Let the Games Begin | Dream Smp

Chapter 21

Kayla's shoulder throbbed when she came back to consciousness, blinking her eyes open to stare at the cloth roof of her tent. There was something warmed pressed against her side, and upon glancing to her left, she found Wilbur peacefully asleep. She laid there in silence, watching his chest rise and fall with each gentle breath.

Kayla sat up halfway, wincing at a stab of pain from her shoulder, and turned to look at Wilbur again. There was a white bandage wrapped tightly around his stomach that had a pink stain in the center. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she leaned down, pressing her lips lightly against his before sitting upright again. She was relieved that Wilbur was alive and that his wound hadn't killed him, but it pained her to see the color missing from his cheeks.

Kayla's attention turned to her own shoulder, and she found herself loosening the bandage to look inside at the cut. She shivered, the memory of the incident flashing before her, and released a deep breath.

"Wake up soon," she whispered, cupping Wilbur's face with her right hand and running her thumb along his cheek. Then, she carefully shifted her weight onto her legs and stood up, ducking out of the tent and into the camp.

The sun was shining through the trees, casting long shadows on the grass as the early morning dew began to dry in the warm sunlight. The undergrowth brushed against her ankles as she strode through the camp, coming to a pause as Techno looked up at her from a pile of supplies on the ground.

"Feeling alright?" He asked with a smile.

"Alright enough," Kayla replied, "How are you? And Ranboo and Phil?" The male shrugged and stood up, motioning to his side.

"It wasn't too deep, so I'm doing fine," he explained, "Same with Phil, although he still can't grip anything properly. Ranboo was having trouble hearing from his right ear yesterday, but I'm not sure if it's going to be any better today." Kayla nodded slowly, an emotionless expression on her face.

"We're so very lucky that none of us died," she sighed, "Speaking of that—what happened?"

"They're all dead," Techno answered grimly, "All four of them."

Kayla felt a wave of emotion crash over her, a combination of relief and shock and something else that she couldn't identify. She searched through her memories, coming to a stop on the one where Sam saved her. He and Puffy must have helped once herself and Wilbur had passed out. She was thankful beyond words, even though something nagged her thoughts as she considered their situation.

"So..." Kayla finally said, "Now what?"

Techno didn't answer, instead turning towards the forest behind the camp and rubbing circles between his eyes with his fingers. Kayla huffed, shaking her head with a sad smile, as she took a seat in the grass. Even without speaking, she could tell what he was conveying.

"Just wait and see," Techno stated, turning back towards her, "Wait and see, I guess." He sounded tired; older than he did when Kayla first befriended him. The arena had changed him—all of them, actually—in ways that Kayla would have never imagined.

Techno walked over and took a seat next to her, the two of them sitting in the silence of each other's company. A couple times, Kayla noticed him look over at her for a few moments before his eyes darted away again without speaking. She wondered what was going through his head.

"Kayla, you're awake!" Phil exclaimed from behind them. Kayla turned and smiled when she spotted the winged man approaching them with a relieved expression on his face. "How are you feeling? Does the shoulder hurt?"

"Only when I move it," Kayla responded, standing up to speak face to face with him, "And you?"

"Nothing to worry about," he waved off with a shrug, "I'll be fine in a few days. Mind if I take a look at yours?" She shook her head and froze in place as Phil took a step closer, carefully unwrapping the bandage and letting the white cloth drop to the ground. Techno stood up as well and watched from a few steps away.