The Way Over Is Under - Raelle x Scylla

VII - Burned Before

Raelle

"I chose you... I chose you instead of them..."

I shouldn't be thinking of her especially during a Camirilla ambush. I shouldn't be regretting the decisions I made during our last encounter. With every thought of her, I grew weaker and more vulnerable. It felt like the Camirilla could easily target me and take my vocal cords as trophy.

We were surrounded by the Camirilla and the only way out was to fight them. Our windstrike was useless in this situation because the enemy had mimicked the seeds that cancelled them. Our surroundings became less visible than before as the dust storms re-emerge. Fear might have enveloped me but the adrenaline helped me to stay focused.

"General Alder, did you miss us? It's nice to just surrender and hand your soon-to-be-dead bodies to us. You know, to save time and effort."

"You are the ones that will be dead! And I will make sure to eliminate your kind for good!" Alder retorted.

"Well, I guess we need to savor the fun then before you eliminate us all."

The Camirilla brought the three soldier pilots who drove our aircraft and burned them in front of us. The pilots screamed in pain as they were being dragged away from our sights. Our enemies laughed at our horrified faces. Moments later, they started sprinting towards us with scythes pointed at our necks.

I took the scourge that Porter made and used it against the enemy. Using the weapon somehow made me feel guilty. My head wasn't exactly in the game at that moment. Each strike was weaker than the last.

"RAELLE!" Tally shouted to warn me about the enemy attacking from behind. I didn't notice the presence of the scythe used by the Camirilla. It was about to slit my throat if it wasn't for Abigail's immediate defense. She took down the enemy down by striking at his legs.

"Get it together, shitbird. We need to stay alive so we can continue to annoy each other" Abigail said to me.

The dust storms grew stronger. The harsh winds made it incredibly difficult to see what's ahead of us. Some of our soldiers were injured because they couldn't see the enemy clearly. Tally had to guide Alder where the enemy was and when to attack.

We were outnumbered and at risk. We knew we had to retreat now while we still had a chance. The general and the biddies created a storm to destroy the Camirilla's formation and also to make way for our escape.

We returned to the cave. Adil blocked the cave's opening by creating a huge boulder. We continued to explore the cave with torches on our hands.

"I can feel the presence of my people. They're somehow in this cave. If we continue to explore the cave now, it'll only take an hour or two to find them. General, please. If we don't find them now, there's a chance that the Camirilla will get to them first. Please, let's find them" Adil pleaded.

I understand Adil's desperation to find his people but we were in no shape to explore the cave and look for them. Apart from the injuries we suffered from the ambush, we were also exhausted.

"Very well, we'll go and look for them. But since not everyone is in the condition to look, we'll split the group into two. Those of you who wants to look, come with us. Those who wants to rest will stay here. We will be meeting you here as soon as we find the rest of the Tarim." the general announced.

Most of the soldiers went with General Alder and the biddies to find the Tarim. Abigail also went with them. I guess Adil needs her support. Tally and I stayed to rest, along with the soldiers who were injured because of the battle.

"Wanna take shifts and guard? Just in case someone decides to slit our throats as we sleep" I asked Tally.

"Honestly, I'm too tired and I really want to sleep until I wake up from this nightmare. Besides, I can still see even with my eyes closed" she smiled and pointed at her forehead.

I laughed. Even though everything seemed dark and kind of hopeless, I'm still glad Tally is still the same. Less optimistic about the army because of its questionable deeds, but still the same bright person and fun to be with.

"Fine, but I'm still going to watch us just to be sure" I said.

"This is why you're my sister"

"And an adorable one haha"

"Hey Raelle..."

"Yeah..?"

"I'm glad that you and Abigail are my sisters. I may do stupid things but I always want what's best for you. I'll always protect you guys"

"I know Tally, I'm also grateful" I smiled and tapped her shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a nap.

I kept my eyes open for about 45 minutes or so. I started to feel drowsy but I tried to fight it off. After a few minutes, I closed my eyes.

I saw Scylla in shackles, sitting in a cold metal chair. Her eyes filled with sadness and remorse. I wanted to approach and hug her as if the world was about to end. But I couldn't let myself be fooled. I couldn't let myself believe the lies in front of me. Lies that I so clearly fell in love with. Did she really love me? Was any of it real?

"I fell for you, I promise. I promise I'm telling the truth"

Her words pierced my heart and I got scared. Was I scared of her telling me lies? Or was I scared because I believe her?

I tried to approach Scylla but my body seemed to be walking away from her. I felt trapped in my own body. I was desperately trying to reach for Scylla but my movements did the opposite of what I wished for. She kept screaming as soon as I left the room.

I woke up with my heart aching. I felt my tears flowing endlessly. I tried to calm myself down and wiped my tears. As soon as I calmed down, I noticed that I was alone. I got up and tried to look for them.

"Tally? Where are you guys?" I shouted.

A soldier appeared from a distance and greeted me.

"Hey!"

"Hey, where's everybody?"

"Come, I'll show you where they are. They just found the rest of the Tarim. We must hurry because they're about to leave"

I followed the soldier but everything felt unusual. She was kind of familiar to me. I mean she's with me on a mission, of course she is familiar but it still felt peculiar.

We arrived at the end of the cave where we saw an exit. As soon as I stepped out, I realized who she was.

"Hey, aren't you one of the pilots?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I saw the Camirilla burning you alive. How did you manage to survive?"

"Oh, I—uh... I guess I've been burned before"

Those words seemed familiar. I started having suspicions. I stopped walking and asked her a question.

"Where are you taking me exactly?"

My arms were grabbed by two unknown people behind my back. I didn't notice them following me. I struggled to free myself but they were too strong. I looked forward only to see the pilot burning herself with a lighter. Her face suddenly changed.

"Scylla..."