The air was thick with emotion. The clearing still buzzed faintly from the argunt that had just taken place, each person processing the weight of what was said. And then, quietly but clearly, Leo stepped forward.
"Alright," he said, his voice surprisingly steady and calm. "That’s enough for now."
Everyone looked toward him. There was sothing final in his voice. Not harsh, but firm. It pulled their attention like gravity.
"We’re not going to fix anything by standing here. If we are going to make any more confessions, let’s do it after we get rid of the guillotine hanging above our heads."
His words were harsh but everyone couldn’t help but agree with him. This was not the ti for infighting. They needed to be united if they wanted to stand a chance.
Greg stood up and rolled his shoulders, limbering himself up as he spoke with a somber tone.
"I don’t really understand what’s going on nor will I pretend that I do. What I do know is that right now we need to clear this big dungeon. After everything is all over, we go to the gym and work out all our problems. No Secrets between friends. That sound like a plan?"
There was a pause. Then, slowly, heads began to nod.
Rachel gave a small grin. "Honestly? That might be the most reasonable thing anyone’s said all day."
Luna let out a slow breath, gripping the handle of her axe as if grounding herself with it. "Fine. We focus on the dungeon first. But after that, we are talking. No more running, no more dodging. Not for anyone"
Her gaze was directed at the two most secretive mbers of their group: Adam and Rachel.
"Fine..." Adam muttered, his voice low. He glanced at Penny who had for now turned her back on him. He let out a sigh of resignation. He knew the day would co but he had no idea it would be so soon.
Rachel on the other hand was all smiles.
"Yeah I’ll spill the beans when the ti cos. I didn’t hide anything though....you guys just never asked the right questions~!"
"Are we really going to get into semantics now of all tis?!"
Lily snapped at Rachel, catching everyone off guard by Lily’s fiery response.
Seeing everyone’s wide eyed looks directed at her, Lily groaned and lowered her head.
"Sorry...It’s just...this is a lot."
Nobody knew what to say. Penny opened her mouth as if to say sothing but no words ca out.
"Rose...no Penny. I won’t hold your opinion against you in regards to my family but I want you to know sothing."
Lily’s voice was low and heavy as if she was dredging up one of the most painful mories from the darkest depths of her heart.
"Your Aunt Elise...The person she killed was more than what Adam said she was. She was like an older sister to ...She was always there for when I needed her. She was so kind, sweet and always had a snack on hand for if I ever needed it."
Lily’s steps were a bit unsteady as she crossed the distance to Penny, the latter feeling a pain in her own heart as she listened to her story.
"She wanted to make a difference in her life and was working at the Samael Family as a secretary to pay for her school. She wanted to make her own way....Can you believe that? Soone who is essentially the sister to the heir of one of the most influential families in the country wanted to make her own way."
Lily’s shoulders trembled, tears streaming down her face as she looked into Penny’s eyes.
"Do you know what she got as a result for working for people like your Aunt? She was raped by your Uncle Kyle and then murdered by that damn Viper Elise who then dumped her fucking body into a river!"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Penny’s mouth hung open, her eyes wide with shock. "No... I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know anything about that."
Lily didn’t look angry anymore. She just looked tired.
"I believe you," she said quietly. "But now you do."
Penny stumbled back a step, her voice barely a whisper. "Why would Elise do that? Why kill her?"
Lily took a shaky breath. "To fra Kyle. To sar his na right before the family succession talks began. Elise wanted to make sure he lost everything, and she didn’t care who she had to destroy to do it."
Penny stared at her, struggling to process it. "I knew Elise was ruthless, but I didn’t think she’d do sothing like that. I didn’t think she’d kill soone just to use them."
Lily’s voice cracked. "She didn’t just kill her. She made her suffer. And when I found out who was behind it, it broke sothing in . I wanted justice. But all I got was silence. Fear. And then she was gone. Just like that."
Penny’s chest felt tight. "I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t know. I wish I had."
Lily gave a slow nod. "Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear."
Crystal returned just then, glancing between the two of them, sensing the tension but saying nothing.
Leo finally stepped forward again. "We need to move."
There were no argunts this ti. Just silent nods and heavy steps as they prepared themselves to move forward.
Nothing had been healed. Not yet. But sothing had shifted.
And in that mont, it was enough.
The group moved out of the clearing, the heavy tension still hanging over them as they followed the trail Leo’s party had found earlier. The forest thinned as they approached the rough outskirts of the orc encampnt.
Leo glanced behind him to make sure everyone was keeping pace. "The dungeon isn’t far from here," he said quietly. "We don’t have an exact location, but the orcs camp close to the entrance. From this point, we’ll need to search carefully."
Crystal stepped forward, her eyes sharp and alert. "We’ll need to watch for traps or signs of orc patrols. They know this area well."
Greg cracked his knuckles, shifting into a ready stance. "Good. I’m itching for a fight."
Luna tightened her grip on her axe. "Let’s get this done quickly. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets."
As they entered the periter of the encampnt, faint sounds of orc voices and flickering campfires beca audible through the trees.
They spread out, scanning the ground for clues. Broken branches, footprints, and discarded gear marked a rough path leading deeper into the woods.
Penny walked beside Lily, still weighed down by their earlier conversation but forcing herself to focus. Adam remained silent, eyes darting between the shadows.
After several tense minutes, Leo stopped and held up a hand. "This looks like a worn trail," he said. "Could be the way to the dungeon entrance."
Rachel smirked. "Finally, so action."
Leo nodded. "Stay sharp. We don’t know what lies ahead."
Together, they pressed forward, stepping into the unknown.
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