The Outskirts (ITZY Shin Ryujin)

13

Saying there was a thick wall of tension between Luke and Lia for the remainder of the day was an understatement. The tension between them was so thick, Luke was sure Max could feel it all the way from the towns.

Lia decided for them to stay away from each other by being productive and helping around the house. Luke was in charge of cleaning the rooms while Lia did the cooking or laundry or whatever Luke didn't do.

It was half three in the afternoon when the front door opened, revealing a girl wearing a khaki suit and a head mask. The girl slowly removed the dusty equipment and glanced at Lia who had gone to the door to see who it was.

"Ryujin?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at the girl. "Why are you home so early?"

The latter shrugged.

"I got tired early. Did you get Luke put of the cellar?"

"Yes."

"Did he tell you about the dream?"

Lia narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"You knew about the dream?"

"I heard him and Tinsel talking about it last night before I burst into his room. What did he see?"

"He wouldn't tell me... Also, thanks to me, I don't think he trusts any of us anymore."

Ryujin groaned.

"Seriously Lia? That was literally all we asked you to do. You were the one he was supposed to trust and open up to. Now who will do it? What did you do anyway?"

"I pestered him about the dream... Possibly scared him as well. Do you know how hard it is to notice human emotions when you have a heart of stone?"

Ryujin rubbed her face with her hand in frustration.

"Fine, I'll try talking to him. Where is he anyway?"

"The kitchen last I checked. Get changed before you do. You look a mess. Was it really that windy today? Where were you? The desert?"

"It was the windiest day I've been out there in a long time. And yes, I was in the desert... Before you start going on about how it's forbidden to go there, I swear I had a reason."

Lia folded her arms over her chest and gave the girl her best unimpressed mother look.

"I'd love to hear it."

"I saw him."

"Tinsel?"

She nodded.

"Ryujin, you almost died last night and he didn't even have all his powers. Do you have a death wish?"

"I know what I'm doing, Lia. Or at least I think I do. Just... Have faith in me and don't tell Yeji."

Lia narrowed her eyes to a glare but nodded nonetheless.

"But next time, if you die, I'm writing 'told you so' on your grave."

***

Luke was too busy washing a pot, he hadn't even notice the new presence behind him until she spoke.

"Need any help?" Ryujin's voice echoed around the kitchen, making Luke not only drop the pot into the water and splash himself, but also stumble into a few other pots and pans and cause them to fall in a clamour.

The girl's eyes widened for a split second as she watched all the pots and pans scattered around the kitchen floor and Luke's surprised, and equally horrified, face.

"Wow," she uttered with a little chuckle before helping him pick up the pots and pans. "Clumsy much?"

Luke huffed.

"In my defense, you were the one who scared me."

"I just asked a question. I didn't know you were so easily scared."

He groaned quietly but she heard it nonetheless, causing her to smile softly at him.

"Sorry," she ruffled his hair. "I didn't mean to scare you. I promise it was never my intention."

He glanced up at her.

"If you are trying to win my trust, forget it."

Her eyes widened.

"Look, I can tell you're not in the mood for all of this but I just want to talk."

"Did you guys honestly think I wouldn't catch on?"

"Catch on to what?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Don't act innocent. You know what I'm talking about."

"Luke, I'm genuinely confused."

He glowered at her, searching her face for a moment before speaking again.

"You guys want to kill me, don't you? It's either you guys get the victory or Tinsel does. You want me to trust you guys so I don't run off and Tinsel wins."

Ryujin was silent for a moment. She broke eye contact with him, picked up the remaining pot and pans on the floor and placed them beside the sink.

"Is that how it looks like?" She asked quietly and for a second Luke felt bad for accusing them of such but the feeling past just as quickly as it came.

"Look, I don't know if I can trust any of you or not. For all I know, you and Tinsel are the same creature whether you are sirens or not. And I don't intend on sitting around and waiting for one of you to kill me."

Ryujin finally met his gaze again with a tilt of her head.

"Then what do you intend to do? You can't just prance around the Outskirts. Not saying we plan to kill you. Trust me, if we did we would have done it even before you woke up and Lia wouldn't have wasted an injection on you. What I am saying is that if we did plan to kill you, only if, being on your own in the Outskirts is just as good as living with creatures that want to rip you to shreds."

Luke sighed, placing his head in his hands while Ryujin rushed up to him to rub his back softly.

"I just... Don't know what is true and what's false anymore."

"And you have all the right to be conflicted. But just hold on a moment and let us give you a reason to trust us and not Tinsel, yeah? I'm sure we can help you brush him off. He wants to mess with you. You're human. He can use that to his advantage."

"How so?"

"Pure human blood is the gateway to the towns and out of the Outskirts without burning."

"And what about Yeji. If she's human, why doesn't he go after her?"

"He did and she was just as confused as you when she first arrived. Every month Lia injects a medicine in her system that makes her blood more alkaline which mimicks the blood of a stoneface, which sirens don't like or crave. She's also become a skilled fighter. Although not as strong as a mutant, stoneface, siren or anything else really, she can put up a good enough fight to stall a creature until one of us arrive. Besides, during our adventures outdoors, she always has to have one of us with her. Today she's with Yuna."

"Can't you also inject that medicine in my system so he leaves me alone?"

"Hang on, soldier. We can't do that can't do that yet. You haven't even been in the Outskirts a week, we'll kill you if we do that... Which is another reason you should trust us. We would have put that thing in your blood if we wanted you to die in the world's most painful way."

When Luke met her gaze, she was grinning widely which instantly caused him to do the same.

"Are seriously going to point out ways you can kill me from now on just to prove me wrong?"

Her grin widened as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly. Now move over so I can help you wash some of those pots."