After running for quite a while, Shaan finally found Miss Khaya. She hid behind a large rock in front of him. For some reason, her behavior felt strange to him. As Shaan and the others observed her from a distance, she didn't move at all. She kept herself behind the rock and occasionally peeked forward, as if she were watching something ahead.

'Strange… what was Miss Khaya doing?'

"…Miss Khaya looks like she's in trouble," Nalira said as she started walking toward her. "We should—"

"W-wait, hold on." Chelsie quickly grabbed Nalira's hand. "Uhm… Lira, are you sure about this?"

Nalira frowned slightly, her expression still calm. "What do you mean?"

"Uhm… I don't know, but I think we should go back," Chelsie said, her voice trembling. "W-what if Miss Khaya gets angry when she sees us? I really don't want us to get any trouble here."

Nalira gently patted Chelsie's hand. "Calm down, Elsie. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

"B-but Lira, are you—"

"Chelsie, just trust Nalira," Shaan said, trying to reassure her. "Everything will be okay. I can feel it too."

"Uhm…" Chelsie nodded slowly. "Alright… if you say so."

They slowly moved closer to Miss Khaya until they stood right behind her. She kept watching whatever lay ahead and didn't notice their presence at all.

However, when Nalira tried to call out to her, Miss Khaya suddenly swung her spear without even looking back, stopping it right beside Nalira's face. The atmosphere instantly turned tense.

Shaan held his breath. His body froze, and his face turned pale at the sight. Even though he didn't stand in Nalira's position, he still felt the tension rushing through him. A question kept echoing in his mind—how did Miss Khaya notice them so easily?

Chelsie dropped to the ground, her body weak as her voice trembled. "M-Miss Kh-khaya…"

"What are you doing here?" Miss Khaya slowly turned her head and shot them a sharp glare. "Why didn't you follow my orders?"

"Miss Khaya, please listen to us first," Shaan said, his voice slightly shaking. "We just wanted to help you. That's all."

"…That's right. That's all." Nalira answered calmly, showing no fear on her face. "…We only came to help."

'Damn it… How can Nalira stay that calm?' Shaan shook his head. 'Her eyes don't show even a hint of fear.'

"Alright… if you insist on helping me." Miss Khaya paused for a moment, then slowly lowered her spear. "I won't stop all of you."

"U-uhm… th-then what exactly caused that explosion earlier?" Chelsie asked, her fingers still trembling.

Miss Khaya pointed toward a vehicle ahead that looked like a long bus. "That explosion came from that vehicle. Something inside it must have broken, but I can't see it clearly from here."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Shaan asked, curiosity in his voice. "Why don't we just—"

"Hey, have you checked it?" a rough male voice called out from behind the thick smoke.

"There's a problem with the engine," another guard replied. "I'm working on fixing it right now."

"Good. Hurry up. The leader will start looking for us," the rough-voiced guard said as he climbed into the vehicle.

"Alright…" The other guard let out a long breath. "I'll fix it as fast as I can," he said as he continued repairing the damage.

Miss Khaya turned to Shaan and the others. "Now we just wait until he finishes fixing it. After that, we'll take them down."

"All right, Miss Khaya," Shaan and the others replied in unison. "We understand."

***

"Ah, finally." The guard let out a breath and shut the vehicle hood tightly. "Now I can go back and report—"

'Thud!'

In an instant, the guard collapsed and lost consciousness. From behind the rock, Shaan swallowed hard and shook his head. Incredible. He never expected Miss Khaya to take down a guard so easily with a single strike.

"Clear. No other guards around."

After hearing Miss Khaya's signal, Shaan and the others stepped out from behind their cover. Good. No one else seemed to notice them, which meant everything still followed the plan.

"Miss Khaya, y-you're amazing." Chelsie's eyes sparkled as she looked at her. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"My mentor at the academy," Miss Khaya replied with a small smile. "He excelled in close combat, and he taught me that technique."

She then glanced toward the vehicle. "Now I'll check inside. You all stay here."

"…Miss Khaya, let me come with you."

Miss Khaya nodded. "All right. I don't mind at all." Miss Khaya turned her gaze toward Shaan. "You two, stay here. We'll be back soon."

"Uhm… o-okay."

Silence fell over the area as Miss Khaya and Nalira stepped into the vehicle. While he waited for them to return, Shaan decided to walk around the vehicle for a moment. He wanted to make sure the area stayed completely safe, especially from any resistance guards who might still lurk nearby.

"Good. I don't see anything suspicious around here." Shaan scanned the surroundings, filled with dense trees. "I should head back. Chelsie must feel worried by now."

Shaan had wanted to bring Chelsie along to check the area with him. However, she had refused immediately. She didn't want to upset Miss Khaya again by ignoring her orders, so she chose to stay and wait for Miss Khaya and Nalira to return.

'Chelsie… she really fears Miss Khaya.' Shaan shook his head with a faint smile. 'Alright, I should go back now.'

***

"S-Shaan?" Chelsie quickly stood up when she saw him walking toward her. "So… how was it? Did you run into any resistance members or dark creatures?"

"No. Everything looks clear. Nothing to worry about."

Chelsie let out a long breath. "Thank goodness… I'm glad to hear that."

"Chelsie, what about Miss Khaya and Nalira? Did they come out of the vehicle yet?"

Chelsie shook her head. "Uhm… not yet. They still haven't—"

"Shaan. Chelsie." Miss Khaya suddenly stepped out of the vehicle and looked at them with a serious expression. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Shaan is silent for a moment. 'Wh-what is she talking about?'