The others immediately scrambled back the moment Cedric lunged at Celeste in that horrifying manner. Evelyn even toppled onto her rear as she desperately clawed backward.

As for Celeste, she yelled in raw horror as Cedric's weight slammed her into the ground, pinning her.

He raised his head, his unnatural mouth opened wide, but just as he was about to attack her, Julius shot forward, grabbing him from behind and yanking him away with brutal force.

At the same time, Dion and Ino quickly rushed to help Celeste sit up.

Cedric thrashed wildly in Julius's arms, his head whipping around like a feral snake, but Julius held him tightly, refusing to let go no matter how violently Cedric struggled.

For a few tense seconds, the sounds of Cedric roaring like a trapped, tormented animal filled the space.

Then, right at that moment, Aika quickly walked up to Cedric and delivered a precise, chopping strike to the back of his neck. His eyes instantly changed back to normal, and he fell silent and unconscious.

She shot a sharp signal with her eyes to Julius to release him. Julius immediately complied, letting the limp body go. Aika grabbed Cedric by the shoulders and quickly dropped to the ground with him, cradling his head against her chest.

***

Cedric's POV

——

Sometime later…

I woke up and my eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing I noticed was that the pain I had been feeling before had suddenly intensified. My body was burning up, and I felt weak, like someone who was having his life force sucked out of him.

The second thing I noticed was that I was not lying down in my sleeping bag, but rather seated against the wall. I frowned as I was hit with a wave of confusion.

Since my vision was blurry, I blinked rapidly multiple times while also shaking my head to clear the vertigo. Then after a few more seconds or so, it finally cleared up and my vision settled. That was when I could see everyone watching me with anxious, wary eyes.

'Huh?'

I was about to ask why they had such expressions on their face when I felt something else that caught my attention, and that was the fact that a rope was tied around my body making it unable for me to move.

"Wh-what is this?" I muttered confusingly as I lifted my gaze back to the people in front of me. "Why am I all tied up?"

It was Celeste who first spoke up.

"Brother? Is that you?"

I frowned. "Huh? What do you mean? Of course it's me."

Hearing that, for some reason, I could see a smile slowly break through her tear-stained worry. She stood up to come closer to me, but just then, Dion stopped her.

Instead, he walked up to me and crouched in front of me, then he asked sternly, "Are you sure it's really you, Cedric?"

My confusion deepened…

But before I could even say anything, Dion suddenly lunged forward, cupping my face and forcing my jaw to drop. He began to stare intensely into my mouth as if searching for something. Then, for some reason, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

I immediately yanked my head away and snapped, "What's wrong with you, mate? Why are you acting weird?"

"Don't you remember what happened?"

"Huh? Did something happen?"

"Yes," Dion nodded, pointing a thumb toward Celeste. "You almost took a good chunk out of your sister's face. The poor girl was scared out of her mind."

It was at that moment that a cold dread settled in, and I finally understood what must have occurred.

'Shit! I must have been overcome by the huskfly…'

I had barely had that thought when Aika's voice sounded right beside me:

"Yes, you were."

I immediately snapped my head to the right to see Aika sitting beside me with her legs drawn up to her chest. Her head was leaned back against the granite, and she looked utterly drained.

"It looks like the larvae is growing and has already begun developing a mind of its own. At this rate, it should fully mature by tomorrow."

Hearing that, I looked away from her and sighed.

Celeste finally inched closer and settled on the ground in front of me beside Dion.

"We have all decided not to continue onward until we find a way to get the Huskfly out of you." She muttered in a tight, uneven voice while also trying to meet my gaze. "Your Bond said it's going to be fine…" She paused and then her voice grew more shaky. "I believe her but… I'm scared. Will you really be alright?"

I looked into her eyes. Then rather than give an answer, I asked, "Did I hurt you earlier while I was out of it?"

She gently shook her head.

I then looked away, and eventually, muttered with a bit of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry."

For a moment, Celeste just stared at me, then she exhaled deeply, moved closer, and sat beside me with her back to the wall. Then she slowly rested her head on my shoulder.

***

The hours went by really painfully.

It was now evening, and the light of the sunset was staining the massive granite slabs around us a deep, blood-orange hue, a stark contrast to the unbearable cold that was setting in.

Except for Evelyn, Aika, and me, everyone was huddled together asleep by the fire. They were all exhausted, having been awake the entire previous night. It was Evelyn's turn to keep watch, but even she was nodding her head in sleep from time to time.

As for Aika, though she looked utterly exhausted, she remained seated in the same manner as before beside me.

"You can also have a rest, you know?" I offered quietly, though the pain that was now a continuous, roaring throb made the effort difficult.

Aika turned to face me, offering no comment, and then stared back into the glowing embers. We continued sitting in a heavy, shared silence.

At this point, I was now having difficulty breathing. A searing migraine was hammering behind my eyes, and there were times when my vision would suddenly blur, then settle again after seconds.

A few minutes passed, and then Aika eventually asked in a strained voice. "How do you plan to get the Huskfly out of you?"

I slowly turned to face her, breathing heavily with a face that was slick with sweat, then I replied. "…Poison me."

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