Lucas froze.
Cullen, Flora, and Henry were all walking behind him until they saw him suddenly stop.
"What's wro—"
"Be quiet."
Lucas's tone sent a chill down Cullen's spine. His usual laid-back self was gone, replaced with a cautious tension that hung in the air.
"Move very slowly and follow me. Don't make a sound or look anywhere aside from my back."
Filled with fear, the three of them listened and did exactly what he said.
'Did something happen? He must have sensed a dangerous Abomination somewhere.
That's when Cullen and Flora also felt what had startled Lucas.
Somewhere in the jungle to their right, beyond the thick wall of overgrown vegetation, was a presence of pure malice and killing intent. They felt it, but didn't react. Driven by horror, they kept their heads down and followed Lucas.
It seemed like the world had gone quiet; only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.
Whatever was out there would kill them, without a doubt. It felt as if even looking in that direction would trigger it.
Dripping with sweat, Cullen couldn't even think straight. He was like a machine, following Lucas's every step and hoping that it would end.
After what seemed like forever, the feeling finally started to disappear. A few minutes later, Lucas stopped and turned to face them.
"We should be far enough away now. We can continue like we were before."
Lucas stared at the three of them, noticing the somber mood.
"Don't you have any questions?"
Yes, Cullen did have questions, but he was still processing the feelings he went through.
Eventually, though, Flora spoke,
"What was that?"
Cullen could hear the shakiness in her voice.
"It was most likely a high Grade-B or low Grade-A Abomination."
'A high Grade-B?'
"How is it possible that that thing could be the same grade as the monkey?"
Cullen had fought the Ghost Monkey before, and it was nothing compared to what he just felt.
"It most likely isn't, but remember that there is a significant difference in the power of Abominations of the same grade. Also, that pressure you felt was probably due to its ability. It may not have been that difficult to fight, but I didn't want to take the chance with us having to protect Henry."
It was unreal to hear that they might have fought that thing if it weren't for Henry.
"The pressure you just felt was because both of your mental defenses are low. This will increase over time and with exposure to mind attacks, meaning you train this like any other muscle. It makes sense considering you both just became Gifted.
Although that encounter had terrified them, it was reassuring to know Lucas wasn't as reckless as he seemed.
He protected them and showed a side of himself Cullen had never seen before, making Cullen feel much safer around him.
Once it was night, they prepared to set camp and sleep.
Except there was no camp to set up besides making a small fire. They had no shelter or protection besides Lucas, who was pretty occupied.
Instead of sleeping, Lucas meditated throughout the night. He said this was how he gained QI and insisted that he was still aware of his surroundings and could guard them.
Cullen wasn't sure how true that was since he seemed extremely focused during his meditation.
Flora suddenly asked, "Do you think he can hear us?"
It was late at night, Henry was out cold, and Lucas was meditating. Cullen couldn't sleep, and apparently, Flora couldn't either.
He looked over at her, noticing a small stick in her hand.
"He says he can, but I'm not sure how true that is."
She lifted the stick and threw it at Lucas, only to be swatted down without even opening his eyes.
Both of them looked strangely at Lucas, who was still focused on his serene meditation.
'He is definitely on the mysterious side of people I've met. I haven't even seen him eat anything; meanwhile, we've been forcing the vile Abomination meat in our stomachs.'
Suddenly, interrupting his thoughts, Flora spoke to Cullen.
"I know that something terrible happened in that library the day we met, but I still don't think it's a valid excuse to act the way you did."
Surprised, Cullen looked back at Flora. He didn't expect to hear this from her tonight.
"You mean the fact that I didn't want to be a Gifted? Believe me, I'm not the same anymore. I just meant that I regret what happened, and—"
"I don't care about that. I understand that not everyone wants these special powers, but you got them anyway. The fact is that you gave up on your life. You were willing to die on this island without putting up a fight, even with an innocent child dying in front of you!"
Cullen knew she was right. Even though he was a criminal, he wasn't a bad one. Darron, along with everyone, would never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it.
But just as he gave up, Flora came in and forced him to keep living. It gave him a new sense of curiosity to explore his ability.
Flora was exceptionally strong—far more powerful than Cullen during the day. Although their physical strength was about equal, he couldn't compare when she used her ability. Those beams of light were devastating, and she even developed deadlier, more versatile ways to use them. Instead of shooting them, she could propel herself as well, increasing her speed and attack power.
Because of this, Cullen almost looked up to Flora. Although she hadn't spoken about her past either, he knew that she had been preparing to become a Gifted her whole life. The fact that she knew much more about Abominations than Cullen wasn't only because of his ignorance, but because of her intelligence.
Still, he wondered about her.
"What about you? You're the exact opposite of me… what pushes you so hard to be a Gifted?"
Flora's eyes narrowed.
"I'll talk about my past as soon as you talk about yours."
With that, their conversation ended.
Cullen was lost in thought while trying to fall asleep, thinking about The Island's secrets.
Lucas mentioned earlier that most Grade-Es produce Lesser Grade Abominations directly from their core. Nobody had found The Island's core, but he couldn't blame them. The grueling jungle was exhausting to travel through, and you could barely see anything past the dense foliage.
That's when Cullen had an idea.
The strongest humans in the world, probably some with abilities perfect for detecting cores, still hadn't found it. But Cullen was different. Even Lucas said that his ability was the most unique he's ever seen.
Could he create a compass that leads to the Abominations' core?
He'd never seen it, but the same could be said about the center. He knew it was there, so he was able to track it. Couldn't the same be done for The Island's core?
Cullen thought about this idea, contemplating and failing to find reasons why it would work.
Eventually, he fell asleep.
"Hmm. I guess it could work." Cullen presented his idea to Lucas in the morning and was excited to find that he agreed.
"But even if it works, we can't go."
Cullen looked at Lucas, taken aback.
"I understand it would be too dangerous for Henry, but what about after we reach the camp? We can get him somewhere safe, and then go!"
He looked at Flora, who had a regretful expression on her face.
'Did I say something wrong?'
Lucas spoke with a wary tone:
"Cullen, I know you're new to being a Gifted, but this is a Grade-E Abomination. I already told you that other Abominations come from their core, so what do you think you'll find there? Creatures like that monster you couldn't even look at, and far worse, will be waiting."
He paused for a second.
"I know you want to help, and you still can, but killing The Island is not something you can do. If you create the compass, we'd better just give it to someone who can."
Cullen was silent. In the end, he knew all that. But with his power, he couldn't make something out of The Island? Something that helps humanity?
However, that wasn't the main reason.
Once Cullen returns to the city, he goes back to being a criminal.
Cullen had thought about this for a while and concluded that he probably wasn't the first unconventional Gifted. Being chosen by The God is likely not as noble as the public makes it out to be. Cullen was proof of that.
If a criminal became a Gifted, there's a good chance they were just silenced. After all, it would be terrible if the world found out that corrupt people could have superhuman powers.
It might just be his paranoia, but he didn't want to take this risk. He thought killing a Grade-E might prove his integrity and show that his past doesn't matter.
But, at the end of the day, Cullen just wasn't strong enough.
After about half a day of traveling, they finally reached the center.