Amber shifted uncomfortably on the rough log she was sitting on.
Her fingers twitched as she stared ahead into the dark woods, waiting.
Waiting for Yami.
She hated waiting.
The hidden camp deep inside the forest was noisy as usual. Low level thugs moved around the place like they owned the place. These were the kind of bandits who robbed poor farmers from nearby settlements and then bragged about it like it was some kind of achievement.
Amber didn't rate them at all.
Their disgusting laughter echoed through the woods. They cursed loudly, spoke with filthy language and spat on the ground every few seconds like animals.
It made her stomach turn.
She felt like gagging.
Yami had refused to tell her where he was going. The only thing he said was that he had some business to attend to. From the look on his face before he left, it must have been something important.
Very important.
Amber frowned slightly.
It was strange to imagine that there was someone even Yami was cautious around.
He had been gone for a whole day now.
And she was getting bored out of her mind.
Her patience was running thin.
All she wanted was to find the bastards who killed her father and make them pay for it.
Her fists slowly tightened.
The wind around the camp began to stir.
A sudden gust rushed through the clearing, blowing dust and loose cloth everywhere.
One of the thugs cursed loudly when the wind ripped the shirt he had hung to dry right off the rope.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
The cloth flew past him again.
He kept swearing as he chased after it.
Amber's eye twitched.
The noise.
The endless talking.
The stupid laughter.
Something snapped inside her head.
"Shut the fuck up!" she yelled.
A violent gust exploded outward.
The wind tore through the camp like a wild storm. The weak wooden poles holding the tents snapped instantly and the makeshift shelters were blown away like they weighed nothing.
Within seconds half the camp was gone.
Torn cloth and broken wood scattered across the ground.
Silence fell immediately.
The bandits froze.
Not a single one of them dared to move.
Everyone in that camp knew what she was capable of when she lost her temper.
Amber sat there breathing slowly, strands of red hair dancing wildly around her face as the wind gradually died down.
No one said a word.
They were too scared.
Even a sudden movement might push the red-haired girl into another outburst.
Amber clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Useless idiots."
She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees.
Where the hell was Yami?
---
Far away from the camp, the village had grown quiet.
Most of the villagers had already gone to sleep.
Ray's small house stood silently under the moonlight.
A cool breeze slipped through the night air.
Elena stood outside on the wooden porch with her arms resting on the railing.
Her eyes were fixed on the dark road ahead of the village.
She couldn't sleep. Not anymore.
Too many things had happened today.
Amber.
The transformation potions.
The strange man named Yami.
And the fact that she had finally unlocked her magic.
It still felt strange thinking about it.
For the longest time she believed nature simply didn't bless her with magic.
Turns out she just hadn't been pushed far enough.
"Can't sleep?"
Elena turned slightly.
Dante leaned against the doorway behind her. His hair was slightly damp.
She shrugged.
"Too much on my mind."
"It didn't seem like it when you were yawning like a cow back then."
"Shut up" Elena said with a glare trying to hide a faint smile that formed on her lips.
Dante stepped outside and shut the door quietly.
For a moment neither of them spoke. The wind rustled softly through the trees surrounding the village.
"You did good today," Dante said eventually.
"With Ray?"
"Yeah."
Elena rubbed the back of her neck.
"I just said what I believed."
"That's why it worked."
Elena smiled faintly.
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Then Dante spoke again.
"Elena… can I ask you something?"
She glanced at him.
"What?"
Dante hesitated slightly.
"That girl… Lena."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"What about her?"
Dante's eyes narrowed a little.
"Is she really your sister?"
Elena blinked.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A simple one."
He looked at her directly now.
"You two don't act like sisters. But you look so much alike that it might be impossible to tell the difference except through your hair."
Elena felt a small knot form in her stomach.
"And what exactly do sisters act like?" she asked.
Dante shrugged slightly.
"I don't know. But something about it doesn't add up."
Elena sighed.
"Look… I only said that so the villagers wouldn't get suspicious."
Dante's expression didn't change.
"So she isn't your sister."
"No."
"Then what is she?"
Elena looked away slightly.
"I don't know."
Dante blinked.
"You don't know?"
"She appeared when I needed help. And she's been helping me ever since."
"That's it?"
"That's enough for me."
Dante folded his arms.
"Elena… that should worry you."
"Why?"
"Because you're trusting someone you don't even understand."
Elena frowned.
"She saved me more than once."
"And that automatically makes her trustworthy?"
"It means I have a reason to believe in her."
Dante shook his head slightly.
"Something about her feels wrong."
"You're imagining things."
"I'm not."
Elena crossed her arms.
"You barely know her."
"Exactly."
"So how can you say you don't trust her?"
"Because my instincts are telling me not to."
Elena scoffed.
"You're being paranoid."
"And you're being naive."
Her eyes flashed.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm serious," Dante said. "You trust people too easily."
"At least I don't assume the worst about everyone!"
"Sometimes assuming the worst keeps you alive."
"Oh please," Elena muttered. "Lena hasn't done anything wrong."
Dante's gaze hardened slightly.
"Not yet."
Elena stepped closer to him.
"You're unbelievable."
"And you're ignoring the obvious."
"You're accusing someone who has helped me for no reason!"
"I don't need a reason to trust my instincts."
"Well your instincts are wrong."
Dante ran a hand through his hair.
"Elena, I'm trying to protect you."
"I don't need protection!"
"Yes you do!"
They both stopped suddenly.
The quiet night made their voices sound louder than they were.
Elena looked away first.
"I can't believe you," she muttered.
Dante's jaw tightened.
"You think I'm saying this for fun?"
"I think you're judging someone you barely know."
"And you're defending someone you barely know!"
"She helped me!"
"And I care about you!"
The words slipped out before Dante could stop them.
Silence fell between them.
Elena froze slightly.
Dante looked away.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then Elena crossed her arms again stubbornly.
"That still doesn't give you the right to talk about her like that."
Dante exhaled sharply.
"Fine."
He turned toward the door.
"Believe whatever you want."
"I will."
Dante paused before going inside.
"For what it's worth… I hope I'm wrong."
Then he went inside.
Elena remained on the porch.
Her heart was still beating a little faster.
"Idiot," she muttered quietly.
But even as she said it…
A small part of her wondered why Dante sounded so certain.
---
Deep inside the forest…
Amber suddenly stood up.
Her eyes sharpened.
Footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
A tall figure emerged from the darkness of the trees.
Yami.
Amber crossed her arms.
"You finally decided to come back."
Yami brushed some dust from his coat calmly.
"You seem irritated."
"You disappeared for a whole day."
"I had business."
"You said that already."
Amber's eyes narrowed.
"You promised you would help me find the people who killed my father."
Yami looked at her calmly.
"And I will."
"When?"
Her voice sharpened.
"You keep saying that."
Yami studied her for a moment.
"You're impatient."
"Of course I am."
The wind around Amber stirred again.
"You said you knew where they were."
"I said I could find them."
"That's not the same thing."
The air between them grew tense.
Amber's fists clenched again.
"What exactly were you doing all day?"
Yami glanced briefly at the destroyed tents around the camp.
"I see you kept yourself busy."
"Answer the question."
Yami stepped closer.
"I was making preparations."
"For what?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"For something much bigger than revenge."
Amber frowned immediately.
"I don't care about anything bigger."
Her voice lowered.
"I just want the people who killed my father."
Yami's smile slowly faded.
"And you'll get them."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"But first…"
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"…we have other problems."
Amber followed his gaze.
For a brief moment the wind shifted.
And within that wind…
She thought she felt something familiar.
Her fists slowly tightened again.
Soon.
Very soon.