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"I'm assuming the corpse has something to do with last night's gunshots."
Red's head shot up with a jolt at the voice. Saliva clung to the side of his mouth, making him wince and swipe his thumb over it in a sad attempt to look presentable. The maze had somehow brightened overnight. It came as a bit of a shock to realise that he'd fallen asleep with Alisa wrapped in his arms. Her head rested gently against his bruised chest, dried blood matting the hair which now hung loose around her shoulders. Still asleep, the expression on her face was something resembling peaceful.
Does that mean we're friends now?
"Just don't shag her in front of me," Cheng Xin said, turning away.
Red flushed red. "It's not what you think---"
Cheng Xin waved him off. "Never mind that. Want to explain why Becca's dead?"
"Uh, about that, I think you should ask your sister." Red snuck a peek at the corpse lying just a few feet away from them. Becca's eyes weren't glowing anymore. They were dull and blank, staring up at nothing. Blood pooled around her body, her chest and head riddled with bullet wounds. The gun lay next to her. He picked it up, grimacing at the crimson-slick handle as he slipped it back into his waistband.
Everything hurt.
And he needed to pee.
"Alisa," Red whispered. He kept his voice soft, but it was enough to make her stir, her head shifting as she let out a muffled hmmph and buried her face deeper into his chest.
"Alisa," he repeated, louder this time. That did it. Her head shot up as she rapidly blinked away sleep from her eyes. Once she realised her position, she jerked away with a faint blush spreading over her tanned cheeks, practically tumbling from his grasp.
Cheng Xin flashed Red a look that practically screamed How dare you tell me it's not what I think. In that moment, Red wasn't sure what would claim his fragile mortal life first, Vanguard's traps or pure embarrassment. Then the call of his bladder became more insistent, successfully distracting him from his mortification as he made a mad dash to a dim corner.
When he made his way back to the group, neither of the twins were speaking. Jada was settled against Alisa's bosom. Alisa herself wouldn't look anyone in the eye, and Cheng Xin had wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. They were all doing their best to avoid the elephant in the room---or rather, the dead body on the floor. Red didn't feel like talking either, so that suited him fine.
When Alisa finally lifted her head to look at him for a moment, her face was bright crimson. "We should keep moving," she said. "The sooner we get out of this maze, the better." She fidgeted with her thumbs, her usually steady gaze pinballing all over the maze.
Red wasn't the biggest expert on human emotions, but he could tell that the impenetrable, iron-hearted, sailor-mouthed Alisa Lee was actually flustered. Something had changed. He wasn't sure what.
