Chapter 58. Harpies
Rin’s breath paused, her chest tightening after hearing Erin’s words. Her voice struggled to leave her body in the proper way, little more than a whisper. "I have to go into the forest?" she questioned.
The silver-haired girl smiled, calm and unwavering. "Yes. You must go into the Hunting Cage."
The answer made a burst of anger flash through Rin, snapping her out of her shock. Her pink eyes burned with sudden anger, her voice rising in disbelief. "Are you insane?! You know what’s happening inside, right? The monsters, the demons, the chaos—no one can enter! No one! So how the hell am I supposed to do it?! And—who even are you?!"
Erin didn’t react to her outburst. Instead, she bent down and picked up a small stone from the ground, as if Rin’s fury didn’t concern her in the slightest. "Only you can save the people inside," she stated calmly, her words cutting through Rin’s rage like a blade.
Rin’s breath caught. Her frustration halted as her mind tried to process what she had just heard. She watched Erin casually toss the stone toward the dome only to see it bounce right off, as though it had hit solid metal.
Erin looked at her. "Pick up a stone."
Violet head confused. "What are you—?"
"Pick up a stone," Erin repeated, sharper this time. The command in her voice left no room for argument.
Still reluctant, Rin bent down and grabbed a random rock, gripping it tightly. "Fine," she muttered.
"Throw it at the dome," Erin instructed, watching closely.
With a confused face, Rin tossed the stone. Her pink eyes widened in shock as she saw the difference—the rock didn’t bounce off entirely. It partially entered the dome, ramined for a fraction of a second before being rejected and bouncing back.