The gang were still bold, moving forward. The wind rustled the branches, slapping against the temple and making the scene even more desolate.
But before they could do anything, Noir dashed forward, her movements sharp like a ghost. In just a beat, the blade glinted and retracted, and the throat of the man in front of her spewed blood, drop by drop. A scream choked off.
One guy reacted, pulling out a gun to shoot Noir. But the bullet, just as it left the barrel, was caught by Noir's bare hand. She slowly turned, staring at him with her icy eyes, making his limbs collapse, sweat soaking his shirt.
Not letting him take the upper hand, Noir made a swift slash, and he fell too.
Specter supported from the side, every strike precise, nothing wasted. Orion kicked hard, knocking a guy down and casually snatching his weapon. Every move from the three was lethal; the bandits realized they messed with the wrong people, but it was too late. Blood sprayed in the air, sending chills down anyone's spine.
Everything happened in a few short minutes. Clashes and screams were cut off, the last bandit fell. When silence returned, they lay scattered on the mossy stone floor, blood seeping through the old brick cracks.
Kaelith's figure crouched in the corner, still in shock.
Orion turned back, patting her shoulder, she was still trembling, eyes wide.
"It's done. Come here."
Kaelith swallowed dryly, clutching her shirt. She never imagined the people who had been chatting by the fire could be so ruthless. For a moment, Noir looked at her, eyes still cold, but her voice softer than usual.
"This is the price of 'survival.' If we hadn't acted, we'd be lying there instead."
The group then gathered the loot—rations, weapons, a few torn money bags—enough to survive a few more days.
Kaelith hugged the bundle, still a little scared, but in her eyes glimmered a new determination. Either she learned to be stronger, or she would always stay behind others.
They collected some dry branches nearby and lit a small campfire.
The flickering flames in the ruined temple, the crackling wood, mingled with the wind whistling through the broken roof. Kaelith sat hugging her knees, eyes still haunted. After a while, she looked up at Noir.
"Noir… if one day I have to hold a blade too, could I be like you today?"
The air quieted. Orion chuckled softly, teasing yet sincere.
"If you train, you might even be more formidable than her. But don't expect it to be awesome."
Noir glanced over, eyes warning, but Kaelith didn't flinch. She waited for a real answer.
Specter set down the freshly cleaned knife, voice deep and patient.
"The important thing isn't winning, it's surviving. You need to know when to hide and when to strike. Strength is just a part—your mind… that's what keeps you alive."
Orion nodded, this time serious, adding.
"Yep yep. But you gotta start small like listening for footsteps, sensing wind direction, reacting when pulled unexpectedly. I'll show you."
Kaelith looked at them. The initial fear faded, replaced by a trembling eagerness mixed with worry. She realized she had crossed into a new threshold, no longer the girl who only stood behind others.
Finally, Noir spoke, voice slow and soft.
"If you're asking, it means you're ready to change. But you should know, this path… there's no turning back."
The firelight cast shadows on her face, revealing a faint, hard-to-place sadness.
Kaelith pressed her lips, nodding.
Not long after, as everyone settled down to rest, Noir suddenly looked up at the cracked roof and said:
"Specter, check the frequency for Dr. Aurel again. Didn't you say last time we were on the right track?"
"Dr. Aurel… he might know how to disable the organization's control network."
The words caught the group's attention.
Specter replied.
"Um you're right, I'll gather more data."
Kaelith seemed to remember something.
"Dr. Aurel? I've heard of him… I think he's somewhere north of VOID's main HQ, if this path really leads to him…"
"Then it can't be far!"
Specter looked at her, suspicious.
"How do you know about him?"
"Oh, I heard some doctors in the organization mention him. They said he's crazy skilled, ten opponents are nothing to him, just a swipe on the keyboard and they're careful." *Kaelith's eyes widened, excited*
Orion, lying nearby, cut in.
"Alright, sleep first. This old man needs rest."
Kaelith laughed happily, even gave Orion a light punch on the leg.
"Then I'll need your help." *Specter took off his glasses*
"I'll try my best." Kaelith replied briefly, lying down.
Specter chuckled softly and leaned back. He glanced at Noir, her eyes didn't waver, staring at the temple roof. For a moment, he felt she was like a rose full of loneliness—beautiful but with thorns, touching her would only hurt. He slowly looked away, exhaling softly.
Maybe he had really fallen into the trap of affection that Noir unknowingly wove.
As for Noir, she still worried about Kaelith's vague memory layer. This could kill her and the team, but no matter how much she thought, she couldn't decipher it, weighing on her mind.
Outside, the wind whistled softly. Four people sharing a fate… hoping for the future.
***
At the organization, tension grew tighter.
A stack of documents flew straight into the captains' faces, papers scattering everywhere.
"USELESS BUNCH!"
"WHY DID THE ORG EVEN MAKE YOU PEOPLE?" a furious doctor shouted.
"We'll try harder, sir…" a leader said.
"Try harder? You couldn't catch one kid and got tricked?"
"GET OUT! Go take your punishment." *doctor slammed the table*
"Yes, sir!!" *soldiers left the room*
The doctor went on to implement more strategies, determined to capture Noir and the team. Somewhere in the corner, a pair of eyes watched closely… especially Noir.