Adinim Sebag
Adinim was playing with Lilly in the game room as he had promised the previous day. It was hard to say no to Lilly; her innocent-looking eyes reminded Adinim of what it was like to have a sister. How fun it used to be, playing with his sisters. Playing with Lilly helped Adinim experience a part of life he had always missed. Lilly brought back those memories of the traders who sold him out, but before they were traders, they were a family.
Huia interjected playfully, asking Lilly if she wanted to dress Adinim like her princess doll. Lilly replied to Huia's teasing and said, "No, princess." She tilted her head to the side, her lips forming a pout, still hoping she would get her way. Adinim's brows furrowed; he glared at Huia, clearly angry at his remarks. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He grabbed one of the toys and threw it at Huia in retribution for his mockery of a suggestion. "Ow," Huia said when the toy hit him in the head. Lilly laughed noisily, rolling on the floor as her laughter echoed through the room, catching someone's attention.
Maadhela Akhaqia
Hearing all the commotion, Akhaqia went to his sister's small game room. Making his way through the hallways, Akhaqia stood in the doorway. Upon seeing him, his sister ran toward him. Lilly screamed with excitement, as if he hadn't been in the room next door the entire time. Akhaqia matched her energy toward his little sister. "Lilly!" he said with his arms out. "She ran into his arms at full force" would be more concise. He swept her up and held her high, her head nearly touching the ceiling. After a while of spinning her around, he said, panting and having difficulty catching his breath, "We'll pick this back up tomorrow. Adinim, Huia, and I have something to do." Akhaqia tried not to let his sister sense what he was up to. He didn't want to worry her.
To their surprise, Lilly seemed to understand their dilemma. She responded in a cheerful tone, "Okay," probably because Adinim kept his promise.
While Lilly's words sounded sweet and innocent, the three were well acquainted with what was coming up. Akhaqia's mention of picking this up tomorrow served as their cue. After all, they had discussed it beforehand and pledged their plans. Some were happy with the plan, while others weren't as enthusiastic. One, however, was glad to cause some chaos, saying, "Tomorrow? Well, today was that day. It's more like today now."
Her words marked a turning point, and all three—Huia, Adinim, and Akhaqia—left with a new sense of purpose. Their impressionable smiles while playing with Lilly switched as soon as they turned their backs to her to more serious expressions, matching their current circumstances and the challenges they were preparing to face. Playing time was over. With that, they made their way out of the room to handle serious matters.
Before leaving, Akhaqia turned to Lilly and said, "Remember, you need to stay in your room all day and not come out, okay?"
Lilly looked a bit nervous at Akhaqia's strange request. The huge smile on her face faded, replaced by concern. She asked, "Okay, you guys will be here, right?" Her head hung low as she awaited the answer.
Akhaqia responded, "Yeah," then added, "Remember how we used to play hide and seek? Tonight, I need you to hide in here because there's going to be a giant monster with one eye. Every step it takes sends a thud that can be heard, sending noise through the town, searching for any and every disobedient soul to claim. It's a walking terror. Its face is deformed, and you can hear it coming from a mile away, heavy breathing with its mouth gaped open. Its footsteps echo for miles, and it's inescapable once it marks you as disobedient. Nothing can stop it from collecting you and taking you up the mountain where it keeps the rest of its victims. Some say it eats its victims; others claim they can hear the beast gnawing on bones as its sounds echo through the dark, while others have different theories, saying that it steals its victims' faces, leaving the victim without a face."
Hearing this, Lilly's face shifted through a range of emotions—fear, curiosity, and concern. Her sweet little face expressed fear after hearing all the things the beast could do. "Today, an amazing wandering soul told me it's coming to town. As a great brother who loves his dear sister, I am telling you this: You need to behave… or else."
"Rahhhh!" Akhaqia suddenly jumped at Lilly and made a scary face, which made her scream in surprise.
Scared and curious, Lilly asked, with a saddened look, "Eats children, you say?"
She squinted at Akhaqia with suspicion.
Akhaqia continued. Lilly paid closer attention, listening to Akhaqia's every word. Upon seeing that, Akhaqia said slowly, as if he was giving a secret to Lilly he didn't want anyone else to hear, "If you hide, it won't eat you." Akhaqia continued in a shallow voice, informing Lilly while she continued paying close attention. "You need to stay in here and hide so it doesn't get you."
"Okay," Lilly said as she waved them off. She shut her door tightly, Akhaqia's whispered warning echoing in her mind. She shut the door firmly, hoping the monster wouldn't find her.
As Lilly closed the door to her room to hide from whatever monstrosity Akhaqia had described, the front door creaked open, revealing a different kind of monster for the group to confront.
Adinim Sebag
Adinim listened closely to the conversation between Akhaqia and his sister, knowing it would end with Akhaqia's usual reassurances. When the conversation was over, he opened the door. He couldn't wait. He was eager for what came next. Huia made his way out of the house, taking his time, and last but not least was Akhaqia. Now, the group was ready to act on the plan. They headed toward the Alfheim supply route, hoping to successfully pull off a heist.