— Thanks again for coming with me — Jonathan said, being guided by Bob.

— It’s fine, I want to leave this village with a gift of thanks — Tate replied, following him.

— We’ve arrived — announced Bob, stopping at the entrance. Both sides of the path were covered with dense forest and tall trees. An adult could easily get lost in that place.

— Go back home, Bob. It could be dangerous since we don’t know what might be hiding here — Jonathan advised, lighting a torch.

— May God be with you — the man said, turning back toward the village.

The warrior and the adventurer entered the cave. The place was devoid of any light, even darker than the previous cave where they had rescued the young miners. With every step, the sound of their boots hitting loose stones echoed, increasing the tension in the air.

The torchlight illuminated more than expected, revealing the path ahead. The silence was absolute and terrifying. How could a cave never explored before be so... empty?

— I think we should stay alert — Tate whispered, walking slowly toward a narrow corridor leading to another part of the grotto.

The silence was broken by the sound of running water, strong like a flood. Borrowing his companion’s torch, Tate stretched his arm down the corridor as far as he could, trying to see beyond the darkness.

— A stream — he said, letting out a relieved laugh.

— And what good does that do? The path is too narrow. We need the miners to clear the way — Jonathan explained.

— Then go call them! — ordered Tate.

— You’ll be okay alone? — Jonathan asked, hesitant.

— I’m an adventurer with a dark orange-tier force core. I think I can manage — Tate replied sarcastically. — Go ahead!

— Take care — Jonathan said goodbye, hurrying back toward the village.

In the village, Liz was gathering courage to speak with Payton, Sarah, Carla, and Catarina, who had already shown which side they were on in the conflict. With firm steps, the girl with long braids approached the group.

— Liz’s coming — Sarah warned, her curly hair swaying in the wind.

— What does she want? — Catarina asked with disdain.

— Hi, everyone — Liz said shyly.

— Hi... — Payton answered, confused.

— Payton, can I talk to you alone? — Liz asked.

— Ca...

— What do you want to say to her alone? — interrupted Carla, the girl with white hair tinged with gray.

— That’s none of your business.

— We know you too well. You’re going to try to turn us against her again! — Carla accused, stepping between the two.

— You know me so well, huh? — Liz muttered, changing her expression.

— Get lost, manipulator — Catarina ordered, supported by the others.

— Until recently, you were on my side! What kind of betrayal is this? — Liz protested, indignant.

— Didn’t I say it was jealousy? — Carla commented, crossing her arms disappointedly.

— What...? No! That’s not it at all!

— Go away, please — Payton asked, trying to hide her disgust.

— I just... — Liz murmured, about to cry. — Bye then — she said, turning and walking away, sobbing.

— Crying? Is she messing with us? So many times she used that emotional game to get what she wanted... — Sarah mocked, sitting back on the step. — What’s wrong, Payton? Don’t fall for it. It’s an act.

— It’s okay... I guess — Payton answered hesitantly.

— Back to the subject... So? Are we having a sleepover at my place tonight? — Sarah asked excitedly.

— Can we invite Beta? — Carla asked.

— Sure. But I doubt he’ll come. He only thinks about training and being an adventurer — Sarah replied, uninterested.

At that moment, Jonathan ran past the group, completely out of breath, and collapsed on the ground, causing a commotion. The girls rushed to him, and soon the order was given to gather the miners at Cleveland’s and Smallters’ houses to head to the cave.

From the top of the church, Ferry watched all the movement. Seeing an opportunity, she decided to investigate more about the wolves. Beta was still sleeping deeply on Tate’s bed.

The green-haired adventurer followed the same path to the place where the pups had been buried. Using her power more intensely, she saw what had really happened that day.

A teleporter had attacked them. Teleporters are monsters with long limbs, sharp claws, completely black, with eyes like amethyst-purple. They are anthropomorphic and have the power to teleport—hence the name.

Ferry planned to tell the girls everything as soon as she returned from exploring the cave. Since she was nearby, she decided to help Tate. At the cave entrance, Philipe—who had gone in Jonathan’s place, too exhausted to continue—was giving instructions to the miners.

— Be ready in five minutes, everyone. We have to take advantage while it’s still light — Philipe warned, leaning against the cave wall.

— So, shall we start? — Tate asked, emerging from the darkness.

— Was that supposed to be a dramatic entrance? — Philipe replied, expressionless.

— Heh heh... — Tate chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed.

— Whatever. In four minutes, we’ll enter the cave.

— What will they do after breaking through the walls? — Tate asked, curious.

— They’ll return, obviously.

— Okay... But what if there’s another wall blocking an entrance further in?

— We can’t let the miners wander inside the cave. Monsters might appear.

— Alright, folks! — Tate clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. — Did you bring torches and supporters for this little job? — he asked, noticing the positive nods.

— What are you planning to do? — Philipe grabbed Tate by the shoulder and whispered in his ear.

— Just getting ahead of everyone’s side — he answered, heading to the miners. — Okay, Smallters and Cleveland, grab a bag with torches! Come with me and keep the place lit for when we come back here later.

— O-okay, Mr. Tate! — Smallters replied quickly, standing up with Cleveland.

— What’s up? — Tate asked, noticing Philipe’s disapproving look. — What do you think will happen if I kill the monsters and leave the cave as dark as it is now? You two come with me! — he called the miners, passing by Philipe.

— Don’t worry about it, Philipe. They’re reliable — Bob tried to calm him down.

— I know, but... — he sighed. — I still find those three adventurers strange. They say they came by the queen’s order, b—

— What? Sent by Queen Alexa? Why? — Tate interrupted, surprised.

— Not exactly here, you idiot! They’re returning from a mission she commanded and plan to leave the day after tomorrow — Philipe explained, staring at the adventurer.

— And what’s wrong with that?

— I don’t understand how Jonathan didn’t notice right away, Bob. They came from the same direction and path that leads to Queen Alexa’s kingdom.

Suddenly, everyone was startled by the noise caused by Ferry, who fell right in the middle of the miners. Philipe was speechless, fearing the girl had overheard his suspicions.

— Why the face like you saw a ghost, Philipe? I just came to help with this “cleanup” here. Cheer up — she said, hopping into the cave.

— I’m too old for scares like that, my God... I’m going to sit down for a bit, Philipe — Bob said, looking dizzy.

— Alright — Philipe answered, watching everyone prepare. — You there, come in! The five minutes are up.

The cave was already well-lit at the key points. Smallters and Cleveland watched as others broke through the wall leading to another path, alongside Tate, Ferry, and Philipe.

Tate noticed Ferry acting differently. Although she arrived cold and quiet as usual, she seemed lost in her own thoughts — which was unusual for her.

‘Teleporters usually stay in FireWorld and the Black Beast territory... so why would they come here and kill the wolves? They’re not aggressive to that point — only toward humans. Irrational animals, they usually ignore unless attacked. And these were pups... That’s strange…’

— Ferry? Ferry! — Tate called, snapping her out of her thoughts.

— W-what? Did you call me? — she answered, waking up.

— Are you alright? — he asked as the sound of pickaxes echoed through the cave.

— Can I talk to you alone? — she asked with a serious expression, making Tate worried too.

— Philipe, can you let us know when they finish? — she requested, already walking toward the exit.

— I can... — Philipe replied, intrigued by the pair’s behavior.

Outside, Tate checked the surroundings to make sure no one would overhear the conversation. Ferry seemed restless.

— So? — he asked, crossing his arms.

— There might be teleporters in this area.

— What do you mean?

— Actually, I’m not sure... I used my conjuration to see events from four years ago.

— What? Why did you do that?

— I overheard a conversation between the guard and one of the girls. I wanted to understand on my own who was telling the truth. In the end, they were all wrong.

— Wait... Is that why you disappeared this morning?

— Yes.

— So what’s this whole mess about?

— In short: there were some wolf pups here, and they think Payton killed them. But actually, it was one or more teleporters.

— And why does that matter to you?

— You wouldn’t understand. That girl is ostracized by the others for something she didn’t even do.

— So, in the end, you have feelings? — he teased mockingly.

— This is serious, Tate! What could happen here is more dangerous than we expected. We have to get out of here today. If possible, tonight.

— Ferry, if what you saw happened four years ago, those teleporters are probably already dead.

— I know... But I have a bad feeling about this.

— We’ll discuss this later. Let’s go back. Outside is no place for this — he said, guiding her back into the cave.

— I need to talk to Dereck about this. Did you see him after you left?

— To be honest, Dereck disappeared after I spoke with Jonathan.

— That’s not good... — she murmured, worried.

— He’s probably wandering through the forest, as always. He’s at the light-yellow stage, I doubt anything can kill him.

— If you say so…

★

Hidden beneath the blankets, Liz wept silently, muffling her sobs with the pillow. She didn’t have the courage to apologize to Payton and knew that if she tried, the other girls would suspect her intentions.

Without friends, no chance of reconciliation, and constantly threatened by the possible return of her sadistic mother—who could come back from her trip at any moment—Liz felt completely lost. She no longer saw any meaning in her life. Aside from her unspoken crush on Beta, thoughts of suicide became more frequent.

She couldn’t understand what she had done to deserve so much suffering: the abuse, the assaults, and the isolation from her former friends. Her arrogance was just a mask to hide the fears, insecurities, and pain she felt inside. Unfortunately, the way she dealt with it all only made things worse.

Liz was gathering the courage to take her own life. She no longer cared. Her plan was to hang herself with the bedsheet and leave this cruel world. Perhaps by coincidence, fate, or even the intervention of a guardian angel, someone knocked on her door just as she was preparing.

Quickly, she wiped away her tears and tried to appear calm as she walked to the door. When she opened it, she was met with an unexpected surprise: it was Payton, alone.

— What did you want to talk about? — Payton asked with a look of pity, as if she already had a vague idea of what it was about.

— I… just wanted to say I’m sorry — Liz said, unable to hold back her tears, as Payton hugged her and she collapsed on her shoulders.

Liz could no longer bear that burden. At the first chance to open up, she poured her heart out to the one person she had hurt the most over the years. Payton listened silently, just holding her. Liz spoke nonstop, revealing everything she felt, lived through, did, and even what she had thought about doing.

— You kept all this inside for so long… — Payton murmured, a tear rolling down her left cheek. She hugged Liz tighter, seeing her curled up, saying nothing more. — Does your mother really do these things to you? — she asked, noticing Liz nod in affirmation.

Payton finally understood that Liz’s cruelty didn’t come from herself. Her mother was a true monster, capable of killing without any shame or remorse if she found out she’d been exposed.

— You need to tell the guards — she said, running her hand through the girl’s tied-up hair.

— NO! — Liz shouted, standing up in desperation. — IF SHE FINDS OUT, SHE WILL KILL ME!

— Calm down, Liz! She can’t hurt you. The guards are trained warriors!

— I DON’T WANT TO! — she exclaimed, grabbing Payton’s shirt. — You can’t tell anyone, do you hear me? Please, don’t tell, especially not the girls — she begged with a desperate look.

— O-okay… — Payton answered, scared, stepping back a little. — But you can’t keep this inside forever.

— I won’t. When Beta leaves this village, I’ll go with him.

— What? What do you mean? Beta is leaving the village?

— He wants to become an adventurer. I hope he can awaken his core soon so I can go with him.

— You’d rather run away than reveal who your mother really is? — she asked, shocked.

— It’s best for everyone. One day, she’ll pay.

— That’s not how you should think.

— You’re not the one who spent years being tortured.

— Precisely because of that! How can you want her to get away with it?

— I don’t want that! But she would easily deny it, and the abuse would be even worse. I don’t want to go through that anymore.

— Bu—

— Payton, no! Please, promise me you’ll keep this secret. Promise me you’ll keep your mouth shut. Please!

— Alright… — she sighed, defeated by the plea. — If that’s what you want, then so be it.

— Thank you — Liz replied, hugging her with relief, showing trust.

This, in turn, weighed heavily on Payton’s conscience. She felt torn between what was right and what was necessary. The necessary thing was to respect the victim’s request and keep everything secret. The right thing, however, was to report the abuse to the authorities and end the cycle of violence.

— I know it might seem like a bother, but… don’t you want to come to the sleepover at my house?

— What sleepover?

★