"I don't feel comfortable with you seeing Zero," Chetan says.
"He has the answers I'm looking for."
"Zare, you have already been through enough," Chetan argues.
"Zare could help us with knowledge," Ajay says.
Chetan rolls his eyes. "At what expense?"
"Chetan, I need to do this."
"Fine damn it," he says, throwing his hands in the air.
"I'll take her to his river," says Ash.
"No I will," says Chetan, getting up from the log.
He is at my side, he looks very unhappy. We walk towards the woods. I grab his hand. He stops walking.
"Why don't you want to know?"
"Know what?" He asks.
"What Zero sees, he watches everything."
"I just don't want you under any more stress," he tells me.
I smile. "I will be fine."
We walk slower than normal. I listen to all the sounds. Splashing in the water, crunching leaves, and feet racing up the trees. The forest is very active these days. I feel very excited to see Zero, but also very anxious. What does he know?
Finally reached Zero's River. I hear him slashing up to the water's surface. He looks happy to see us. Maybe that's a good thing.
"Zare, we have a lot to discuss," he tells me.
I nod. Stepping into the river.
"Chetan, you must stay," Zero says.
"Why?" He asks.
"I need you to keep looking out," Zero answers.
"Okay," Chetan says, with his arms crossed.
That's the last thing I hear before I'm underwater. I soon see the familiar scene of Zero's cave.
"Is it bad?" I ask.
He nods. Touching his crystal ball, he shows me creatures. Their bodies were completely green and had big long noses and warts all over their face. There is a clan of them. Three witches.
"Witches?"
"They are going to take over the forest, their magic is too powerful," Zero explains.
"What can we do?"
Zero looks down, he appears to be crying.
"A great sacrifice is needed to take place," he tells me.
"What sacrifice?"
"They want the heart of the person who's loved most," he tells me.
"Well, who's that?"
"You," Zero remarks.
"How? I am not loved most."
"It's no secret that Ajay still loves you, Chetan loves you, Dev thinks of you as a little sister, and Ash loves you," he explains.
"Yeah, but those are just my friends."
"I love you and you mainly discovered the other creatures of the forest, they respect you," he states.
"Oh, then I will make the sacrifice."
"That's a big thing to do", he responds.
"What happens if I don't?"
"They are going to destroy all the creatures," he tells me.
"That I have no choice." I finally learned how I'm going to die. But saving my friends seems like a fair way to go.
Zero turns and rummages to his cabinet. He throws bottles of colorful potions all about. He hands me a red-colored bottle.
"Before you rip your heart out, drink this potion. This will turn you into a restless spirit, a ghost. I'm not sure if it's going to work, and if anyone is able to see you, but maybe you can at least watch over your friends," he explains.
My hand shakes as I take the bottle. "Do you have any idea how long I have?"
"I believe they're coming in two weeks or so. They are scheming and planning, but this is as far as I know," he says.
I take a deep breath. "Thanks, Zero."
"I wish you the best, my best friend," Zero says as I turn to leave the cave.
I hid the potion in my pocket. There's a big part of the story that I'm going to leave out when I am explaining to the pack. They would never let me sacrifice myself, and this is something my mind's made up that I'm doing.
Chetan looks relieved when he sees me rise from the water's surface. I need to put on my very best acting skills. Everything is fine.
"Is everything okay?" He asks.
"Yup, I got some valuable information." I smile.
"Good or bad." He asks. Definitely bad.
"Just informational."
We quietly walk back towards the camp. My mind is racing and spinning in a million different directions. I obviously don't want to die, but what choice do I have? This red Potion may or may not work.
"You're awfully quiet," Chetan interrupts my thinking.
"Zero, just told me the witches are going to be in charge of the forest. Their magic is too powerful."
"Okay, we as a pack will figure something out." He squeezes my hand.
Once at the camp, I tell Ajay the shortened version of the news. He seemed upset that they are powerful witches at work in the forest, but he said the same thing, that the pack will come up with something. If only they knew I was one step ahead.
Later that night, I quickly dug a hole in the ground next to where I slept, and hid the bottle of potion. I have two weeks to live a normal life. And most importantly, I have 2 weeks left with Chetan.