The rain had stopped, and the major Parisian drama of the day had left with it. Even though the sky had cleared, the sun was already fleeing behind the mountains.
Inside the cave, the trio sat together, trying to find a way out of their current situation.
Now that the rain had stopped, if there was still a sound that could rival thunder, it was their stomachs, growling with hunger.
Even Maggie, who usually showed a bit of restraint when it ca to hiding her hunger, was surprisingly more enthusiastic than everyone else this ti.
Which was odd, since it was usually Élisa who was the food lover of the group.
"Who would’ve thought?" Dylan mused, his calm gaze resting on Maggie.
She was usually the most rigid, the brainy type of officer, strict with her soldiers and even stricter with herself. But she seed so hungry now, she was eager to skip the talking altogether.
And Dylan couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes practically betrayed a primal urge to jump on the raw at.
"Is that part of stage two of the Awakening?" he muttered to himself.
His eyes studied his commander like she was so sort of bizarre creature. She sat cross-legged, her gaze distant, an odd vitality frozen on her face.
"We should search the area. I can’t believe we can’t find any dry wood to light this fire," Maggie said, standing up in a single, swift motion.
Élisa nodded silently, still rubbing her belly like she hoped the universe would bless her with a culinary miracle. Dylan sighed as he stretched. His legs were aching from crouching too long, and the hunger wasn’t helping his usual patience.
"Didn’t you say two hours ago we should stick together?" he called after Maggie, half annoyed, half teasing.
"I said that before starving to death, soldier. Protocols have their limits."
She grabbed her belt knife, eyes already locked on the cave entrance. Cold air still seeped in, but at least the rain had stopped. The ground was muddy, treacherous, but this was their best shot at not ending up as frozen statues of starving soldiers.
"You sure you won’t try to eat a live orc if you bump into one?" Élisa teased.
Maggie didn’t answer. She just clenched her jaw, clearly swallowing a reply that was probably too honest to be diplomatic.
Dylan stood up too. "Well... we all go. We don’t stray too far, we keep it quick. If we find nothing, we co back empty-handed, but at least we’ll have tried."
His eyes lingered on Maggie one last ti. There was sothing in her aura. A tension... not just physical.
It felt like her body was holding back a wave of energy too strong to be contained.
He let her take the lead and gave a mock bow, full of sarcasm.
"After you, ladies..."
They left the cave, greeted by the dark atmosphere of the forest. Even after the rain, a light mist still clung to the trees, like a sheet spread over the world.
Everything felt frozen in place. The timid songs of birds in the woods added a touch of life... or at least, the illusion of normalcy. It was comforting. Halfway.
Dylan took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a mont, savoring the damp scent of the earth, the green aroma of washed leaves, and that fresh wind that brushed his face — a gentle touch, almost tender, like the forest itself was apologizing for their misery.
Then he reopened his eyes and resud walking. His bare feet sank into the mud, the disgusting feeling of sticky clay squishing between his toes. He winced.
Never again, he thought, vowing to buy himself a pair of boots the second he got paid.
As they pushed deeper between the rain-soaked trunks, a tree caught their attention. Tall. Not as gigantic as the one towering above their cave, but still imposing. What stood out were its roots: they jutted out of the ground like the earth had vomited them up. The tree seed tilted, as if pushed by so ancient force.
Around it, several trees had been broken, like sothing massive had bulldozed through the area long ago. But that wasn’t what interested the trio.
No. It was what was under the roots.
Pieces of branches. Broken, but intact. Sheltered from the rain. Dried naturally by so miracle. Perfect firewood.
Dylan was about to speak, to point out the treasure to Maggie, when suddenly — she dashed.
A re blur. She launched herself, without warning, and crossed the few ters separating her from the tree in the blink of an eye.
Dylan froze. The hair on his arms stood up.
What the...?
He hadn’t seen her legs move. She had just... slipped through space, like the world had snapped her to that spot.
That wasn’t humanly possible.
Dylan suddenly found himself regretting not taking the gem.
Even Élisa turned to look at him, not because she was surprised — no, she’d seen it coming — but to throw him a mocking look.
"See, that’s why I wanted you to kill that young orc," she said with a smug smile Dylan didn’t appreciate at all.
He rolled his eyes, letting out a dry laugh, halfway between annoyance and resignation.
"And here I thought we were on the sa team. You actually want dead."
Élisa shrugged, feigning innocence. "It’s not that. I just... if I had to sponsor soone in the group, I’d back the one who’s less hostile toward ."
"Lovely. You’ve got a heart of gold."
She winked, then strolled casually toward the roots, where Maggie was already crouched down, piling the dry branches like she was assembling explosives.
Dylan, anwhile, kept a safe distance.
He watched her work, that unease still gnawing at him. It wasn’t just speed. What he’d witnessed... it felt like ti itself had bent around her. Like the world had helped her move.
A real monster, he thought to himself before finally stepping forward to join them.
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