Kaltain

8.Gold?....

The forest murmured with a gentle breeze, carrying the scent of pine and earth through the air as Ava eyed Emm with suspicion. Her emerald gaze flickered between each member of the group, their peculiar aura setting her on edge. 'What did I get caught up in now?' she thought, feeling the weight of unease settle in her chest.

Cullen flashed her a broad grin, his words dripping with feigned helplessness. "Oh, come on! You aren't going to ignore us poor, helpless people now, right? You don't seem that heartless." Ava saw through his facade, her resolve strengthening against their manipulative tactics. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to these strangers than met the eye.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I have a busy day ahead of me," Ava began, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration. "I can't help you reach wherever you want to go by myself. The northern beach isn't far from here, and I'm sure there are others who can assist you if you ask politely. As for leaving the woods, just head straight east."

"You know who we are, don't you?" Florian's inquiry caught Ava off guard, her brow furrowing in confusion. "You have it, even if it's just minute. But you're the only one I found who had it. The others around here literally have no kind of aura surrounding them. How are they even alive?"

What the heck is she talking about?, Why would I know who they are? Is she asking me why humans are alive? Ava's plan of getting rid of them didn't seem to be going well. She just couldn't grasp what they were talking about. A cloud of confusion clogged her mind.

"Oh, you know th- wait, you haven't told us who you are yet, have you?" Florian abruptly turned to Emm, her expression questioning. Ava followed suit, her frustration mounting as the conversation veered into increasingly incomprehensible territory.

Ava's mind raced with questions, struggling to make sense of their cryptic statements. "What do you mean?" she asked, the cloud of confusion thickening around her.

Ava stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the strangers react to something she couldn't comprehend. Emm's sudden outburst sent a jolt of confusion through her, his eyes blazing with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her very soul.

"She looks a bit of red and go... Wait, wait, wait, is that gold I see? Holy shit! It is gold," Emm exclaimed, his voice cracking with excitement. Ava blinked in disbelief, her mind struggling to process his words. Gold? What could he possibly be talking about?

Her gaze flickered down to her attire, a simple white crop top and dark blue jeans, neither of which bore any hint of gold. Confusion knitted her brows as she turned her attention back to Emm, who continued to stare at her with a fervor that bordered on obsession.

"Gold!?" Rose and Cullen exclaimed in unison, their eyes widening with astonishment. Cullen's gaze was fixed on Ava with an almost childlike wonder, while Rose tore into a loaf of bread with an almost aggressive fervor, her distrustful eyes never leaving Ava's form.

Emm muttered to himself under his breath, his fingers tapping against his cheek as if searching for answers within. "A fae... A fire one at that?" Cullen blurted out, his voice echoing through the forest clearing. Ava's mind whirled with confusion, her thoughts racing to make sense of their cryptic words.

Florian stepped forward, her grey eyes alight with excitement as she approached Ava with measured steps. "It's been a while since I've met one of my kind," she declared, her voice tinged with anticipation. Ava swallowed hard, her heart hammering against her ribs as Florian studied her with unnerving intensity.

"But why so little? I barely feel any aura from you. As if you're gonna fall death any time now," Cullen muttered, his head tilting to the side in confusion. Ava's breath caught in her throat, a cold shiver coursing down her spine at his words. Fall dead? What was that supposed to mean?