Chapter 80: Earlier.
"Claiming a Vault."
The atmosphere around the stream seemed to become calmer.
At least for Yesu.
Part of her was pleased. So the Directive hadn’t been false after all.
Which meant her squad hadn’t spent the entire day chasing nonsense.
The other part of her was perturbed.
Because if the Directive was real, then everything happening around it suddenly became a lot stranger.
She turned to Olwen.
He looked surprised.
But more than that, he looked thoughtful. Like he was trying to fit pieces together.
Elsie seemed to mistake the expression.
"The objective is fairly straightforward," she began explaining. "Two paired classes are assigned a vault and—"
"I know."
Elsie stopped.
Olwen was still staring at the stream. "I already know."
She blinked.
"How?"
Olwen glanced briefly at Yesu.
Then said nothing.
Elsie followed the look.
Her gaze settled on the 11-D insignia printed on Yesu’s jacket.
She studied her for a second. Then decided not to ask.
"We should get going." She said instead.
Olwen nodded.
Then faced Yesu.
"Seeing as the Directive turned out to be genuine, I think you should leave now. You might still have a chance of making it back before seventeen hundred."
That immediately got Yesu’s attention.
"Do you have a map I can look at?" she asked Elsie. "I got lost."
Olwen looked at Elsie.
"Do you have it?"
Elsie reached into her jacket and produced a folded map.
Olwen took it.
"Thanks." he said and handed it to Yesu.
She opened it immediately. Her eyes scanned the routes.
The markings.The terrain.
Then finally, there was Vault Three.
Yesu stared.
It was far.
Very far.
More than a mile away.
"It’s here." She said, pointing.
Olwen stepped beside her, keeping a reasonable distance as he looked over the map.
He didn’t seem surprised. Almost like he had expected it.
"You won’t make it in time." He stated simply. "Even if you ran all the way."
Behind them, Elsie had been glancing between the two. Like they were discussing secrets she hadn’t been invited to.
"What if I run very fast?" Yesu asked. "Do I stand a chance then?"
Olwen shook his head slightly. "Not unless you have Super Speed."
Yesu sighed.
Then Olwen suddenly turned to Elsie, realizing something.
"Elsie."
She looked up.
"You’re a teleporter. Could you help her out?"
The shock on Elsie’s face was immediate.
"Please." Olwen added.
She stared at him like he had suddenly transformed into somebody else.
"Yes." Yesu said. "Please? I have something my squad really needs."
That somehow snapped Elsie out of it.
"My Ability isn’t strong enough to teleport someone else with me," She said, "I’m only a Specialist."
Then she glanced at the frozen stream, frowning a bit.
"And even if I could, I can’t teleport to somewhere I’ve never been before."
Yesu hummed thoughtfully.
"But can you teleport somewhere you can visualize?"
Elsie paused.
She had never actually tried.
Olwen looked Yesu over. He hadn’t expected that.
"I don’t think—"
"Anytime is good to try something new." Yesu said with certainty.
Then her eyes lit up.
"I have an idea."
***
Soraya remained seated on the log.
The vault stood silently behind her.
Around the area, Squad 11-D had broken into groups and spread throughout the forest.
"Yesu!"
"Yesuin!"
The calls echoed through the trees.
While others had become more deliberate.
"KAELITHA!"
Branches rustled. Shrubs shook.
Students checked holes, climbed rocks and searched every corner they could think of.
Still no sign of her.
Soraya looked down at the watch in her hand.
It was Isaiah’s watch which she had taken earlier.
It was already past three.
Her chest tightened. Every passing minute seemed louder than the last.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
A feeling she didn’t want to name kept growing inside her.
She looked up.
Finch was leaning against a nearby tree.
Watching her.
Soraya immediately looked like someone caught doing something wrong.
Then her expression hardened.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Finch smiled.
"You tell me."
"The others are busy searching for Yesu, yet here you are." Soraya said in defense. "I thought you said she was your girlfriend. Aren’t you worried about her?"
Finch laughed softly.
"Drop the act."
Soraya stiffened.
"No one’s around now." Finch added casually. "You don’t have to work so hard."
Soraya narrowed her eyes.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Really?"
"Really."
Finch pushed himself off the tree. The smile never left his face.
"I know you know something about Yesu disappearing."
For the briefest moment, Soraya’s breath caught.
Then she recovered.
"You shouldn’t throw accusations around carelessly."
Finch clicked his tongue disappointedly.
"Another mistake."
Soraya said nothing.
"You tried shutting me down." He tilted his head. "Instead of asking why I think you know something."
Soraya clenched her fists.
Finch noticed.
"What was the early morning summon about?"
Silence.
"Was it about Yesu?"
Nothing.
Finch hummed in framed contemplation. "Actually, now that I think about it..."
His gaze drifted toward the vault.
"The Directive came unusually early today." His eyes returned to her. "Does that have something to do with the summon too?"
Soraya glared at him.
But the glare lacked strength.
She looked exhausted. Like someone carrying a weight for too long.
"Don’t interfere." She said quietly.
Finch stared at her for several seconds.
Soraya unconsciously waited for another question. Another accusation. Another push.
Instead—
Finch sighed lazily.
And just like that, his usual carefree demeanor had returned.
"If you say so, Prefect." He said in surrender.
And walked away.
Soraya watched him disappear into the trees.
Only after he was gone did she lower her head.
The memory surfaced immediately.
Before sunrise. Deep within the forest.
Far from base.
An armed soldier stood before her. A walkie-talkie rested in his hand.
Static crackled. Then came a voice.
"Squad Leader."
Miss Heaven. Displeased as always. She didn’t wait for a response.
"An extraction is scheduled to take place today."
Soraya frowned.
"A Directive will be issued to your squad this morning. To lead the subject into the trial grounds where evacuation can be executed."
Soraya’s stomach sank.
"You are to lead your squad as normal."
A pause.
"And if possible, isolate the subject."
"Subject?" Soraya asked.
The answer came immediately.
"Yesuin Kaelitha."
Soraya’s eyes widened.
Later...
At the vault area.
Yesu was helping Carrots carry a large log.
"Yesu," Soraya called. "She can do that alone."
Then she gestured toward the pit located a bit further from the squad.
"Farida needs help."
Yesu nodded. "Okay." And went.
Not long afterward—
Soraya watched from afar as Yesu was quietly led away.
Back in the present, Soraya’s fists tightened.
Had she done the right thing? Did she even have a choice?
And what had become of Yesu?
Then—
Clang!
A serie of cans rattled violently in the distance.
One of Finch’s alarm lines.
Soraya’s head snapped up.
The forest had gone still.
Another rattle followed.
Closer.
Someone was approaching.
