We didn't lower our guard.
Not completely.
Even after the word "alliance" was said, nothing really changed.
Not yet.
He was still standing a few steps away from us.
Close enough to talk.
Far enough to react.
"Start talking," I said.
He nodded once, like he expected that.
"My name is Rayan."
"I didn't ask for your name."
"You'll need it if we're working together."
I stayed silent for a moment, then gave a short nod.
"…Fine."
He exhaled slightly, then continued.
"The group I was with… it wasn't random."
"We figured."
"We've been together since the start of Phase two."
That was fast.
Too fast.
"You formed a team that quickly?" she asked.
"We didn't have a choice," he replied.
"People are already hunting in groups. Staying alone doesn't last long."
He wasn't wrong.
"So what happened?" I asked.
He looked down briefly, then back at us.
"We crossed paths with another group."
Silence.
"They weren't like us."
"…Meaning?" I said.
"They weren't trying to survive."
A pause.
"They were controlling."
That word stayed in the air.
"How many?" I asked.
"Six."
That wasn't the problem.
"And the leader?" she asked.
His expression tightened.
"…He didn't move."
Silence.
"What?" I said.
"He didn't need to."
Something about that answer made my chest feel heavier.
"My team attacked first," Rayan continued.
"We had numbers. We had coordination."
"And?" I asked.
"And we lost."
Just like that.
"No struggle?" she asked.
"There was," he said quietly.
"But it didn't matter."
He looked at me.
"His ability… it's not normal."
I frowned.
"None of this is normal."
"No," he said.
"This is different."
The way he said it…
He believed it.
"What does it do?" I asked.
He hesitated.
Just for a moment.
"…I don't know exactly."
That wasn't reassuring.
"But when it activated… no one could move properly."
My mind immediately went back to the fight before.
To the pressure.
"Like slowing you down?" I asked.
"Worse," he replied.
"It felt like your body stopped listening."
Silence.
"And you got away?" she asked.
"Barely."
He didn't sound proud.
Just honest.
"They didn't chase?"
"They didn't need to."
That again.
"They're building something," he added.
"A bigger group. Stronger."
"And you came to us," I said.
"Yes."
"Why?"
He met my eyes.
"Because you beat us."
Silence.
"And if you can do that…"
A pause.
"…you're the only ones I've seen who might stand a chance."
I didn't answer immediately.
Not because I didn't understand.
But because I did.
This wasn't about trust.
This was about odds.
"…And what do you want in return?" I asked.
"Simple," he said.
"We survive together."
"Until when?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Until we can't."
Honest.
Brutal.
Fair.
I glanced at her.
She looked back at me.
No fear.
No doubt.
Just calculation.
"…We don't split up," she said.
"No separate moves."
He nodded.
"Agreed."
"No secrets," I added.
"If something changes, we all know."
Another nod.
"Agreed."
I stepped forward slightly.
"Then understand this," I said calmly.
"This isn't friendship."
"I know."
"It's survival."
"I know."
Silence.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then—
The mark burned again.
All three of us reacted instantly.
"…Now what?" I muttered.
The voice returned.
"Special event detected."
That was new.
"Location revealed."
A faint light appeared in the distance.
Far.
But clear.
"Participants will converge."
My chest tightened.
"…A trap."
"Or an opportunity," Rayan said.
She looked at me.
"We don't have a choice."
She was right.
Again.
If everyone was going there…
Then whatever waited
Would change everything.
I exhaled slowly.
"…We move together."
Both of them nodded.
No hesitation.
No turning back.
Because from this point on
It wasn't just about surviving.
It was about who would control what came next.