Chapter 108: A step forward
Fin stood over the specialist’s body. The air settled, quiet except for the rustle of leaves high in the canopy. Blood stained the moss around the corpse.
Arachne pushed herself fully upright, walking towards Fin, her movements stiff. Meg followed close behind her, keeping her eyes averted from the body on the ground. Scarlet approached from the other side, kicking idly at a loose root.
"Well," Scarlet said, looking down at the dead man. "That was... something."
Fin didn’t look at the body. He turned towards the castle. "Let’s go inside."
They walked back, leaving the clearing and the corpse behind. Fin walked steadily, though his shoulders slumped slightly. Arachne walked beside him, still favoring her injured side. Meg trailed them, looking down at the ground. Scarlet brought up the rear, glancing back occasionally.
Inside the main hall of the castle, the heavy doors closed behind them with a soft thud. The space felt large, quiet. Fin stopped near the center of the room.
"He got in," he stated. He looked at Arachne, then Scarlet. "No breach. No fissure. He just... walked in."
He ran a hand through his dark hair. "The Association sent him. They knew where to find this place. Or he figured it out."
Scarlet crossed her arms. "So? We kicked his ass. Problem solved."
"He got in once," he countered, meeting her gaze. "They can do it again. Next time, maybe they send more than one. Maybe they send someone stronger."
Meg shifted her weight, looking between them. She picked at a loose thread on her torn workout pants.