Chapter 21- Forgiving Is Pure Innocence

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Y/n's pov

The second trial. We stand outside the gates that holds a forest of hell.
And this hell happens to be infinite,
once we go in those woods, we are all either dead, or lost.
Agatha explained the rules already to "find someone and get out" or just "get out."

No other rules, meaning the contestants can hurt each other physically and emotionally.
I'm willing to bet Rowan will try something.
I looked down both sides of the line.
I spotted Pedro doing the same thing.
Yuba commanded the gates to open and as soon as they did, the left side of the line were hit in the back of the head with shovels.

Sophie and a professor with a dark beard made their way down the line, hitting each student in the head and knocking them unconscious.
I closed my eyes when he stepped behind me. The feeling of the shovel tingled throughout my body.
I fell to the ground and watched as they both hit Pedro.

'One hit wasn't enough?'

The floor seemed to spin and I shut my eyes.

•••

I woke up with an aching in my head.
'Why am I here?' I examined my surroundings, trying to piece something together.
I stood from where I lie; behind a big boulder, and searched the area.
The sound of leaves crunching beneath me came to an abrupt halt.
I shifted my gaze to something shiny beneath my foot, moving back, I grabbed the object covered in dewy leaves.

A knife, but not just any knife, it was a hunting knife with an apple carved into the handle.
'The evil queen's dagger.' I looked around, frantic.
Attached to it was an old piece of parchment.
I unfolded it, "Dagger marks the spot."
I put it in my pocket and dropped to my knees, digging at the spot the knife lay before.

My fingers found the surface of what was beneath.
I pulled the wooden box out and stared at its beautiful design.
It was red with a gold clasp that was in the shape of a dagger stabbing through a heart. I opened the box to reveal another parchment, "Return this weapon with blood or a heart on it. If you do not, you will lose this trial and be banished from this school."
I frowned and shut the box.

If I was going to hurt someone,
I would try to get their permission first.
I started my walk through the forest, flinching at the sounds of crows.
When abruptly, one of the bushes shook harshly. I grabbed the dagger from my pocket.
Then a noise from behind caught my attention, before I could turn, a hand clasped around my mouth.
They twisted my arm, forcing my dagger out of my hand.

My screams muffled in their grasp.
"Hush, It's me! It's Pedro!" He uncovered my mouth and turned me around by my shoulders. He had a bow and arrows slung over his back;
a vial hung from the quiver's strap. I hit his arm,
"Pedro, you scared me!" He smiled.
"I'm sorry." I eyed his bow, "Oh, I found this when I woke up. I have to...use it on someone." He frowned. "But it looks like you have to do the same thing."

He picked up my dagger, before slicing his palm open.
I gasped, "What are you doing? Pedro, stop!"
I grabbed my dagger back.
"If we just do it willingly for each other, we won't be considered evil."
The blood glowed on the dagger and a rough wind picked up around us.
I nodded and grabbed an arrow from him while he yanked the lid of the vial off.

I cursed under my breath as I stabbed myself in the shoulder.
Pedro lifted the vial to my shoulder and we both watched in silence as the blood dripped into the glass. He popped the lid back on, and put it in his pocket.
We talked and laughed as we continued our journey and eventually found a river.

I ran my hands under the water. Pedro and I helped each other clean our wounds.
He found some big leaves and washed them under the water.
He then moved to a tree and used an arrow to extract sap from it.
"Hey Y/n, this is going to help you but it's going to sting. Really badly." I smiled,
"Just get it over with." He used the tip of the arrow to apply the pine sap on my puncture wound.

I bit into my free arm and groaned.
He ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it tightly around my wound.
I winced and let out a cry. "I'm sorry." His eyes watered slightly. I nodded and closed my eyes til' he finished tying it.

Once Pedro finished, he took one of the leaves and set it in the knife box, laying the knife on top of it. "What's the other one for?"
"This." He held up the blood-filled vial, wrapped the leaf around it, and set it in the box as well.
"We're gonna get you out of here, ok?"

I nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, ok. We'll get out." He quickly rubbed sap on his cut and pushed the skin together, using the sap to seal off the wound.
He stood up and put his unwounded hand out for me. I grabbed it; he hoisted me up.
"Thanks for everything, Pedro." I smiled at him.
'Something about the atmosphere is upsetting. But what is it?'

"Before we try to find our way back, I need to tell you something." He sighed.
His black eyes looked down at his feet, "I—"
A loud cannon sound goes off in the distance. We both turn towards it.
"Please, tell me you have Robin Hood's bow and not Merida's?"
I looked at him, and he shakes his head.
"Fuck!" I yell.

He covers my mouth and pulls us behind a tree. "Try to be quiet, please?" He sounds sarcastic but I've known him long enough to understand he's really just trying to help me.
"Sorry." I whispered.
We peeked around the tree.
He screamed, making me jump.

'No.'

My eyes filled with tears.

'No!'

Henry stood, sobbing, a hook in his hand.
It stuck into the side of Pedro's neck.
An ear-piercing scream broke through the air.
What I didn't acknowledged was that it was mine.
I pushed Henry away from him.
"What have you done!"
He wailed and fell to the ground, "I'm so sorry! I was aiming for his shoulder, but then he saw me and moved, and—"

I grabbed his collar, "Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" I turned around, speeding to where Pedro leaned against the tree.
"Hey. Hey, you're gonna be ok." His body shook as he slid down the tree.
"Pedro! Please...stay with me!" Blood spit from his lips, splattering on his now pale skin.
"Y/n, I'm gonna die today." He whispered.
I shook my head, whimpering.

"In my dream, I saw you...how I see you right now." He coughed again.
Red splattered on my cheek.
My tears blurred my vision, "I'm so sorry, Pedro." I grabbed the hook from the ground, using it to cut off a long strip of my shirt.
I balled it up quickly and applied it to his neck, pushing on it hard. He cried. "Henry! Go get tree sap! Now!" I yelled to the boy, throwing the hook at him.

He obliged and rushed back to me with sap and blood covering the hook.
I grabbed it and applied it to Pedro's neck.
"Come on! Stay with me, Pedro!"
Behind me Henry sobbed, whispering apologies under his breath over and over.
Pedro coughed in response.

I pinched his skin together precisely until the sap dried.
I then tied the piece of fabric around around his neck, and tied it tight enough to keep the wound closed.
"I don't understand." Pedro whispered.
"I told you you would be ok." I smiled, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

Pedro opened his arms up. I hugged him carefully.
"Henry." He said.
Henry looked down in shame.
Pedro grabbed the blonde's arm and pulled Henry into a hug.
"I forgive you." Pedro said sternly.
"Pedro?" I said. "Yes?"
"Can you walk?"

He slowly stood with the help of Henry.
He took a few steps with, and without Henry. "Yeah. I think so." He smiled slightly.
I gathered our things.
'How can he still smile in this situation?'
"Alright then. Let's continue." I paused, "Henry, come with us, yeah?" He looked up at me, grabbed his hook, and jogged to catch up with us.

1450 words

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