The Ultimate Hunt

5.

Lane, Alice, and Marina headed straight for the kitchen, the rest of us were left to our own devices. Some people walked around the hall, inspecting the space, while others went straight to the large table in the center of the room. It was an oddly perfect setup, with exactly sixteen chairs, one for each of us.

Without really thinking about it, I gravitated toward the end of the table, away from the others. I preferred keeping a distance, watching, listening, and piecing things together in my own way.

Meanwhile, Adam, took his place at the opposite end of the table. As expected, most of the group gathered around him, sitting close, as if they were already looking to him for guidance. His presence commanded attention, and I could see the way people responded to him, leaning in whenever he spoke, nodding along. He had that ability to make people feel safe, even in a situation like this.

But he kept glancing at me.

Every few moments, I'd catch this asshole's eyes flicking in my direction, as if he was trying to gauge what I was thinking. Maybe he tried to intimidate me and pressure me into joining him. Or, maybe he tried to observe him just like how I was observing him. Either way, for now I had to stay cautious and move according to my plan. 

"Hey, Chara," Hanako's voice interrupted my thoughts. He had taken the seat next to me. Always sticking close,.

"Hi," I replied flatly, not really in the mood for his chatter. He didn't seem to notice, though, or maybe he didn't care.

"Looks like everyone's calming down," he observed, his eyes sweeping over the others scattered around the dining hall. "Or at least pretending to."

He leaned in a bit, lowering his voice. "How are you feeling?"

I glanced at him, keeping my expression blank. "Fine."

"Fine?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Come on, it's me. You don't have to play tough,"

I just shrugged. "What do you want me to say? We're all stuck in this situation, and I'm dealing with it like everyone else."

Hanako shifted in his seat, giving me a nervous smile after I shrugged him off. "Right... My bad," he muttered, backing off a bit. For a moment, it felt like he was testing the waters, unsure of how much to push.

Then he leaned in again, this time with a different angle. "Well... wanna check this place out together after eating?" he asked, his tone more casual now, as if he was just trying to be helpful. "I think it'd be good to know where everything is, and, you know... what options we have."

I looked at him, weighing the offer. He was persistent, I had to give him that. Maybe he wanted to stick close to me because he saw me as a useful ally. Or maybe he had his own reasons, ones I couldn't quite figure out yet. It couldn't be just because we were classmates. We weren't that close back in school.

"Sure," I finally said, keeping my tone neutral. "Can't hurt to know the layout."

Hanako perked up, clearly glad that I hadn't shut him down completely this time. "Cool, it'll be good to get a sense of things," he nodded, his eyes flicking toward the rest of the group. "Might give us some kind of advantage, you know?"

"We want to join," 

I froze at the sudden voice behind us, turning just enough to see who it was. Standing there Lydia and.. what was his name again? Percy? Peeta? Parker? 

"We want to join," the guy repeated, his voice firm, though there was a hint of desperation beneath the surface. "If you're planning to check out the place, we want to come with you."