"Where's Saphira?" Hunter asked the next day to the rest.
It was already the middle of the day but he haven't seen her come down yet.
When he knocked on her door, there was no one.
Not even the staffs that remained in the inn have seen her.
The rest shook their head.
He frowned, Saphira would never leave just like that without living a letter or telling someone to inform them just where she would go.
"Hunter..."
It was Drake, he had a serious look on his face.
"I think, you all got so used to things being the usual but you have forgotten something."
"What is it?"
"Maybe it is because we are doing fine as a group and that we found out the rest were simply not really kind to us. But we are their siblings, we can't possibly forget."
Drake may have hated her sister but Saphira tends to go off on her own and disappear for a while whenever she was devastated about something.
As her friend, he still worried about her.
As compared to a year ago, that changes in him was truly something different.
The whole place turned silent, Felix furrowed his brows as he looked at the other five turned pale.
"Oh no," Stormie reacted.
"What is going on?" he asked her.
Hunter cursed under his breath before going out of the inn, Drake watched him leave before he went up to his room.
"The elite squad, died on this day nine years ago," Stormie answered.
They have seriously forgotten about this day because of the events that had been going on.
Saphira was even laughing the night before as if nothing was wrong.
They turned silent but no one stood up to look for her, they knew Hunter will find her and that it is better for her to be with him alone than be with the rest of them.
After all, she was aware that despite accepting her, they still couldn't accept what Raynisha had done.
Maybe the rest weren't treating them kindly in reality but they are still the elite squad who should be fighting against darkness.
She had killed them together with Ardel.
Felix chose to keep quiet, Stormie had told him the story behind the elite squad.
*****
"How long have you been there?"
Saphira blinked but didn't turn her head to look at the person who spoke.
"Half a day? Or maybe more? I don't know, I wasn't counting."
She was facing the sky.
"You'll get sick again at this rate," he reprimanded.
"Much better, I can at least have a deep sleep," she answered.
He wanted to reprimand her but then she raised her hand as if wanting to touch the sky.
Water dripped down her arm as she did this.
The stillness of the water surrounding her was disturbed causing ripples and little waves to move around her.
"It will always be a nightmare, a terrifying one. Whether your alone or not. It will keep on hunting you until you overcome it. But how?"
Hunter walked towards the lake, it wasn't too deep but Saphira was in the middle of it, if he were to get there, the water would surely reach his chest.
It wasn't big either that he needed to shout to speak with her.
"Let me stay here, the quietness and solitude was calming me," she said noticing his movements.
He remained silent and walked over until he was beside her.
Her face was dripping wet as well, meaning she took a dive before simply floating around.
"You asked how," he finally spoke once he was closer.
She smiled but her eyes remained staring at the sky, she pulled back her hand and let it float beside her.
"Unless you stopped bottling it up and finally bring it out, will you be able to start overcoming it."
She sighed, "I know but even that is difficult."
"Then stop staying alone, you can find this solitude and quietness without being alone."
She finally looked at him, placed one hand on his shoulder as she stopped floating and her body submerged in the water.
If she were to stand it would reach her forehead, he could only support herself with Hunter.
She smiled at him before wrapping her arms around his shoulder, hugging him.
"I know. I know that as well. But my current state won't be something nice to see for all of you as well."
Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed, "Even so, I'd rather see you like this than suddenly realize that you have disappeared."
"It's unfair Hunter, it really is. It is also heavy, too heavy. Your trust I can't break it. You'll get hurt."
Just like the year before she slowly drifted to sleep.
"What is heavy then? What is it that you can't tell me?"
Knowing she had fallen unconscious, he slowly walked back to the land.
"What is it that the heads could know but we couldn't?" he asked her as he carried her princess style.
Her body was called, her lips have turned blue, even her nails.
The skin on her fingers have turned wrinkly, not simply wrinkly but it looks like it would easily be peeled off.
This shows that she had indeed stayed too long in the water.
He frowned remembering her last words.
What did she mean by saying that she didn't want to break his trust?
What trust was it?
Breaking your trust would indeed hurt someone but he can still hear more from her words.
He wanted to call out Vermilion Bird or even his father.
He wanted to ask them what the hell is really going on.
But he had said that he will wait, he will wait patiently until she could finally say things on her own.
"Oh my," Stormie gasped when he returned.
The others approached as well.
"She stayed too long in the water, she had fallen unconscious and might get sick. Can you change her clothes?"
He walked up to her room while Stormie and Willow followed.