Scarlet Logic were treated no differently from the Bitter Thorns. As soon as their red visages appeared, a red knife would cut them down. What were once hundreds were reduced to what Red estimated to be no more than a hundred.

  Red had been counting the number of Scarlet Logic Fodder she had eliminated.

  “One hundred and thirty-eight. They’ve got to hate my guts, huh~ Enough to want to spill them. Heh. Let them try.”

  “More like they’re going to want you even more.” Snow sighed. “Scarlet Logic aren’t strangers to picking up talent. They’ve gotten a good look at our faces. We should start figuring out a pn of action before we get out of here.”

  Red, Snow, Rockie and the little Three Paw gathered in a small thicket. The vegetation hid them from the remnants of Scarlet Logic and the creatures that roamed the pit. It was a small slice of paradise in an otherwise hellish pce.

  Glowing through the vegetation was the light of exactly one st Sweet Thorn.

  The reason why they had not yet approached it was because of the complications that would immediately follow.

  First of all, it was likely that Scarlet Logic had cordoned off the Central Forests of Justicia. This meant that leaving the perimeter would require them to face potentially stronger Scarlet Logic units.

  “Never mind the ARU.” Snow shook her head slowly in dismay as she patted the head of the poor, shivering wolf. “Before you ask, they’re the Anomaly Recovery Unit. Once Scarlet Logic’s done figuring out the threat level of this Corrupted, then other bodies can start moving in.”

  She took a long stick and began drawing on the soil. It was a crudely made map of the Central Forests of Justicia, which comprised of multiple enormous woodnds. Then, she surrounded it with dots which represented Scarlet Logic.

  “We’re here in the middle.” She tapped. “Chances are this Corrupted Zone is only affecting our forest. The north, east, south and western forests should be untouched.”

  “And those spaces between the forests are…?”

  “Major highways. It’s the safest way to move through Emvita. It doesn’t guarantee your safety, but it’s better than moving through hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers worth of woods. Our best bet is to move north into the closest town. We were heading to Aire. If our friends made it out, then they are in Aire.”

  Snow didn’t eborate on what Aire was other than that it was a town. That was all they needed to know. Three Paw was on a timer, as were they. They couldn’t afford to dwell on what could be expined ter.

  “We can catch a carriage from there to Galbore City. If we’re lucky, we’ll come across Justica Arms’ Peace Flocks before we can reach the 10th Branch.”

  She drew a diamond to the far western frontier of the woodnds, just across an innd sea.

  “Justica Arms will take us in. They’re the only people we can trust.”

  Red wanted to ask how she could be so sure. That was until she remembered that Justica Arms pyed a vital role in hiding her existence from the rest of Emvita. They were the ones who had sent her to Hearth Vilge to live a new life.

  And they were the ones who protected the forests.

  But they’re nowhere to be seen… Maybe they’re waiting outside?

  Red kept her gaze locked on Snow, then, she looked down at Three Paw.

  “How do you know so much about this? I mean, about the Ateliers? Do people know that Scarlet Logic can revive?”

  Snow giggled before a dark expression came over her.

  “It’s a long story. Really. I guess you can say I worked for one. Maybe two? It’s a bit blurry. I don’t have good memories of them. ImpulseWorks, if it makes you feel better. I worked as a Healer at ImpulseWorks.”

  “Do you think we were at the same Site?” Red’s eyes glistened.

  Snow shook her head after a small chuckle.

  “I’m sure we were in another world. My Site doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “Were you kept in captivity too?”

  “Oh – No! Not at all! I was actually looked after… yeah. For a while, at least. I… Ahaha…”

  She trailed off. The resurging memories caused her to grimace. Her face gave off the impression that she was confused, like she couldn’t remember everything about the time she spent working for ImpulseWorks.

  That same haze haunted Red. She knew exactly what Snow was going through.

  She shifted closer to Snow, the log creaking lightly beneath their weight.

  Snow spoke again once she was close enough to feel Red’s warmth.

  “Hey, Red. You know, the past can feel a lot like a bck forest. You can’t see anything without trudging through. You’ll be cut by hidden thorns, trip on invisible brambles, and being chased by demons that may or may not exist. You don’t know what’s there, and you end up afraid of shining your light at what lurks in the forest.”

  Red didn’t know where she was going with this.

  But she couldn’t ignore the gravitas in her voice. It was soft, sincere and somber. Yet it demanded all of Red’s attention. She wondered why she was talking about this suddenly. Time was not on their side, and yet, Snow was compelled to utter these thoughts as though she desperately needed to get them off her chest.

  What’s that word, Agate? Cath… Cath something. Catharsis? Is that she’s looking for?

  Agate remained silent, as though to allow Snow to continue.

  “Silly, isn’t it? The bck forest being an allegory of our repressed thoughts. But… I think it’s real. We all, in some way, are afraid to shine light at what lies in the dark.”

  She ughed in a self-depreciating way.

  Then, it was Red’s turn to speak up.

  “Wouldn’t you just keep on wandering in that bck forest forever?” She made pyful noises with her mouth.

  She didn’t put too much thought into it like Snow, and instead, said whatever came to mind.

  “If you’re so afraid of what’s in the dark, and you feel like you can’t shine your own light…”

  Red imagined a star.

  A star shining in the starless skies above.

  The same kind of star that shone from within her chest.

  “… then why not follow a different one?”

  “A different one?”

  “Like the stars! Not all of them are going to work out. But at least one in a billion will lead you out, right?”

  She then pointed at the final light of the Sweet Thorn with a toothy grin, adding:

  “Just like the Poisoned Apples! Ninety nine weren’t the rights ones. But each light we followed brought us closer to where we needed to go.”

  “Such a childish way of thinking. But I envy that.”

  “Are stars really that scary to you?”

  “Unbelievably so. Ever heard of an angler fish? They’re animals that dangle a ntern to attract prey. Who is to say that stars aren’t like that.”

  “Eh? Stars are alive?”

  “I meant that metaphorically. Don’t go chasing things that look too good to be true. I’m saying this for your own good.”

  A gently hand plopped onto her head. She expected Snow to sift through her hair as usual. However, she was instead brought to rest on her shoulder.

  “Sometimes you remind me of a dog~ Maybe a tamed wolf even. A-Ah… Sorry, not in a bad way, I mean it’s just…”

  “… You’re lucky it’s you.” Red murmured. “I’m nothing like Three Paw, let alone a lousy mutt.”

  Despite this, Snow could see an imaginary tail wagging behind Red.

  “Aha. Right~”

  “Besides… What are we going to do about Three Paw?”

  The little wolf struggled to gaze up at Red. When it did, it whimpered happily, as if coming from a pleasant dream. Yet its body trembled in agony. One of its eyes was invaded by the brambles, and its legs could barely support its weight.

  Still it did not fear death…

  Just like Mister Huntsman. You’re not going to return when you die. So why are you so happy?

  She reached towards it, half expecting the wolf to bite her like all wolves would.

  Instead, it eagerly allowed her to touch it. It found comfort in the warmth of her hands. Unlike the countless wolves she had fought before, this one did not feel so cold nor disgusting.

  It was almost as if…

  “… Tch… Dumb, little wolf. I ought to kill you just in case you transform.”

  “… That would be the right call.” Snow whispered sadly. “But I… at least want Three Paw to survive. I don’t want anyone else to die. Theron wouldn’t forgive me.”

  But it’s a wolf.

  Red couldn’t bring herself to say this out loud.

  “We’ve been Three Paw’s only family since he was an abandoned cub. Nature’s cruel to those who aren’t born normally. Like all of us.”

  “Rockie counts?” Red murmured.

  “They sure do~”

  It was still hard to wrap her mind around a wolf that wasn’t a ‘wolf’.

  Standing up, Red dusted herself and knocked on Rockie’s shell, rousing it from its temporary rest.

  “… So Three Paw’s wants to become human too? Like me?”

  “Don’t be silly Red. Not everything aspires to become human.”

  Snow joined her, firmly holding her rock bug shield as Three Paw was cradled in her free arm.

  “Ready, Red? We’ll have to move as quickly as possible once this is over.”

  “Yeah. I’ve got your pn memorized. Alright. Let’s kill the bastard that killed Mister Huntsman!”

  Snow’s eyes morphed to a slight tinge of red.

  “For Theron’s sake… So that he may rest in peace.”

  Her hands trembled, for she was ashamed that she would not be the one to avenge him.

  Syringe