Chapter 20

Nobody dares to maneuver, not even slightly bit. We simply stand there and stare on the bear, similar to a deer observing automotive lights. Unable to maneuver, unable to run.

We stand there and wait to get hit.

What makes it even worse is the truth that the bear is staring straight at me.

I do not dare to maneuver.

The Cinderbear sniffs in my course as soon as once more after which turns his consideration in direction of the physique at his ft, then again at me.

After a couple of extra seconds, the monster growls as soon as.

Vibrations will be felt in my chest, and the few unbroken home windows of the bus rumble. A few of them even break. However nobody screams.

Whole silence.

The monster then lowers his huge head and takes a chew of Damon’s abdomen. Because it pulls, it lifts up Damon’s physique, so it makes use of its paw to carry him down.

Then it begins chewing whereas trying round.

Slightly little bit of blood wets its maw, after which it bites as soon as once more, pulling one hand aside from Damon’s physique.

Crunch, crunch.

It eats slowly whereas trying round. At us, on the forest. For a second, it pauses and sniffs a couple of instances. Once more, in direction of us and in direction of the forest.

One other chew.

Crunch, crunch.

We simply watch.

We’re subsequent, aren’t we?

SPLAT

Damon’s head bursts open underneath the pressure of the bear’s chew, making a messy, moist sound.

The monster licks its tooth, and utilizing each of its paws, it finishes the remainder of the physique.

Just a few individuals begin crying because the bear stands up.

However that is simply it. Its eyes land on me for a second, after which it turns round and leaves.

Just a few extra seconds.

Then.

Screams, panic, crying.

Everybody rushes again contained in the bus. Individuals push one another and scream as they rush in.

I’m one of many first inside.

My hand trembles uncontrollably. Every breath I take is ragged and uneven, as if I am gasping for air in a vacuum. My coronary heart kilos in my chest, a continuing reminder of the phobia I am experiencing.

My thoughts races with ideas of what may occur subsequent.

Will I survive?

Is that this the tip?

Each noise, each motion, sends my nerves into overdrive. My senses are on excessive alert, and I maintain mana flowing by means of my physique.

The identical feeling of helplessness and vulnerability washes over me like a wave.

I attempt to calm myself, to regular my shaking hand and regulate my respiratory, but it surely feels inconceivable.

Fuck.

Fuck!

“They appear to be high-quality; the water needs to be secure.”

I take a look at Dominic and Cassian. They actually appear okay for the time being.

“How lengthy will it take to prepare dinner a deer?”

“One to 3 hours.”

I’m hungry, however I would fairly be secure.

“Let’s prepare dinner it for 3 hours, and if they’re high-quality when meals is completed, we may give it a try to drink some.”

“Certain, for now, let’s additionally put away some boiled water. We are able to allow them to eat a bit when the meat is completed and wait a couple of extra hours.” Hadwin says.

Nice, extra ready.

“Let’s try this,” I agree in the long run.

I take a look at the duo for a second. They appear to be disturbed by our dialog.

Ungrateful pricks.

We put away a couple of bottles of boiled water, and the older man throws a variety of the meat into the canister and places it on the hearth. We additionally place a couple of items of clothes over the opening of the canister in hopes of filtering out the scent. Hopefully, it can assist, this and boiling it in water as a substitute of making ready it over the hearth.

I additionally discover that Hadwin’s hearth is not smoking that a lot, just a bit little bit of pale white smoke.

That is good.

We wait, and as we do, I proceed to observe my [Mana Perception], however I am unable to get absolutely into it as my eyes maintain glancing on the spot the place the bear got here from. But, after three hours, I get at the least one thing.

I really feel one thing from the place Tess is.

She is practising her expertise too, so possibly I can really feel her utilizing mana? It is as if for a break up second, as if I observed one thing within the nook of my imaginative and prescient, however after I look there, I see nothing. A sense like that.

But it is one thing.

I additionally get the identical feeling from Sophie and Hadwin.

Hadwin is preserving watch whereas watching the hearth, and Sophie…

Effectively, Sophie is speaking to different individuals whereas preserving her sister shut.

It isn’t that arduous to guess what she is doing as my [Mana Perception] retains getting a “feeling” from her.

Initially, I wish to go there and cease her. To not enable her to slowly manipulate individuals to get on her facet, however then I resolve to not.

Many of the passengers are ineffective for the time being, and if she manipulates them, we would get at the least one thing out of them.

The identical means she manipulated Cassian and Dominic. Now I’m positive of it.

However.

Is not her talent too highly effective?

I’m positive I can counter it considerably due to my [Focus], and I’ve a idea that having increased mana helps too, so I resolve to speculate all three factors into it the following time I stage up.

As for now, Sophie is avoiding Tess and Hadwin.

Tess more than likely due to me and Hadwin as a result of he is most likely at a better stage than her.

But I’m not naive sufficient to imagine that she will not attempt to management them if given a chance.

As soon as once more, I take into consideration stopping her, possibly even killing her, however rapidly change my thoughts, and my suspicion grows.

To check it I strive one thing.

I take into consideration hurting Cassian, and it is simple to think about myself preventing him, hurting him. But when I attempt to do the identical with Sophie, my thoughts wanders, and one thing makes me change my thoughts whereas in search of excuses to take action.

…

This cannot be good, can it?