"Are you serious about this?"
I looked back at Iavan and Miisa who were both struggling not to trip over the large branches of trees and rocks. I rolled my eyes, that was Iavan's fifth question.
"It's the best bet we can gamble"
Outside the forest's perimeter is a river that separates this city from the next one. Which means that the river is the edge, if we're at the center of the forest I can do my nin while protecting both Iavan and Miisa. Making sure of their survival by any means is also part of my personal mission.
"So when you said to the heart of the forest, do you mean to say like we're gonna find a heart-shaped tree?"
"Stupid she meant the center of the forest"
"I didn't know, okay? That's why I'm asking. Who knows maybe she was just saying it to look cool"
Actually, I did say it to look cool but I'll never tell them that.
"It's like a metaphor for the phrase going deeper into the woods, like in the center of it."
I smiled at them before continuing to walk forward. I was about to step forward when we heard two consecutive canon shots. Immediately birds flew out from the trees only to disappear in the sky. Probably holograms too.
"It's only the morning and two were already dead?"
"Who knows, that could've been us if we didn't move
Both of them looked at each other before Miisa made a calculation with her fingers.
"Does this mean there's only 20 of us left?"
"Then half of us are safe and the other half needs to die?"
Shivers ran up in my spine as the realization hit me. We're down to 20 people and half of them are destined to die. I scanned Miisa and Iavan's faces, they need to be within those 10 spots. But, what should I do? Do I complete my nin to ensure everyone's safety? or do I deviate from my plan and try to manipulate the remaining students into killing each other?
My mind was spinning with so much speculations, so many plans that I could do that I didn't realize we had already stopped moving and that we weren't alone.
"Maia behind you!!"
I turned around just in time a knife landed on my right shoulder blade, the same place where Christine had grazed it. I gasped as I felt an unfamiliar sting in my right arm along with the hot liquid that flowed from it. If the earlier knife only made me wince in pain, this one was so deep that I could feel it sticking between my muscles.
"Hello"
"William"
I muttered through gritted teeth. It was wrong of us to stop and idle. Now William, one of the larger boys in our class was waving another knife our way. His expression was manic like seeing my blood dripping down my shoulder was making him ecstatic.
"The next one's going inside that pretty little head of yours"
"Run!!"
I instructed them both but before we could even make a run for it, another guy who looked like William was already blocking our path.
"Hey Girls"
"Winston"
Of course the twins would have stuck together, William and Winston were bullies. Almost every student hates them. They both use their superior and well-developed bodies to scare and torture students. They like to call themselves the kings of our school. They were a few examples of people that everyone would have wanted dead. Because let's face it, no one likes a bully.
"Who knew that the three of you would be here? Well we always knew how much of a scaredy-cat you guys were"
"Maybe we can let you guys off if Iavan can strip in front of us right now"
I pulled out the knife from my shoulder and waved it in front of Winston. I could see Iavan gritting her teeth and placing her right hand on the hilt of one of the knives.
"Over my dead body"
Winston grinned at me before signaling William. I looked behind us, William was about to throw the knife he was holding when an arrow shot straight to his skull. My eyes widened and I knew the same thing happened with Iavan and Miisa. But it went especially wider when we saw who shot the arrow.
"The next one will be for you Winston"
Damian pulled another arrow and pointed it at Winston. William's lifeless body flopped down and the arrow that protruded his skull wasn't exactly a pretty sight. Winston's face contorted with pain and anger, he immediately pulled out an axe and threw it at Damian but he easily evaded it. He was getting ready to throw another knife when I positioned my own bow at him, arrow ready to be pulled. My shoulder ached at the sudden movement but I cannot let Winston pull another deadly throw. Not when Iavan and Miisa were both there.
Winston took one look at all four of us and as if noticing how we outnumber him took out a flare gun and raised it to the sky
"Maybe I'll die in here, but I won't go down knowing I won't be able to drag you all to death with me"
Before he could even fire the flare gun, I pulled the quiver and the arrow went flying straight to his wrist. He groaned in pain but immediately shifted the gun to his other hand. I hurriedly pulled out another arrow to stop him but before I could even, Damian already pulled his quiver and an arrow landed straight to his skull. As clean as it was with William's.
I could feel the queasy feeling rising up my throat at the sight of Winston and William's body and I knew Iavan and Miisa were feeling it too but I choked it down. I can't be weak, not in here atleast.
Not a moment later, two cannon shots were heard. Damian walked past us to retrieve Winston's flare gun and all I could think of was what if Damian has his own comrades? He can signal them right now. My instincts took over me as I tackled Damian and grabbed the flare gun first. My wound screamed for the pressure and I was losing too much blood from it but I can't just trust Damian.
"What the hell!?"
Damian pinned me to the ground holding both of my wrists above my head. He shifted slightly so that his whole weight was above me like he was crushing me to the ground. He looked surprised then confused. He looked at me like I was crazy and maybe I was because somehow staring at his hazel eyes made me think that they were really too beautiful.
"Maia!!"
"Don't move."
Damian aimed a knife in Iavan and Miisa's direction. At that I regained every sense I should have in my body.
"Don't"
I shouted as I tried to raise my head and his gaze turned towards me. His face only inches away from mine. But the confusion was still lingering in his expression.
"What the hell is your problem?"
I took one glance up at the flare gun I was holding, he followed the direction where my sight went. He stared at the flare gun before giving me the second look, after a moment he laughed disappointingly.
"You're impossible"
He let go of my wrists and stood up, I was just eyeing him as he frustratingly brushed his fingers in his hair. After a few heavy sighs, he stared at me. His gaze spoke deep of such disappointment that it was my turn to confusedly stare at him.
"I already saved you twice and you still can't trust me?"
Through gritted teeth he explained. Trust? Does he even know what he's saying? How could you even trust another person in this tournament? We were brought here to kill each other, how could I even easily trust another person besides my two best friends here?
"You never spoke to me during high school, and we never had a close relationship, to begin with, so of course I'll question your motives. And when it comes down to this, what makes you think that saving me twice will suddenly put up my trust in you?"
"Because I also saved your dear friends from dying"
I was taken aback by what he said. I looked at Iavan and Miisa and they were just standing there like any minute now they'll blend right in with the trees, staring at the both of us.
"So if you want to survive with your friends, It'll be best to come with me"
"Again…"
Before I could even finish my sentence, he frustratingly said.
"I don't have any allies here so I don't have anyone to signal. I worked all alone since the very start. You can keep all my knives, all weapons, and even that flare gun"
I gawked at him. If you say it so suddenly and confidently like that, of course, anybody would question your motives. Was it confidence that he could kill us barehand? Or did he really just want to ally with us? But then again what could he gain by teaming up with three useless girls.
"Maia"
I glanced at Iavan who called out to me. Her gaze serious as she rearranged her belt of knives.
"I want to go with him"
"What!?"
"Hey it's much better than walking around in circles here in the forest, also having a guy who can actually kill by our side is kind of reassuring"
Does she even hear herself? Reassuring? Reassuring how? This guy has already killed three of our classmates, what makes us special that will make him not kill us?
"I want to go with Damian too"
Miisa announced as she gripped the hilt of the shortsword tighter. I don't know what's going on with their heads but don't they doubt Damian's motives for even just one second? Damian looked at me like he was actually waiting for my response. I sighed, I was about to answer him when I felt my head spinning. My wound was throbbing painfully and the images before me were becoming blurry.
"Maia!? Maia!!"