It's the end. Tia thought as she took a deep breath before finally giving in to her fate.
"Don't die one me. Wake up."
A voice approach Tia as she stared at the person in shock and relieved. Aiden. He was there to save her again. Why? Tia felt sad knowing that she's not Tetiana and even treated Aiden so badly. She felt guilty. Before finally losing consciousness, Tia saw Serina was staring at her with sad looks in her eyes. She wondered why she have that kind of expression when she wanted to kill her before. Just why... Tia flutters her eyes open to see four pair of eyes staring down at her. She was surprised to see Aiden, Serina, Red and a girl she doesn't know her name.
"Tia?"
Serina asks as everyone is waiting for her response. She nodded as Aiden sighs as he sat down on the ground. She was confused as to why.
"What are you doing there? At The Norm?"
Red asks Tia as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Serina was staring at her with worried looks.
"I was... caught... thanks for helping me."
Tia breathes out as she stared at her own self. Disgusting. She felt disgusted with her clothes that is filled with blood stains. Red lean forward to Tia face as he keeps staring at her.
"You're welcome."
He smirks and walk off to sit next to Aiden muttering something. Aiden didn't say anything to Tia. "Tammy, can you help clean her up?" Serina suggest as she was looking for something inside her bag. Oh, they come prepared. Tia's thought as the girl's name Tammy help Tia to clean her wounds. "You look ... Hideous. You need a shower. Come on, let's go to the river." Tammy suggests as Tia cheeks flush red. She felt disgusted with herself too. The feeling of water on Tia skin made her feel alive, it's been a while since she touches them. She was thankful to both Tammy and Serina for giving her clothes and bandaging her wounds.
Surprisingly, Tammy is good with medicine. She knows what kind of leaves that could be used as medicine.
"She's Abnormal Alpha, earth is her possession..."
Serina said as if she knows what Tia is thinking... No wonder she was good at it... Tia was still on alert with Serina since she still remembers what Serina did to her. She won't be able to forget about it so easily.
"We're all Alpha here." Serina added as she looks something in her bag "Aiden is a fire user, Red is Adroit Alpha. He's good with strategy making. Thanks to him, we managed to get supplies before leaving the school. And me, just Alpha. The useless one."
She said and chuckle at the last part. Tia just stayed silent listening to Serina talks. She was indeed grateful that they helped her, but still at the same time... afraid that they might kill her. Because they almost did once...
"So, what do you plan on doing now?"
Red started as they sat in a circle eating fruits that they manage to get from the wild. Tia suddenly remembers Chester's saying that he's coming back and get help. And they already planned to go to look for NīRVANA.
"I'm going to look for the others."
Tia replied as everyone now is staring at her.
"What others?"
Red furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Aiden was staring at Tia making her a bit uncomfortable.
"Xian and the others... we got separated."
Tia added and everyone was silent. "Oh, you met them?" Aiden finally speak up and Tia just nodded.
"That's good then, we'll be going our own ways now. Since you're going to them and we're looking for the REAL Tetiana." Aiden added as he stands up brushing off the dirt on his pants. Tia was surprised. They wanted to leave me here. She thought to herself. She stayed silent and Tammy broke the awkward atmosphere.
"So... This is bye then?"
She speaks as if telling they wanted Tia to leave right away. Tia stood up and thank them one last time before making her way to who knows where. She was terrified to be alone but since they don't want her to be with them, Tia decided that it's for the best. She needed to be stronger.
"Wait. I'll come with you."
Serina stopped Tia as everyone was staring at her as if she had lost her mind.
"What? Why would you do that?". Aiden glared at her, but Serina just shrugs it off.
"I'm sorry. For the thing I did. I'm sorry for everything. Please let me make up for it."
Serina said as if she was about to cry. Tia was surprised to hear that, while everyone seems confused to what Serina meant by that since only Tia and Serina knows about the incident which Serina tried to kill her. Tia was silent but she was relieved she got a company.
"Are you sure about this?"
Tammy whisper to Serina as she looks at them worried.
"We'll be fine. Thanks guys. We'll go now. Stay safe."
Serina smiled at her friends before pulling Tia hand away from them. She looks like she was about to cry. Tia didn't turn her head to look at the others. She can't bring herself to do so. Now it's only her and Serina left.
"You know when I first met you. I really did think that you are Tetiana. And seeing you changed, make me think that I could finally get my revenge."
Serina started as they walk. Tia was confused since Tetiana and Serina were best friends.
"What do you mean?" Tia asks curiously. "Tetiana was a good person. I don't know why she changed but she did. And she became someone she's not. Evil. Heartless. I was there too, the place you were tortured by Tetiana. She got mad at me and locked me up in there. Doing things that.... Hurts."
Serina stops as she smiled weakly. Oh. Wow. Tia was dumfounded to hear that. Just what kind of person this Tetiana is?! Tia was pissed just thinking about it.
"I thought locking you in the Syüxa den is going to make me feel happy. But instead, I was scared. Guilty. I'm sorry for everything. You don't know anything, yet you were treated like that. I'm really sorry."
Serina bit her bottom lips trying hard not to cry. Tia can't help but feel sorry for her. She wanted to comfort her but a part of her still can't forgive Serina, so she just Pat her shoulder.
"It's okay, it already happened. It's useless to regret it now, the thing is I'm alive now and that all thanks to you and your friends. So, thank you, for staying with me. Now."
Tia smiled weakly as Serina looks at her with teary eyes. Tia somehow felt relieved that they reconciled. Tia had to do all the work, food, and water for Serina since she "doesn't know" how to do it all. Although Tia is dumfounded. She still feels grateful that Serina followed her keeping her company. Tia learns, teach herself how to use bows since they needed to survive in the wild. She was thankful that she watches how Rebel make them. Although using it for the first time ended up making her palms full of scars, she didn't stop trying.
Days passed and Tia still can't find the others.
Serina began to learn how to "live" in the forest. Luckily, they didn't encounter any weird creature or monsters along the way. And they began to know each other a bit closer. on their journey, they meet new people. People they've never seen before. Some are bad, some are good. Being a girl on a journey is tough. Most times while looking for foods, Tia would practice her bows. She wanted to survive in this world and decided that she needed to do it on her own. Serina just stares at Tia as she practices her bows skill. They both became good friends by the time they reach to a new "town".
It was unbelievable lively for a town out here in the desert. The people are mostly friendly although most of them are old people. Tia felt relieved that they won't die of dehydration in the desert. The people look at them with curiosity since they're the only young's one. Tia had to endure everything just to make sure they have enough to eat. She even had to carry heavy sacks to make money.
Surprisingly, the town is filled with old people that wanted help so it's easier to gain money. They even bought new clothing and a cloak to protect themselves from the heat. Serina feels grateful that she decided to follow Tia. Apparently, the town is different at night, it seems suspicious... Tia got a bad feeling and told Serina that they needed to leave that place that night.
"Why?"
Serina was tired and keep complaining but she still follows. it was unexpected but Tia was shocked to see the people in that town turned into Syüxa and began searching for "people" which is Tia and Serina. Tia remembered Enzo telling her that Those creatures could turn into human that they eat, thinking about its Tia felt sad knowing how the old people there was once alive and now they're not. Tia stared at those creatures in horror as they rushed towards the deep forest to hide themselves. Tia used a "Myrtle plant" to remove their body odors so the creature won't be able to find them.
The plant smell like a lemon lolly, perfumed with menthol notes which release a strong scent when crushed. It's thanks to the lady she helps before that she learned this. Although, that lady is not human. She really did help them big time. They started walking as quiet as they could in the middle of the night surrounded by nothing but darkness. Serina began to feel anxious. They kept walking and walking and feel like they're being followed.
The creature before, or the lady before. She knows that scent and followed them here. Tia mentally cursed to herself knowing that the lady teaches her about the Myrtle plants on purpose so IT could hunt them. Tia was anxious too since she didn't expect the lady creature to bring loads of the other Syüxa. For the first time in a while, she was indeed terrified.
"They're too many. You need to escape!"
Tia told Serina to run while she distracts the creatures.
"No! I can't leave you alone!"
Serina don't want to leave her at first as she was sobbing lightly but she did what Tia told her to do. "Promise me, that you'll be fine?" Serina whisper before running off to another direction. Tia breathes as she notices Serina no longer in sight, she began laughing sadly.
"How sad, you're going to die before even reaching NīRVANA."
She said to herself almost giving up but decided to fight the creature using the sword she bought earlier in the desert town using the money they got. There is no time to be afraid, it's either to die or to kill. Tia tried her best to lure the creature into the end of the cliff, it looks dangerous and one wrong move means certain death. She began running and running along the edges to make sure that she won't fall. Her cloak was caught by one of the creature as it jumped into her and felt its teeth scrape against her leg. She shrieks in pain but continue to run.
With tears running down her cheeks Tia tried her best to run. She thought she's going to die but a black panther saved her. The same black panther that saved her in the Syüxa den. She remembers. She witnesses the fight between those creatures and the black panther. The Syüxa kept growling as The Black panther leap towards its neck and bit it off in a single try. The black panther won as Tia sighs in relief but still anxious of why the black panther helped her. The black panther has a tag on it. Its name was
"RAVEN".
Tia pet Raven head as it purrs like a cat in her hands. Raven licked Tia's wound and surprisingly, it didn't hurt like it was before.
Or to be specific, Raven healed the wound she had from the Syüxa teeth before. Tia was surprised and thankful that Raven saved her from death. She decided to continue walking not wanting to rest since she worried that the creature might come back. She picked up her bloody sword and bow and began walking before putting in her cloak that is drenched with the creature blood.
Since Tia and Serina was separated, she can't help but to continue her journey alone since she tried looking for Serina, but she couldn't find her anywhere. She just wished that Serina is alive and well.