Chapter 42: Queen’s Gambit

As the group had guessed, they arrived back late at the place where they’d been summoned.

The scene before them was confusing at first, but the situation soon became clear.

Zayn couldn’t help but blame Lucas. He’d made a hasty decision to send everyone scouting, much less to split them up. Zayn hadn’t been entirely focused while Lucas gave his orders, preoccupied with other, potentially more critical concerns.

’Maybe I should say something?’

No, that wasn’t his speed. While he was a bit antisocial, he didn’t have an aversion to the spotlight. But...

’The task.’

He’d resolved himself to complete it. Putting himself in a position where everyone had eyes on him seemed idiotic. Plus, he wanted to remain unfettered by extraneous duties.

The discussion progressed, and Zayn couldn’t help but notice how cunning Lucas was. He’d skillfully steered the conversation so no one could call him out. His orders had ended in disaster, yet he framed the situation so the blame fell on those who’d died rather than himself.

Of course, there was always a chance Lucas wasn’t at fault at all and nothing would have happened if his orders had been followed.

Not that Zayn, or anyone, knew the answer to that.

When the discussion ended, people split up to talk, but Zayn remained still, his attention fixed on the one person he hadn’t been able to understand: Amaya.

He’d already thought the woman was strange after she’d so readily suggested the disasters might be human — and offered to help him regardless. Part of him had even begun to fear she was some sadistic murderer.

’But now...’

Amaya had returned from the expedition alone. The happening only strengthened his baseless suspicion.

As he watched her sitting alone, hugging her knees to her chest and crying crocodile tears, a dangerous thought seeped into Zayn’s mind and slowly took hold...

’I should take her up on her offer.’

Wouldn’t someone like her make the perfect ally for a would-be murderer?

Zayn wasn’t a fool.

He wasn’t going to trust Amaya blindly. No, he was intent on using her.

’Man, I hate my current thought process.’

Zayn had no idea what she was thinking, but she’d said she would help him. So, he’d let her.

There was also another reason...

Zayn had already been chewed up and spat out by the world. He knew his mental stability was hanging by a thread, one that would fray with every move he made. Maybe, if he didn’t face it alone, he could remain sane.

Even if his partner in crime turned out to be a psycho herself.

After a while, Zayn approached the woman whose actions and words didn’t quite match up.

"Hello."

The woman kept her head down and shrieked:

"Leave me alone!"

Zayn could tell it was an act, so he continued anyway:

"My extra task... You were right."

The sound of crying abruptly stopped. A moment later, Amaya lifted her head slightly from her knees and glared up at Zayn, without so much as a trace of tears around her eyes.

Then she said:

"Oh, it was you."

’Why’d she give up the act so readily?’

"...You’re not going to keep pretending?"

Amaya shrugged.

"No. I was watching you... I knew damn well you didn’t believe me. Neither did Lucas. Seems I’m a shitty actor."

’Lucas noticed? Then why didn’t he say anything?’

"Why are you fake-crying anyway?"

Amaya slammed her head back into her knees and resumed the motions of sobbing as she answered:

"Trust. I didn’t want people to distrust me or think I got them killed. This is how someone’s supposed to react after what I went through."

’I, uh... How do I tell her that this made me think the opposite?’

"Thankfully, Lucas was smart enough not to accuse me. If he had, he would’ve made everyone more on edge than they already are. I’ll talk to him later. For the record, I’m innocent. Anyway, enough about that. Your task..."

Zayn looked away from her and over at Axel, who was surprisingly already staring back.

"Yes. You guessed correctly. The disasters are humans."

Amaya paused, then muttered:

"Cruel..."

Zayn expected her to say more, but when she didn’t, he added:

"Yeah. It is."

Zayn thought for a moment, then decided to ask the fateful question, only for her to cut him off.

"Your offer—"

"I kind of said that as a joke, not gonna lie."

’What...?’

Horror washed over Zayn’s face.

He had practically admitted to planning a murder.

Amaya continued:

"Just kidding about just kidding... But maybe not."

After a quiet sigh, she continued:

"I get a kick out of teasing cute boys, no matter the circumstance..."

’That’s your definition of teasing?’

Zayn couldn’t even savor the compliment, for the grounds upon which he received it were ludicrous.

After a brief pause, Amaya continued:

"But you also said humanity was facing extinction, right? So, I’m torn. Because if you truly have to do something that horrible to save humanity... that’s a lot for one person to bear."

Shrugging a little, she added:

"Then again, you could be some sadistic mastermind who immediately understood the situation and invented a fake task to manipulate me... But if you can prove your task is real, I’ll help you."

’She thought that of me? Look in a mirror!’

Zayn didn’t know what to say. He was still reeling from having revealed his secret to the one person he thought would help, only to discover she’d been messing with him...

Yet, she’d also given him something to grasp.

But how in the world was he going to prove his task was real?

Worse, Amaya would now be watching him closely. If someone died under suspicious circumstances, her thoughts would undoubtedly turn toward Zayn.

Amaya added:

"But don’t worry. I don’t care what you do as long as it doesn’t affect me."

"Y-yeah..."

’What a hard woman to read.’

Zayn couldn’t help but feel like he’d just made a catastrophic blunder.