Silence reigned in the campfire. All the Anchors were on guard with their weapons pointing towards the darkness.
Muscles tensed, air became thick, and cold sweat ran through their bodies. The temporary camp they had been using was getting smaller and smaller, as if the forest itself was slowly closing in.
The trembling of some people caused a constant metallic rattle to be heard. The world itself seemed to seal off any possible exit.
'Annoying…'
Telos scanned every spot in the camp, but all he could feel was the presence of the creatures.
They had been surrounded.
Not only that, but from the expressions Telos could see on the people, they were hesitant to kill a former comrade. Even though they were now monsters threatening their lives.
'This is going to be a massacre.'
Telos could not survive alone in this cursed place; even if he didn't like it, he needed companions to venture out. The death of more of them would only bring his own.
Telos clicked his tongue.
'Damn... I did not know that creature could make puppets.'
With hesitant steps and constantly looking toward the forest, he approached Colonel Jack. Every time he passed by an Anchor, the young man could feel their labored breathing and their fear of facing their companions.
Seconds passed by, and the tension only increased. The creatures were there, but it did not seem like they were going to attack, for some reason.
Telos took advantage of that and reached Colonel's position, who was in pain from holding his greatsword in the air with only one arm.
The footsteps on the dry branches and the crunchy ground made Jack aware of his presence. With a trembling voice, the man asked without taking his gaze off the front:
"There… is something you want to tell me?"
Telos maintained silence. The heat of the flames lightly hit the surface of his skin, causing half of his body to glow and the other half to remain in darkness.
After a few seconds, the young man said:
"The creatures are staring at us, but they are not attacking. There must be a reason."
Colonel Jack hesitated for a moment, deciding on his next action. He lowered his greatsword and glanced at the young man. Cold sweat ran down his face, and dark bags under his eyes hinted at his exhaustion.
"Do you know the reason?"
Telos shook his head.
Jack sighed.
"So it doesn't change the plans; they could attack us at any time."
"It changes them."
The man frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Telos's eyelids relaxed, and his gaze seemed confident. The crimson color of his eyes grew brighter.
"Think about it, if there's a reason they're not attacking us, we should find out. It could save us this night…"
The young man glanced to his left side, looking at some Anchors.
"Luckily, we have some wounded Anchors that could serve as bait for us."
Colonel Jack gritted his teeth, his fist closed tightly on the handle.
"Telos… They are our companions; you should know that you cannot survive alone in this place."
However, even though his words sounded confident, doubt was evident on his face.
Telos remained silent. He knew that the colonel could make a decision soon. No... he had to make it.
Seconds passed by, and nobody moved a muscle. Although it was oppressive to think of creatures breathing air they were letting out, every second that passed was a cursed blessing. They were still not attacked after all.
"Darren, Lisa, Michael."
A deep, clear voice echoed through the campfire, bouncing between the wooden logs. Most of those present shuddered at the sound of it.
The three men hesitated for a moment, but after shaking off their thoughts and realizing that Colonel Jack was the one calling them, they quickly tried to approach him.
"May I ask why you called us, Colonel?"
A sweet voice, but with the dryness in her throat, it became slightly harsh. Lisa was the first to arrive. Her hair was a mix of red and orange, while her eyes were a turquoise color that stood out against her pale skin.
Jack waited a few moments, waiting for the two remaining. When they arrived, Jack cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment, but then spoke:
"You're the ones in the best shape… So I'd like you to head to the position I'll assign you…"
The idea the Colonel had proposed was a bit strange, but more effective if it worked.
By sending three almost perfectly healthy people, they could at least defend themselves for a short time against a possible attack, allowing the others to prepare. Although it could result in the loss of more troops, this can help them to know the reason why they are not being attacked.
They were placed in a triangular position. In the front, on the left, and on the right. However, they were far away, in a place where the light from the campfire could not reach.
Light was the first possibility they considered. If that was the case, they would just have to wait until dawn.
When the colonel explained to them their positions, Telos saw how their gazes dimmed, and they lost every hope. The young man knew that look, one that only the people who have been abandoned could put.
In those moments, the tears, the pleas, the sadness... Nothing makes sense, only the fact that no one expects anything more from you. In this case, the three had been abandoned by the expedition team. Curiously, the ones who were feeling the best were the sacrificed ones…
Life hits regardless of your situation.
Even so, Telos did nothing to stop this. Why should he? Concern only matters if your life is not in danger; in this case, the deaths of the three of them benefited him. So there was no reason to stop it, and even if there was, Telos would not have done it.
The other Anchors were also in equal situations. They were companions, they battled, trained, ate, and passed days together. Still, no one said anything, no one asked why or offered himself.
Why should they? They were lucky enough not to be thrown away and sacrificed. Why would they sacrifice themselves for someone else? Even if they were your best friends, the selfish thought of "I will remember you" would invade their minds in an instant.
Everyone was attentive, nervous about what would happen in the next second.
Seconds passed by, nobody noticed, and a couple of minutes had already passed. The three of them were still alive, surrounded by darkness and the cold breeze.
Telos felt… strange.
The presence of the puppet remained motionless, as if it were not there… But the young man felt their presence. Why did they not attack?
"It seems that it is not because of the light or the fire…"
Colonel Jack's words sounded hollow to the young man, as if they had no meaning. Telos, lost in his thoughts, tried to think about another possibility, but he could not, no matter how much he tried.
At this point, even the tensed Anchors had lost their fear; no one had his guard, and even so, the creatures still did not attack.
For some reason, Telos' heart began to beat strongly and quickly.
'Something is slipping away from me…'
No matter how much he tried, no idea came to his mind.
Telos looked at the campfire. It felt… empty.
'There is no less than before?'
The young man looked side to side.
"Jack…"
The man frowned.
"It is Colonel Jack, damn it."
Telos glanced at him, and after a few moments of silence, he shook his head and said:
"How many people were in the campfire before this?"
The man thought for a moment.
"In total, we were twenty-eight."
Telos counted. With every Anchor he counted, his expression started to darken.
'We are twelve now…'
Sixteen of them had disappeared, and no one paid attention to it. Not only that, they did not listen to a scream or a sign of battle.
Did not?
Even Colonel Jack still after the strange question of Telos, did not ask what was going on or count himself.
"Jack."
The man frowned.
"It is Colonel Jack, damn it."
Telos gritted his teeth.
'Brainwashing.'
Surely, due to his ability to control creatures, he has not been affected that much. However, the fact that he has suffered this means the creature is a high-ranking one, since Telos does not seem to have control over them... at least for now.
Something was still strange, even when he found out that they had suffered brainwashing and more than half of them had disappeared.
He counted all the Anchors once more, but the five Lieutenants were not among them. Not only that, but now there were only ten of them.
Telos realized it.
The creatures were never in the forest, from the beginning, the affected ones were the Lieutenants, who caused death after death, who knows how.
But were there no creatures in the forest? How could the creatures' presence be so strong that he felt it?
There could be a possibility that they are being attacked from within and without...
"Damn it…"
Muttered, enraged by the situation.
The situation was impossible for them. It was either facing a possible hundred creatures or facing five invisible Lieutenants.
The air was getting heavier and heavier, with every passing second, Telos felt as if his heart was going to explode.
"Aaaaargh!"
Telos looked towards where the scream took place. Colonel Jack also did, even the Anchors remaining. Everyone saw how a Lieutenant killed one of them and took the body to the forest.
But when Telos returned his gaze towards the Colonel, he saw how the man was looking at one of the three who were in the dark.
Nobody seemed to have noticed.
Now, only nine remained.
Telos sighed and grabbed tightly the Colonel's left arm. Trying to sound as low as possible so as not to attract the attention of the Lieutenants, he muttered:
"They are attacking us from within, we must escape into the forest."