Instead, it was drowned in fear, dread and confusion.

"You found her?" Kai asked. "Then shouldn't you be more... happy?"

"I know I know, and I AM really glad she's probably ok, but.."

"What?" He dreaded hearing the next words out of her mouth.

"It's where I found her."

"She..." she began.

"She was one of the attackers from the 2nd room we went through," she let out, a weight lifted from her chest.

Kai was shocked.

"W-"

"What?" He said.

"You mean your friend tried to kill us!?" He cried, suddenly doubting everything she had told him.

"No! It's not like that, she didn't try to kill us!" She said, attempting to vindicate her friend.

"She was the one who refused to fight! She was the one who stayed back and..." she trailed off.

A moment of confused and fearful silence.

"...Left them to it?" Kai finished, trying to make it sound the least... heartbreaking possible.

Birds called in countless strange sounds, unaware of the emotional strife below.

Only that and the rustling of unseen leaves occupied the silence.

Neither Kai nor Marcy looked at anything but the floor, cleared of leaf litter for risk of forestfires.

"I..." Marcy began

"I think I need a moment alone."

Kai thought he did too.

He had no idea what was real anymore.

Who to trust...

Something rustling in the undergrowth just out of sight caught his attention.

He whipped around, in desperate need of a distraction.

It was way too low to be a bird, and it's moves were purposeful enough to differentiate it from an animal anyway.

Plus, he'd only seen one thing that shade of pink since arriving...