Chapter 10
'What are the plantations? What are the demons?' Emma sweated slightly. 'What's happening out here? What happened 30 years ago?'
"How long has the world been like this?" Scarlett asked.
"A very long time," Sung-Joo replied.
Emma and Ray looked surprised.
"I'm not sure exactly how long, but at least a thousand years," the demon said.
There was only silence as they took this in.
"Is… is this not Earth then?" Ray questioned.
"Huh?" Emma looked sideways at him.
"It explains the bizarre environment and biology. Then the calendar? Were the dates a lie? Is this not 2046?" Ray thought out loud.
"Nay. We are on planet Earth in the year 2046 indeed," Sung-Joo dismissed Ray's theory. "Well, according to a certain human's reckoning, at least."
"But then, why? How?" Emma blurted out. "But-"
"I'll tell you a story of old," he interrupted. "When the world was much bigger than it is today. It was indeed a great wide world. Back then, there were no plantations. The world was filled with many humans. And the demons could just prey on them to survive. The demons were the hunters and the humans, the 'hunted'. Some humans feared our kind and worshiped us. Others resented us and they became hunters, killing every demon they can see in sight."
"Many demons had now fallen prey to what was supposed to be just prey. This made the demons resentful as well and became more vicious. Both sides lived in terror. Finally, when no one can take it anymore, a proposal came from the human side. 'Humans shan't hunt demons anymore. In return, demons shan't hunt humans either. This world we live in shall be divided between both.' Yes, that was when the Promise was made."
"The Promise..?" Scarlett repeated to herself.
"It's the ancient contract between the demons and humans that was signed all those years ago," Sung-Joo explained. "It was to fulfil the promise that the world will be split into two. This is the demon side of Earth."
"The world was split into two…?" Emma breathed, not quite believing it.
"Unfortunately for you, you are the descendants of the parting gift your ancestors left behind long ago, when they 'fled' the demon side," the demon continued.
"Left behind?" Ray repeated.
"Demons could no longer hunt humans in order to keep the Promise intact. So, they raised you as cattle instead, technically not bypassing the contract. That was why the plantations were created. Among them, the Grace Field plantation is considered the top tier one. Among countless other ones."
"We're from that farm…" Scarlett said. Her mind was on the fact that their ancestors left them here to die. What was this feeling inside of her? Betrayal? Resent?
"Oh? But anyways, almost nothing has changed since the Promise was made. I'm afraid that this is what kind of world that you've escaped into."
'The world was split into two! How?' Ray sweated. 'But… It explains a lot. The ecosystem, why he said it's rare to see humans outside the plantations, and how Mom could have been plantation born, when she was born in 2014.'
'30 years?' Emma frowned. 'How foolish of me. This world… this world has belonged to the demons for a long time!'
'This world… is not suitable for humans to live in,' Scarlett thought. 'No matter how far we run, there's no place for us here. There is a silver lining in all of this though…'
"Ray, Scarlett," Emma said. Her face was obscured as she looked down, but she was smiling.
"Yeah," Ray responded. He smirked.
Scarlett had a gleam in her eyes. A gleam of hope and victory.
"All right!" Ray and Emma cheered while Scarlett smiled.
"Hmm?!" Sung-Joo wasn't expecting this response.
"It's the worst possible case, yes, but then after that!" Emma cheered.
"Yeah! A lot is still up in the air but the situation's way better than I expected!" Ray agreed.
"There is a place for humans after all," Scarlett closed her eyes, smiling in relief. "There's another world, and it's safe from demons!"
"Um, sorry to crush your hopes, but, there's no way to get there. All the paths were closed off. 'None shall cross to the other side' was also part of the contract," Sung-Joo said almost apologetically.
The three of them were not deterred by this however. Instead, they had matching smirks.
"You really think that's gonna stop us?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "After all we've been through to just lie down and get eaten?"
"No way is that happening," Emma agreed. "We'll find a way."
"A simple small detail like that is nothing more than a nuisance and obstacle that we'll overcome," Ray said confidently. "Don't underestimate us."
Emma grabbed a cup of tea and chugged it down. Scarlett and Ray sweatdropped at her.
"Was that really necessary?" Scarlett deadpanned.
"Ah!" Emma said, refreshed. "Thanks Sung-Joo! I feel much better now!"
"Is that so?" Sung-Joo said, still confused. "Well… that's good then. All of you should get some rest. You'll need it. Tomorrow, Musica and I will teach you how to pass through this forest, at least. Under our guidance, you should be able to leave it safely."
"Thank you," Scarlett replied.
As the three of them walked out, Emma looked back and said, "Have a good night!"
'Thousands of years since the contract was made,' Emma thought. 'And it forbids crossing between the two worlds. All the books, toys, food, technology that we saw in the house, is supposed to be some fake human culture set up by the demons?'
'No way in hell!' Ray smirked. 'Even if it were possible, why did we only get stuff older than a certain date? And what about Minerva's books? How did they get in?'
'That's the work of humans.' Scarlett narrowed her eyes slightly. 'Human hands built that… in the human world. So there is a path somewhere! It's like what Sister Krone said. Human associates have been bringing all of those things. From the human world!'
'What's more,' Emma continued, 'If William Minerva is involved in that exchange, then he's the one who's been crossing between the two worlds!'
"We have to find Minerva," Emma said determinedly. "We know that for sure." 'I was so scared that there wouldn't be a way. That the only solution was to kill all the demons. I couldn't do that, especially now that we know that there are demons that don't eat humans.'
"Liberation," Ray grinned.
Scarlett had her head held up high. "We'll bring everyone, and break out of this world, to go to our real world."
~0~0~0~0~0~
All 16 of them followed the two demons through the tunnels, wary and nervous. Apparently they were gonna take the tunnels that they made to get out of the forest without being in danger.
Sung-Joo grinned in amusement. "Be at ease. They won't find us down here. I built this path myself out of dead bloodsucker trees. It's a true maze. Only Musica and I would be able to find the exit."
"I actually sometimes still get lost!" Musica laughed.
"Besides," Sung-Joo continued, "those from the plantations aren't very familiar with the forest. We can stay in these tunnels until we clear the area."
"Look!" Alicia pointed up ahead. "Water anemones!"
"Wow!" Jemima marveled. "You're getting so good at this!"
As the younger ones all asked Musica questions, the older ones, minus Ray, were at the back, sharing thoughts and theories.
"One of Minerva's books had the word promise," Emma said. "We couldn't figure out a way to fit it into the message the other books made. He must have been referring to the Promise that was made thousands of years ago."
"That makes sense," Nat replied. "But what I'm concerned about is that we're not in the human world."
"The world was split?" Anna added. "What does that even mean?"
"I was so convinced that this all happened 30 years ago, but it's been thousands of years," Emma frowned.
"Sung-Joo said that there were no ways to get into the human world," Scarlett continued. "But we believe that Minerva is from the human world. There's definitely some sort of loophole he found or something."
There was silence as they all thought.
"That's why our final goal…" Emma finally said, "is to go to the human world with everyone. We'll find Minerva and ask him how to get to the other world. Then, we'll have two years of preparation. We go back for Phil and the others and we all escape."
"Easier said than done," Scarlett sighed. "But, this is definitely the best way."
"Yeah…" Gilda murmured. "All the paths were supposed to be closed. And we want to bring over a lot of people. Even if Minerva found a way, it's not gonna be simple."
"No ones saying it will," Emma grinned. "Crossing between worlds is probably very difficult and we still have to figure out how to survive in just this world. But with this, we have a reason to hope! We escaped into more trouble, but there's hope! A silver lining in all of this. I'm not letting us die! Someday, we will all live in peace again, happy together! Now that we have a goal, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to accomplish it. Even if it seems impossible, I'll find a way! So let's go to the human world!"
All of them smiled.
"You're really good at speeches," Scarlett commented. "It's not surprising though."
"Yours was pretty good too when we had our first meeting!" Don said.
Scarlett blushed in embarrassment for a split second. "Please. My knees were shaking the whole time and I even stuttered."
"Doesn't mean that it wasn't good though," Nat pointed out. "You just need to work on your performance."
"By the way, Emma…" Gilda's voice sounded ominous.
"Y-yeah?" Emma asked nervously.
"If you're not feeling well, will you please tell us?" Gilda asked coldly. Her posture and aura made her seem taller than she really was.
"G-Gilda?!" Emma exclaimed.
Gilda grabbed Emma's shoulders and shook her as she said, "Got it? You can't just endure the pain all by yourself until you pass out! We forbid you from doing that!"
"Eep!" Emma squeaked as she was shaken.
"Promise?!"
"Y-yes!"
Gilda finally let go of Emma, who was a bit distorted from that. Her menacing stare then turned to a pair of red eyes. "Don't think I've forgotten about you, Scarlett!"
Scarlett froze like a deer in the headlights. 'Oh dear.'
"Make sure you take care of yourself before others!" Gilda shouted. "Don't push yourself so much! You don't have to comply if we ask you to use your powers! You can say no!"
"Yeah, I got it," Scarlett said hastily. She looked down as she thought of what Gilda just said.
Emma, thinking she was safe, gave a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, for her, Gilda wasn't quite done with her. She started grabbing Emma's cheeks and stretched them. "And what's up with you cutting your ear! That wasn't part of the plan! It's good that you're a brave girl, but don't overdo it!"
"I-I'm shotty!" Emma said, not being able to speak properly. "But-!"
Gilda closed in on her face with a cold smile and said, "'But' nothing."
"Should we do something?" Anna asked.
"Nah, just let Gilda speak her heart out," Don dismissed. "She's been waiting ages to scold them."
"Woah!" Chris said at the front. "Emma's being scolded!"
'You tell her, Gilda!' Ray smirked.
"Ray too!" Chris said.
"What?" Ray sweated.
"I heard from Sung-Joo that you wanted to be bait!"
"And fight that lizard demon alone!" Yvette added.
"And to challenge the farm demons to a run?" Mark frowned. "That's not ok!"
"You take your eyes off of him for one second, and he's already off to try to kill himself," Lannion said dramatically.
"Really, Ray?" Thoma said exasperatedly. "Again? What a suicidal maniac."
"Oh come on!" Ray yelled. "Don't say that too!"
"We're only speaking the truth," Scarlett called from the back.
"Let's ask Sung-Joo!" Chris suggested.
"His chances of surviving that were zero," the demon replied immediately.
"See?!" Chris exclaimed.
"Hey!" Ray objected. "I won't die, I won't die! So-"
Jemima launched herself towards Ray, hugging him tightly. "I-I was so scared!" She sniffled.
Ray's eyes widened in shock.
"You guys care a lot about us, right?" Don smiled. "And super worried about us. But now, we're super worried about you."
"It's true! Don and Gilda nearly cried when we came here!" Nat added cheekily.
While Don was spluttering for an answer, Gilda continued what he was saying.
"If you need help, say it! Don't try to do everything alone. We're brave too, you know? If you're in danger, please think of your own safety first!" Gilda hugged Emma tightly. "We're happy that you care so much for us, but you guys are family too! So… please…"
'I said to myself that I wasn't gonna isolate myself anymore. But that's harder than it sounds,' Scarlett frowned. 'And… I wasn't thinking about how they felt when we risked ourselves for them. When will I stop being so selfish?'
"I got it," Emma whispered. "Thank you. Sorry everyone for worrying you."
"I'm sorry too. I won't push myself too hard unless it's necessary," Scarlett added. "And I'll work to be a stronger and better person. Not just for you guys, but for myself as well."
The two demons looked on at the bonding moment between the kids.
"They're good children," Musica commented.
"That they are," Sung-Joo agreed.
"Then why didn't you tell them?" Musica asked in the demon language.
Sung-Joo didn't reply for a moment. "What do you mean?"
The dangers that these kids will face… if they try to break the Promise, they'll make an enemy of The One."
"Yeah," Sung-Joo admitted. "But I don't need to. They'll know soon enough. Besides…
He was their enemy from the very start."
~0~0~0~0~0~
"W-what is this?!" Emma exclaimed, her mouth full. The other behind her also looked shocked.
"It's called cooking," Ray said sarcastically, Scarlett deadpanning next to him.
"I know that! But how did you guys make it so good!" Emma pouted.
Scarlett shrugged. "We just followed Musica's instructions and I added some stuff that I've learned over the years."
"Why are you guys so good at everything," Lannion whined.
"Hey, cooking and baking is like science," Scarlett replied. "I'm good at science. I'm sure anyone with half a brain can connect the dots. Or do you need me to?"
"Blunt as ever I see," Emma grinned.
"You two also did a great job with the fire!" Musica complimented Mark and Rossi.
As they all sat around in the circle, Ray noticed Emma had tears in her eyes.
"What's the problem?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Emma reassured him. "It's just… sharing a meal like this makes me really happy."
After the meal, they were then taken to practice using weapons.
"You don't have a chance of survival if you don't know how to wield a weapon," Sung-Joo had said.
Scarlett was holding a bow that Sung-Joo had given her. There was also a quiver filled with arrows on her back. The demon had shown them how to load an arrow and how to aim with it.
Everyone, even Emma but she wasn't as bad, struggled with the bow.
For Scarlett, it was almost elementary. Her enhanced eyesight made it easy to see the target and her reflexes made her be able to reload an arrow quickly. She easily hit the center of the target after a couple of tries.
After some failed attempts, Emma had also hit the center of the target.
"I'm not even surprised anymore," Don sighed.
Musica and Sung-Joo looked at each other in surprise. The talent they showed was not expected.
Scarlett walked up to the male demon and asked, "Any other weapons you got?"
He handed her some throwing knives to try out. After showing her how to throw them, she did the same thing and got similar results when she had the bow. Honestly, it was quite addicting. The demon had also shown her how to wield and strike with it.
Musica and Sung-Joo didn't just teach them weaponry. They taught them all sorts of skills to survive out in this world. Cooking, which plants are poisonous or dangerous or edible, how to set up traps, etc.
"What's this?" Rossi asked Musica, holding up a plant. It had purple veins on its leaves and the edges were fuzzy.
"It's called Servaka," Musica replied. She took it. "These plants are very rare, considering they grow in very specific locations. It has to be warm, but only between 80-90 degrees. Any less, the plant will not grow and any more, the plant will wilt and become useless."
"What's it used for?" Jemima asked curiously.
"Well, despite it being incredibly hard to get, it's not used for a lot," Musica explained. "It has no medical properties. However, it can be eaten. It's not advised though. It makes you incredibly sleepy. Great for sleeping problems of course, but if you take it too often, it'll be like a drug. What we use it for though are sleeping darts. The wild demons here are very loud as you might have noticed. We use them to take care of them easily so that they don't attract more attention."
"That sounds useful!" Chris said.
Musica smiled. "Let me show you how to make the dart."
It was a process of turning the leaf into a sort of liquid and then showing how to inject it into the darts.
After showing them, Musica then said, "Before all of you leave, I'll give you some of them. It might come in handy and you can grow your own supply."
"Really?" Alicia gasped. "Thank you!"
"Of course," Musica smiled. She was really getting attached to these kids.
Scarlett spent most of her time utilizing weapons, practicing using her powers, or hand to hand combat. On the third day, Don sweatdropped when Scarlett perfectly sliced her own arrow in half.
"Um… maybe you should practice other skills?" He suggested. "After all, your powers already give you a great boost in the fighting category."
"I want to master this area first," Scarlett objected immediately. "Besides, I shouldn't rely on my powers too much. I want to be unpredictable."
"Just don't work yourself too hard," Don said worriedly.
"I won't," Scarlett promised.
Later that day during supper, Sung-Joo had taken out a map and laid it out for all of them to see. He pointed to different points of the map as he spoke.
"You should head southeast towards this area. Then you should leave the forest from the northern side and walk around it."
"North?" Emma questioned.
"If you'd go straight southeast, we'd have to pass wild demon territory," Musica explained.
"No thanks," Don shivered, not wanting to see another one of those wild demons in his lifetime. That would be basically impossible though.
"If you take the longer path, there should be nothing but wilderness," Sung-Joo said. "I assume you'd rather take the safer path."
"You'd assume correctly," Scarlett muttered.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Scarlett and Emma noticed Sung-Joo putting on his cloak, spear in hand.
"Sung-Joo, are you going up?" Emma asked.
"Aye. We have to cross a river and unfortunately, we have to go up. I'm scouring the area."
"Then, can we come?" Scarlett asked quietly. "We want to look at the situation too. Besides, it'll be good practice when we're on our own."
Sung-Joo hesitated. Then he said, "...I understand. However, do not even get away from me for a moment. And put these on." He held out two cloaks identical to his.
"Wow!" Emma exclaimed on the horse-like demon mount they were riding on.
"The river itself looks shallow," Scarlett commented.
"Yes," Sung-Joo said. "It should be easy to walk across the ice. The problem is your pursuers."
"If they come, how can you escape?" Emma questioned.
"Let's look around and see if we can come up with a plan," Sung-Joo responded.
Sung-Joo had gotten off the demon mount to scour.
"It looks like they aren't here," Emma said.
"Yes. That's fortunate," the demon said. "So, what do you two want? I know you didn't ask to come just for a change of scenery."
"We want…" Scarlett hesitated. "You to teach us how to take a life."
Sung-Joo didn't respond.
"The past couple of days, you've been teaching us loads of things. You've even shown us how to become hunters ourselves," Emma continued. "But you've never shown us, how to kill."
"We know that it's a huge possibility," Scarlett said. "We're gonna take at least one life by the time this is all over. And… it's daunting. We want to be able to do it if it comes to it."
"So, teach us how to hunt," Emma finished.
"...very well."
Getting off of the mount, they then were instructed to shoot a bird from the sky. They did so with ease.
They both felt the bodies of the birds that have fallen while retrieving their arrows.
"It's so warm…" Emma murmured.
"It's still alive," Scarlett whispered. "I can feel its heartbeat."
"Good shot," Sung-Joo complimented them. "Next come the Gupuna."
"The Gup-?" Emma started, then froze when she saw it.
"Emma?" Scarlett looked at her with concern.
"T-that's…" Emma trailed off.
Sung-Joo held out two to them. "Hold it with care. In your language, it would be called Vida. It's a vampire weed. Pierce the chest of your prey with it."
While Scarlett took it almost immediately, albeit with wariness, Emma hesitated.
"Present your gift to the gods. If they accept it, the flower will bloom a bright red. Only then is it acceptable to eat the meat. That's the Gupuna ceremony. It's how we traditionally slaughter our prey. It also helps with bleeding and cleaning it. And by clearing out the blood, the meat will last longer."
Scarlett could guess what Emma was thinking. "Emma… you saw Conny with this flower on her chest, didn't you?"
"Y-yeah," Emma replied quietly. "Conny was a sweet little girl." 'Conny… Hao… Sadie… Norman…'
"So you've seen it before," Sung-Joo confirmed.
"Yes. Do we have to do it when they're alive?" Emma asked guiltily.
"Unfortunately, yes. Otherwise the blood won't drain properly. But don't worry. They are unconscious. They won't feel pain."
"I-I really hope my siblings didn't experience any pain either," Emma said, holding back tears.
"The Gupuna ceremony must not be done without respect. It is a ritual of gratitude towards the gods. Be at ease. I'm sure your siblings felt little to know pain in their last moments."
"T-that's good…" Emma took the vampire weed slowly.
The two girls laid the flowers next to them. They then did a quick prayer and clasped their hands together. After doing so, they picked up the flowers again.
"Let's do it together," Scarlett whispered.
Emma nodded and smiled with gratitude.
Holding the flower in one hand and each other's hand in the other, they both striked the center of the chest at the same time.
After removing the now blood red flowers, they loaded their prey and got back on the mount.
"Thanks, Sung-Joo," Emma said.
"Yeah…" Scarlett echoed after her.
Scarlett was deep in thought. 'Even if we're prey to a species, we're also hunters of others. All species kill other species to live. It's cruel, but it's the way to survive. If we don't eat, we die. It's as simple as that.'
She was reminded of a book she read long ago…
Flashback
Scarlett was seven years old. In the library, she had found a book that piqued her interest. It was called 'The Circle of Life'. At first glance, the book seemed like something enjoyable. Something that would make a good bedtime story. The front of the book used bright and beautiful colors.
But by the time she finished the book, she was not satisfied. Filled with uncertainty and questions, she couldn't sleep that night.
Why was the world like this? Where we have to kill each other to live? Why? And even then, some people simply kill for the fun of it, driving different species to extinction. That was when she learned that greed was something that no one can truly suppress. Everyone is greedy for something.
And why don't these species fight back? Why? Do they not know how to? Or do they just don't want to?
That day, the girl learned that the world was a cruel place.
Flashback End
That book had changed Scarlett's perception of things in so many ways. And now… she was thinking about it again.
What makes us any different from the demons? We both hunt to survive. We have others that we care about, surely. How are we different? Are we any better than them?
If we didn't have to kill each other to survive… would the humans and demons be friends?
"Scarlett?" Emma asked. "Are you ok? You look kinda spaced out."
"I'm fine," Scarlett reassured her. "Just thinking."
"You also have enhanced hearing, no?" Sung-Joo asked suddenly after a pause.
"Enhanced senses in general," Scarlett corrected.
"I see. That would make sense as to how you are an exceptional hunter."
"Yes… but the problem is I cannot turn them off. The hearing especially gives me a headache. It's one of the reasons why I like to sleep early," Scarlett frowned.
"Interesting. Us demons also have enhanced hearing and sight. But not quite like yours," Sung-Joo mused.
"With my enhanced hearing, I can hear multiple conversations and it's hard to separate the different sounds," Scarlett explained. "Do you have anything that can help with that?"
"Hm. Not exactly. But maybe this piece of advice can help you. Think of something soothing. Like… the ocean…. No, you've never seen it before, so how about rain? Yes, think of rain. Imagine putting each sound into individual raindrops."
"Raindrops…" Scarlett murmured. She closed her eyes. "I'll try it." She could hear birds chirping overhead and small creatures footsteps. She then imagined rain and putting each sound into its own raindrop. Everything suddenly sounded much clearer and more organized.
"Wow," Scarlett said in surprise. "That works really well!"
"I'm glad my advice could help you," Sung-Joo replied.
When the three of them arrived back at the cave, all of the kids had gathered around them.
"There you guys are!" Rossi said.
"Was there anything cool out there?" Dominic asked.
"We just went on a little hunting expedition," Emma grinned. "We got some meat to cook for dinner."
As all the kids cheered, Ray marched up to them, an irritated frown on his faces.
He hit both of the girls' heads. "Trying to do everything by yourself again?!"
"No," Scarlett said indignantly. "We just wanted some live targets to practice on."
"Tch. Come on," Ray grabbed her arm and dragged her away. "We need to make dinner. Might as well use the meat you guys caught."
~0~0~0~0~0~
There was an awkward silence between them as they plucked the feathers of the two birds.
Ray finally broke it. "I thought you said you guys weren't doing anything alone anymore."
"We aren't," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Would you rather have everyone come outside? That's just ridiculous. We wanted to learn more survival skills and so that's that. Besides, only you are making a big deal out of it, Suicidal Maniac."
"Would you stop calling me that?" Ray grumbled. "Now everyone's saying that."
"I'm saying it because you're an idiot!" Scarlett shouted, choking a bit at the end.
Ray looked to the side to see the ravenette's hand shaking as she was cutting a carrot. She tried to cut it but her hand slipped and she cut herself.
Hissing in pain, she said under her breath, "Damnit."
"Here," Ray said, holding a Band-Aid.
Scarlett held her hand out, expecting him to give it to her. She didn't expect for him to bandage it himself. Little did she know, Ray was berating himself for that. 'Why did I do that?!'
"You don't need to baby me," Scarlett looked away, glaring at nothing in particular.
"Says the person who cut herself on accident. I didn't take you for the clumsy type," Ray retorted, also blushing slightly.
"Shut up," Scarlett said.
They both looked down and noticed their hands were still together. They quickly let go, their blushes even darker. Scarlett felt her hand become much colder. Were his hands always that warm?
"A-anyways," Scarlett stuttered, trying to save face. "I'm calling you that, because you're an idiot, always trying to kill yourself."
"I said that I was sorry about that! And I won't try to kill myself!" Ray protested.
"You never said sorry yourself," Scarlett pointed out. "Emma and I did, but you didn't. Besides, when you said that last time, you almost got caught by the plantation demons and eaten by a wild demon! What's your guarantee that it won't happen again? Dammit, I'm worried for you! You've never thought about yourself once! Before, it was just Emma and Norman. And now it's all of us. Except you."
Wiping away some sweat on her forehead, she continued. "I hate the sacrificial noble bullshit you and Emma seem to have. It's stupid! And… I don't want any of you guys to die. Not when I've gotten to know you guys recently. When I saw you, trying to kill yourself, I was disgusted. Because it reminded me of myself. Of how weak I was and still am."
"I…" Ray felt like an idiot. He was annoyed by the name calling, but what had he done to not deserve that? He looked at her and said, "I'm sorry. I should have noticed how you felt about it."
"No," Scarlett shook her head. "I should have said this to you sooner. I was being stupid about it too."
"How about we say we're both at fault? It's mostly me, and don't deny it," he said at Scarlett's look.
She sighed. "Fine. Let's also make a promise. A promise that we'll take care of ourselves as much as the others."
"Deal." They shook hands.
Ray hesitated for a second. Then took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, I don't have anything to show that I won't do it again. All you have is my word. For now. I'll show you something better when the time comes."
Scarlett's lips twitched up slightly. "I'm just glad you're honest. I'll be waiting for that proof though."
"I'm sure you will," Ray sighed. His lips were curved upward a bit though.
"Now, let's finish up dinner before Lannion starts complaining." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Mom spoiled him too much. If it weren't for free time, he'd be fatter than Mark at Thanksgiving."
"Right," Ray replied.
The atmosphere seemed much clearer now. And by the end of supper, the two of them seemed to have a new friendship blossom.
~0~0~0~0~0~
It's the fifth day inside the tunnels. They were planning to leave the tunnels early the next morning.
"We did it!" All of them cheered.
"Leave the dinner to us!" Nat said.
"And we'll make medicine from the herbs too!" Anna added. She was probably the one who spent the most time with Musica, learning about different herbs and their healing properties.
They decided to splurge just a bit for dinner that night.
"My, they learn quickly," Musica commented, filled with pride.
"They do indeed," Sung-Joo agreed.
"This is nothing!" Alicia shook her head. "Emma, Ray, and Scarlett are way better at this stuff!"
"Norman was amazing too!" Chris added. "If he were here, he'd learn all of this, no problem!"
Of course, the two demons had no idea who they were talking about.
'Premium goods, huh?' Sung-Joo thought. 'So these are the brains nurtured at each plantation.'
After dinner, they all rested.
"I didn't realize your hair is a bit curly at the ends," Gilda commented to Scarlett.
"Oh, yeah," Scarlett replied casually. "It is usually almost perfectly straight, but that's because of how much time I take with my hair daily. I did it to have more of a uniform appearance. I figured I didn't need to do that anymore and It'll be an unnecessary hassle. Does it look ok?"
"It looks fine," Anna reassured her. "It looks really pretty on you."
"All right!" Don yelled. "Tomorrow, we'll be heading for B 06-32!"
"If we keep a good pace or don't get sidetracked," Nat pointed out.
"Then we won't!" Yvette said as though it were obvious.
"B-but I don't wanna leave you guys," Mark sniffled.
"Me neither," Jemima cried.
"Gilda?" Ray noticed her deep in thought. "What's the matter?"
"I'm rethinking our plans," Gilda replied.
"Eh?" Lannion clocked his head to the side. "How come?"
"It is good to know there's a place for us somewhere," Gilda said. "But on the other hand… we thought that there would be other human groups in this world. But there's nothing. No other humans on the outside, and we need more people if we're gonna free everyone inside the plantations. That's why we need to rethink."
"That's correct," Ray nodded.
"Sung-Joo?" Emma asked. "Are there anymore humans like us? Runaways?"
"There are many plantations…" Ray thought out loud. "It is possible that Minerva also gave them instructions as well."
Unfortunately, the male demon crushed their hopes. "Nay. At least, I've never seen one. And even if there were, it'd be one or two at best."
"But why?" Emma asked sadly.
"Most plantations have nothing in common with each other than their sole purpose to produce human meat. Premium farms like your Grace Field are an exception. The large majority of plantations are for factory farming."
"Factory farming? What's that?" Thoma asked fearfully. All of them knew it wasn't gonna be good.
"The mass production of cheap meat," Sung-Joo replied much to their horror. "Where the livestock are kept in poor conditions, barely even living. Just fattening for the slaughter. They don't even learn your language. They have no names. They have no free will. And they most certainly can't even conceive the thought of escaping. Even if they did, they can't."
'How awful,' Emma covered her mouth, feeling sick. 'They don't have anything! Not even fake happiness like we did. They really are just food… that kind of farm is the norm? And there are tons of them according to Sung-Joo.'
'It's disgusting how even we weren't the ones who got the short end of the stick,' Scarlett grimaced. 'But I refuse to be grateful for that. Not when our lives are shit as they are now.'
"Additionally, among several hundred plantations, the total of premium farms like yours account to… a mere four."
"Four?!" Don exclaimed. "Only four?!"
"If this Minerva you speak of hid instructions, he must have worked with just these four at best," Sung-Joo said, holding out four fingers. "Your own and three others. You said that you want to discover the truth, right? I have doubts that such a feat can be achieved. And all of you know how hard it is to live out here. Other fugitives are therefore unlikely."
"However," Sung-Joo added, "I've heard of cattle raiders. They are demons who are consumed with the thought of eating humans that they would break into plantations and steal them. They're rare though. They might be useful tools for your cause. I can't think of anything else though."
'The mood just got a lot darker,' Ray noted.
"They are probably not as smart or knowledgeable as you are," Sung-Joo admitted. "These are the hard facts. It's hard to take in I bet, but you're gonna have to get used to it."
'He's right,' Scarlett frowned. 'There's a lot more to endure than this.'
While the others went to bed, Emma was still in the tunnel.
"Emma?"
She looked up to see Musica standing there, a lantern in her hand.
"Hey, Musica," Emma greeted her.
"How are you feeling?" The purple haired demon asked as she sat next to Emma. "That must have been a lot to take in."
"It's fine!" Emma insisted. "I admit that the factory farming and the cattle raiders are really shocking, but we'll work our way around it! Even if it seems impossible, we'll find a way, just like we always do!"
'This girl's audacity has no limits,' Musica mused.
"I can't afford to sulk around. At least, not anymore. I have to push on for my family and all the humans! I want to be someone they can count on!"
Musica was shocked. Who knew humans could be so interesting…
"Wanna see our family?" Emma asked excitedly, leaning forward. She took out a bunch of pictures. Holding one out, she said, "This is Phil! He's a sweetheart. And here! These are pictures we took of Scarlett's birthday party."
One of them had the younger kids having fun chasing each other around. Another had Thoma about to jumpscare Scarlett. The next one showed the male floating in the air, red eyes glowing at him dangerously. Another had them singing happy birthday to her while Don held the cake that was badly iced to her. Then there was one with Alicia and the other little girls putting on a flower crown on a blushing Scarlett. The final one was off all of them surrounding Scarlett for a group photo. The ravenette had a small smile in that photo.
Emma and Musica had a lot of fun looking at the different pictures. Musica would laugh when Emma would imitate the scenes in front of her while Emma would pout when Musica would laugh at them.
The last picture was shown. Emma smiled sadly at it. "The white haired guy in the middle is Norman. I won't forget my promise to him."
Musica noticed her blush. "Did you love him?"
"Ack!" Emma jolted. She frantically shook her head. "Y-you've got it wrong! I-I mean he's family and we're the same age and we've grown up togeth-"
Musica giggled. She didn't need any other explanation.
"Anyways, for the sake of my family, and for those who've died, I'll overcome any obstacle for them," Emma said determinedly.
'It's not that she's always had this audacity,' Musica realized. 'It's that she's had to embrace it.'
"But it's funny you know," Emma continued on another note. "I can't see you as a demon." Realizing what she just said, she frantically added, "Sorry! I didn't mean it in a bad way!"
"It's fine. Don't worry," Musica smiled.
"What I wanted to say, was that I didn't know that demons could be so different from one another."
Musica frowned. "In these last thousands of years, we have fallen into disarray…" She murmured to herself.
Emma looked at her weirdly.
"But anyways!" Musica clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad to meet all of you! This is the first time that I've ever seen humans and talked to them! I'm happy that I've gotten to meet you, Emma. I'm glad that we could become friends."
"Me too," Emma grinned. "And I'm grateful for all you've done for us. What you've taught us will definitely be a big help."
"Unlike Sung-Joo, I think you guys can accomplish your goal. Especially with Scarlett on your side along with this Minerva person."
"Yeah," Emma smiled. "I'm really grateful for all of this."
They hugged and went their separate ways for the night.
~0~0~0~0~0~
The next day, they ate breakfast and went towards the exit. Sung-Joo went out first to scour the area one last time. Emma peeked her head through as well.
"No enemies in sight!" Emma said when Sung-Joo gave her the green light. "Let's go!"
All of them got out of the hole in the ground one at a time.
"All right!" They cheered. "We made it out!"
In front of them was a great plain filled with grass.
"It's huge!" Don gaped.
Sung-Joo pointed into the distance. "Keep heading southwards to arrive at your destination."
'Area B 06-32!' Everyone thought.
Meanwhile, the younger kids were crowding around Musica.
"Nooo! Musica!" Alicia cried. "I don't want to say goodbye!"
"Can't you stay with us a little longer?" Mark begged.
They felt a hand plop down on their heads. "You guys have to stay strong."
They looked up to see Ray.
"Ray…" Alicia sniffled.
"These guys have somewhere else they need to be," Ray reasoned with them. "We have to be able to stay strong enough on our own. We need to be independent."
"Don't worry about demons," Sung-Joo reassured them. "As long as you stay out here, you shouldn't run into any. If all goes well, you might be able to find this Minerva."
"Yeah!" The little kids cheered, feeling better.
Sung-Joo stayed silent. He then suddenly rounded on Thoma, Lannion, and Nat. "Don't you go back to the forest or go near a body of water, you hear me?"
"Y-yes, sir!" They saluted in panic.
Musica smiled. 'Looks like he got quite attached to them as well.'
"Thank you," Scarlett bowed down politely to them. "We won't forget you guys."
"And neither will we," Musica replied. "Goodluck. And use those powers well. The gods gifted them to you for a reason."
"Yes…" Scarlett looked out into the distance. There it was again. She still hasn't truly decided if her powers were intended as a curse or a gift.
"Emma," Musica pulled the girl over to the side. Scarlett looked at them in curiosity but soon went back to her own thoughts.
Musica smiled at Emma and stuffed something into her hand. "This is a good luck charm. I'm confident that all of you would keep it safe." She then frowned and leaned in towards her.
"Look for the Seven Walls," she had whispered. "The future you are looking for, lies beyond this point."
Emma's eyes widened. Musica then pulled away and smiled again.
"Yooooo!" Ray called out. "Ready, Emma?"
"Coming!" Emma raced over to them. She looked over her shoulder. "Bye, Sung-Joo and Musica! Thanks for everything!"
"Let's meet again in the future," Musica called back.
As they walked through the plains, it looked all the same.
"Are we heading in the right direction?" Gilda asked Nat, who was holding the compass.
"Yep!" He replied.
"There's like nothing here!" Don complained.
They kept walking, taking short breaks every now and then.
'We're coming, Mr. Minerva!' Emma thought in determination. 'We'll ask him how to get to the human world and survive! We're gonna get Phil and the others too! We'll liberate our kind! And we need to do our best for our lost comrades too.'
When the two of them were alone, Sung-Joo smiled at her with the sharp teeth all demons have. "It seems as if you had gotten quite attached to them, despite only being together for a few days."
"Don't think I didn't see you with those kids either," Musica retorted. "You were attached to them as much as me."
"Yes, but I still remember how indifferent you were at first," Sung-Joo remembered.
Musica did too.
Flashback
Musica was hiding in the shadows of the large bloodsucker trees, where she saw the group of 16 escapees pulling themselves up the hole in the ground. She quickly hid herself when the strange red eyed girl looked in her direction along with the ginger. The red eyed girl specifically piqued her interest. What were those strange abilities that she had?
Either way, she reported her findings to her partner, Sung-Joo.
"Sung-Joo, I found some humans. They're probably the escapees that the plantations had announced. We should capture them!"
Sung-Joo didn't say anything, merely gesturing for her to continue.
Frowning slightly at the lack of interest he was showing she continued. "If we'd captured them and bring them back to the farm, we'd have an easy life for at least the next six months."
"Is that really your reason?" Sung-Joo questioned. "For just a mere six months of peace? Six months is a lot, but compared to our life times of at least a thousand years, it's nothing. We're hiding for a reason. Besides…" He stood up and held his spear, turning to where Musica came from. "I'm going to save them. The farm won't have them back."
Flashback End
"Don't lie to me, your reason for saving them wasn't just curiosity," Musica said. "What is your motive."
Sung-Joo was silent. Until he said, "The Promise can only be broken by humans. Don't you hate it? That ridiculous promise? It's completely screwed with our society. But these kids might be the ones who destroy it. The Scarlett girl increases their chances of doing so. And, at last the day where we can hunt humans might come again!"
"So you do want to eat humans," Musica frowned.
"You don't understand, because you don't have a reason to eat them," Sung-Joo replied.
"Well, what if they don't survive?" Musica questioned. "We don't even know if they'll make it to the other side. Even with Scarlett, it'll be nearly impossible to survive without a guide."
"Those kids said they will expand their team. Even if they can't make it out of this world, if they multiply outside the plantations, the new generations and beyond are considered natural. And eventually, we can hunt humans again. I can barely wait." He grinned in an eerily way.
Musica stared at him uneasily. She then saw him walking off. "Where are you going?"
"I need to take care of some business."
The female demon wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was.
"I'll be back soon," Sung-Joo added. "By the way… what did you tell Emma before they left?"
"I was just telling her goodbye," Musica replied easily, concealing what she had told the ginger.
"... I see. Well then," Sung-Joo hopped on his mount. "I'll be taking care of some pests."
As Musica waited for his return, she looked at her own eye pendant, matching the one she gave Emma.
'Sorry, Sung-Joo, but Emma knows what she needs to find. The future they're pining for is not like yours. I have faith that they will make it.'
~0~0~0~0~0~
"Do you see anything, Scarlett?" Ray asked her.
She shook her head. "Nothing that looks out of the ordinary."
"It's nothing but rocks and boring stuff!" Don complained.
"I couldn't tell," Scarlett said sarcastically.
"Well, after the giant bloodsucker forest we went through, all of this is kinda underwhelming now," Anna mused.
They kept walking until night fell.
Finally, when Ray opened the pen, it showed their coordinates at B 06-32.
"Is this really it?" Nat questioned.
"We are definitely here. It's B 06-32," Emma said.
"... now what?" Scarlett asked.
"Yeah, there's literally nothing here," Don said what they all were thinking.