The City of Ionia

“May I read the note?”

He handed her the paper. It wrote:

“Return to camp urgently—Ruby.”

Nadia crumpled the paper and threw it downwards with force. “Tsk. The hell is this about,” she mumbled.

“Hey, no need for aggression. Let’s just think with a clear—”

“Think and do what, Lex? Ruby, Jeremy, and Harley are nowhere to be found. God knows what happened to them—where they went and all. They could be in danger for all we know.”

Lex spoke in a calming manner, trying to cradle the tempered Nadia. “Look—Let’s just calm down and focus on what we know.”

“What do we know? I don’t even remember what happened. I don’t know why we woke up all scattered around. These miniature pins—or dart things—what are they? Where is Ruby and the others? Why were we left behind…”

She went on and on about the odd situation. Nothing was clear to her. A few hours after the ambush, her mind was fuzzy. Nothing seemed right. It was weird, to say the least—almost like a fever dream.

She pressed her head. It didn’t ache, but it felt heavy. Under her breath, she mumbled random words of confusion—some of them weren’t even actual words.

“What if we go back to camp,” suggested Lex.

She gave him a groan. “I’m not sure. I’m a mess right now. This situation is so hectic that it’s killing me.”

The usual calm and composed Nadia disappeared. It was like she took on someone else's personality. She was fidgety and kept looking around like she hoped to find Rudy somewhere in the trees.

Was Ruby okay? Harley and Jeremy—were they okay? There were no clear answers to her questions.

Was going back to camp the answer? Why else would Ruby instruct her to?

“They aren’t at camp.”

“And you know this why…?”

Nadia replied. “Ruby didn’t bring us to wherever they went because she knew something. Why would she tell us to retreat to camp? What did Ruby promise us before we set foot? She promised our lives wouldn’t end. We trusted her with our hearts and went on this mission. Ruby guaranteed our safety. There’s a reason she’s telling us to retreat. It’s a way of saying it is dangerous to keep moving forward.”

“Heh, you got all of that in a simple sentence?”

“I know Ruby better than you think. When her heart is placed on something, it won’t stop beating until she accomplishes it. The reason for this mission is to save Quinn without any casualties. Did you not hear the sternness in her voice when she promised our lives would be safe? She meant it with all her heart.”

“So you are saying that she’s ordering a retreat so our lives aren’t at risk?”

Nadia nodded. “Exactly. There’s no other reason for it. Our safety is her priority.”

Lex looked around with his hands on his hips. Most of the people were awake, besides a few. Conversations flew as confusion plagued the air. No one had a clue as to what happened or what was happening.

Nadia had a hard time scraping for the moments before her slumber. The last thing she remembered was a conversation with Gavin. Anything after that was blank.

“So what, we’re just gonna hit the road back home?”

Nadia sighed. “I’m not sure. I hate going against Ruby’s words, but I also want to ensure she is safe.”

Lex shrugged. “Your call. You’re basically the boss right now.”

She played around with her bottom lip, twisting and picking at the dry flakes. “Assuming Jeremy and Harley are with her, they should be fine. I can’t bring myself to disobey Ruby. We will retreat to camp and wait for their return.”

“If that’s what you want, then so be it. It saves us from risking our lives.”

“If I remember correctly, dying is against the second ‘P’ in your P.P.P rule.”

Lex crackled, placing his hand on her shoulder while hunched. “How do you remember a stupid ass rule?”

She knocked his hand away. “Its stupidity is the reason why I remember.”

“One’s stupidity is another person’s genius intellect.”

Not understanding what was said, she rolled her eyes. She glanced around as the others gathered themselves. With Lex’s help, she ordered her awakened comrades to form a circle. The ones who were still knocked were gently placed on the side. They would be dealt with later.

“My fellow comrades,” she stated, “as we all noticed by now, we’ve been ambushed by the enemy. We were put to sleep, unable to do anything. For whatever reason, our lives have been spared. We should be thankful. But even though we still live, Ruby, Harley, and Jeremy are nowhere to be found. A note was left by my side—in Ruby’s handwriting—instructing us to return to camp. I’ve speculated that Ruby isn’t at camp but with the enemy instead. If we pursue it, anything could happen to them. It’ll be too dangerous. Hence, is why I am making the correct decision and retreating. Our safety will put Ruby’s heart at ease in this stressful situation. Let us carry the weight of our sleeping comrades and take them home. Let us go home to safety. May we bleed together.”

“May we bleed together,” repeated the crowd.

Nadia was asked a few questions. Despite knowing little about the situation, she attempted to answer to the best of her knowledge.

There was silence—the type of silence after a funeral. No one said much, and when someone did, it led to more silence. Either they were concerned for Ruby, or they had no idea how to express their emotions verbally.

Nadia internally prayed for Ruby’s safety, repeating the prayer for the majority of the walk home. Ruby was the only person—the only thing on her mind. Whether or not Harley or Jeremy were injured was irrelevant. Her heart only cared for her.

***

Gray fog drifted in, and the air hung thick with an uncomfortable silence. It moved slowly, slithering around the trees like a snake. It engulfed everything in its grasp, reducing clear visibility. What had previously been a vivid image of camp now faded as though the color had become extinct. Silence devoured the area. It was like the fog consumed sound, shrouding the surroundings in silence.

Fog during the summer wasn’t an everyday occurrence. It was as though God played with the weather.

“Nadia. Look.”

She turned to the voice. It was someone from Lex’s group pointing through the gray sheet. Behind the fog was a fascinating, human-like figure—for the most part. From what could be seen, it didn’t stand. It was sitting on something.

Nadia approached the figure till she could clearly see.

“!”

She took a half step back.

A sea of blood. Chopped fingers. Ripped fabric. Bits and pieces of tree bark were scattered below. That wasn’t what got her worked up.

The figure sat on a burly body, probably the biggest body seen. It was a well-built body that had gotten too big. Its shirt ripped, revealing a single nipple.

Besides the body was a head that was pierced to the ground by a sword. Its hair faced Nadia. Thankfully, she didn’t have to see the eyes of the decapitated.

But she had no other choice but the stare into the eyes of a psychopath. Her petite figure had no business taking on someone of this size. Her usually tight pigtails crisped up and were on the verge of becoming undone. Blood spread across her arms and her cheeks. Was it her blood, or was it his? That was the million outis coin question.

She sat on the decapitated body with her knees trembling. In her hand she laid a dagger. It circled around her finger as she fiddled with it, unphased by Nadia’s presence.

It was like something out of a night terror. A demon—no—devil, almost.

Nadia spoke with hesitation. “Jill, did you do this?”

She stopped fiddling with her dagger and stared at the head as though it owed her money. It was a deep stare with either a million thoughts or zero thoughts.

This one was a million.

“Am I human?” She questioned with distant eyes.

“Pardon?”

“Can I really call myself human anymore?”