This sudden action from Eldric stunned Sarah, leaving her momentarily frozen in place. Her gaze flicked between the writhing abomination on the ground, her grandmother desperately holding onto it as though providing support, and then back to Eldric, who had already created some distance while holding his knives, poised and ready to strike at anyone.
It took some time to explain, yet everything happened in the blink of an eye—from their dash into the diner to Eldric suddenly leaping back, pointing his knives toward them. Before Sarah could fully comprehend what was happening, she instinctively pulled out her own knives from her leather belt, crossing her arms and holding them defensively in front of her chest. But unlike Eldric, her target wasn't her grandmother or the creature on the ground—her knives were aimed at Eldric.
"Drop the knife," Sarah commanded coldly, each word deliberate, her gaze never straying from Eldric.
While the two faced off in a tense standoff, Jeron, now transformed, and Reona were entirely oblivious to the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Jeron, still in his altered state, couldn't perceive what was happening around him, while Reona's full attention was fixed on her eldest son, her face riddled with worry.
"I SAID... DROP THE KNIFE."
This time, Sarah's voice was louder, the urgency pushing her to shout. Right now, she had completely disregarded the possibility of attracting the stalkers that might have been lurking outside.
"...."
Eldric remained silent, his grip on the knives unwavering as his eyes stayed locked on the two figures before him. It was hard to explain his emotions at this moment. It was a mix of fear, dread, nervousness and regret. Everything that happened in front of him today shattered the little world-view that he had constructed after spending a few days here
The air was thick with tension, the atmosphere heavy. The silence was so profound that the sound of their heartbeats was audible.
"IF THE TWO OF YOU ARE DONE PLAYING, HELP ME CARRY HIM." It was at this moment that Reona's cold, emotionless voice cut through the air. Though her tone was calm, an undercurrent of anger was unmistakable. She didn't even turn to face Eldric, yet her words still sent a shiver down his spine, making him grip the knives tighter instead of easing his hold. For a moment, Eldric almost felt like he was facing against the Stalkers. This hallucination frightened him even further, making him grip the knives tightly instead of relaxing them.
Sarah on the other hand glanced at her grandma and then at Eldric. After seeing that Eldric had no intention of attacking or even lending a hand, she gritted her teeth and sheathed her knives back into the leather belt around her waist. After giving Eldric one more look, she took a few steps forward and arrived in front of Reona before bending down and grabbing the transformed Jeron by his arms before pulling him up.
Eldric, seeing Sarah step forward, immediately took several steps back. He had no intention of intervening. Holding the knives offered him a false sense of protection, though he already knew deep down how ineffective they would be. He had already made up his mind to turn around and run from here as fast as possible if someone took action against him.
Luckily, Eldric's fears didn't come to fruition. After Sarah and Reona managed to lift Jeron, they began making their way into the dark corridor leading further inside the building. Eldric stood still, unsure of his next move, until Reona's voice reached him from the distance.
"Meet me in the hall."
She continued forward without another word, neither explaining herself to Eldric nor stopping him from escaping. She didn't need to. Eldric knew the situation he was in all too well. With stalkers prowling in the darkness outside, he wouldn't dare venture out, even if he had the courage of a thousand men. Reona understood this, which is why she left him behind with only a single sentence. Whether Eldric obeyed or not didn't matter—his options were limited.
"DAMN IT." Eldric cursed loudly once they disappeared from his sight, but the moment he raised his voice, his face went rigid.
*Gulp.
Swallowing hard, he glanced over his shoulder at the darkness behind him. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not, but he could have sworn the shadows were moving.
"Shit."
With cold sweat on his back, he muttered under his breath. Without wasting another second, he gripped his knives tightly and followed the path Sarah, Reona, and Jeron had taken.
----------
As Reona and Sarah carried the transformed Jeron into a dimly lit room, Sarah couldn't help but steal occasional glances at the thing they were holding. Her eyes would dart between Reona and Jeron, silently seeking answers from her grandmother. But Reona didn't acknowledge her gaze, much less offer an explanation. The entire time, her brow remained furrowed in concern, her mind was occupied with thoughts of this catastrophic failure.
Sarah on the other hand had a belly full of questions. She had some idea about the abomination she was carrying but tactically chose to stay silent. She didn't seem afraid, quite the opposite... she seemed rather curious. But she knew this was neither the time nor the place for questions.
"Place him down carefully," Reona instructed as she gently laid the abomination at the end of the bed. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to suppress her emotions. After closing her eyes briefly to regulate her breathing, she reopened them, the previous anger in her gaze now replaced with calm serenity.
"Bring your brother to the meeting hall in half an hour," she said firmly, wasting no words or time on further explanation.
Sarah only nodded in response. She had a pretty good idea why her grandmother wanted both her and her brother present. But the thought of having to share space with that unwelcome bastard made her clench her teeth in frustration. With one last look at the abomination lying on the bed, she left the room.
"What happened?" It wasn't long after Sarah departed that Arian rushed into the room. The commotion caused by the group had been enough to alert him, as he'd been checking the safety measures around the building.
He had crossed paths with Sarah outside, but the two pretended not to see one another. Now, with no other options, Arian sought answers from his mother.
But looking at the grotesque stalker lying in the bed alongside his mother standing there in silence, he swallowed the words that he was about to speak. Just from a single glance, he was clear about the current situation.
"How?" Arian whispered in disbelief as he rushed forward to grab Jeron's hands, holding them tightly. His face showed no trace of fear—only grief and anger. He couldn't understand how things had escalated to this point. They had gone on expeditions before, but the danger had never been this severe.
"That guy…" The only new element this time was Eldric's presence. As soon as this thought came to his mind, Arian immediately stood up with an expressionless face. His usual smiling face was now gone... replaced by an eerie calmness with extreme determination.
"Stop," Reona's harsh voice cut through his thoughts, halting him mid-step. How could she not understand what her youngest was thinking? He wanted to throw the boy out or in worse case, just finish him off.
While Eldric might represent their only chance to escape this cursed place, Arian wasn't willing to risk his family for him. If forced to choose between a stranger and his own blood, the decision was clear.
"Really?" Arian sneered, not even bothering to look back at his mother. His voice dripped with disdain. "Have you lost your mind, you wretched old hag?" His tone had grown more venomous than ever. If Sarah or anyone else had been present, they would have been shocked at how much Arian's usual gentle demeanor had changed.
"Try anything foolish, and I'll break both your legs," Reona replied calmly, ignoring his insult. But those who knew her understood that she meant every word.
"Heh…" Arian's eyes widened in disbelief, and a mocking laugh escaped his lips. He shook his head, his teeth grinding together, muscles taut as his body tensed like a coiled spring.
"You act so righteous, but you've never cared about us, have you?" Arian spat, his anger boiling over. "First Cannie, and now my brother. You just love playing god, don't you?" His furious howl reverberated through the room, so loud that even Sarah, now some distance away, trembled at the sound of it.
"Tell me, Mother… what righteous plan have you concocted this time? Is it hope? Do you actually believe we'll find a way out of here?" He almost laughed at the absurdity of his own words. "Let's say we escape… what if what's out there is even worse than what we're dealing with here?"
His every word was laced with ridicule, as though mocking Reona's ambitions.
"..."
Reona remained silent, her expression unchanged. Arian's rage didn't seem to faze her in the slightest.
"WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!" Arian's voice rose again, now shaking with even more intensity.
"Ugh…" A weak groan from behind him interrupted his outburst. Arian turned around to see Jeron, now returned to his human form, struggling to sit up. Though his skin was still unnaturally pale, he was alive.
Jeron rested his back against the wall, scanning the room before complaining in a feeble voice. "Why are you making such a fuss? I'm still alive."
"I…" Arian began to speak but then faltered. Seeing his brother alive, though weak, filled him with a wave of relief. "Forget it," he sighed, taking a few steps forward to sit on the bed beside Jeron.
"What happened?" He finally asked the question he wanted to ask from the very beginning.
"I have something to do. Make sure to rest properly." It was only now that Reona spoke, interrupting the two of them before turning around and leaving the room. Unlike Arian, she knew the risks and still chose to embark on the expedition. If someone were to be blamed, then it would be her, not the young boy.
Taking a deep breath, her gaze seemed lost as her eyes would flicker occasionally. This was not their first failure and it certainly wasn't going to be their last. She needed to make a plan accordingly.
"But first..." She looked in the direction of the meeting hall where there were already three figures were sitting quietly, waiting for her arrival.