Leonardo leaned in closer, his voice a low whisper that barely carried over the crackling fire. "I think you were saying... Superbia."
The name hit Ivan like a physical blow. For a split second, his composure cracked. His eyes widened, and the terror from his dream threatened to surface. He quickly forced it down.
"Huh?" he said, his voice rough. He put on a confused expression. "Superbia? What's that? I don't know..." He reached up and touched his head, wincing in fake pain. "My head is hurting. I can't remember anything. But I'm fine."
'I can't just tell them about Superbia,' Ivan thought, his heart pounding. 'They'd think I'm crazy. Coming from the future? What a bullshit story. I don't even believe myself 100%.'
His fingers brushed against a rough fabric wrapped around his forehead. A makeshift bandage.
"It's Leonardo's shirt," Jomana said from across the fire. "He cut it to wrap around your head."
Leonardo shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I had to. Your head looked like a hatched egg."
Ivan ignored him. He needed to change the subject, now. He focused his gaze on Jomana, trying to look casual.
"Hm? What are you looking at?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's just... do you know Romana?" Ivan asked. "You two look alike."
Jomana's friendly expression tightened. "She's my cousin. Why?"
"I want to go talk to her tomorrow," Ivan said. "Can you come with me?"
"No," she answered immediately, her voice sharp. "I don't get along with her. At all."
"Oh. Why is that?" Ivan pressed, feigning curiosity.
"Stop digging into my past," she snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Okay, okay," Ivan said, raising his hands in surrender. He turned his eyes back to the fire, letting the awkward silence hang for a moment. He had successfully derailed the conversation.
"So," he said, looking at the group. "We're at the camp, safe. I get that you guys won against Jared?"
Leonardo nodded and pointed a thumb at Lyraena, who was poking the fire with a stick. "She beat his ass."
A small smile touched Ivan's lips. "That's the least I can expect from you, Lyraena." He felt his cheeks getting warmer. The idea of his crush protecting him was a nice thought, playing on a loop in his mind.
Lyraena looked up, a smirk on her face. "Yeah, I was mad. I was planning to throw all the hard work on you, Rabbit. But now you're injured, and I have just enough humanity to not enslave an injured person."
"Eeh, that's harsh," Ivan said, playing along. "Enslaving a prince."
"It's exciting because it's enslaving a prince, actually," she retorted, her eyes twinkling. "It gives me a feeling of power."
"You are cruel," Ivan said with a laugh.
He looked at each of them. "So, any plans for tomorrow?"
The others shook their heads.
"It's raining heavily," Jomana said. "I think we're staying here."
"Do we have food?" Ivan asked, his stomach suddenly rumbling.
"Dog beast meat," Jomana answered, making a face.
"Give me some. I'm hungry."
Leonardo grilled a piece of the tough meat for Ivan. As he took it, Ivan kept his eyes on the ground, a wave of relief washing over him. 'Alright, perfect. I avoided talking about Superbia and what I was dreaming of.'
He started eating the chewy, tasteless meat while Lyraena began telling stories about their childhood. She told Leonardo and Jomana how she used to beat Ivan up all the time, and how he was a magnet for trouble, always coming home with scraped knees and a new, ridiculous excuse.
Ivan just listened, occasionally throwing in a denial, feeling the tension slowly leave the air. He felt safe. He thought he had fooled them.
After a while, his head genuinely started to hurt. He decided to go to sleep.
He threw himself down in one of the small, makeshift tents and closed his eyes. But before he could drift off, he heard their quiet voices from by the fire.
It was Leonardo. "Do you really think he doesn't know what he was dreaming about? He tried so hard to change the subject."
Jomana's voice was low and serious. "I don't know. I don't know him personally. But I have never seen someone look that scared when they are asleep. It was like his brain wasn't going to take it well if we didn't wake him up."
There was a pause. Ivan held his breath.
Then, Lyraena spoke, her voice soft but certain. "He avoided my gaze for a long time when he first woke up. He was trying to compose himself."
She paused, and Ivan could almost feel her eyes on his tent.
"He's definitely hiding something."
Ivan squeezed his eyes shut. In the darkness of the tent, he mouthed a single, silent word.
'Fuck.'
He was not safe at all. And they were all watching him. He rolled over, the pain in his head now a dull throb compared to the cold dread in his stomach, and eventually fell into a restless sleep.
----
in another part of the dark, rainy forest, Marcus's camp was on high alert. The sound of snapping twigs had put everyone on edge. The six of them—grabbed their weapons, their knuckles white. They stood , peering into the oppressive darkness between the trees.
A figure emerged from the gloom, walking with a casual, unhurried stride. He didn't seem to have a weapon. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.
He stopped just outside the ring of their firelight. "So many people now, huh?"
Orion's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! You're Jin, right?"
Jin offered a lazy smile. "Yes, Orion, that's me." His eyes scanned the group, not finding who he was looking for. "Where's your friend?"
"He... went to camp somewhere else," Orion said, shifting uncomfortably.
Jin strolled into their camp as if he owned it, not caring about the others who were gripping their weapons tightly. "Oh, you guys got separated, huh? I see." He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, can I have some food?"
Marcus stepped forward, his heavy club held ready. "No, you can't. Who the fuck do you think you are, walking in here asking for food?"
Jin's gaze drifted lazily to Marcus. "I was talking to Orion, not to you, I believe."
"Guess what," Marcus growled, his knuckles white on the handle of his branch. "This is my camp. And you are trespassing." He raised the weapon slightly, a clear threat. He was not afraid to fight.
Jin just smiled, a slow, infuriating smile. "Oh, am I trespassing?" He took a slow step toward Marcus, his relaxed posture not changing in the slightest. "And what can you do about it?"