispered. "Like a... dynamite?"
"I think it’s diamond..." Pika mumbled, shrinking instantly when Haji side-eyed him.
Scarlet scoffed at their whispering but ignored them, shooting Allen a frustrated look. He just sighed internally.
Did she think I didn’t try?
"Don’t worry," Lola chid. "Atlas will be safe. And if things go south, he’ll be out of the territory at the tip of a hat."
She flashed a wide smile and turned to her husband. "Right?"
Atlas’s lips pressed into a thin line. He was about to say no until Lola widened her eyes like a silent command.
"Yes."
"See!" Lola clapped. "If you have questions, ask now. Otherwise, get ready. We leave at dawn."
*****
Once the eting ended, Scarlet snatched up her things. Before leaving, she jabbed a finger into Allen’s chest.
"We’ll talk," she warned, then stord out.
Everyone else bowed and filed out quietly. Their displeasure over Atlas joining lingering in the air.
Lola watched them go with raised brows. She expected that reaction the mont Atlas’s na appeared on the mission list. But she could only ignore it because it was her fault.
It was part of his conditions for allowing her to join.
Just as the room emptied, Baby stepped in.
"Madam," he called, catching the attention of Atlas and Allen, who were still inside.
Baby approached Lola, bowing his head slightly before eting her eyes again.
"Madam... do you need another person on the mission?"
"Huh? Why?" Lola frowned. Atlas and Allen shared the sa confusion. Baby was already part of the mission as Atlas’s bodyguard. So, it couldn’t be that Baby was asking to be employed in the mission.
"If needed..." Baby continued seriously, "I would like to recomnd soone to join the team."
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