With the scroll recovered, she now advances towards Shailly, having already received first aid. But an unexpected obstacle stands in her way. An orphan, arms wide open in a gesture of arrest, blocks her path.

  _ Son: “ Don't come any closer! ”

  _ Moana: “ ... ”

  _ Son: " We thank you for saving us. But now you plan to take Shailly and the rest of us back to sacrifice us in the village. That's out of the question! "

  _ Ma?ko: " In any case, we can't afford to go back to the village. Shailly won't last that long! "

  Her face impassive, she stares at each of them.

  _ Moana: “ What are you talking about? We're heading for Sainté Village. ”

  Very surprised by this response, everyone exchanged questioning glances.

  _ Moana: “ Between chiefs, it'll be easier to negotiate for help. ”

  With a solemn gesture, she lifted Shailly's body and placed her on her shoulders.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  _ Moana: “ Now let's go. ”

  In a slow procession, we too venture into the dark depths of the forest, leaving their remains behind us forever.

  _ Ayden: “ Before we get started, how did you find us? ”

  _ Moana: “ Thanks to phosphorus. ”

  _ Ayden: “ Phosphorus? ”

  _ Moana: “ Yes. I am an Unclassifiable. I control atoms, and my Source is phosphorus. ”

  Between us, everyone exchanges a questioning look.

  _ Moana: “ To answer your question, every night on my rounds, I put phosphorus under the soles of my shoes for safety. And when I came back, some things had been moved. So I sprinkled phosphorus on the floor and saw that there were other footprints besides mine. ”

  The discovery of this breach in our infiltration plan leaves me with a bitter taste. My fingers clench around nothing.

  _ Ayden: “ Impossible to guess that she possessed such a Source… ”

  _ Moana: " So I followed those footprints that led to the barricades. I understood that you climbed it somehow. "

  _ Hazel: “ How do you manage to produce fire with your Source? ”

  _ Moana: " I can control the temperature of my Source as I wish. Since I am Type C, I produce and eject phosphorus from my body. It is important to know that phosphorus naturally ignites on contact with air at a certain temperature. "

  Eyes widen.

  _ Hazel: “ Unbelievable… ”

  I stare at her, my mind tormented by questions.

  _ Ayden: “ Let's get straight to the point. What's this about sacrifice? ”

  Her eyes cannot hide the pain she feels at the thought of answering my question.

  _ Moana: “ I have to tell you something first. ”

  _ Son: “ Which one? ”

  _ Moana: " The war that broke out eight years ago... It was never against the Recluses, but between us. "

  _ Hazel: “ Huh? ”

  _ Moana: “ Yes, it was a civil war. ”