The return journey of the group of seven back to the city had begun. At the front walked Natasha and Celia in silence, the tension of the past hours still hanging heavily in the air.

  “As soon as we’re back in Brittania, we’ll hand Gina over to the WDF,” Natasha said, her voice businesslike and stripped of emotion. “That’s her home, and they’ll take over her treatment. After that, we head to District Air, to the headquarters of the Research Team. There, our leader, Lucius, will decide whether you’ll be recruited.”

  Celia nodded and swallowed hard. The words settled in her stomach like a stone. She was already a member of the Royal Guard, and leaving to join the Research Team would not be something her family would forgive easily. The thought alone made her shrink inward. But she had made her decision. She would do what she wanted—what her heart told her to do. And what she wanted was to stay as close to Zack as possible. Because he was, in all his misunderstood complexity, the same as she was. Was that her only reason? She glanced back and saw Zack laughing softly in conversation with the ever-serious Eli. That familiar, warm glow stirred within her again. The bond they had forged was stronger than her fear of her family’s reaction.

  Meanwhile, Zack was talking with Eli—the incomprehensible hero who had just saved their lives. The emotional outburst had faded, leaving only friendship behind.

  “How did you even get to the other side of the Wall?” Zack asked quietly.

  Eli’s reply was calm and cool. “The alarm bells went off and chaos broke out,” he said. “So it wasn’t that hard.”

  Zack nodded and smiled. He tapped Eli on the shoulder, resolute. “That’s the last time you had to save me,” he said. “Next time, it’ll be the other way around.”

  Eli’s expression didn’t change. He turned and looked toward the rest of the group. Thomas was walking up front, while Kevin brought up the rear, pushing a stretcher with Gina on it. “Want to switch?” Eli asked Kevin. “I’ll carry her for a bit.” And just like that, they changed places.

  The group continued on over the hills toward the Wall.

  They reached a small lake and decided to rest for a moment. Thomas immediately began setting up a campfire, sparks dancing in the early morning air. Kevin and Zack tried to catch a few small fish from the rippling water, a welcome distraction from the tension. Natasha and Celia, their faces grim, replaced Gina’s bandages.

  Eli was nowhere to be seen. No one had noticed until now. Suddenly, Natasha looked up. “Where’s Eli?” she asked. No one knew. It was as if he had vanished with the wind, as quietly as he had come. There was no time to dwell on it, because Gina finally stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused.

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  “Gina?” Celia asked. “Can you hear me?”

  Gina’s body was visibly weakened. The first words that escaped her lips were barely intelligible. “There was… there was a de—… dem—” She coughed up a bit of blood. Natasha gave her water. After a sip, Gina spoke again, her voice slightly clearer now. “There was a demon with purple eyes…”

  Natasha’s eyes widened. The cup in her hands rattled softly. “Purple eyes? Are you sure?” She was clearly shaken. “That means an A-rank demon.”

  But it didn’t matter. Gina’s eyes closed again, and she slipped back into a deep, unconscious sleep.

  Natasha stood and called the others over. Her composure was gone. “Guys,” she said, “there’s a serious threat. There may be an A-rank demon nearby.”

  They looked at each other in shock. The term sounded like a death sentence. “An A-rank is far beyond us,” Natasha continued. “If we encounter one, we’re dead.”

  “But it’s daytime,” Zack said. “There aren’t any demons during the day, right?”

  “A-rank demons can withstand the light,” Natasha replied. “They’re much stronger. Much stronger. We don’t stand a chance. We need to get back inside the walls as fast as possible.”

  Kevin and Zack had caught two small fish by then. Thomas cooked them quickly over the fire. “We’ll eat while we walk,” he said. “We don’t have time to lose.”

  And so the journey continued, now with a new, deadly danger at their heels.

  The group was about to move on when Zack stopped. “We can’t leave without Eli!” he said, his voice firm.

  Natasha sighed. This was exactly what she had feared. Her response was cold and harsh. “An A-rank demon is too dangerous. I won’t put my team at risk. We move on now, and if you don’t agree, you can stay behind. We’re leaving.”

  She turned—and stopped abruptly, her breath catching.

  Eli stood directly in front of her, barely half a metre away. His eyes were sharp and unyielding, piercing straight through her. A cold shiver ran down her spine—pure fear.

  “Where were you?” she asked, her voice less steady than she intended.

  Eli stared at her in silence. His hand moved calmly to his bag, an ominous gesture. Natasha followed the movement with her eyes, outwardly composed, though she felt her legs tremble slightly. She didn’t show it. Eli pulled out several apples. “I figured you might be hungry,” he said.

  The pressure vanished instantly. Zack burst out laughing. The group gathered their things and set off again.

  Natasha remained uneasy. She couldn’t shake her fear of Eli. She was a hardened veteran—fear was an emotion she had buried long ago. So why was she afraid of him?

  The journey home continued. The sun now stood high in the sky, casting long shadows from the trees. The air felt lighter, the tension eased. And then, in the distance, the Wall appeared—a grey colossus dominating the horizon.

  “I see the Wall!” Zack shouted joyfully.

  Natasha let out a breath of relief. The uncertainty of the night gave way to calm. Celia thought to herself, We survived.

  As they reached the Wall, William ran toward them. His face was pale, his eyes wide. He saw Gina and shouted, “GINA!” He thanked Natasha, shook Celia’s hand, then turned to Zack. “You’ve had quite a first day. Are you sure you still want to stay with the WDF?”

  Zack laughed awkwardly and looked past William. Two figures approached: the friendly young man with the black bowl cut, and Ronny—the man who had pushed him off the Wall. Zack’s expression hardened instantly. Before he could speak, William interrupted him. “I think you all deserve some rest. Go home. We’ll see each other again tomorrow.”

  Celia walked over to Rico, who was waiting with a serious expression. “Rico, I’m sorry,” she said hoarsely. “I wasn’t strong enough.”

  Rico replied reassuringly, “Don’t worry, Celia. You all made it back. You did great. Let’s return to District Water. I’ve been here long enough.” And with that, Celia and Rico left without another word.

  “Celia!” Zack called after her. “We’ll see each other again soon!” Celia blushed slightly but kept walking, unwilling to let Rico notice. Kevin, Thomas, and Natasha said their goodbyes to Zack and Eli and headed back toward District Air.

  Eli grabbed Zack by the arm. “Come on,” he said. “We’re going home.”

  What do you think is really going on?