Leaving the cabin together, they set off without wasting any time, already at the edge of the forest. It didn't take long before they reached it. Yumiel had brought her daggers, placing them in front of the door. She controlled them, making them float above her before she entered the forest.
Jùnyǔ's friend was in the lead, walking ahead with his lantern in the darkness. At times he crouched down, as if tracking footprints. Everyone had a light source except Yumiel, who didn't need one.
For her, the forest wasn't dark and drowned in obscurity, but simply gray, as if heavy clouds covered the sky while sunlight still filtered through. Simply put, for a human, beyond twenty meters, the forest vanished. The lamp and the lantern only carved out a few tree trunks; everything else belonged to the darkness.
Suddenly, a wolf's howl echoed through the forest.« Aooooouuuuu… »Impossible to tell where it came from, as if it resonated throughout the forest. At the same moment, Kai stepped on a branch that cracked dully. Frightened, he screamed and moved closer to Jack.
« AAAAHHH. »
Jack tapped him on the shoulder.
« It's just a branch, wimp. »
Fear was visible on almost everyone, except Yumiel and Jack. Even Alan didn't look calm. Yumiel stayed at the back of the group, able to warn of ambushes if needed. Jùnyǔ moved closer to her and started talking.
« You look like you know what you're doing, hahaha. Say, I've been rather useful, haven't I? I found you a hunter, one of the best. »
« Get to the point. »
Alan was just ahead of them and was listening, slowing slightly.
« Yes, excuse me. So here it is: I don't hold it against you for killing my bodyguard, even though he was an Awakened sent by the government, whom I had to grease generously to get one assigned to me. But let's move on. I will continue to provide you with all my support, financial or otherwise. In exchange, I would like to ask you for a few services when the time comes. »
She looked at him with interest.
« You're a really interesting man. But are you aware that we are monsters, and that your home country has sworn to kill us? »
He swore before spitting on the ground.
« PTOUH! To hell with my country, I live only for myself. So, do you accept? » He held out his hand to Yumiel.
She thought of Jack, who had said he wanted allies and new teammates, then shook his hand.
« I accept, hoping you don't die first in this forest. »
« Ahahaha, then your first mission is to protect me. »
She shot him a very dark look, almost as if she were about to jump at him, then said in a very serious and unsettling voice:
« Don't dream too much. Come back down to earth. »
« Sorry, I'm sorry. »
Suddenly, the group ahead started to speed up. Alan tried to follow them, running after them, but stumbled and began coughing, coughing harder and harder. Yumiel lunged toward him, helping him up.
« You okay? »
Alan hid the hand that had blood on it and leaned on her shoulder as he stood up.
« Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, thanks, but I lost the others. They suddenly sped up, and when I followed them I tripped. »
Yumiel held Alan firmly, helping him walk forward, then let go once she felt he was better.
« They have lanterns, we'll find them easily. »
She looked in the direction they had gone—and saw them in the distance, about a hundred meters away, maybe more, running, or perhaps fleeing.
« I see them, come on. »
They began to run. Alan almost tripped again; Yumiel helped him, keeping him from falling, then ran with him. Jùnyǔ followed as best he could.
If she wanted, she could catch up to them in a few seconds, but she would leave Alan and Jùnyǔ alone behind. And this really wasn't the time—the wolves' howls were getting closer. Looking around, she saw several wolves beginning to surround them.
She ran faster and faster to reach the group, but Alan could no longer keep up and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. The surrounding wolves lunged at him.
Yumiel controlled her daggers, stabbing the wolves that leapt at Alan. She moved closer to him and helped him up while sending her daggers to kill the wolves she could see around them, eventually driving them off.
« What's happening to you, Alan? »
« Nothing, I'm fine, I just need to catch my breath. Let's rejoin the group. »
They moved toward the group, now motionless, lit by lanterns in the night. Yumiel looked around as she advanced, her daggers floating above her.
In the end, the wolves didn't return. They reached the group, but unfortunately, they too had been attacked. Kai was lying on the ground with a huge wolf bite at his throat. Around him were several wolf corpses.
« What happened? »
« The wolves attacked us. I killed several of them, but Kai panicked and ran off, getting away from me and… the wolves didn't miss him. »
Kai was breathing slowly, bleeding out little by little. He didn't have much time left. Yumiel approached him, and Kai tried to lift his head; she lifted it for him. Then he spoke in a very weak voice.
« Ah… ah… These beasts… Dying like this… »
« Don't blame yourself, Kai. Blame us for bringing you along. Tell me, do you have a last wish? »
« Ah… emb… embrace… me… »
Yumiel kissed him on the forehead. He died just after bleeding out completely; she laid him down on the ground.
« We have to move on. If there are wolves, the werewolf can't be far. At least, I hope so. »
Jùnyǔ translated to his friend, who nodded, said a few words, and set off again.
« He said he agrees. »
As they resumed walking, his friend spoke again and Jùnyǔ kept translating.
« He just told me we were attacked because he found traces of the alpha. And by following them back to their source, the wolves fell on him—that's why he ran. He also says he's sorry for your friend. »
Jack chuckled lightly but didn't speak. Yumiel answered in his place.
« Friend? He wasn't our friend. A stranger, nothing more. »
« And if he hadn't moved away from me, he'd still be alive. He has only his weakness to blame. »
Surprised, Jùnyǔ decided not to translate, continuing to follow his friend as he tracked the werewolf.