CHAPTER 259: 259-CAN I TRUST MY SQUADMATES?

Clementine:

"They said my father had a heart attack," Oriana murmured as we stood in line, ready to leave for the North. We had been called in pretty early that morning.

Soon after we spoke with Oriana, Ian came out, and somehow none of us really wanted to talk in front of him. Besides, I could tell Oriana didn’t speak much with the others. She clung to me instead, and I wanted to help her.

"I can only imagine how you feel. I never had a very loving father, but I wish I had. And seeing your desperation and the way you mourned, I can only say your father must have been a very nice man."

I gave her a comforting nod, and she smiled, shaking her head. I could see her eyes getting teary every once in a while.

She had been promised to stay at home and never return to the North, and yet here she was, one day later, not even allowed to attend her father’s funeral.

That was unacceptable. And not only that, they were sending us to the North. Sending her to the North. She looked lifeless, and I couldn’t help but feel so much concern for her.

"Hey, Oriana, I’ll make sure you’re safe," I told her.

It was as if she had been waiting for someone to say that because the minute I did, she turned around in the line and hugged me tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered, letting out a few small hiccups.

Then we began loading into the cars to take us to the station. While the male members of my squad left, it was just Oriana and me getting into a car together when Miss Rue stopped us.

"Be careful out there," she told both of us, making me stare at her for a moment. I noticed a little mud on her coat, and it hit me, they were going to dig around while we were away, trying to find Bodhi’s diary.

The one that doesn’t exist. I could tell they wanted to send us away because they were worried we’d uncover some truth.

"And Clementine, please keep an eye on her. She’s dealing with a lot. I don’t want her to get lost in the North, because this time you’re not going to be in the open air. You’ll be staying underground," she added, making me frown as she handed us some papers.

They gave them to the others too, so I wondered what exactly they were. Were they finally going to tell us something about the monsters we’d be dealing with? Or was there a serious mission behind this task as well?

We boarded the car and soon reached the train station, where we were let inside. However, Oriana had to be alone in her carriage. Even though she was part of our group, she still wore a red uniform, which meant she had to stay in the red carriage.

I kept checking on her every few seconds, even though the journey had only just begun and would last for about twenty minutes.

It was strange how time seemed to change so suddenly. Still, I couldn’t stop worrying about her. Twenty minutes could do a lot to someone who had just lost her father.

"Okay, so it seems like we’re going to be facing the monster you last saw," Haiden stated.

"So, according to these papers, we’ll be in the underground passageway this time," Troy added, staring at the papers in front of him.

"So, what exactly are we going to do this time?" I asked, noticing how Ian was only looking out the window. He had opened his paper, but it was crumpled in his hand, and he kept shaking his leg.

I had never seen Ian this anxious before. During our first trip there, he had been reluctant to fight, but this time he looked truly scared. That was unusual for him, but as long as he stayed away from me, I didn’t mind.

I just wanted him to calm down first, and then we could talk about the rejection, hopefully, he’d agree. That was the plan.

Then, finally, I noticed Troy and Yorick discussing something as they inspected their papers.

"So, there’s a certain kind of coal used in jewelry, but it also gives off enough energy to help someone survive a monster’s attack," Yorick muttered, sounding confused himself.

"For us, it’s important to know that we just need to collect this coal that looks and shines like a diamond, and bring it back," he explained simply. "And we have to fill at least these black bags with it."

Troy showed us the black bags that had been given to us this time. They’d also given us water bottles and a little food, since we’d be in an underground passage.

I wasn’t sure if we’d get lucky with anything else, and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect down there.

Once we reached the North, it started to hit me. I looked back at Oriana stepping out of her carriage, and I could tell she hadn’t even opened her paper yet. It was all the same information, but still, she looked so defeated. It really upset me. I was sure she missed her father.

"Oriana, come with us," I called out, reminding her that we were here for her.

She gave me a broken smile and then rushed over, wrapping her fingers tightly around mine.

"Okay, so we’ll be heading toward the area of Fleshmingos. One of the houses has an underground passage, and from there we’ll continue our journey," Troy explained, making my heart jump.

Why would there be an underground passage in one of the houses? Then again, we were all strange creatures. Someone must have started storing those coals many years ago, or maybe the houses were built on top of those underground passages.

We started walking, but I noticed Ian keeping his distance from all of us. Then I felt Oriana tug at my hand to get my attention. She spoke very softly.

"Do you trust them?" she asked, referring to my squadmates. We had fallen behind a bit since she was walking slowly.

"Yeah, I do," I replied confidently. "Why? You don’t trust my squadmates?" I asked, noticing how tightly she was holding my hand.

"I don’t know. I’d rather trust you," she murmured, making me stare at her silently before we left the woods and entered the Fleshmingo town.