After their discussion, the group resumed their journey toward the border.
They had no clear idea where they were heading only their slightly dimmed vision reminded them they were going in the right direction.
Ray had warned them that was currently somewhere between Zone 2 and Zone 3, and that it would take at least close to a full day of non-stop walking to get close enough to the border if they could trust his word.
Ice still didn't know if he could fully let his guard down around Ray or at least not see him as a threat.
There was nothing he could do about it. Ray's presence seemed too good to be true: his bag strangely contained everything they needed, and Ice was sure the information Ray had shared with them wasn't something one could gather just by wandering around here not even in centuries.
He also knew that if there was one thing he lacked right now, it was choice. Ray was too important indispensable, even. He needed the few supplies and weapons Ray had given them, but more than anything, he needed his information, which gave them a glimpse of an escape route.
So, for now, he decided to put his doubts aside and go with the flow. If Ray stayed close enough with a sword in hand, then he would draw the sword Ray had given him and be ready to defend himself at any moment.
He had no idea how strong Ray truly was, but he couldn't be that powerful if he'd needed trickery to lure away the 'weak' monster that had attacked them earlier even though he had a weapon.
It's really hard to trust anyone, he thought, discouraged.
He sighed and turned to Celestia.
"So, can you hear anything?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, still nothing. Sorry."
"Don't worry, it's not like we've run into another one since we left," Ray remarked.
"Besides, I never imagined I'd ever wish to run into one," Ice joked.
"That's true for me too," Ray added with a grin.
To maximize their chances of crossing the 'border', Ice had decided to put all his hopes in Celestia's hearing. But first, he had to make sure he could rely on it.
She would have to stay focused on the surroundings and warn them if any monster was approaching ideally a few seconds before it became visible.
The silence around them helped her concentrate. Only the bell rang from time to time.
They continued on their way until, a few minutes later, Celestia suddenly stopped. The other two froze too, waiting anxiously for her next words.
She frowned, scanning the darkness.
"Behind us," she whispered.
Instinctively, they turned around at once, but saw nothing.
Ray drew his sword and extinguished the torch he was holding.
"Are you sure "
Before he could finish, they spotted a grotesque silhouette exactly where she had indicated. The beast looked eerily similar to the one that had chased them just moments ago and nearly taken their lives.
They must be pretty common around here, Ice thought.
He cast a quick glance at Celestia to see how she was handling it, now faced with the creature that had traumatized her so deeply or at least one nearly identical to it.
He was already racking his brain for something comforting to say but to his surprise, there was barely a trace of fear in her eyes. Only a quiet resolve.
She's growing up so fast, he thought.
When they'd first met, she'd been a frail young girl with no memory. She still looked just as vulnerable, but now she was determined not to be a burden especially when they needed her for a task only she could do.
"Put your sword away. This isn't our fight today. It's not coming toward us let's just watch," Ice said, pointing at the beast.
Ray nodded and lowered his blade. They watched in silence as the creature slowly moved away, vanishing into the darkness.
Ray turned to them, eyes shining. "You two are truly a blessing," he said with a wide smile.
"I don't know what I'd have done without you."
He had hesitated for a long time before helping them when he'd first seen the monsters attacking. In the end, he'd decided to step in only because they were just children, about his age. He'd never imagined they would become his only chance to escape this nightmare and maybe find a brighter world.
"What's left in your mystery bag?" Ice asked, cutting through Ray's euphoria.
Ray took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Honestly? Not much. Just enough for one last meal."
Ice frowned. "I see. We'll rest for now and eat our last meal tomorrow. By the way, do you think we can reach the border tomorrow?"
Ray shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think so."
Ice sighed. "Well, that's something."
"We should rest then and leave at first light. We'll take turns keeping watch," Ray suggested.
Instantly, Celestia dropped to the ground and motioned for Ice to come over.
"That's the best idea you've had all day," she declared.
She pulled at Ice's shirt when he came closer and forced him to sit so she could use his knee as a pillow.
"Wake me when it's my turn," she mumbled, eyes already closing.
Ray chuckled at how easily she could sleep in their situation.
"I'll take the first watch," Ice said.
Ray stretched out on the ground too, trying to find sleep.
"With pleasure," he murmured.
Ice had decided to stay awake for about eight hours. He planned to stay alert until about halfway through the night, so he wouldn't have to wake Celestia right away.
Within minutes, though, his eyelids grew heavy, and he nearly drifted off, but he forced himself to stay awake.
To fight the fatigue, he took the sword Ray had given him, tossed it into the air, and caught it again — over and over.
To his surprise, it worked well enough to keep him awake for hours, until Ray's voice finally broke the silence, offering to take over.
"Go to sleep," Ray said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ice simply nodded.
He shifted carefully so he wouldn't wake Celestia, then lay down himself.
But no sleep came. He just lay there with his eyes shut, too tense to rest.
He was afraid; afraid of being swallowed by the darkness, afraid Ray might fall asleep too, or worse, that he'd feel a blade in his chest before morning.
He didn't know what it was, but something still felt off, something small but vital that kept him from trusting Ray completely.
It bothered him, especially since Ray didn't seem to share this mistrust; he was fast asleep, his annoying snoring proof enough. Ice had heard it plenty during his watch.
Maybe that's what worried me the most, he thought.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Ray's watch came to an end and it was time to get moving again.
Ice gently laid Celestia's head on the ground and tapped her shoulder before approaching Ray, who hadn't noticed him yet half-asleep, lost somewhere between reality and dreams.
"What an exceptional guard you are," Ice teased with a smile, startling him.
Ray scratched his head, blinking awake.
"Sorry, I woke up every time that damn bell rang," he muttered.
"I see we can't all sleep as soundly as some people," Ice said, glancing at Celestia as she yawned and shuffled over.
"was that about me?" she asked, still half-asleep. "And why didn't you wake me last night? Do you still not trust me?"
She crossed her arms, frowning when they hesitated to answer.
"You're our radar, remember? No way we were waking you the night before." Ice said lightly.
Celestia scowled but dropped the subject.
The three of them sat together in a circle and prepared to eat what would likely be their final meal in the darkness.
They were about to venture into the deepest shadows, hoping to reach an unknown light on the other side.
Even the faintest shapes had started to vanish. The dark was thick now and absolute