Chapter 21: Red zone.
They started walking.
The sky had already brightened, streaks of morning light slipping through the canopy above. Arah could hear birds in the distance, faint chirps cutting through the otherwise quiet air.
Their group moved in silence, over fifty strong. Most were Rank 1, with a handful of Rank 2s, and even a few Rank 3s among them. With that much power packed into one place, nothing had dared to attack them so far. The Black Zone had remained still.
It was uneventful, and some looked relieved by that. Sofise was among them. She looked less panicked than she had been when they started walking.
As they continued, Iane suddenly yawned and walked up to the front of the trio.
"It’s pretty boring so far, right?" he said.
No one responded.
He pouted a little. "Hey, come on. I’m trying to make small talk here. I might die of boredom if this keeps up."
Still, silence.
He sighed, clearly defeated, until his eyes lit up with an idea. He snapped his fingers. "Alright, how about this? A real team bonding moment. Let’s all share something we like, maybe our hopes and aspirations?"
They glanced at him like he’d grown a second head. Even Arah gave him a sideways look.