"It's remote here," Nico muttered as they crouched behind a thick oak tree. His gaze was fixed on the man hauling wood down a narrow, overgrown path.
"He's a prince. Why would he be cutting wood? What is he even doing out here?"
"Suspicious," Lily agreed, narrowing her eyes. "Let's follow him," Ruby whispered, her body tensed like a cat ready to pounce. Everyone nodded silently.
The group trailed behind the Chief's older brother, keeping a cautious distance. He walked with purpose, ignoring the heavy logs on his back, finally stopping at what looked like a dead end at the base of the mountain.
Without hesitation, he reached out and turned a jagged rock embedded in the cliff wall. Rumble. With a deep, grinding sound, part of the mountain slid open to reveal a narrow, dark entrance. He stepped inside, and the stone sealed shut behind him, leaving no trace.
"A hidden cave?" Matilda breathed. "I never would have guessed."
Stupid world. Stupid caves. I just want to go home at this point, she thought miserably.
Lily clutched Ruby's arm, her knuckles white.
"Don't tell me... we're going in, aren't we? We don't even have a plan! What if we get caught? What if we get killed?"
Matilda glanced at the rocky wall. "Think about it—we've tried the main road out of here, and it loops right back to the village. But this... this is the first new path we've seen. What if the exit is in there?"
They all went quiet. The possibility was enough to make their nerves tingle. Sandro stepped forward, replaying what he had seen. He reached for the jagged rock and twisted it to the right. The mountain groaned, and the entrance yawned open again. Without waiting for further debate, he stepped into the darkness. One by one, the rest followed.
The cave swallowed them in near-blackness, only faint, flickering candlelight guiding the way deep in the tunnel.
It smelled of damp stone and something bitter—medicinal, chemical, and old. Drip. Drip. Somewhere deeper in the tunnel, water echoed, each drop amplified in the heavy silence. Their footsteps crunched softly on loose gravel, the sound feeling far too loud. They kept close to the wall, holding their breath, until they reached a wide chamber.
They froze. There, lined up in eerie silence, stood dozens of zombies.
They were the same monsters that haunted the village every night. But here, they didn't move. They didn't growl. They just stood in perfect, rigid lines, staring at nothing. Like soldiers waiting for orders. Like puppets on a shelf.
In the middle of the room, under a brighter lantern, the Chief's brother hunched over a stone table. He was grinding something in a bowl with a pestle—a dark green paste that looked too much like medicine... or poison.
Lily let out a tiny squeak of terror. Ruby clamped a hand over her mouth instantly, but it was too late. The scratching of the pestle stopped. The Chief's brother froze. His head turned slowly toward the shadows where they stood. They held their breath, hearts hammering against their ribs. He took a step forward, squinting into the dark.
Panic surged through the group. They tiptoed backward, adrenaline flooding their veins. The second they cleared the entrance, they turned and bolted. They scrambled through the bushes, not daring to look back until they were far away. By the time the Chief's brother stepped outside to search, they were long gone.
Panting, they collapsed at the rock near the village boundary. "Luckily... we r-ran... in time," Nico wheezed, clutching his knees.
"If he saw us... he could've sent the zombies after us. I think I'm going to pass out." Ruby sat upright, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"At least now we know who's behind all this. The Chief's older brother."
"A typical drama plot," Matilda said, brushing hair from her face. "Brothers fighting for the throne." "But turning people into zombies?" Nico grimaced. "Isn't that a bit extreme for a power struggle?"
Sandro stood up, looking back toward the mountain. "Let's head back."
"We didn't even get to search if there is an exit in the cave," Matilda complained.
"Well," Ruby shrugged, "they say it takes a village to solve a family drama." Lily raised an eyebrow.
"I'm pretty sure the saying is 'it takes a village to raise a child.' And definitely not a village full of zombies."
"What?" Ruby blinked. "Where did you hear that? That's not how it goes."
By lunchtime, they were back in the main hall, seated together as stew was served. The chatter around them was calm, almost eerily so.
"Let's get into it," Nico said, leaning in. "We all agree the Chief's brother is behind the zombie apocalypse, right?"
"What now?" Lily asked, poking at her food.
"Maybe the key to getting out is stopping the zombies," Matilda suggested. "Or maybe the exit is in that cave. We need to confront him."
Ruby frowned and suddenly slammed her fist on the table. "We should just kill him!" CLANG. The silverware rattled. The entire room went silent. Dozens of eyes turned toward their table. Ruby coughed awkwardly, her face turning pink.
"Umm... yes. I mean, kill that... mouse! Running in the room! Haha. Scary mouse." The attention slowly faded as people returned to their meals.
Sandro lowered his voice. "We can't confront him directly. We don't know what he might do. He might start suspecting us after today. Maybe... we should go and ask the Chief for help."
"But not just anyone can see the Chief," Lily pointed out. "It's like trying to see a CEO without an appointment. How do we do that?"
"How about we ask the villagers?" Matilda said. "Surely they know how to request an audience? We can also ask about the origin of these zombies."
Everyone agreed. But Matilda noticed a strange expression on Sandro's face. "What is it?" she asked. He looked around the room, his eyes scanning the other tables.
"Don't you think the others—the people who were kidnapped with us—are too calm lately?"
Nico blinked. "Now that you mention it... all they do is eat and sleep."
"Maybe they've gotten comfortable," Ruby shrugged. "Yeah," Lily added, "but any normal person would still try to escape. They act like they're on vacation."
Sandro's gaze drifted while he chewed, and his eyes met Scarlett's across the room. Scarlett caught his eye. She smiled a secretive, knowing smile, then looked away. Matilda saw the exchange. Her stomach twisted.
A boy in love... hopelessly in love, she thought bitterly. Of course. The mysterious, beautiful girl with the useful information. She stabbed her piece of bread with aggressive force. Not that I care. Not that I care at all if he wants to run off with Miss Purple Eyes. She bit into the bread too hard. "Ouch!" She winced, tasting copper. She had bitten her lip.
Sandro looked over immediately, his face filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" He reached out to touch her chin to check the injury. Smack. She slapped his hand away.
"Don't just touch people's blood," she muttered, her cheeks burning hot. Startled, Sandro pulled back.
"Oh—sorry." Matilda stood abruptly and slammed her hands on the table. Everyone turned, expecting another Ruby-style outburst. Instead, she forced a bright, fake smile.
"We're all done eating, right? I think it's time we head to the village."
The group rose together, the weight of their discovery resting on their shoulders. This time, they weren't just wandering aimlessly. They were hunting for answers.