"If I died like how you said I did, why isn't there a single scratch on me?" Tee questioned, her fingers deftly fastening back the button on her shirt. She couldn't comprehend the absence of any visible injuries on her body.

  "We must have healed," Saeda chimed in. "That's what the Commander told us happened to you after our jet crashed."

  Kie took her silence as a sign he could continue speaking.

  Kie cupped both hands around his mouth, creating a makeshift cone, and spoke through it in a deep voice, mimicking the eerie tone of a thousand voices combined.

  "Let's make this a bit more interesting, shall we? Let's see how many of you have to die before your comrade hands over the fragment," Kie proclaimed, his voice filled with a chilling menace.

  "Wait!" Miko interjected, her brows furrowed as she locked eyes with Kie. "The fragment. Why didn’t we tell them we didn’t have it?”

  Kie lowered the cone from his mouth, his eyes half-closed as he stared at her. "Miko, at that point they already had the fragment," he said, sweeping his gaze across everyone in their separate beds. "That guy had made up his mind to kill us, fragment or not."

  Zod nodded in agreement, his conviction evident. "Kie is right. Remember what happened to you, Miko?"

  Miko's eyes widened before she turned her head away from the group, her long hair cascading over her shoulder, concealing any trace of her face.

  Kie's attention remained fixed on Miko, a sinister smile playing upon his lips, as if he saw her as another adversary to conquer. Raising the cone back to his mouth, he spoke again, his words laced with a solemn oath. "I swear on my nine million souls that I won't kill anyone else. Remember that?"

  Miko shook her head, still refusing to face them.

  Tee's curiosity burned within her, desperate to unravel the enigma that shrouded their conversation. "Remember what? What happened?" she probed, her voice filled with anticipation.

  "After he swore not to harm anyone, that's when Miko took the plunge," Kie recounted, his tone now tinged with a mix of awe and trepidation. "She was wicked."

  "What?" Tee blurted, her mind grappling to understand the implications. Did he mean wicked in the sense of being impressively audacious, or did he imply something more sinister? Miko, in her experience, had never exhibited a trace of malevolence.

  Zod placed a hand beneath his chin, deep in thought. "Wait, something happened before you died, Miko. What was it?"

  Kie continued his narrative, a peculiar amusement that stemmed from recounting a bone-chilling tale. "The hooded figure disappeared once again. His movements were so swift, his next victim never stood a chance," he revealed, his dark red eyes shifting toward the girl with black hair lying in the bed directly before him. "It was Saeda."

  The air crackled with tension, each word a gateway to an increasingly enthralling and perilous journey. Zod's shoulders twitched involuntarily before he turned anxiously towards Saeda.

  Kie, positioned on Zod's right side, addressed her, his voice tinged with urgency. "Hey Saeda, tell us what happened."

  Zod shifted his gaze from Kie to Saeda, concern etched across his face. "Is that really necessary?" he questioned, his voice laced with trepidation.

  "Fine," Saeda responded in her characteristic monotone, her tone revealing a hidden unease.

  Zod redirected his attention to her, his voice filled with a mix of hesitation and protectiveness. "Saeda, you don't have to."

  Tee, her arms folded in front of her, interjected firmly. "Zod, let her talk."

  A nervous gulp resonated through the room, audible to all. Saeda averted her gaze downward, her feet stretched out on the bed, as she began to speak, her words drawn out slowly.

  "I had plugged my ears and shut my eyes, so I couldn't have seen it coming," Saeda recounted, her voice wavering slightly. "I felt something hit me, a jolt that sent shockwaves through my body. When I opened my eyes, the scene around me was… incomprehensible. When my back hit against the bark of a tree and then another one, I realized I was falling. When I finally came to a stop, I caught a glimpse of the forest floor, but only through one eye."

  She shifted her legs, crossing one over the other, and cradled her right arm, her voice cracking with emotion as she continued. "I couldn’t move, and everywhere hurt." She lowered her gaze further, her chin nearly touching her neck.

  "That's when Miko came," Zod added, piecing together the fragments of their collective memory in their correct order.

  "No, there was more," Kie interjected, his eyes fixed on Saeda, urging her to reveal the missing details. However, as the silence lingered, waiting for Saeda to continue, he pressed on.

  "The hooded one approached Saeda's lifeless body sprawled on the forest floor. Gripping her by the hair, the sound of cracking bones echoed even from where I hid. He hoisted her up, forcing her onto her knees. Her left hand dangled lifelessly like a limp noodle, while the other was bound tightly in blood-soaked bandages. Blood streamed from her face, dripping from her chin."

  Kie brought his hands back to his mouth, forming the cone once more as he resumed speaking. "We advise you to consider your friend's life here. All we require is the fragment. This is when you jumped into that death trap down there. Only a complete fool would have leaped down there the way you did."

  Kie's harsh words pierced through the air, landing squarely on Miko’s heart. The sting of being called a fool reverberated within her, a painful reminder of her perceived failure. The weight of her past actions bore down on her, suffocating her in a blanket of terror.

  Her trembling lips quivered, her pink eyes shimmering with unshed tears that threatened to spill over. In a torrential release, the tears cascaded down her cheeks, her hands instinctively covering her face as her shoulders heaved with sobs.

  The room crackled with an air of tension, punctuated by Zod's outburst directed at Kie, “What the hell is wrong with you?” his voice slicing through Miko's moans of distress.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s the truth,” Kie added, realizing he had gotten a bit carried away.

  Rising from his seat, Zod crossed the aisle with urgency, determined to offer solace to Miko. As Zod settled beside Miko, his presence offered a comforting anchor amidst the chaos.

  With a gentle touch, he guided her to lean against him, a gesture of support and protection. The weight of her worries and fears seemed to dissipate, if only for a moment, as his reassuring words broke through the tumultuous air.

  "Miko, it's over. Stop worrying about it," Zod's voice resonated with a soothing cadence, a balm to the wounds inflicted by their harrowing experiences. His words held a promise, a declaration that the immediate danger had passed. He implored her to release her anxieties, to relinquish the grip of worry that clung to her heart.

  Amidst the emotional turmoil, Tee still yearned for answers. “Keep talking. What happened next?” her voice quivered, urging Kie to continue the narrative, as he seemed to be the only one willing to speak.

  With a hand pressed against his forehead, Kie collected his thoughts, summoning the details of what transpired next.

  "Saeda was still held captive, her existence a cruel testament to the pain she endured—"

  “I didn’t want anyone else to die!”Miko's anguished cry interrupted him, her tearful moan echoing through the room.

  Zod, ever the pillar of support, comforted her. “Hush, calm down,” his hand soothingly patting her back as she continued to sob, seeking solace in his presence.

  Refocusing on Tee's unwavering gaze, Kie closed his eyes briefly, acknowledging her silent plea to proceed. He let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the narrative pressing upon him. Raising the makeshift cone to his mouth once more, he resumed the tale.

  "The tall hooded one spoke again, his voice laced with malice. 'Anytime now would be great,' he sneered," Kie recounted, lowering the cone. "And then, he cruelly yanked Saeda's hair, treating her like a mere doll in his sinister game.

  “Miko's resolve ignited like a blazing inferno within her as she took a perilous leap onto the ground where danger stood tall. With one hand clasped protectively to her chest, she faced the looming figure, her eyes fixed on the unforgiving ground beneath her feet.

  “The hooded figure's voice pierced the air, dripping with a venomous blend of anticipation and menace. ‘Finally, someone comes forward,’ he sneered. His piercing gaze bore into Miko, seeking the truth she possessed. ‘Do you have the fragment?’ he asked.

  “Miko's head shook with defiant determination, her resolve unyielding. In response, the hooded figure's lips curled into a sinister smile, revealing a glimpse of his twisted satisfaction. ‘Too bad,’ he hissed, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. Those words were her death sentence.

  “But unexpectedly, Miko mumbled, referring to his previous statement about not killing anyone else. Then he replied, ‘Yes, but my friend here did not.’ As the echoes of her plea got lost to the wind, a shift occurred—a movement from his so-called friend.

  “The bandaged creature materialized behind Miko, its presence suffused with an otherworldly dread. Its arms, long and sharp like a blade’s edge, poised like a predator ready to strike at her neck. See? Even if I had given up the fragment, none of us would be making it out there alive.”

  Kie's words hung in the air, carrying the weight of undeniable truth. The room buzzed with anticipation, as if everyone held their breath, eager to hear the rest of the story—the part that brimmed with bravery and heroism.

  Zod's voice sliced through the silence, his urgency palpable. "Don't stop there, Kie," he urged. "Tell us the good part—the brave part."

  Miko's eyes peeked out from behind strands of disheveled hair, her moaning subdued by the intrigue that enveloped the room. A hushed anticipation settled over them, amplifying every word that was about to be spoken.

  Kie's hand moved beneath his chin, a gesture of deep thought as he searched his memory for the sequence of events.

  "I know what happened next," Saeda interjected, capturing their attention with her unexpected declaration.

  Wide-eyed, they turned towards her, eager to uncover the missing piece of the puzzle.

  A wry smile played on Kie's lips as he acknowledged Saeda's statement. "Yeah," he conceded, lowering his hand. "You were still alive, weren't you?" He reclined on his arms, relinquishing the spotlight. "Tell us what happened. My perspective is boring."

  Saeda's voice carried a sense of authority as she began to recount the events. "From what I could see," she started, her words laced with a mixture of awe and disbelief, "the tip of a sword appeared near Miko's feet. In a blur of motion, she spun around on the tip of one foot. The next instant, white shreds of bandages fell from the air accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek."

  Tee gasped, her disbelief transforming into admiration. "Wow," she exclaimed, her perception of Miko forever altered. The girl who seemed meek and fragile had revealed an unforeseen strength.

  "Never try to defend me again!" Saeda's voice rang out, her eyes blazing with fury as they fixed on Miko, who remained in the bed beside Zod. She abruptly turned her head away, a curtain of black hair obscuring her face. "I never asked for it."

  Zod stared at Saeda, his expression mirroring Miko's stunned disbelief. Miko’s head found its resting place on his shoulder once more, while a low howl filled the room, a haunting reminder of the imminent danger they all faced.

  Kie continued his narrative, his voice tinged with awe. "She spun around so fast," he recounted, his eyes squinting in concentration. "She became like a razor disc, or rather, the edge of a chainsaw—mercilessly striking her sword against the creature that stood behind her. The bandaged figure fell backward, black smoke surged from its body like a tire set ablaze. Then, just when we thought she was gone, Miko fell to the ground and rolled, as if struck by an invisible force. I swore she was dead. But then, against all odds, she rose again."

  Kie's face contorted with confusion as he struggled to comprehend the inexplicable. "You summoned a sword so the blade formed inside of you," he mused, his voice filled with equal parts astonishment and disbelief. "Then you pulled it so it ripped out your insides.”

  "You killed yourself," Zod's words landed like a heavy blow, resonating through the room as he looked down at Miko's head resting on his shoulder. The weight of his statement hung in the air, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

  Tee's jaw dropped, a disturbing image flooding her mind, trying to make sense of Miko's actions. Why would she do something so drastic?

  Miko leaned up from Zod, her voice stuttering as she protested, "I-I-I didn't."

  Kie interjected, the full memory now crystal clear in his mind. "You're right," he acknowledged. "After you fell to the ground, black smoke rose from every inch of your body and transformed into a blackbird. It perched upon the shoulder of the one with..."

  His gaze shifted to Tee, a knowing look in his eyes that she dismissed with folded arms. Suppressing a smirk, Kie cleared his throat and continued. “Really white hair.”

  “It’s more silver,” Tee corrected him, uneasy with the connection Kie was implying.

  "That must have been the entity controlling her. Miko would never willingly do something like that." Zod nodded in confirmation, his voice laced with concern.

  "The one with the creepy voice let go of Saeda's hair and extended both arms, asking, 'Who will die next?' What happened next was a blur, but correct me if I'm wrong, Saeda."

  Saeda, hands covering her ears and eyes squeezed shut, remained unresponsive. Taking the cue to continue, Kie forged ahead.

  "I believe Saeda, still on her knees, bit his hand the moment it descended to his side. He screamed, yanking his hand away, tearing it free. A piece of black flesh remained lodged between Saeda's teeth. You bit him, didn't you?"

  Kie glanced up, only to find Saeda still lost in her own world. He shrugged and nonchalantly remarked, "I guess she didn't hear a word I just said."

  Tee interjected, urging him to keep speaking. "Just keep talking, Kie."

  Kie sighed, picking up where he left off. "Right. As his hand tore free, a jet-black liquid oozed out, splattering onto the grass. Sizzles and smoke rose from the spots it touched. The flesh on Saeda's face sizzled and burnt away, revealing bone underneath. His blood seemed like lava, scorching everything in its path. It was just like..." His eyes widened, and he abruptly halted his words.

  Curiosity piqued, Tee pressed him for an explanation. "Just like what, Kie?"