selfish. [ jack/naib ]

chapter 5.

A few days passed, matches going on as usual though Naib wasn't allowed to participate due to his wounds. He hated being confined to his bed, feeling anger building up inside him every passing day, seeing his friends hurt with the familiar slashes across the back or front.

I thought he'd control himself... Naib finished wrapping his arm, pulling it tight and securing it. He finally got permission from Emily to participate in a match again. He stretched his stiff body, heading to the waiting lobby. Eli, Emily, and Emma were already seated there, and they gave him a smile.

"Please be careful, Naib. I'll wait for you at the gate for as long as I can." Emily reassured him, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. Naib gave her a smile in return but felt uneasy. Jack squinted his eyes as he watched the doctor giving Naib a pat, and him returning a smile. It's her job to take care of the survivors... Jack reminded himself, a new feeling sparking inside him. Hatred, maybe, but it was overwhelming. But Jack held it in. He took a deep breath as they got transported to Lakeside Village.

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Everyone felt uneasy, something felt off and there was slight tension in the air. Naib got to work on the closest cipher he could find. Every little noise setting him off. He nearly failed a calibration as Emma popped up beside him. She giggled as Naib let out a yelp, jumping a little.

"Sorry bout' that," she started to decode. Naib felt a little better with her presence, focusing on decoding. The cipher was barely halfway done when someone got hit.

'Focus on decoding!' It was Emily's voice. Naib wished the cipher could be decoded faster, wanting to help distract the hunter. A loud scream echoed across the map as Emily got incapacitated. Naib glanced at Emma, who gave him a nod and he took off, running towards his downed teammate. Jack slammed the doctor onto a chair forcefully, Emily crying out in pain. Jack didn't say a word or hum his tune. Emily didn't dare to meet the hunter's gaze, the tension growing stronger.

Jack leaped across the sand and hurried to the chair. It was quiet, only the sound of Emily's ragged breathing and his own heartbeat could be heard. He shivered, gripping his kukri blade tightly. His heartbeat quickened just as he positioned his blade on the restraints. A sharp pain filled his body, terror shocked before he could even react.

"Emily-" Naib choked out as he felt pain shoot through his body again, sending him to the floor. The others were too far away to help and Naib watched helplessly as Emily got sent back again. Jack approached the downed mercenary, and Naib closed his eyes, bracing himself. Jack picked him up gently, walking to a chair not too far away. Naib didn't bother struggling, but he looked at Jack confused as he stood in front of the chair, hesitating.

"It's not fair..." Jack murmured, his words barely audible as he placed Naib down. Jack felt anger filling him again as he watched Naib struggle, his wounds bleeding from every movement. Jack spotted the gardener running in his direction, he walked off to look for the seer. Emma pulled Naib out of the chairs as they both ran the opposite direction. Emma got to healing Naib right away, hidden behind a rock. 2 more ciphers to finish and Naib headed off as soon as he got healed.

Eli had gotten hit, and soon got downed. Naib ran towards him as he got placed on a chair, hand already on his kukri. He dove in for the save, pulling Eli out of the chair just as the fog blade hit him again.

"C'mon Eli!" Naib encouraged as he ran behind Eli, who was bleeding badly. Jack was still hot on their tail and Eli collapsed to the ground again.

"Sorry..." Eli murmured as Naib distanced himself from Jack, who was placing Eli back onto a chair, wasting no time in hunting down Emma. Naib cursed, hoping he could find her before Jack did.

Too late. Right as the second last cipher popped, Emma's yowl of pain could be heard. Jack placed her on the chair, not looking at her. Emma struggled, blood soaking her shirt.

"Jack..." No response. Jack blended into the fog.

'Leave me!' Emma mustered all her strength as she saw Naib sprinting towards her. Jack raised his hand, aimed his fog blade at Naib and swung. The blades hit Naib, and he flung himself onto the chair, slicing the restraints as quick as he could.

"Go!" Naib yelled, pushing himself up as Emma ran ahead Jack following the two survivors. Naib stuck close to Emma, determined to take the hit. Jack swung his hand down hard, Naib almost falling from the impact. He felt blood soaking through his ripped hoodie and winced in pain. Naib stumbled to a cipher, hoping he could finish it as Emma went down again.

"C'mon, keep it up!" He heard Emma's voice as her rocket chair flew off. Just a little more... Naib prayed as his heartbeat sped up. His hands and legs trembled, and he fell, unable to get up again. Jack approached him, dense fog surrounding the area. Naib glanced at the misty figure and locked eyes with the hunter.

Fear. That was what Jack saw in Naib's ocean blue eyes, but if you looked closer, you could see determination spilling out of his gaze. Jack looked at the mercenary's trembling frame. He picked him up gently, slowly making his way to the dungeon and placed him down. Naib didn't say a word as he collapsed down the hatch.

Naib got cleaned up and made his way swiftly to his room. As he opened his diary to write down the match's log, he broke down. Tears slid down his face and he sniffled, his tears wetting the pages of his diary. Emily was wounded so badly she almost died... Jack might kill one of them again, because of me.

If only...