Chapter 11: Chapter XI: Shatter

“It seems your friend is after something else besides plunder,” Kai said.

Olivia side eyed him.

“Constantino is not my friend. I have no respect for the man—he’s a coward.”

“I doubt that. He may be a scoundrel, but a coward? Never has any human army ventured so deep into our wastelands, isolated, without supply lines.” His hands curled into fists. “Living at the expense of my people.”

There were bodies here and there. Rotting sacks of food. Something told her Constantino’s army wasn’t as organized as they were at the start of the chase, as they even stopped trying to mask their footprints.

“He’s a fool, then. They are getting desperate. Look at this mess.” Olivia frowned. “What is he even searching for?”

Kai shook head.

“I don’t know.”

He tripped and fell on his knee, clutching at his wounded chest.

She rushed in.

“Hey, we need to redo these stitches. I think I still got something left.”

He took her hand.

“It’s alright. We need to keep going. The sooner I get my family back, the sooner we can get you back home—”

“Idiot.” She cut Kai short, pushing him to the ground. “That doesn’t work if you’re dead.”

“Wait—”

“Don’t make me pin you down,” she said without thinking, pulling the first aid kit.

“What?” he muttered.

She flipped back to him, sprawled on his back before her.

God, he was huge.

“I mean... I need...” she stuttered, unable to finish the sentence.

“Did you just threaten to subdue me?”

He sounded serious.

Well, that was stupid.

She swallowed. Her lips parted.

His laughter cut her short.

“I've always thought I was a decent actor, you just confirmed it. Thank you,” he said, raising himself to a sitting. “Please go on.”

If she struggled for words before, now she was at a complete loss.

“Understood,” she finally said, as if delivering a report, and began to work.

He seemed to hold back a wince as she cleaned the wound.

“It’s going to hurt a little, now that you’re awake,” she said.

“I prefer this way. Thank you.”

She shifted.

“Stop... thanking me. And you won’t think so when I start.”

He didn’t answer.

Olivia took the needle and thread. Carefully, she pierced his skin, waiting for a grunt or wince, which never came.

Kai’s eyes lingered on her as she worked the needle on his body.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Stop,” she said.

“I’m not saying anything.”

She poked his belly slightly, enough for him to complain.

“Ouch!”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

Her lips were too dry. His eyes were too dark, shoulders too strong.

“Like... that.”

“I see what you mean.” He snapped the thread on his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Do you?

“It’s fine.”

Kai stood up, helping her to her feet.

“Let’s keep going. I think we’re close.”

She nodded, unable to say anything else. Some things were best kept in her chest, even though it hurt to do so.

He was the enemy.

Kai let go of her hand, turning back to the trail.

His touch didn't feel like an enemy’s touch, however.

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There were tents ahead. They hid behind a rock, watching for activity within the camp. Kai frowned.

He couldn’t see a living soul among the tents.

“Do you think they abandoned their camp behind and left in a hurry?”

Kai looked around, searching for signs of the Lost Ones.

Nothing.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It doesn’t seem logical to me. What drove them to that?”

“Let’s find out.” She stood up. “Shall we split?”

“Yes. Watch out for Biters. And call for me if anything happens, I’ll come flying.”

Olivia nodded, taking her time to answer as she did sometimes.

There were so many things happening in that girl’s mind at once, he knew. All the questions and secrets, the twisty paths that led to her heart.

He liked all that, more than he should.

“I will,” she said.

They split. It was a big camp.

He caught her glancing at him in the distance as they searched for clues, and she caught him doing the same, until they lost each other among the tents.

Kai sighed, closing the flap of the empty tent.

What’s happening to me?

He remembered his brother, looking impossibly silly around Mira.

What would’ve Kade thought if he knew it was a human that made him lose his composure?

They might’ve liked each other. Him and Olivia shared some things in common. If only...

Then Kai remembered the dream he had some days ago.

“We’ll all meet again soon or later, don’t you think?”

He reached for his chest, clutching at the necklace that wasn’t there.

“Soon, Brother, soon we’ll meet again. But not now. Wait for me; and I’ll tell you tales of the things I’ve seen, and the woman I met.”

Kai continued his search.

There were signs of fighting, bullets and blood.

The tents were in terrible condition as well, likely the worst they had. Maybe they thought they didn’t need them anymore and left them behind. Casualties maybe? Dead men needed no shelter.

But it was strange. There were no bodies anywhere.

This section was all the same, and he doubted it would yield him any results to his investigation. Kai skipped a few rows of tents, walking towards the rear of the camp, when a putrid smell reached his nose. The further he walked, the worse it got.

There was also a noise, a buzz, like a swarm of mosquitoes or flies, growing louder.

“What the hell is this?”

The ground was strange beyond the line of tents. It had an edge, then it disappeared, as if someone dug a massive hole in there.

A black swarm hovering above it. Flies...

Kai’s heart skipped a beat when he noticed that the blood on the ground didn’t form entirely random patterns.

Most of it drew straight to the hole.

“No...”

He dashed towards it.

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“My God.” Olivia fell back against the pole of a tent. “Have I lost my mind?”

She wanted to chastise herself and end this whole debacle as quickly possible, find her way home and pretend none of this ever happened.

That’s what she wanted to do, but there was no actual willpower in her for any of that. Just thoughts in her mind.

What am I even expecting? That he’ll introduce me to his family, and we will just... as if...

A tiny smile crept at the corner of her mouth.

Olivia caught herself.

“Damn it, Kai.”

She left the tent, shaking her head.

Where was he, anyways? There was nothing left in this place. It was just... strange.

Also, what would Kai do once he finds them? He didn’t share any plan with her.

Hopefully he wasn’t planning to just waltz in and grab them. That would be suicide.

Olivia sighed.

She would need to help him, somehow. Betray her people.

Nobody needed to die, though. That’d be going too far, and they weren’t even her people.

She wiped her face.

Not even her people... then why did she itch to meet them? Her smile didn’t lie.

“Ugh, that’s so stupid.”

Olivia walked away, moving towards the last place she saw him. Spent bullet casings cracked beneath her feet.

Her racing mind stopped when Kai’s voice reached her in the form of a continuous, out-of-tune shout.

She bolted towards it, listening to his pain that soared above the camp, growing louder as Olivia approached the last of the tents.

A massive hole ahead.

Her jaw dropped as she braked at the edge, looking down in horror at the gruesome scene before her.

Mutants of every size and color, mercilessly executed. Thousands of them.

Olivia scratched her head, repeatedly.

“Why...”

Her eyes darted around, jumping from face to face, and it made no sense. Many of them were far too young, winged necklaces hanging from their necks.

She gasped, covering her mouth, then found him.

“Kai...”

He stood at the center of the mass grave, and there was a figure in his arms. A woman of yellow skin, smeared with red blood. His voice finally gave up as he dropped to his knees, still holding her.

Olivia’s hand fell to her side.

“What...” She swallowed painfully. “What have we done?”