The stale air of the abandoned shooting range made Amelia move uncomfortably with her guilt. Her reckless actions had caused all of them to be in danger, and the burden of responsibility weighed heavily on her with every passing moment. She looked at her siblings, all coping in their own way, and made a quiet determination to attempt to brighten the mood.
"Hey, we might as well make the best of it while we're here," she suggested with a forced cheerfulness, trying to inject some energy into the tense atmosphere.
Nola crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, but her mood was far from receptive. "Amelia, now is not the time-".
Leo, who had been sleeping in a corner, snorted quietly, oblivious to the tension, before she could finish. Amelia shrugged weakly and turned to look at the others. Ronan, always willing to engage in any distraction, was already playing with the controls on the old game consoles, his hands glowing with light while restoring power to the systems.
Nachtan, feeling a combination of uneasiness and the desire to demonstrate himself, especially considering Nola's earlier protection, proceeded to the shooting range. Ronan's turn back on the power caused the holographic targets to light up, casting eerie, dancing lights throughout the dim room.
Gavin noticed Nachtan pick up a light gun and smirked before going after him. "Think you can actually hit something, Nachtan?" he taunted, his voice laced with challenge. Let's see if your shooting skills are as effective as your ability to get us into trouble.
Nachtan, feeling a rare surge of confidence, simply nodded and agreed to accept the challenge. The two stood in a side-by-side position, with the light from the targeting screens flickering in their focused eyes. The first shot was fired by Gavin, and his movements were quick and erratic. He successfully hit most of the targets, but his accuracy was off, leaving several of the more difficult targets unharmed.
Then it was Nachtan's turn. He aimed and fired with a remarkable amount of calmness. One by one, the targets lit up and then dimmed, perfectly hitting. His accuracy was uncanny. A rare smile appeared on Nachtan's face when the display revealed a 100% hit rate.
Gavin's face flushed with anger as he watched the display confirming Nachtan's perfect score. "Beginner's luck," he muttered, but the edge in his voice betrayed his irritation.
Nachtan, caught in a flash of uncharacteristic boldness, squirted a tongue at Gavin with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. It was a small, almost insane gesture, one that hinted at a deeper unease within him.
Gavin stood up with his fists clenched, but Nachtan was already running back to Nola, his laughter echoed across the range. A slight smile crept across Nola's face as she watched the scene. As Nachtan approached her, she ruffled his hair and then glanced at Gavin.
"Maybe if you focused on your aim as much as your flames, you'd actually win something," she quipped, her tone light but sharp.
Gavin scowled, but remained neutral because he knew better than to start a fight with Nola. Amelia and Ronan were playing an outdated racing game, with the screens flickering to life under Ronan's expert touch. They settled into the simulation pods, the old machinery whirring as the game started.
Laughter and shouts filled the air as Amelia and Ronan competed, the digital world of the game a stark contrast to the dim, dusty reality around them. For a moment, the weight of their situation lifted, replaced by the simple joy of competition and the echo of their laughter in the empty building.
Despite their immersion in the games, the reality of their situation lingered just below the surface, making their sanctuary a fragile bubble that could burst at any moment.