Aren, Leon, the blond-haired boy, and the black-haired girl walked deeper into the cave tunnels. The only light ca from the faint crystals glowing along the ceiling, casting long shadows across the jagged walls. Their footsteps echoed, repeating endlessly through the dark.
Aren suddenly stopped and glanced back at the others.
"I get that we’re not a team or anything," he said casually, "but since we’re heading the sa way, we might as well introduce ourselves."
He didn’t particularly care, but if they were going to follow him, he wanted at least the basics.
"You already know ," Leon said, leaning a shoulder against the wall before looking at the other two. "But for you two that don’t, I’m Leon. I’m twenty, an S-tier, and that’s pretty much everything important."
He said it casually, as if announcing the weather.
The black-haired girl stepped forward next.
"My na is Kira," the girl stated. "I’m eighteen."
She paused for a mont before continuing, her tone steady.
"I’m only following because anything is better than sitting back there while Elena tries to play god. Everyone is terrified of the situation we’re in, which makes them open to letting soone control them. I don’t hate Elena, but she’s not soone I’d choose to follow."
She lifted her hand slightly as she spoke, as if brushing aside the thought.
Leon raised a brow. "So you know her?"
"Yes, basically. My dad works for her father, and we grew up together in the past," Kira said. "Elena is impulsive, and she hates when things don’t go her way, it’s the reason we stopped being friends. She thinks she’s a good leader because everything works smoothly when everyone obeys her. But the mont soone disagrees, everything she built collapses. She loses control and makes rash decisions trying to force things back in line."
"Makes sense," Leon replied. "It’s not hard to tell what kind of person she is. Normally everyone would notice, but the situation is clouding their minds. She’s their shining light in the darkness."
"I’m Aiden. Sixteen."
The blond-haired boy finally spoke, offering only his na and age before going silent again.
Aren went next.
"My na is Aren," he said simply, adding nothing more. Then he continued walking as he spoke. "The reason I’m moving out to scout is simple. I’d rather secure my own survival than stay back there pretending that whatever Elena is doing will last. Every one of us has already seen the worst sides of each other. I can’t bring myself to trust any of the awakened here, especially after the fact that most of them hate . And they hate you three as well."
"Because with those angel seals, the five of us could basically leave this stage and not even bother with the trials anymore. For sure, half of them, if not more, want us dead. Staying in that camp is more dangerous than walking through these caves."
The others listened quietly.
"And beyond that," Aren continued, "Elena’s little organization will crumble within a few hours if she doesn’t take imdiate control or beat the opposing side fast. Everyone here has been forced to survive alone for the last few hours. Their mindsets are not the sa as when we entered. When that realization hits them, everything she’s building will fall apart."
He stepped forward and the others followed.
"So instead of staying behind trying to build sothing flimsy and weak, I’d rather find out what’s happening deeper inside this cave. Based on what Elton said, our main threat isn’t even the awakened on the other side, it’s the monsters that roam here and know every nook and cranny. I want to find out where their nests and resting points are. That way, I can find a safe path to the enemy side, and then we can take action."
He kept walking without looking back.
Kira tilted her head. "If you’re this smart, why not lead instead of Elena? Things would probably go a lot better. You sound like soone who would listen to people and consider their input."
Aren didn’t even slow down.
"Then you’re looking at the wrong way," he replied. "I wouldn’t care for anyone if I were the leader. I’d probably use everyone for my own survival. And that’s exactly why I don’t want to lead. I’m like Elena, selfish and wanting my own benefit. But unlike her, I carve my path alone. Trusting people only makes things harder for you."
Leon chuckled. "Co on. What about the saying: ’Two heads are better than one’?"
"A better saying is: ’Two good heads are better than one,’" Aren said. "I’m not putting myself in a situation with soone who might kill or sabotage for their own gain. Everyone here is running on selfish instinct. Survival is the only thing any of us truly care about."
"Do we get to fight the monsters?" Aiden asked suddenly.
The three of them stopped for a second and turned to look at him.
Seeing their confusion, he continued, "If we’re the scouts, we might as well use the opportunity to get stronger. If we find weaker monsters, we should kill them and get ahead of everyone else. This is a chance to gather soul energy and fragnts. It’ll increase our chances of surviving the later stages."
He spoke calmly.
"I guess that makes sense," Leon replied. "If we’re careful, we can probably take down a few and get stronger."
Aren nodded. "That was part of my plan anyway. If it’s too strong, I’m running. If it’s not, I’m killing it. But don’t expect to save any of you. And I won’t expect you to save either. Clear?"
"Don’t be like that," Leon sighed.
Kira frowned slightly at Aren’s bluntness, but she kept quiet. As long as he wasn’t as bad as Elena, she could handle it for now.
They continued walking through the narrow cave tunnels until a sudden sound echoed ahead of them.
Creeeeee... creeee... creeeeee...
A sharp, insect-like screech that bounced off the stone walls in a repeating rhythm.
All four of them froze.
Their bodies tensed instantly, and they scanned the tunnel. There was only one path forward, which ant whatever had made the sound was waiting ahead.
"Sothing’s there," Leon muttered.
"Yeah," Aren said. "We should move up fast. If we can reach a wider space, we’ll have room to fight or run. Right now this narrow cave is the worst place to encounter anything."
They quickened their pace as the screeching grew louder.
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