We gathered everything we needed and decided to rest for the night, finding a clear building to settle in. After a warm bath, I walked into the room I was staying in, intending to go to bed immediately. It felt nice to be clean, and it'd feel even nicer to rest.
I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes, but I opened them again when I heard a knock at the door. I stood up, walked over, and opened it.
"Hey, we were about to have dinner. Care to join us?" Taylor asked. It took me a moment to decide.
"Sure," I replied, following her. "The prosthetic looks nice," I commented, and she raised her hand.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think it was my real hand," she said, moving her fingers.
We walked to the large dining area where everyone was seated and took our seats as food was passed around.
Everyone chatted as they ate, while I just stared at my plate quietly. I did my best to avoid any conversation, focusing on my food instead. I looked up and noticed Harold's closed eyes, but I wasn't sure if he was looking at me or not. I ignored him and turned my attention back to my plate.
"Everyone, keep your doors locked tonight. We can't be too sure of the safety here," Cato said, standing up. "I'm turning in."
"Where's Taylor?" Julie asked, looking around.
"And Alvin?" Sloane added, and they exchanged glances before shrugging it off.
I stood up but paused at the door when I heard something moving on the other side. I stepped back and waited. The door opened, and I instinctively grabbed my dagger.
"Why is your first instinct to kill?" Harold asked, holding my hand. A girl stood at the door with a frightened look on her face.
I pulled my hand away and stared at the girl. She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.
"How dare you try to attack me?" she demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know who you just attacked?"
I sighed and walked past her, but stopped at the doorway when I saw a man towering over me.
"I thought I saw someone I recognized in this group, but I guess I was wrong," she said, regaining her confidence.
"Move," I told the man, but he didn't budge.
"You are awfully disrespectful. It seems like you don't know…" she began but stopped when I let out a loud sigh.
"What do you want? If you're not going to say anything useful, I'm leaving," I replied, and she frowned.
"You…"
"I'm sorry for my lady's tone," the man said, bowing slightly. "We've been out here since the beginning and are struggling to survive. We have one injured person and hoped you could help him, if that's not asking too much."
"No," I replied, pushing past him. Outside, I saw someone close to passing out. "Were you bitten?" I asked, and he looked down, revealing a bite by his side—there was no hope. "If he was bitten, there's nothing we can do for him."
"But…" the girl started, then trailed off.
"I can't turn into one of those monsters. Please, kill me," he pleaded, and I sighed.
"I'm not obligated to. The people you were with should do you that favor," I said, walking past him.
"I…" the girl began but fell silent.
"Look…" I started, but the man collapsed to the ground and began convulsing. It had taken a long time for it to start—had he resisted like Taylor, or was it just slower?
He clutched his chest, raising his hand as he started to change.
"Do something!" the girl screamed, but I ignored her. "Please, do something," she cried, desperate.
"I can't do anything for him; it's too late," I replied. She rushed over and grabbed my hand.
"Please, don't let him become one of them," she pleaded. I sighed, pulling out a dagger.
"Then kill him," I said, handing it to her. She stared at it in horror, backing away. "You…" I said to the other person, but he looked down.
The man had stopped moving, and for a moment, I thought he'd calmed down. Suddenly, he moved and grabbed the girl's leg. She screamed, struggling to free herself. The person with her drew his sword, but I stopped him.
"Do it," I said, handing her the dagger again. She took it, stabbing his hand to no effect. She tried to stab his head, but she was too weak to make more than a mark. His teeth were close to her skin, and I had no intention of stopping him.
"What are you…" the other man said, reaching for her, but I pushed him back. She screamed, finally stabbing his head as her aura flared up.
She fell to the floor, crying, clutching her chest as she threw the dagger away.
"Your highness," the man called, but she didn't respond. He touched her shoulder, but she pushed him away, stumbling up and running into Alvin.
"Krysen?" Alvin asked, looking down at her.
Wait—Your Highness? Proud attitude? Is she royalty?
"Cady, let's talk," Harold said, pulling me aside. I yanked my hand back.
I glanced back to see her hugging Alvin. Were they close?
"What?" I asked as we rounded the corner.
"What was that?" he demanded.
"What?"
"Did you really want her dead?"
"Why didn't you help her?"
"Would you have let me?" he asked.
"No."
"I told you to let out your frustration elsewhere," he said, sighing.
"I wasn't going to let her die," I admitted, sighing. "She acts proud, but she cares about those people. What happens if another person dies and she's too scared to defend herself?"
"She's a kid," he said, and I scoffed.
"Please. When I was her age, I had already k—" What did I almost say?
"You already what?" he pressed.
"That's not important. Things are different now. We don't have a specific authority to answer to. Everyone's trying to survive, so being soft isn't really an option," I replied. She had awakened her aura, after all.
"You're really hopeless," he muttered.
"I'm going to bed. Help those people if you want to, but I'm not dealing with it. We'll continue our search tomorrow," I said, walking away.