The sound of footsteps on wood was the only thing that broke the silence.
No one said a word.
No one laughed.
No one stopped what they were doing.
They just kept working.
Carry something.
Move it.
Repeat the process.
Caelum noticed this from the start.
It was not just that they were tired.
It was like they had given up.
—"They don't even look " someone said.
Carina walked beside Caelum watching them calmly.
—"They do look " she replied. "They just do not want you to notice."
Caelum frowned a little.
Nami did not say anything.
She just kept moving but slower and more carefully.
Behind them they could hear the sound of metal and armor.
There was a figure following them.
—"Are you going to keep walking without saying anything?" the figure finally asked.
Nami. Turned around.
—"What do you want?" she asked.
The figure did not hesitate.
—"I want to know why you are here."
Carina smiled slightly.
—"We are tourists " she said.
There was silence.
The answer did not seem to bother the figure.
—"You are lying " the figure said.
—"Obviously " Carina replied.
Caelum looked away for a moment.
—"We are not just passing through " he said.
The figure turned her helmet slightly toward him.
—"Then you are worse " she said.
Nami spoke up.
—"Do you always decide things quickly?"
—"Always " the figure replied.
There was a pause.
—"It is the thing that works here " she said.
There was silence again.
The wind blew through the structures picking up dust.
Nami kept looking at the figure.
—"And how well has that worked for you?" she asked.
The figure did not answer away.
She did not back down either.
—"It has worked enough " she said.
It was clear that she was not telling the truth.
Carina saw it and smiled a more.
—"She has attitude, but not much experience " she said.
—"I do not need experience " the figure shot back. "I just do not trust anyone."
—"That will not save you either " Carina said.
There was silence again.
Caelum stepped in before things got worse.
—"We are not here to fight you " he said.
—"That does not mean anything " the figure replied.
There was another silence, more real.
—"What do you want?" the figure asked again.
No one answered because there was no answer.
That said everything.
A loud scream broke the silence.
It was sharp and short. Enough to get everyones attention.
Everyone turned to see what was happening.
Two men were running, desperate to get
One of them. The other tried to help him up.
He could not.
They were caught by four men.
The armed men did not rush.
They knew how it would end.
—"No wait..." one of the men on the ground pleaded.
The armed men did not listen.
They did not want to.
The first strike was fast and sharp.
The body did not react.
The second strike did.
The third did not.
Caelum felt something inside him tighten.
—"Stop..." he said.
No one heard him.
No one intervened.
No one moved because no one could.
One of the men tried to crawl but he did not get far.
A foot stopped him.
—"You cannot leave without permission " one of the soldiers said.
The next blow was not fast.
It was slow and cruel.
Caelum clenched his teeth.
His hand tensed up.
A small spark appeared between his fingers.
Nami saw it immediately.
—"No " she said quietly looking at Caelum.
The spark did not fully disappear.
—"This is not our problem " Carina muttered.
She did not sound convinced.
The man on the ground stopped moving.
The other man did not scream.
He just stopped resisting.
The soldiers walked away as if nothing had happened.
As if it were routine.
It was.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
The armored figure did not move,. Her posture changed.
She became more rigid and tense.
—"See?" she said. "That is what happens."
No one answered because they did not need to.
Nami stepped forward stopped halfway and looked at the men on the ground.
Then she looked at the ones who were still working as if nothing had happened.
Her hand slowly closed into a fist.
—"That does not change anything " Medaka said. "Even if you watch."
Nami did not look at her. She answered.
—"It changes everything."
There was silence again.
Medaka hesitated, for a moment.
—"You cannot do anything " she insisted. "No one can."
—"I have heard that before " Nami said, her voice low but firm.
Caelum looked at her. So did Carina.
Because in that sentence there was something something old and personal.
Nami finally turned her head. Looked at Medaka.
—"What is your name?" she asked.
There was a pause.
The figure hesitated.
—"My name is Medaka " she said.
—"Alright Medaka " Nami said. "Then stop acting like this is already decided."
There was silence again.
Medaka clenched her fists.
—"You do not understand " she said.
—"I do " Nami replied.
—"More than you think " she added.
Carina watched, interested now not amused.
Caelum breathed slowly. The spark in his hand disappeared.
The tension did not.
—"If we keep going like this..." he finally said.
Carina finished his sentence.
—"We get involved."
Caelum looked at her at Nami and then at the island.
—"We are already involved " he said.
There was silence again.
Nami said nothing. She started walking again deeper, into the island.
Medaka did not move aside. She did not stop them either.
She just watched, evaluating and deciding.
—"You are insane " she muttered.
Carina smiled.
—"Probably " she said.
Caelum did not answer.
He just kept walking.
The wind moved again through the structures picking up dust and something else something they could no longer ignore.
Medaka watched them for a moment longer then she took a step. Followed them.
She did not trust them. She did not let them go either.