Chapter 11: First Duty, First Spark
After Harun's departure, a heavy silence settled over the room. Layla looked at Kaelen with eyes full of suspicion, while Emily was still trying to process what had happened.
"What have you done?" Layla asked in a low voice, as if she couldn't believe what she had heard. "You just entered a deal with Harun. Do you trust promises in the end of the world?"
Kaelen ignored her question and turned to Emily. "Are you alright?"
Emily nodded slowly. "I... I don't know. Everything happened so fast."
"Listen," Kaelen said, his tone shifting to a calmer one. "No one will harm you. You are under my protection now. This is the most important part of the deal."
"Under your protection?" Layla scoffed. "After everything you've seen, do you trust Harun's promises?"
Kaelen rose calmly. "I don't care what Harun believes. I care that I will keep my word. We'll go now to get our food rations, and I'll find a place for you to rest."
Kaelen walked out of the room, and Emily followed him hesitantly. Layla watched them, her eyes a mix of worry for Emily and astonishment at Kaelen's unwavering confidence.
In the dining hall, the atmosphere was tense. Survivors ate their food in silence, punctuated by hushed whispers. Everyone had heard Harun's decision that Kaelen was the new shelter's protector, but some didn't believe it.
Kaelen went directly to the dining table, where an elderly woman was distributing rations.
"A double portion of food for me and Emily," Kaelen said to the woman calmly.
The woman hesitated, looking at a large, muscular man standing nearby. At that moment, the man stood up and yelled loudly, "What's going on? Who is this stranger to take a double portion of food?"
Kaelen didn't look at him but kept his gaze fixed on the woman. He sensed a strong negative energy surrounding the large man and felt that this man possessed a kind of dormant ability that hadn't fully manifested yet.
"Don't you hear me, stranger?" the large man yelled, advancing toward Kaelen. "This place has rules!"
Kaelen looked at the large man and smiled coldly. "The new rule is: you don't interfere in my affairs."
Kaelen didn't give the man a chance to reply. The man suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling a deadly chill emanating from Kaelen. It wasn't a fighting aura, but Kaelen's presence that he imposed on the room, causing the man to stagger and retreat a few steps.
"Now, I'll repeat my request again," Kaelen said, looking at the old woman. "I want my food portion for me and Emily."
The woman immediately handed over the rations, her face pale. Kaelen took the portions and gestured for Emily to follow him.
"This is the new place where we'll stay," Kaelen said, entering a small room at the end of the corridor. The room contained two beds and was relatively clean.
"Why..." Emily began, but Kaelen cut her off.
"Don't think about it too much now. Eat your food."
Emily sat down silently and began to eat, but her eyes never left Kaelen, who watched her calmly while his mind planned his first moves in this dangerous game he had been forced into