Conversation - II

"So, what's the plan regarding that lunatic? I suspect he's still alive, considering he used us as bait," Fred asked as hatred toward Peter was still visible.

"Are you serious? I doubt anyone could survive in these woods! Not everyone has our luck," Jack felt doubt about his survival.

"I was merely speculating. The question is that what should we do if he is indeed alive?" Fred asked.

Kalsie's eyes hardened, his voice laced with determination. "How can we let him go after what he's done? The next time we cross paths, we'll show him the consequences of messing with us. Eye for an eye, no matter the cost."

"Hehe! I like it." A grin crept across Fred's face, clearly in favor of Kalsie's plan.

However, not everyone shared the same sentiment.

The icy determination in Kalsie's eyes and his resolute words left a few members of the group shuddering.

Nevertheless, given the horrors they had endured at Peter's hands, they silently concurred with Kalsie's sentiments.

After a brief, contemplative silence, Job cleared his throat and inquired, "Kalsie, setting that scoundrel aside, have you thought about our next steps or formulated any plans?"

The frostiness in Kalsie's gaze melted away as he turned his attention to Job.

His voice held a hint of disappointment as he responded, "Honestly... I don't know, or perhaps I can't think of one at the moment. Although I'm not sure why, from what I've observed, these monsters seem to appear only at night, or at least their presence diminishes significantly during the day. But we can't say for certain."

"Yeah! We noticed the same thing when we didn't encounter any monsters once it became daylight!" Fred chimed in.

"So, does that mean we only have to endure the nights and try to survive until morning?" Jack queried with a hint of helplessness.

"But we're surrounded by water, right? If we stay quiet at night, there shouldn't be any monsters coming our way," Fred suggested optimistically.

"If only it were as simple as you make it out to be, Fatty, we wouldn't be in this situation," Wendy retorted.

"What do you mean by that?" Fred frowned, seeking clarification.

"Why do I have to be acquainted with someone as clueless as you?" Wendy sighed and shook her head.

"What's that supposed to mean, huh!? Let me tell you—"

Before Fred could continue, Wendy cut him off and asked, "Have you forgotten who sent us to this place?"

Her question hung heavily in the air, silencing the group. Fred fell silent, realizing the gravity of Wendy's point.

"Hold on a second." Kalsie directed his question at Wendy. "You know who's behind all of this?"

Wendy met his gaze and replied, "Yes, it's none other than the noble families of our country, Saintonia. If you're wondering how I know this, it's because Fred, Noah, and I all belong to these families. Each one of our family members sent us here for a purpose."

'The noble families!? Does that mean they also have a connection with my mom?' Kalsie contemplated silently.

While his own family was relatively wealthy, the 'noble families' possessed vast wealth, political influence, and connections that dwarfed his family's resources.

"Kalsie, I know it's hard to believe, and it might make us appear suspicious, but you can trust us. We're all in the same situation here," Fred reassured him, trying to put Kalsie at ease.

Kalsie nodded, signaling his trust, but he still had questions. "I trust you. But I need to understand why we've all been brought to this place."

Fred sighed, a sense of helplessness in his voice. "To be honest, we don't know much apart from the fact that this seems to be some kind of test."

"A test? What kind of test?" Jack chimed in, curiosity piqued.

But instead of Fred, it was Kalsie who answered, "A test to see who lives, who dies, and who becomes stronger by facing these monsters, right?"

Fred nodded slowly. "That's our best guess at the moment."

"And to make matters worse, considering that our own families are behind all this, I doubt that anyone will come to save us unless we prove ourselves by surviving," Noah added, sharing the information he had.

"Why would they do something like this? What could they possibly gain?" Bella asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

"D-Does this mean we're completely on our own?" Nick stammered.

Some of them tensed up upon hearing the possibility of no external help. They felt the urge to deny it, but after all they had been through, they couldn't dismiss Noah's words.

Initially, their faint hope had rested on the possibility of rescue, but now it seemed like even that hope had evaporated.

Even for Kalsie, who wanted to use burning forest as a beacon to call help, understood how hopeless their situation became when even the authorities won't be able to help them. 

Fear for their survival settled in, knowing that luck wouldn't always be on their side, and a single misstep in this perilous place could spell death for any one of them.

Seeing their disheartened state, Wendy spoke up, her voice determined. "You're absolutely right; we're in a tough spot. We might not know why we're here, but one thing is clear: we have to rely on ourselves for survival. This forest may seem safe for now, but we can't let our guard down."

She continued, "As long as we're in this forest, those monsters will keep finding us. So, yes, getting out of here is our best chance at survival."

Job interjected, "But it's impossible! We don't even know how big this forest is, and even if we travel during the day, there's no guarantee we'll make it out."

Wendy smirked at Job and replied, "What if I told you there's a better place, where we can spend the night safely?"

Fred chimed in, asking, "You're not talking about 'that' place, are you?"