Chapter 3

They will dwell securely, and no one will frighten them away."1

I descended the quarry as quickly as I could, resulting in cuts on my legs and arms. But it was better than losing any piece of the meat. When I reached the ground, the others were already lighting the fires below the sculptures of Mirana and Caius, attempting to prevent any wild beasts from following us.

"Come on! Light these up!" Hugo demanded impatiently. He wouldn't move until the last person had exited. "The rest of you, run! Go!" he shouted, balancing Uriel's unconscious body and gesturing furiously for us to flee.

For obvious reasons, lighting the torches wasn't a task for the slowest among us. However, none of those with Hugo returned to do it, which caused the attempts to take longer than expected. The thought made my stomach churn, especially considering the constant fear in everyone's eyes as they glanced back up the quarry.

Hugo now received help from Tales and Patrick in carrying Uriel. The rest of us simply ran once our torches were lit. The camp wasn't yet in sight, but the smoke from the village's fires gave us a sense of proximity we desperately craved. Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

As the first huts came into view, people were already heading toward us. Clarisse's father smiled when he saw her and helped with the bags. She had a flushed face from the run, but her father's expression turned serious as he noticed her worried look. Sabrina had stopped a few meters away, staring at Hugo as if witnessing something astonishing. She was in shock, perhaps finally feeling safe enough to react this way. Soon, her older sister arrived and embraced her. At first, there was no response, but then Sabrina's trembling hands hugged back, even though her eyes seemed to embrace Hugo amidst the tears.

I dropped my bags to the ground, my heart pounding in my ears. I no longer knew what to do next. Trembling, I leaned on my knees, trying to regain my composure for what lay ahead.

"Where are Olívia, Roger, Felipe, and the others?" asked Carmem. She was the former captain of the hunters, having trained Hugo. As she aged, she was transferred to the storage area and eventually became the Chief of our stockpile, representing us to other villages. Hugo was arriving, carrying Uriel. When the boy's mother saw him, she rushed over and took him into one of the huts with Patrick's assistance. "Eight. Where are the other eight?" she said, her voice steady but authoritative enough to freeze everyone in place. My stomach tightened to the point where I couldn't tell if I was still breathing; why answer something that was obvious and terrible for everyone there? She walked among us until she stood in front of Hugo. Sabrina stepped out of the embrace, wary of her Carmem's reaction, but her sister held her back. The sound of boots crunching on gravel didn't make the atmosphere any less uncomfortable as she stopped in front of Hugo. Everyone longed for na end to the silence.

"Where are they?" she asked again.

"Dead," Hugo said, and the word drove the anguish that had been circling my chest. Hearing it made me lose part of my senses; the blood on my hands had never caused such nausea as at that moment. Dead. I brought my hand to my mouth, stifling the gasp that threatened to escape.

"How?" Her voice remained steady, without a hint of faltering or trembling. Her question wasn't a reaction to the fact; it was a report.

"Tiger. We split the stronger ones from the weaker ones to try to distract the animal while the rest hunted a group of deer. But we miscalculated the distance and were easily caught. When the first one was taken, we tried to help, but they were picked off one by one. I pulled Uriel away from the tiger When I realized we wouldn't survive, he fell, hitting his head and losing consciousness. I brought him back while…" The young man paused.

"While the tiger had its meal," she said, staring at his lifeless form. Then, in a swift motion, her hand emerged from behind her back and struck the boy's face hard, causing him to stumble backward. My eyes were still blurred from the tears pooling, but not enough to miss that Carmem was on the edge of her composure. "Your poor choice cost the lives of eight people, and it may cost eight more. Or have you forgotten that younger members will be sent to hunt to replace your lost team?"

She turned and looked at everyone. Her stern expression didn't hide the fact that she was gritting her teeth as hard as she could. It was clear she was affected, but she couldn't afford to be anything but practical. It didn't match the Lady in Gray.

"Let's go. The rest of the village is waiting for you."

We followed her. I glanced back at Hugo; he was looking down, his face a canvas of conflicting thoughts—sometimes sad, sometimes angry, and filled with resentment. For the first time in my life, I felt sorry for him. Sabrina watched him, concerned, waiting for him to meet her gaze so she could approach, but he seemed uninterested.

When we reached the village, the families of the deceased had already been notified. Carmem began the solemn announcement, which triggered tears and despair among those present. I had never lost anyone since I was assigned to hunt. Seeing them cry filled me with anger at the situation we were in. My eyes welled up, and I tried to avoid crying by looking up at the sky. It was dark, with the lilac auroras of D'haime and the golden ones of Golksel. It reminded me of the urgency to leave this place.

"Tomorrow, there will be no hunt. Our brave hunters will rest and recover, for they have brought enough food enough for a month. During this period, the most capable herb and fruit gatherers will be selected to learn and join them," said Olivia's mother, who had another child among the gatherers. She became desperate and screamed, then was led home, her husband trying to calm her down. Fear was common among the parents of the village, as was the practicality with which they dealt with it when it came to food.

Once everyone dispersed, Carmem released us to go home and tend to our wounds. I hesitated, unsure of what to do, while the others scattered. I didn't remember seeing Tales or any of my friends. I walked home alone, in shock.

My house was away from the village center, and to reach it, I had to cross through the heart of the village. The path was short, but as I saw children playing by the fires in front of their homes, tears welled up at the thought that they might be dead in four weeks.

I veered off the main path to avoid being seen crying and covered in blood. Under different circumstances, it would have been great if they saw me dirty with animal blood; it might have deterred them from bothering me about my training escapes. But today was different—I felt marked by the blood of those who had gone with me. The cold wind stung my scratches, but the discomfort didn't motivate me to hurry.