- Children! Time to get up! — Miss Stacy's voice rang out in the recesses of my sleeping consciousness, which gradually began to awaken. I didn't want to get up, because it was so warm and cozy in bed, and I couldn't help but remember my past life, where I also enjoyed a long sleep after work.
However, not this time, because today was a special and important day.
With difficulty getting up, yawning and rubbing my eyes, I didn't notice one small detail next to me — Anova, a sweet sleeping girl, peacefully snoring in a deep sleep. Still, she couldn't fall asleep then, which is probably why she didn't hear her voice. I shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up. With difficulty, opening her heavy eyelids, she surprisingly opened her human eyes.
- What... happened? — she asked, yawning deeply.
- It's morning, sleepyhead. Get up, or they'll leave you alone in the shelter, — I said, smiling and stroking her head. She accepted the caress with pleasure, uttering a satisfied "ah." God, what a cutie, if you don't take into account her deadly poison.
The other children also began to wake up. Some were fully rested, so they got up calmly and cheerfully, making their beds. Others, like me, were trying to shake off their lethargy. And some were still asleep, like Mellow, who was snoring loudly enough to wake the whole room. How he didn't wake everyone up with that snoring is a mystery.
Getting out of bed, I started doing exercises to wake up my body and mind. The other children did the same so they wouldn't look like zombies the next day. Although, I'll let you in on a secret — when they saw me relatively alert and full of energy, the children asked me how I did it. And then they asked me that question directly. To which I replied: "I did exercises." They also started doing it until it became a habit.
Anova got out of bed, stood next to me, and also started doing exercises. But after a couple of seconds, she fell on her butt, unable to keep her balance. Hmm, that's bad, exercises are unlikely to help her wake up now. I catch her in time, preventing her from hitting her head on the floor, and sit her on the edge of the bed.
When I was done, I went to Anova's bed, where her nightstand with her things was standing. I took them and returned, gave them to her, and then started to get dressed myself. It took me a couple of seconds to take off my pajamas and change into a blue T-shirt, black shorts, and white socks. After that, I helped Ana change quickly, because many had already finished and started leaving the bedroom. Then, putting her on the floor, I made the bed and picked her up, following her to the shower. Although she was a little over a meter tall, she wasn't heavy.
We didn't need to wash, just tidy ourselves up and wash our faces with cold water. That's what we did, and then brushed our teeth. The water procedure helped the little spider wake up, no longer needing my help. Then we went to the kitchen together, where everything was laid out and the children were quietly eating breakfast. The girl went to her friends, and I went to mine. Anna, with a satisfied smile, was stuffing her cheeks with omelet and sausages, periodically drinking from a huge mug of cherry juice. And Melow was barely eating a huge handful of crushed chalk, little by little.
I sat down, wished them bon appétit, and began to eat, watching them.
In general, in addition to regular human food, the orphanage served special dishes personally selected by the orphanage administration for certain children. You don't have to look far for an example — Mellow, who was made entirely of chalk. He ate, of course... chalk, which was necessary for his life. Although, if we recall chemistry, chalk consists of calcium carbonate, which is found in various minerals and rocks, such as chalk, limestone, and marble, where it is present in huge quantities. It is also found in bone tissue, mollusk shells, eggshells, and other organisms.
What am I getting at? I am interested in knowing whether his body could change at the molecular level if he started eating something completely different but containing the same calcium carbonate. Change the structure of his body to stronger and harder marble than soft and crumbly chalk. Or is he only able to absorb chalk? Are there any limits and possibilities to Melow's power? Will he be able to develop his abilities to use them for the good of society, or for his own personal goals?
So many questions and still so few answers.
Or take Anna, who drank more juice than she ate for breakfast. Is that also a necessary resource for her body, including her hair? Or does she simply need much more fluid than the average person? Will she be able to control her water hair, like some female characters from other universes? Or can her water only change depending on the state of its owner? If you think about it, her water could be a real treasure! If, of course, she uses its capabilities correctly.
Anyway. Why am I racking my brains over all this? I'll ask her directly!
Swallowing a piece of omelet, I spoke.
- Guys, — they stopped eating and turned their attention to me. - I've been wanting to ask you something... What are you capable of? — They looked at each other, not understanding what I was talking about. - Take you, Mellow! You can change the color of any part of your body, as well as lengthen or create new limbs. Change their shape, size, and so on, right? — He nodded. - But can you make your fingers much harder? Can you eat anything other than chalk that has the same substance as chalk? Like limestone or marble? Or even shellfish shells with bones?
Melo raised his head, looking at me with surprise. Anna was not far behind in this matter.
- Or you! — I pointed at Anna. - Your hair can change under the influence of your mood, emotions, and feelings. One example: when you get angry, your hair starts to turn red and boil. Your water is basically the cleanest and most useful water that the shelter uses for cooking and other purposes. Right? — Anna nodded quickly. - But is that all you can do with your hair? Can you make it grow faster by drinking a whole pool of water? Or even control it, using it as an extra limb?
The kids looked at each other, then started examining themselves: he looked at his hand, and she looked at her hair. This made it clear that they had only just thought of this.
- And none of you were interested in this before? — They shook their heads.
Right. What did I expect from them? They're still children who live with their peculiarities and don't rack their brains over where they come from, how they work, how else they can be used, and so on.
- We never really thought about it, — Mellow began. - But after your questions... — His hand suddenly began to shrink, there was a sound of cracking stone, and then his fingers sharpened.
Oh, wow. Even Anna was surprised to see what Mellow had done.
- Now I'm curious to find out what else I'm capable of. How about you? — He looked at Anna with a smile. She snorted and replied.
- Of course! — She turned up her nose. - You're not the only one who's special in our shelter! I have abilities too! Only... I need time.
- Don't rush it. You've already blown your chance, — he waved his pointed fingers in front of her.
- Oh, you! — She was about to get upset, but I decided to stop the fuss.
- You'll find out who's better later. Let's finish eating and get ready, we still have to look after the younger ones, — I said, stopping their verbal sparring in its tracks.
- By the way, Max, — Anna turned to me. - How do you know so much? And why are you interested in our peculiarities? — Melow stopped and also looked at me with interest.
I knew that one of them would be interested in this. Fortunately, I had prepared in advance.
- My mom taught me when I was five. She wanted to give me a basic knowledge so that it would be easier for me to learn at school. As for the second question, I've just been interested in this topic since childhood. That's all.
Without saying anything else, I continued eating. Shrugging their shoulders, they also decided to finish their meal.
After finishing breakfast, we went to the locker room with all the other children and put on warm clothes. Today was a cloudy day, the sky was covered with gray or black clouds, and the air was damp and cold, so we had to dress warmly. After that, we all went outside, where Miss Stacy was already waiting for us, dressed in a long gray coat. Behind her stood a brand-new bus, decorated in shades of gray. It was larger and several times longer than the old Russian buses in my city, if not more. There were a lot of children, so it was just right for us.
I stood at the back, keeping an eye on the crowd and making sure that all the children were present.
The teacher looked us all over carefully, then clapped her hands to get the children's attention.
- Okay, children! Line up in pairs and get on the bus. Don't rush, walk calmly and take your seats. The leaders go at the very end of the line, as the rear guards. Go ahead!
The crowd stirred, trying to form a line of two. Each child took their place in the line, standing with someone they knew, closer to them, or at the end of the line without their partner in another part of the line. And when everyone was in their places, we moved towards the open bus door. When I was close to the entrance, the nauseating smell of the machine and everything that could be in it hit my nose. Grimacing, I took the mask out of the pocket of my light jacket and put it on my face. Thank you, Miss Stacy, for giving me this mask earlier. It made things much better, even though the smell still penetrated the fabric in small amounts.
I took the very back seat, where Anna, Melow, and Anova were sitting. The latter was asleep, sitting by the window, leaning her head against the bus wall. Coming closer, I gently wrapped my arms around her and moved her away from the window, sitting down there myself. Then I rested her head on me, without waking her up in the process. Soon the teacher came in, looked at everyone, and headed for the driver, sitting down in the second seat. The door closed, the bus started moving, leaving the shelter grounds.
The rest of the journey was relatively calm, apart from the chatty and active children who found it difficult to sit still. I periodically checked on the situation, and then devoted all my time to the landscapes that opened up to my gaze through the window. Unfortunately, the bus did not go into the city, so I was unable to get a proper look at it. It was traveling in the opposite direction from the settlement, heading straight for the destination of our excursion.
The nature in this state was... beautiful, very beautiful. Looking at it was a pleasure, even despite the bad weather. It created its own unique charm, which few people noticed, complaining only about the gray tones and dreary weather. But... it was not particularly different from what we have in Europe or in my homeland — the same forests, the same birch trees that sometimes appeared in view, or rare oaks. Smaller and younger compared to what grows at the top of the hill near the shelter. In short, I don't see any unique American nature here. As my friend used to say when he went to America with his family, bragging to us.
Although here it's more of a joke in the huge range of natural and climatic conditions: from hot arid deserts to evergreen forests in the north. In this respect, the US was the undisputed leader compared to other countries in the world. Maybe I'll take a trip across the country someday? To see, at least in this lifetime, the country that I've mostly seen on TV or on the internet. To see how the locals live, to see other natural areas and remember them for the rest of my life. Otherwise, I just sat in my cozy apartment in the city, only going out to run errands or just to get some fresh air. Although I didn't have the opportunity or the time to travel around the country. Maybe I'll be able to do it in this life?
Time passed, the bus drove along the road, and the children continued to keep themselves busy until we finally arrived at our destination. The sky soon disappeared behind the treetops, which stood so close together. It grew slightly darker inside the bus, but no one paid any attention to it.
But then something made everyone get up from their seats and go to the windows on both sides, watching with admiration what was happening outside. And only when the trees disappeared did I see the river. No, not just a river — a RIVER! It was huge and wide, so much so that it was difficult to see the other side. By this point, the clouds had parted, allowing the sun to illuminate this gray and dreary day, only further enhancing the atmosphere of something majestic and new in our eyes. And damn it, that description suited it perfectly, given its size. It was impossible to calculate its width, only to assume that the distance between the banks was more than five hundred meters.
But here's the question... Where did this river come from? The only huge river in the US that comes to mind is the damn Mississippi. But the problem is that, as far as I can tell, it's very far from the state of Ohio. So the question arises — what kind of river is this? Where did it come from and how did it appear? Maybe there's something I don't know? Or is this one of those details that shows the difference between my world and this one, despite the fairly obvious similarities in terms of modernity and the existence of countries I am familiar with?
In any case, seeing something like this with my own eyes was something else. So I decided to wake Anova up so she could see it too.
- Anova... — I began to wake her, shaking her shoulder. A minute later, she slowly raised her head and looked at me with sleepy eyes. -Look over there, — I pointed to the window. She looked through it, and then her eyes widened with admiration and surprise at the enormous size of the river. I suggested she sit closer to the window so she could see the beauty. She agreed, and I moved over to let her sit there, then continued to look at the river myself. But no matter how wide it was, everything has an end. We drove off the bridge and continued down the road.
It's hard to say how much time had passed, because even when the sun managed to peek out, it was immediately hidden behind the clouds. Therefore, it was impossible to track its position in the sky. In general, if we recall Miss Stacy's words, we should have arrived at the camp near the reserve in a couple of hours. And now at least three hours had passed, if not more.
Damn, waiting was incredibly boring, and there was nothing I could do about it. No books, no phone, no suitable topics for conversation. I couldn't talk to the children about topics that interested me personally, could I? And they probably wouldn't understand what I was talking about anyway.
Maybe I should sleep? I glance around the cabin and see that the children have finally calmed down and are sitting quietly, just waiting for the trip to end. The others are either talking to each other or just sleeping. Although I'm unlikely to fall asleep, I'll probably doze off, and when I feel that we've arrived, I'll wake the others up.
I was about to close my eyes when the bus slowed down sharply. Looking out the window, I saw it driving into the forest, where wooden houses were visible ahead. Here we are, as they say, I didn't even have time to yawn. After stretching and thoroughly loosening up my shoulders, I clap my hands, waking up everyone sleeping on the bus.
- Wake up! We're finally here! — I said in a raised voice. There were yawns and groans, and the children began to wake up.
- Already? — Anna asked, rubbing her eyes.
- Yes, so let's get up and get ready, — I said, getting up from my seat and stretching my legs. Soon all the children were ready, and the bus gradually slowed down until it finally came to a stop.
After that, we got out.
∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
- Phew... I'm exhausted, — sighed Anna, falling onto the bed and spreading her arms out to the sides. Mellow and I sat down on the bed, also tired after a long tour of the Handelsky Reserve. And, to tell the truth, it was quite exciting and fun, especially for someone who once loved to study the flora and fauna of a particular part of the earth, but had forgotten much of it. The reserve staff told us about everything in this forest. And they did it in an interesting and informative way, without unnecessary details or boredom. Even our trio of strays, who usually didn't like to study and listen, paid attention to every word of the old employee who was leading our tour.
Unfortunately, however, we were not shown many animals — only the most famous animal in the state, the white-tailed deer, whose herd approached the feeding trough and appeared before our group. But that was enough: the children looked at them with wide eyes, full of surprise and admiration. You can understand them: it's one thing to see them in pictures or on TV, but it's another to see them with your own eyes. And I wasn't left out either, even though my emotions were less intense. To be honest, when you sit at home for hours on end and then go outside, everything seems new, especially if you go outside the city.
After walking through separate areas of the forest and seeing beautiful places, we returned to the camp in the evening, where we were fed and sent to our rooms.
- That's for sure, although this time the excursion was weaker than last time... — said Mellow, lying down on the bed and spreading his arms and legs to the sides.
- What happened last time? — I asked.
- We saw a black bear, — Anna replied, getting up and spreading her arms, - like this! It was huge! — When I saw it, my heart sank, my eyes widened, and my body froze, — she pressed her hands together, shook her head, and continued, - I remember how it looked at me, and it was scary. I thought it would run, break the fence, and eat everything without noticing...
- But as soon as the bear saw her, he ran off into the forest, flashing his heels, pffft! — Mellow chuckled. - You should have seen how she looked then: pale as a corpse, eyes wide, and her face like a grandmother who had climbed out of her grave! Pffft! —
- Mellow! — Anna shouted, looking at her laughing friend with anger in her eyes. - That's not funny at all! Do you have any idea how scared I was then?!
- There was a fence between you and the bear, and it was strong enough to hold even a grizzly bear. So... you scared the hell out of him yourself! — he laughed, getting hit in the face with a pillow thrown by Anna.
- That's it! — Her hair boiled and turned red, her face contorted in a grimace of rage and anger. - You're done for! — And the chase began. Mellow ran away, fleeing from the enraged fury, while I watched, smiling.
Children are children, even in this world.
- Guys, — I caught their attention, - you'll have time to sort things out between yourselves later. Tell me, when are you going to show me that place? I hope it's not in a nature reserve, or we'll get our heads torn off.
- Well, we can't promise that, — Mellow smiled, holding his hands in a conciliatory gesture in front of Anna, who was holding his neck with her hands. He didn't have a T-shirt, so she held him as best she could.
- Unfortunately, that's true... But we've done this many times before. The main thing is to get back in time so that no one suspects anything. — Anna let go of Mellow and grabbed her chin. - Although there's no guarantee that our secret passage into the reserve hasn't been found. If so, the way there is closed to us.
- Even if it's blocked, that won't stop us from making a new passage, — said Mellow, stretching out his hand, which began to change rapidly: first a clawed paw, then a long spike, then a shovel, a hammer, a hoe, and other shapes.
- When did you have time to do that?! — Anna exclaimed, looking at him with surprise in her eyes.
- A few hours ago. By the way, Max, thank you, otherwise I wouldn't have known about my amazing abilities! And yes, Anna, you said you'd catch up with me, right? Should I wait for you? — He smiled slyly.
Anna wanted to pounce on him again, but she pulled herself together in time, sighed, folded her arms in front of her, and continued.
- In any case... Unless, of course, the old passage has been closed so tightly that we'll have to create a new one, and we won't have time for that, — Anna stated. Melow nodded to her.
- Well, we'll see. The main thing is to wait until late at night. The children will go to bed, the adults will be busy with their own affairs, and we'll slip past and, if all goes well, we'll be able to get there again. Clear? —Anna and I nodded.
- Great! I'll let you know when you can start.
Time passed, and the sun began to set. Miss Stacy was with the reserve staff in another part of the building while we were busy with the children. They discussed the excursion, finally breathing in the forest air, untouched by civilization. They saw things they had never seen within the walls of the shelter, got to know and talked to some of the staff, asking questions and listening to their answers.
When night fell outside, we put all the children to bed and returned to our room. But Anova didn't want to let me go, begging me to stay. It took a lot of effort to finally get her to go to sleep, and even then only after negotiating with her. Then, returning to the other room, Anna and I waited for Melow to finally arrive
And he did.
Returning, he quietly opened the door and gestured for us to follow him. We followed him out of the room and into the darkened hallway. We walked quietly, calmly, and slowly so that the boards under our feet would not creak. When we reached the hallway, we found our jackets, put them on, and went outside. A cold wind immediately hit our faces, and the street was lit by the pale light of the moon. After checking the area for any workers patrolling the territory, we headed for the border of the reserve, not noticing any of them.
Mellow led us along a route unknown to me. It was so confusing that I couldn't help but ask why we were walking this way. They pointed eloquently to a pole with an inconspicuous surveillance camera hanging on it. After that, I had no more questions, and we continued on our way. Soon we reached a fence, then turned right until we came to a cluster of bushes. Approaching them, Melow gestured for us to wait, then disappeared from view, entering the bushes.
- So... There's good news and bad news. Which should I start with? — He peeked out from behind the foliage.
- The bad news, — I said.
- They blocked it after all, — he replied, and Anna sighed.
- And the good news?
- We can quickly and quietly clear the passage, but then we have to remember to put everything back in its place.
- Then get started, — he nodded, disappearing into the bushes. Minutes passed, the forest around us seemed gloomy and frightening, strongly reminiscent of that ill-fated moment with the car, a feeling of anxiety and danger. And then there was the encounter with Fen, which was firmly etched in my mind. Even in twenty years, I doubt I will forget her face, which will haunt my nightmares. I really hope I don't meet her again in this forest.
Otherwise, we're fucked.
The bushes rustled, and then Mellow's face peered out again.
- It's ready. Follow me, — we climbed after him. In a couple of minutes, we reached the passage — a dug-out hole under the fence, next to which lay a thick, large board covered with earth.
- Seriously? A board? — I asked, looking at Mellow.
- Apparently, they noticed it recently, but there wasn't enough time to fill the hole with dirt. Now let's hurry, we're running out of time! — he replied, climbing into the hole. Anna followed him, and I followed her. Soon we were on the other side, where we wasted no time in heading to our destination. It's hard to say what time it was, because none of us had brought a watch, especially me — that was a huge oversight. I couldn't tell how long we had been walking either: the sky was covered by the treetops, making it impossible to determine the position of the moon. Light was filtering through, but it didn't help much, except to allow us to find our way through the forest.
- How much further do we have to go? — I couldn't help asking them.
- Just a little further... — Coming out from behind the trees, we found ourselves at a small lake surrounded by tree trunks growing close together.
Mellow stepped forward, walking through the surprisingly low grass, as if it had been mowed. Then Anna and I followed him, examining the place in more detail. The very location of the trees looked strange, as if it were not the work of nature, but of humans. The circle was too perfect, and around it was a bare clearing several dozen meters wide. Although I should have stopped focusing so much on this, because the whole world was one huge mystery, hiding many secrets and mysteries, the answers to which were impossible to obtain.
So, simply accepting this strangeness, I approached the others.
- And... is that all you wanted to show me? An unusual place with a lake inside a ring of trees? No, this place is really beautiful, but I expected more, — my puzzled look made them both smile. What was that all of a sudden?
- No, of course not! We just need to wait a little... — Melow fell silent, raising his index finger toward the sky. Raising an eyebrow, I looked up at the sky and froze. The clouds parted, revealing first the moon and then IT!
The dark sky wasn't as dark as it seemed. It was blue, lit up by millions and billions of stars, from small to huge. Like glitter applied to an artist's canvas to emphasize the feeling of space. And they all revolved around a single point, creating the image of an entire galaxy so close to us that it was visible even from Earth! Without a telescope or similar instruments! A veritable whirlpool of stars appeared before us.
I... I couldn't say anything, just stared at this beauty with my mouth open and my eyes wide. I was overwhelmed with emotions and feelings that I couldn't fully express. It was... just an incredible sight! Practically impossible! At least for my world — if it had witnessed such a thing, our entire community would have exploded from this cosmic phenomenon of galactic proportions!
-...Now, — Melow finished, but I didn't pay attention to him, mesmerized by the view in the sky.
- How... is that possible? — I finally tore myself away, lowering my head.
- Who knows, — Anna shrugged, - as we were told, it appears once a year, on June 21, after the solstice. That's all.
I exhaled, running my hand through my hair. Well... Here's the first question that won't be answered, at least not right now. I just wanted to take a break from what I had seen, to digest it all, but they wouldn't let me.
- But that's not all! — Melow turned around and started running across the grass, from which whole swarms of fireflies began to emerge. Their abdomens did not glow with the usual greenish color, but with a bright blue that contrasted with tonight's sky. There were more and more of them, filling everything around them with their glowing bodies. Then I noticed Anna walking over to the water, scooping up a little water from her head, and throwing it into the lake. The water immediately turned into a multitude of shades of blue and light blue, creating an incredible pattern on the surface. I immediately realized that there were bioluminescent microorganisms in the water that glowed when disturbed.
And now a surreal picture appeared before me, as if taken from some fantasy-themed game: a blue night, fireflies flying around, their tiny lights representing little spirits. And the trees looked as if they were home to night elves. The glowing lake seemed like a sacred place for those same long-eared intelligent beings. It was as if the moon goddess herself lived in it, while her pale companion sat above her. And the starry whirlpool only reinforced the image of the different, magical world I found myself in. Although, what am I talking about? There may be magic here, but it is not yet accessible to me.
I just stood there, looking at the unreal beauty that appeared before my eyes. Anna watched my reaction with a smile on her face, while Melow was already sitting by the lake, also watching everything.
I will remember this moment for the rest of my life. And thanks to these two children who showed it to me.
∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
- How did you find out about this place? — I asked as I walked with them. We had already left the fenced-off area and were heading back to camp.
- From the previous elders who took us there a few years ago, — Anna replied. - And their previous elders, and their previous elders, and so on. It's kind of a tradition at our shelter to show our friends this place.
- A whole tradition... Wow, —I whistled.
- Yeah! And also... Wait, do you hear that? — We stopped. I didn't hear anything, but when I concentrated, I started to hear something. Some kind of... clapping? Very similar to the clapping of wings, only heavier and slower. Determining where the sound was coming from, I tried to see its source.
- Look! — she pointed to the sky. I looked right there and saw...
- Iris?! — I exclaimed, not understanding what he was doing there. Looking closer, I saw him holding his hand, shaking his head from side to side, as if trying to find someone. When his gaze fell on us, he immediately sped up, approaching us directly, and soon fell in front of us.
- Oh my God! — Anna covered her mouth with both hands, looking with frightened eyes at Iris, who was lying on the ground, his hand looking more like a piece of meat than a normal hand. Torn to pieces, bleeding profusely, the boy was barely holding back tears. He himself was all battered, his shirt torn, his body covered with bloody wounds.
Damn it... What the hell happened to you?!
I knelt down in front of him, turning my back to the ground and facing the sky. It hurt to look at his wound, so I tried not to look at it, but at the boy's eyes instead. I took off my jacket, then tore off a piece of fabric from my T-shirt to bandage his arm and stop the bleeding. My actions made him groan louder in pain, his whole face smeared with dirt, tears, and snot. His eyes were red, and his breathing was ragged and labored.
- Iris! Iris! Look at me! — He did as I said — he looked at me, continuing to cry and hiccup. - Everything will be fine, you hear me? Now tell me what happened to you and what the hell are you doing here?!
But before I could hear his answer, a powerful roar echoed throughout the area, causing us all to look toward the forest, from which the wounded Iris had flown out. The boy trembled with fear, and Melow and Anna looked at each other in fear, not knowing what to do.
- There... there... — Iris tried to say something.
- What? What's there?
- Darris... — My heart skipped a beat. - Mori... Phil... Vatni and... Anova... They're all there... with the monster... Please... — He grabbed my free hand, looking at me with pleading eyes. - Help them... please... —
After that, he passed out, unable to withstand the excruciating pain any longer.
- W-what should we do?! — Anna exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders, looking at me and then at the confused Mellow, who himself didn't know what to do.
My mind was working overtime, trying to find a solution to the problem. There were only two options: run away, leaving the others behind like a piece of trash, or try to save the other children, but there was no guarantee that everyone would survive, let alone me. I was scared, very scared, and I wanted to choose the first option and run away, leaving them to their fate and saving my own skin. But these thoughts... were repulsive to me, even though I understood the logic behind them. I'm a kid, damn it! An eight-year-old boy who had only recently started training and hadn't reached the necessary level of development. What was I supposed to do there?!
But even so... To hell with it! I, damn it, took responsibility for their safety. And if any of them die, I won't forgive myself.
- Anna... — My voice was steely and serious, causing my friend to flinch in fear. - Take Iris and run with him to the camp, tell them what's going on, and call for help. Mellow, — he looked up at me with a frightened look, - can you make me a spear and a knife? Strong and sharp enough? — He nodded uncertainly.
- Excellent...
- What are you going to do? — she said in a trembling voice, holding Iris in her arms.
- I'm going to save the children... Even though I know it's certain death for me, — I said, turning to her. - But I took on this responsibility, just like all of us, — they exchanged glances.
- Then I'll go with you... At least I'll have some chance, — Melow came closer, creating a knife and a meter-long spear from his body. Separating them, he gave them to me.
— Then let's hurry.