Inside the cave, there was a moment of silence before the two sides finally decided to sit down together. From the second side were William, Riana the young lecturer, Theo as class president, as well as Erik and Rahelthey were the ones who shared a lot of information about the world of Murim based on the novels they had read. From the second side, Nayla and Leon became the representatives.
At first, the first side opposed Theo and Erik's decision. However, after a long debate about the dangers that awaited them outside, they finally reached an agreement.
The final decision was that they would stay in the cave for one day, considering that their pursuers had previously been said to have died in battle. Five people would be chosen to go out and check the surrounding conditions to make the next trip safer, especially since some of them were still injured.
Raven had been sitting quietly since the beginning. His gaze was cold, as if observing them from a distance even though they were close. He did not add any opinions, just letting others talk. This made his friends uneasy.
Raven felt different, something had changed in him. Hana sat next to him, squeezing her hands. Without realizing it, she glanced at Raven several times from the corner of her eye. Something made her uncomfortable, not because she was afraid, but more like a warning instinct.
"He's... changed," whispered a small voice in her heart.
There was even a faint smell of iron mixed with blood... as if it was clinging to Raven. Hana swallowed, trying to convince herself that it was just her imagination.
After a few unbearable minutes, Hana finally plucked up the courage to speak.
"Raven..." she called softly.
Raven didn't turn around immediately. It took two seconds for his eyes to move in her direction, as if he had just realized he had been called.
"What?" his voice was soft, but cold at the end.
Hana bit her lip. "You... you've been quiet. Usually you love to talk about... weird things like this."
Raven turned his head briefly. "It's okay. I've just been thinking about a lot of things since we came to this world."
"A lot of things?" Hana tried to move a little closer.
Raven let out a small sigh. "Well... about how we can survive. And... going home, I guess."
"Heheh..." Hana laughed softly, her voice soft and slightly trembling.
Her gaze never left Raven's face, as if afraid of losing that moment even for a second. Hana's cheeks flushed slightly, becoming more obvious as she hugged her knees tighter.
I knew it...
It seems like it's just my feeling.
He's still the same Raven.
"It seems... your habit of thinking far ahead hasn't changed at all," Hana said softly, her voice warm and full of emotion.
"Even though we... are in another world now."
Hana took a small breath, as if gathering her courage.
"It feels like... you've never changed."
She smiled a thin, hesitant, but warm smile.
"And… for some reason… it makes me feel a little safer."
For a moment, she looked down silently, staring at her own knees.
"…I'm glad you're here, Raven."
Raven raised his thin eyebrows, as if just realizing how deep and important those words were to him. "Is that so? Well then… I'm glad you feel that way, Hana."
His answer was simple, but it was enough to warm Hana's chest, as if something soothing had returned to its place.
A moment of silence hung between them, until the sound of approaching footsteps broke it.
"Sorry to interrupt, Raven," Theo's voice sounded, followed by his shadow appearing from behind. "We want to know if you want to join this plan?"
Raven stood up, his gaze shifting to Theo and several other people standing behind him, namely William, Erik, and Leon.
"Sure, why not. I'll join," he said without hesitation.
"Thank goodness." Theo breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tomorrow morning we will start from the cave. So today, five of us will go out to check the surroundings. You, Mr. William, Erik, Ms. Adriana, and Leon."
"Then when exactly will we leave to check?" Raven asked calmly.
"This afternoon," William replied, glancing at the watch on his wrist.
"At four o'clock sharp."
"All right." Raven nodded.
The decision was met with nods from several people. The division of roles was decided. Raven was in charge of finding the direction because he was considered to be familiar with the surrounding terrain after finding this cave. Erik became the informant based on his knowledge of the Murim world from novels. Riana acted as a translator when they met local residents. William and Leon acted as representatives of the two camps.
Nayla, though she had wanted to join, was ultimately not chosen. Some deemed her attitude too impulsive, so the first faction preferred to trust Leon as their representative.
Inside the cave, the atmosphere returned to silence. However, Raven's cold stare still left Hana feeling uneasy, and for some reason, some of the others felt the same way.
It was four in the afternoon. The five people chosen to leave, Raven, William, Riana, Erik, and Leon, had prepared themselves. Before leaving, they said goodbye to their friends in the cave. Theo, who stayed behind, took on the role of class president to organize some of the students and take care of those who were still injured.
Hana stood near the mouth of the cave, staring at Raven's back as he walked away with the group. She couldn't hide her anxiety.
"Hey, are you still worried about your boyfriend leaving?" Karin's voice suddenly appeared from behind, startling Hana.
"Eh?! It's not like that... I'm just worried about him," Hana replied quickly, her face red with embarrassment.
"Aren't you two like a couple?" Lisa chimed in teasingly.
"Oh, why are you guys like this..." Hana sighed in exasperation. She knew her two friends were just joking, but she felt even more embarrassed.
Not far from them, Kevin was watching the conversation. He then stepped closer.
"Hey, you guys. Everything's okay, right?" he asked with a slight smile.
Karin immediately crossed her arms. "What is it now, Kevin? You're still approaching Hana after everything that happened?" her voice sounded sharp.
Lisa chimed in with a softer but more piercing tone, "Aren't you tired of trying, when it's obvious who she likes?"
"Eh, you two, don't be like that," Hana quickly interrupted. She tried to calm the situation and smiled at Kevin.
'What is it, Kevin?'
Kevin looked down for a moment before speaking.
"Ah, nothing. Sorry to interrupt you guys." He said softly. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips, just to comfort them.
"I just want to give you guys some of my supplies."
He lifted a plastic bag containing snacks and some bread.
"I saw that you guys were quite tense earlier," he continued.
"Some of you probably didn't have time to eat breakfast because you were too worried about Raven. So, I hope this helps."
He handed it over with a friendly smile, but somehow it looked a little... suspicious.
Karin stared at him with a wary expression.
"Why does it feel scary when he's being so nice?" she muttered very softly, but Hana clearly heard it.
She patted Karin's shoulder gently, a signal for her friend to hold back.
"Karin... enough, okay?" she said softly but firmly.
Then Hana turned to Kevin, her face softening a little.
"Thank you so much, Kevin. This really helps us," she said sincerely.
Kevin nodded lightly, as if their attitude was no big deal.
"Well, I'll be going then." He turned and walked away from them with steady steps.
Lisa tilted her head, staring at Kevin's receding back. "Hey, why is he acting like that?" she asked, confused.
"I don't know either," replied Karin, furrowing her eyebrows.
"But honestly, he's so nice it gives me goosebumps."
She suddenly turned to Hana, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.
"Be careful, Hana. If you're not careful, you might fall for his charm."
"I-I wouldn't!" Hana gasped, her cheeks turning red.
"Karin!"
Lisa, who saw this, sighed and decided to change the subject.
"By the way... I haven't seen that idiot since earlier. Where's Kyle?"
Hana pointed to the other side of the cave.
"There he is. Looks like he's busy."
Lisa followed her pointing finger.
There, Kyle was lifting a fairly large container of water, trying to carry it without spilling a single drop. He was helping Theo and several other students who were still injured, his face serious, but his steps were a little unsteady due to the weight of the container.
Without realizing it, Lisa smiled slightly at the scene.
Hana and Karin saw her.
They immediately looked at each other... then looked at Lisa at the same time, their sparkling eyes full of teasing intent.
Lisa, realizing their gaze, quickly looked away. "What's wrong with you guys?!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Eh? Nothing," Hana replied quickly, holding back her smile.
Karin grinned widely. "Looks like... there's a new ship."
Lisa immediately frowned. "Karin!"
Hana covered her mouth tightly, trying hard to hold back her laughter. For a moment, the tense atmosphere in the cave became warmer because of their little joke.
_________________________
Somewhere in the forest, Raven and the other four members walked through thick bushes and small paths between the trees. The orange light of dusk penetrated the gaps between the branches, reflecting off the wet leaves and casting long shadows that followed their footsteps. Occasionally, Erik or Leon left small marks on tree trunks or arranged stones along the path behind them, as markers so they wouldn't get lost on their way back.
Raven was in the lead, his steps steady as if he already knew where he was going. William walked right behind him, but his mind was filled with shadows that made his chest feel tight. He still clearly remembered the moment Raven first came out of the cave and spoke to him. There was something in Raven's gaze at that moment that was not just cold, but like a faint alarm that weighed on his soul. His eyes radiated an indescribable aura that made William's hair stand on end.
It was as if... he was staring at death.
The memory kept spinning in his head. Even just now, when Raven returned to the cave, William felt that gaze again, more piercing, cold, and deep, as if the man was looking down on them all. William gripped the strap of his bag tightly, trying to calm his anxiety. He chose to remain silent, not wanting to disturb the already heavy atmosphere.
"Hey, William! Are you okay?" Riana's voice broke his reverie.
William snapped out of it and turned around. Riana looked at him with raised eyebrows, while Erik and Leon also seemed to be watching him.
"I-I'm fine," William replied haltingly, trying to smile.
"Raven has called you twice. But you seem... not to hear at all," Riana continued, her voice soft but concerned.
William turned to the front. Sure enough, Raven was standing a few steps ahead of him, waiting with a calm but unreadable expression.
"Are you okay, Mr. William?" Raven asked, his voice flat, but enough to make William break out in a cold sweat.
"... I'm fine," William replied quickly, trying to hide his nervousness.
Raven just stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "All right. Then we're here." He pointed ahead.
In front of them lay a river with a fairly strong current. The water reflected the golden light of the setting sun. The soothing sound of the water contrasted with their previous silent journey.
For Raven, this river was not an unfamiliar place. Some time ago, he was the first to discover this stream, and it was here that he had cleaned himself after a fierce battle against the bandits. Now, he brought his group to the river not to wash away blood again, but to show that this stream could be the key.