[Luna POV]
Everyone was staring at me. I knew it was because I was soaking wet and covered in mud from head to toe, and my clothes were torn, but still... My body was trembling, half from the cold, wet fabric against my skin and half from the gazes and whispers that were bombarding me. I half expected them to turn me away or throw rocks at me. It wouldn't be the first time, but then…
"Are you okay?" A warm sensation enveloped me.
A blanket had been draped over my trembling shoulders. I glanced up to see a kind, sincere smile from a boy I knew but had never spoken to—Cassian Montclair. I never told Liam, but Cassian and I went to school together.
I had no intention of revealing anything about my past to anyone. I made a promise to myself that I would put it all behind me and start anew.
"Thank you," I said, barely squeezing out the words.
He grabbed my hand and led me away from where his faction members could see. It was only three days into the exam, and they already had tree houses and other wooden structures built. It must have been the work of a system—perhaps the craft system. Cassian was always surrounded by people with a lot of skill.
He guided me into one of the tree houses, where five others were gathered—two boys and three girls.
"Don't worry about them; these are my friends, but they also act as my council," he joked, giving me a kind smile.
Though he was the leader of the largest faction on the island, you couldn't tell that based on how he acted.
His piercing golden eyes made me instinctively avert my gaze. The first thing that came to my mind was how different they were from Liam's emerald eyes. Liam's eyes always had a coldness to them that almost drew you in, whether you wanted it to or not.
I always felt he was detached from humanity, like he was his own special being. It made me jealous, since someone like me was at the bottom of the barrel when considered a human.
There was one other person in the room I recognized; I had also gone to middle school with him. His name was Conner. From what I remembered, he was always close to Cassian. The girls were blatantly scowling at me, their faces twisted in disgust.
I immediately knew it was because Cassian had his hand on my shoulder, so I quickly moved to create distance between us. They were being protective of him; it was always like that. I didn't want them to hate me or look at me unfavorably, so I bowed my head and put on a polite smile.
"It's nice to meet all of you!"
"Who is this girl, Cass?" one of the girls asked, her tone icy. She had pink-dyed hair and wore a stylish combat suit. The zip on her top was pulled down so much that it left her cleavage exposed. Her skirt was short with intricate designs, and her long, stylish boots showcased her gorgeous legs. She looked like the type of girl who always dated the popular guys in school.
"Some of our faction members saw her and thought she needed help, so they directed me to her."
"Oh, I see, so you took pity on her." She smirked.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to cause trouble," I said, wanting to assure her that I wasn't a problem.
"It's okay," Cassian said. "Can you tell us what happened to you?"
I took a deep breath before speaking.
"I umm... I was attacked by Raphael Baldwin and his faction." I said it with as much confidence as I could muster.
As soon as I said that, their expressions changed completely.
BAM!
"Raphael, that bastard!!" Conner seemed more furious than the others, so much so that he punched the wall. The impact reverberated through the wooden structure. "Our people have been going missing, and it's all because of him!"
"Calm down, Conner," Cassian instructed, but his words seemed to have no effect on him. "I'm not doubting what you said, Luna, but this doesn't sound like something Raphael would do. Sure, he's a bit harsh at times, but that's the most. I have to ask, are you sure about what you're telling me?"
I nodded.
"Before he let me go, he told me to deliver a message to you. He said he has three of your members hostage; their names are Derrick, Lucas, and Cassidy."
"That's the group that went missing!" one of the girls spoke up, worry etched on her face. "No one has heard from them since the night of the supply drop."
"That's proof enough!" Conner shouted, growing visibly angrier by the second.
"Raphael said he wanted to have a meeting with you tonight and that you should bring everyone in your inner circle with you. If you don't, he will eliminate those he captured." I told them.
"A meeting?" Cassian asked.
"We should go and see what that bastard wants!" Conner said angrily.
"Yes, you're right, Conner; it's the only way to figure things out." Cassian said. He looked at me dead in the eyes; it was kind look but somehow, it made me uneasy.
"I'm sorry to ask this, but…" I said breaking the tension. There was something else I needed to do. "Actually, umm… I haven't eaten since I got to this island. Can I…"
Cassian smiled and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Conner," he turned to Conner, "can you please give her something to eat?"
Conner hissed his teeth, looking unhappy.
"Sure, but we can't keep giving away our food. I'm running out of Culinary points."
Conner held out his hand, and a golden light emanated from his palm. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a plate appeared with what looked like a home-cooked meal. The sight of it was overwhelming; they had everything—food and a place to sleep. They were tuning this place into somewhere they could survive.
It was no wonder why everyone loved him.
Cassian must have seen the expression on my face because he started to explain. "Conner here has a system called 'Gourmet Genesis.' It gives him a skill that lets him convert the bodies of dungeon monsters into edible meals. He isn't the only one; Natasha over there is responsible for the tree houses. She has the Craftman system."
He was talking about the pink-haired girl who had been frowning at me not too long ago.
Conner walked over and handed me the plate. I took it from him, gave him a faint smile, and offered a slight bow.
"Thank you."
.....
[Liam's POV]
I walked along the riverbanks with two dead carcasses slumped over my shoulder until I passed the last settlements of those in Amelia's faction. The carcasses belonged to two of the wolves I killed on my first day on the island.
I initially had Luna carry them in her inventory, but since she wasn't here anymore, it meant I had to do all the heavy lifting. I watched the sun setting as I walked. Soon, I came upon a waterfall; it seemed this river originated from a mountain.
The corpses were rotting, and the smell emanating from them was enough to make one gag. I hoisted them off my shoulder and pulled out the Blade of Calamity. I used it to begin gutting the dead corpses, and the smell that enveloped the area afterward was even worse. A strange gray liquid oozed out of them.
Resolving my nostrils once again, I lifted them up and tossed them into the river.
With that, problem one was solved.
The river, which had been a source of joy and a survival tool for most of the applicants, was now contaminated. I wasn't a doctor or a medical professional by any means, but it was only a matter of time before they started getting sick if they continued using it.
Even at this moment, they were enjoying themselves in what would soon become filth. I'm sure the number of applicants on this island will drop significantly because of it.
I wonder how much?
We will have to go back to fighting for resources, just as the school intended from the very start.