Protectors of Umbra [Umbra's Fate #1] ✓

ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ᴛᴡᴏ: ꜰʟᴏʀᴀ

Some life experiences leave marks that stay with a person forever. They could be good or bad moments, yet, they have something in common: their intensity.

Memories like that one can be recalled at any time of their existence and they'll still be as vibrant as the first time. Sometimes one can even smell them or feel their touch on the skin. People carry them until the day of their death, just like a scar.

In the last months, Flora added several marks to her soul, some of them were bigger than the others. The strongest like to come back on the less convenient days, and it didn't matter how tall the barrier she built was, they always found a way to climb up. The young woman was filled with internal scars and after her last fight, she won an external one to match.

"The wound is healing well, but it'll leave a scar," explained Genevieve.

"Don't worry about it," said Flora as she put her shirt back down. "They said girls love scars, now I'm sexier. "

"And you have a great story to tell."

"What can I say? I'm a badass." The blonde commented while eyeing the temporary infirmary.

Without the headquarters, they had to improvise a place to treat the injured members. The people with serious injuries were sent to the hospital, but those with simple wounds were treated by Genevieve.

The new space lacks the facilities they had at the headquarters. It counted only four beds, a defibrillator, and five first aid kits. The equipment they gathered months ago was destroyed in the attack.

"Be careful today," asked the doctor. "The demons are looking for the same object and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to follow you. If something happens don't hesitate to ask for help. The three of you are too stubborn."

"We're gonna be okay. If a demon tries to kill me I'll throw Noah to him before running, he's the perfect distraction."

"I bet he'll say the same thing, but none of you are selfish enough to do something like that." 

An expedition in search of hope was her assigned task that afternoon. Between the last pages of the diary, Flora found a message "my confession is lying on a bed of bluebells". In the beginning, she ignored the words, but after further inspection, the journalist noticed that they were written in neater calligraphy and with a different ink.

Thanks to her love for flowers and her power, Flora was aware of the existence of the place where the bluebells grew. Not so many people knew about the particular spot inside the woods, so she hoped that the elder confession remained in the same corner, intact.

The trio crossed the first line of trees at midday, the powerful rays of sunlight disappeared once the roof made of leaves covered their heads. They followed the path during the initial part of their journey, then they were forced to go into the deepest part of the woods.