A minute passed, then two, when finally the innkeeper approached them with a long sigh.
— Don't just stand there. Come with me.
She then led them upstairs and opened a door that revealed a furnished living room.
— This is the only room with two bedrooms. I thought you might like to be together.
— Thank you, said William.
— Oh, it's nothing. Make yourselves comfortable. Dinner will be served in an hour or two, unless you're in a hurry?
— Hmm, that'll be fine.
— Alright, said the old lady as she left.
After her departure, the young people remained motionless once again. They didn't move, didn't speak, didn't do anything, and this went on for several minutes without even looking at each other.
— Well, let's try to get some rest tonight. We all need it, said Liam.
Sow immediately removed his armor, which transformed into a kind of round gadget that fit entirely in his hands. He then headed toward one of the bedrooms to inspect it. The room was well-ventilated and filled with light, but there was only a single bed and a chair next to it.
— Looks like some of us will be sleeping on the floor, he remarked before jumping onto the bed.
— Clearly, it won't be you, replied William.
— What? My armor is exhausting to wear, so my whole body aches. I need a bit of comfort.
— A bit of comfort? said the class representative. In that case, you should have gone with the others, you coward! she shouted angrily.
— Huh? said Sow as he got up, just as William stepped in.
— Stop! That's enough for tonight. None of us are in the right state, so let's end this and try to rest.
After that, Elisabeth went back to the second room where the girls had decided to settle. The other two boys also entered the room, looking around as if to reassure themselves of their safety.
— What's her problem, picking on me? Sow muttered angrily.
— Don't answer her. She's on edge; it'll pass. Stay here. I'll see if I can get sheets for the others. I'll be back.
With that, William left, closing the door behind him. Sow lay down on the bed while the other two stood, watching him. A few minutes later, William returned, bringing sheets for everyone.
— They're very thick. If you wrap yourselves in them, it'll make a sleeping bag.
— Oh, good idea! praised Naar.
He then brought some for the girls as well, who made a rather special request.
— Ah yes, it's true that we're all pretty dirty. I'll look into that.
— You should have done that already, said Elisabeth.
— Hygiene is important, that's true, added the gothic girl.
— You're right. I'll be back.
After that, William left again and returned a few moments later.
— So?
— There isn't enough water for a bath, but we can clean ourselves downstairs. You can go one by one if you want.
— Fine. I'll go first, said Elisabeth, passing William.
He watched her go with a tired expression.
— I have a feeling this night is going to be long.
And it was long, very long, to the point that they all stayed awake for much of the night before finally falling asleep. Early in the morning, the calm boy woke up under the sunlight streaming through the sheets. Having had a rough night, he looked at the bed to see if Sow had at least slept well, but he did not see him. However, he noticed the other boy sitting against the wall, clutching his sheets in his hands. He kept moving and was not sleeping, but he refrained from disturbing him and left his makeshift bed to go into the living room.
Unexpectedly, he found Sow there. Sow was sitting cross-legged, cleaning the disk that served as his armor. After finishing, he stood up and pressed what seemed to be a button. Instantly, the armor materialized around his body. He was very proud and happy, even hopping slightly on the spot.
— Sow?!
When he heard his name, Sow immediately drew his small hunting rifle and pointed it at his friend's head, who raised both hands without showing any emotion.
— Bang! You'd be dead, he said.
— What are you playing at? Haven't you slept?
— I couldn't close an eye, so I came here to clean my weapon.
— Ah… even you aren't completely carefree.
— And you're the one saying that?
— Huh?
A brief silence fell between the two boys. Sow removed his armor and moved toward a table in the center of the room.
— I'd like to understand its mechanism better, but it's going to be difficult.
— It's true that would be very useful. In the end, we don't know much.
— Yes, and staying here won't teach us more. The girls are up, but none of them have stepped outside.
— How do you know?
— I went to check, he said nonchalantly. I got one of those dark looks… I won't even tell you.
— Well, that's normal. I was planning to go out; are you coming with me?
— Why?
— Nothing. I just want some fresh air. If I stay cooped up one more second, I'll go crazy.
— Hahaha, so even you panic sometimes. Anyway, Liam said to stay here until he comes back, Sow said, surprising his interlocutor.
— What do you mean? He went out?
— Yes! He took the money and left.
At that moment, the class representative violently opened the door, shouting insults at Sow.
— You idiot! And you gave him all our money just like that?!
— Who are you calling an idiot? Sow snapped.
— Do you really think he's coming back? You've got nothing in your head. He got a gift. He's strong and a smooth talker. With all our money, he'll probably manage on his own while we all die here! the girl shouted at Sow.
He felt some truth in her words. Their friend next to them also gave credit to the girl's voice. For a moment, he was thoughtful, imagining the worst-case scenario, when Sow raised his voice and declared aloud what he was thinking.
— I got a gift too. But I'm here, aren't I?
— You don't…
— If we start down that path, we won't last long, Naar cut in sharply.
Her voice brought their friend back among them, leaving the girl speechless. But she seemed determined to stick to her stance when William opened the door and entered the room carrying a bag.
— Oh, he said in surprise. You're all already awake?
— Well, there you are. About time. Where were you? asked Sow.
— Since we just arrived in town, I went out to do a little reconnaissance, he replied, placing his bag on the table.
— And that bag? asked the other boy.
— Clothes for everyone.
— You bought clothes? asked Elisabeth.
— You have to blend in. And the best way to do that is with clothing. So I bought some for everyone.
As they took out the clothes to show their friends, Elisabeth grabbed one. It was a silk dress with a belt at the waist.
— Seriously, you really want us to wear this? she asked with disgust.
— We can't afford too much luxury, William replied.
As for Sow, he seemed quite pleased to find a new pair of pants, though outdated for his taste.
— Finally, we can get rid of these bloody clothes, he said, immediately starting to undress.
— Hey, go do that somewhere else! It's not okay to get naked in front of girls, Elisabeth scolded.
— I'm used to it by now. We've done worse… at school, he finished with a thoughtful look.
His melancholy immediately spread to the others in the room before William intervened.
— Come on, get changed. After that, we'll have to discuss what to do next. Are the others awake yet?
— Yes, but… Elisabeth said, lowering her gaze.
— Let's give them some time to get up. They need it.
— You're right, Naar, William replied, picking up the rest of the clothes.
— We're not going to wait for them forever either, said Sow.
— You're starting again? Elisabeth shouted, annoyed at the boy.
— So what? Did you hear the army chief? If we don't hurry to get strong enough, death is waiting for us.
He then tied the string of his pants before putting back on the rest of his sleeveless outfit that he had lifted to wear the pants. Then he turned to face the others.
— In the end, nothing has changed. The strong will survive, and the weak will die. That's the harsh reality. Think about it: why are only those who obtained powers still alive?
— So that's what you thought about all night?! Admit it, you would have wanted to join them, right? You would have wanted to go live comfortably and without worry, right? Then tell me why you stayed with us, the losers who had no choice but to hide behind you! she shouted.
Sow remained thoughtful for a moment. Nothing came out of his mouth, and his eyes showed no emotion. He turned his head to the other side of the room and met the gaze of two other girls, who had come out because of the noise. Then he walked toward the door without a word.
— Don't run away. Answer me.
— Run away? Me? he asked, turning to her. Isn't it more like you who would like to run away? he said, surprising the girl.
She immediately wanted to answer him and tell him off, but she didn't have the strength. She recognized in his words a certain truth she hadn't even realized herself.
— Stay cooped up if you want. I need some air, he added.
After saying this, Sow grabbed the door and opened it. The creak made Elisabeth and the other two girls jump, frightened and recalling the horrors of the past. But Sow paid no mind and stepped through the doorway. Barely had he gone outside when the other boy ran from the room to slam the door shut behind him.
He even startled the others, who were no calmer than he was.
— André, are you okay? Naar asked.
The boy leaned against the door, breathing heavily and with a shocked expression. Naar approached to calm him down.
— Hey, it's okay. We're safe now, so calm down, alright?
— We… shouldn't open… the door. We shouldn't, he said, still in shock.
— Alright.
— The windows… we need to close them too, he said before rushing to them and shutting them one by one, under the shocked and sympathetic gazes of his companions.
— Ah, this isn't going to be easy, William sighed.
Elisabeth then threw her clothes over her head and went back to her room.
— There's no way I'm wearing something that ugly.
One of the other girls followed her and closed the door behind her. The one with the gothic look approached the boys, watching André, who had curled up in a corner of the room.
— Instead of clothes, I think what we really need is a psychologist, she said, joining the circle of concern around the two boys. Hm… I wonder if that profession even exists in this world.