Afterlife

Epilogue

Opal slowly opened her eyes as the distant sounds of familiar voices closed in on her position, gradually becoming clearer as they did. Wishing to identify the people approaching her, she attempted to turn over onto her left side. She was forced to stop, however, when she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder, and what felt like a sharp object shifting inside her skin. Then remembering what happened, she rolled back onto her back as she thought to herself, 'Damn, he got me good. If I had been a second slower in turning, that dagger would have killed me.' She then winced as she tried to push the pain from her wound aside. It didn't hurt that bad really. Only when she tried to move, but as long as she stayed perfectly still, it made it seem like more of a numb pain than anything else.

Still wanting to see who was approaching, however, she knew she would have to at least sit up in order to address them. Whether they be friend or foe. So moving herself carefully into position, she then grit her teeth to hold the spasm of pain at bay as she sat up as rapidly as she could to make the length of pain shorten considerably. Once that was done, she then turned her head only to see a few members of her own group, who'd only taken her in because she was a good marksman, and a few random members from a couple other groups.

"So... you survived," one of the men from her group called as they continued to make their way over to the scene.

She offered no response to their statement other than her usual scowl before turning her head in the opposite direction to see if all her pain was worth it. The man who'd joined in the attack with her was still lying unconscious on the ground a couple meters away, and as expected, she found Connie's body still lying where Marcus had left it, and her expression softened slightly. Was she actually feeling sorry for her?

Before she had a chance to consider this further, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a slow clap from behind her. She then turned back just in time to see Hitori making his way through the group towards where Opal was sitting as he said, "Well done... very well done," he added as he bypassed her position and kept walking until he was standing directly beside Connie's form. "It is a shame though," he said as he looked down at her, "Such waisted potential." There was another short silence before he then added, still looking down at Connie as he said, "Did you get anyone else?" before turning to face Opal head on as he continued, "Or did you only get one of the easy kills?"

Opal's expression hardened once more as she replied saying, "I had Gustalini in my sights... but Dunland got in the way."

"So why didn't you shoot him after?"

"I didn't get the chance. He was too fast," she replied, in attempts to defend her choice of actions.

Hitori's eyes looked upward slightly as he contemplated that option, nodding slightly to show that he did believe that to be one answer, "Or you hesitated," he then put in before looking down once more.

"I never hesitate."

"I'll believe that when I see it," he threw back before turning once more, looking in the direction of the woods.

"We might be able to catch them if we hurry," one of the men then put in in attempts to break up the tension slightly.

"No need... I know exactly where they're headed" Hitori, then replied calmly before turning to face the group once more, burying his hands in his pockets as he took a few steps forward saying, "You IP's still carry dynamite, right?"

"Dynamite? Of course, but... what for?" another man queried.

Hitori then stopped walking as he looked the man deadpanned in the eye as he replied, "Well I should think its obvious... We're going to blast what's left of Dunland's group sky high."