44 Formulating our plan

"Gaah!" 

My body jerked on its own as I involuntarily howled in agony from the nightmare I have had. I rolled up my arms and checked for any sort of physical reaction; up and down in an alternate manner. 

"A dream?" I was able to control my upper limbs from the test that I did. 

I let out a sigh as I picked myself up and sat slouchy from where I was laid. I turned to my side and studied my surroundings, checking once more whether I was still in a different dimension or had remained at my current world. 

I was greeted by the sleeping faces of a familiar group of 4 Japanese people. Konoe, who was presently in charge for the day, had been momentarily napping from her post, and battling her sense of balance as her body continues to flicker on the side before it could even fall. 

Knowing that I've returned from the original realm, I curled up a smile and placed all of the used charcoals aside and tidied things up to conjure a better environment. It was a good thing that they had already prepared a new set of charcoals to be used for the next campfire. I soon readied the materials needed and leisurely arrange our simple breakfast. 

"Konoe. Rise and shine, sleepy head" I called out her name and gently swayed her shoulders back and forth, and calmly hoped for a response. I had thought to rouse her alive in an awful loud manner just so to discern her amusing reaction, but the thought had hindered my actions and felt pity from the unrested eyes booming from her face. 

I was reminded from the time I had a sleep over with Pura, where she had woken me up in a terrible fashion. By the time I had pried my eyes open, due to the shock wave produced by her roar, a small lump on the centre of her forehead had been magically produced against my swift and sturdy knuckles.

"Mommy…"

My gestures were left unheeded, and it was replaced by a soft murmur, followed by a tear drop slowly surfacing from her eye. Her figure was akin to a work of art—a kind and lovely girl who had only wished for a better life. I couldn't help but admire at her quiet face, untouched by any sort of deceit. 

"Hey. It's me, Fleur. Wake up." I called out for her once more, this time adding a little bit of force from my quivering hands.

"Mhmgh…Fleur-san? NO, I'M NOT ASLEEP. I AM SO SORRY"

"It's fine. Go wake up the others. Breakfast is ready" I gently tapped her head and assured everything was alright. Although she had slept in the duration of her job, no zombies nor other entities had disrupted out night. 

"Really? Okay then. I'm really sorry, Fleur-san." Konoe shuffles on the ground and hurriedly walked towards the others. She carefully woke them up one after the other, as if it was the natural thing to do. 

However, peering into her eyes had made me recall the ghastly dream. Their lifeless body had been perfectly carved inside my mind, making me unable to discern which was fictitious or real. Recollecting my thoughts, Pura had once said to me that I had obtained the power to recognise futuristic events which are bound to occur. Even so, the theory behind these assumptions had never proven me wrong for I had dreamt the same events that had already existed; one of which was the time that the boat had sunken due to a catastrophe of a giant beast, a serpent, which brought wreckage to our sail. There are others which I had also dreamed—like the time I got bitten on my hind. 

Even so, there is no harm to believe and avoid these incidents, which had already happened or even destined to arise. 

I couldn't help but force myself a bitter smile and unravel a solemn mask beneath my face in front of my group. They may critic my prowess if I would have the chance to reveal these information. Putting myself unto their shoe, I would also find it difficult to accept the peculiar claim of mine.

Lost in thought, I decided to push these trivial topics aside and continue myself for moving forward. Just as I was about to turn my back towards their side, Konoe eerily appeared to my fore and surprises me with a *GAH!* as she raises her arms in a zombie-like manner. 

I tilted my head, confused from what happened.

"No fair~" Konoe made it quite obvious for me to discern her emotions, and began sulking like a little kid, pouting even in an adorable stance. 

"3 points for effort" I giggled from her gestures, and carefully caress her head in a pitiful demeanor.

"What seems to be the problem?" 

She slightly bends her body forward, revealing a little bit of gap between the spaces of her uniform, as she queers me with her question. Her eyes were beaming with curiosity, at the same time worried from my baffled expression. I was sure to disguise my agonising look from the beginning I had recalled my reverie, but her sharp senses had managed to sneak right into my guard. I was strangled from her oddity, and knew that there was no escape from her pesky inquiry.

"This and that. Like how are we going to get outside and search for your parents" I shrugged off and walked to the other side, hoping to be relieved from the interrogation. Despite my efforts, Konoe continued to pester me and hopped right back from where she had once positioned with.

"I know that look. I usually wear that face whenever I'm experiencing difficult times. You know, coping up with the things that I lack, or the things that I've lost. Still, here I am, refusing to give up" Soon, her eyes that had once filled with joy was now embodied by sincere sadness. Her body tenses up, and slowly resigns the energy she had stored inside. From the looks of her face, she had been holding out the tears contained from her eyes. She was neither strong nor weak. Rather, she had already given up all of her expectations in life. 

That was the face I had worn when I first saw Pura's body crumbled mercilessly by the Lich. Yet I was saved by two clement people and eventually corrected my path. Nonetheless, they were still kids to begin with, who had suffered more than anyone in this town.

"I see.

 I resigned myself from the nearby seat and joined the rest of our group. I was unable to give Konoe a reply despite her being worried for my sake. She was disheartened from my blank reply, still she accepted my demand.

"I'll tell you once we step foot outside" I requested.

Our meal consists of the crops I had gathered yesterday from the farm. I had skewered all of the ingredients using the lone twigs scattered near the ingress and barbecued them on the newly lit campfire. We silently ate our nutritious meal and soon discussed our subsequent plan.

"Does anyone of you knows the interior of this cave?" 

I pointed out the jet-black shadows crawling deeper in the cavern. If there's one thing that we would need to consider, it'll be scouting inside our temporary settlement and studying the domain of our terrain. 

"I believe that tunnel will lead us back to the following places: the forest, the beach, or inside the village" Konoe explains the details of the routes.

We are all gathered in a circular formation, and at our centre lies an illustrated map scribbled by Konoe herself, which helps us elaborate further descriptions for the topography of the island.

"One of these roads had been already ventured by your parents, Konoe. Is that correct?"

"Yes. We had already took the track leading to the beach."

"That means that they must be inside the forest" I said, trailing off at the end. 

"However, the forest should be infested by zombies at this time. I am not degrading their chances of survival but…I advise everyone to expect less from our journey."

"I second the motion. Although it'll be laborious for me to accept this, we have no choice but to anticipate the worse."

Itsuki said in a sorrowful manner, as he hugs his brother tightly in his arms.

"What do you mean that's an option? They're alive and that's final!" Konoe roared thunderously at the ground. She is the type of person who never gives up on a specific goal. However, her inclined thoughts could guide her in disarrays that will soon shatter her fragile heart. 

"Of course" I could only nod in discomfort, even unsure to my own answer. Nonetheless, this false hope maybe later on serve as some sort of aspiration, a belief that continuously pushes her forward. 

"What else should we expect inside the jungle?" I asked, hoping for a distinct reply. I was no local from this said island. From all that I could only recall, I was washed up and brought by the oceanic waves, and unconsciously arrived at the soft sands of the beach. 

"There's a laboratory not far from our village. It is one of the main attractions offered by our island. The building also serves as a museum open for the public. Their items includes mutated fossils, extinct reptiles, and such…not that that it matters" Itsuki stated.

"Laboratory?" My eyes broadened from the words that I've heard.

Who knew that we had stumbled upon one of the branches of the S.P.E.C.T.R.E

owned by the scientist, Andrew Turner