Soul Digger-Chapter 69: SURVIVORS POV PT 1

During the nocturnal lull of our group’s inactivity, I tossed and turned on the bed. In my ears, a clicking sound kept playing repeatedly, as though forced on a loop.

I flung my eyelids open, staring at the wooden ceiling like someone possessed. I slept amidst the other women at the side of the bed. My body felt warm yet chilly; the fire was slowly dying out.

The others didn’t seem to notice. I shifted my eyes across the ceiling until my weary gaze fell on the door. To my surprise, someone quietly opened it and sneaked out. I watched him slyly leave; from the vague glimpses I caught of his appearance, he was one of us.

The door shut without a sound, and the others remained submerged in peaceful sleep.

Intrigued, I stealthily tried to investigate, tiptoeing over my sleeping comrades. The door swung open, and I slipped out without a peep. Wasting no time, I searched for his footprints in the snow, my jewelry and hair dancing in the swaying winds.

Indeed, there was a violent blizzard. My uniform was my only protection against the hardening cold; white powdery snow and strong winds obstructed my vision. I lowered my head to the ground, stubbornly searching for his footprints, my curiosity piqued in that moment.

I managed to find some tracks leading forward. Clenching my fist and steeling my resolve, I followed the footprints. The blizzard didn’t make things easy, fighting to throw me off balance. Unfortunately for me, I reached a point where the footprints vanished, possibly covered by drifting snow.

The thought of returning crossed my mind; however, I couldn’t identify the way back. My footprints were also cleared by the snow, and all directions looked similar. Recognizing each turn and slope amongst the stretch of hazy white was nearly impossible.

I muttered to myself, "I shouldn’t have been so hasty to storm out. The first thing I should have done was identify who left by checking each person back at the shelter. Then again, they all look so plain; trying to identify who is whom would also be a waste of time."

"Velonica!"

I gasped; a voice I hardly remembered called to me. I thought I was imagining things due to inhaling too much cold air.

"Where are you?"

"I’m here!" The response left my throat reflexively.

A shadowy figure approached me, its figure blurred by the snowy wind. Readying myself, I set an attack stance, eyes locked on the person.

Their body tore through the white fabric of the wind. The person I saw had an unremarkable face I managed to remember: the mundane Indulger, Martin, approached me through the snow.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a caring yet suspicious voice.

The tone he used made me doubt he was the one I saw sneak out. I simply spoke the truth. "A while ago, someone left the shelter. I came to find that someone."

Martin tightened his hood. "That someone was our leader," he revealed.

I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes, the shock stinging my nerves as I parted my lips in confusion. Our leader? That bum? What was he thinking, heading out in this cold hell?

The only reason striking my mind as to what guided his foolish actions was that he was trying to commit suicide, though even he’s not dumb enough to pull something that brain-dead. Right?

I was neither familiar with nor interested in him, so I couldn’t judge his state of mind all this time. It was understandable how tough the burden was of guiding people who harbored a burning resentment through a failed exploration. Yes, we all started to loathe him, but we kept it to ourselves. I’m unsure of the others’ reasons, but I was more concerned with keeping our strength in numbers.

The mere thought made sweat run down my face in the presence of the freezing blizzard. Judging from the look Martin gave me, he shared the same fear; his wavering glare and shuddering fingers suggested it.

"I woke up due to a weird clicking. By the time my eyes were wide awake, I didn’t see our head in his sleeping position. Quietly, I searched for him without waking up the others. From there, I noticed you weren’t around as well. I assumed at first both of you went out together, but I came searching for my peace of mind," he explained. "I recognized your shoeprints a bit before the snow wiped them off. I tracked you here and shouted your name when I met a dead end."

Surprisingly effective, was what I thought.

Martin and I were both stranded in the hostile environment. Luckily, we noticed the winds started calming down; the blizzard was subsiding, and the whitish haze was clearing. It thinned enough to see through, yet we still couldn’t locate the path back to the house. In the end, we both decided to go back and find the route ourselves—a displeasing choice, but better than standing lost like stray animals.

As we headed back, the snow reached levels that covered our feet. It was particularly worse for me since I wore high heels, a decision I regret to this moment. Amidst the blurry snow, we saw a flickering amber light in the distance.

Martin suggested we briefly inspect the sight; there was a chance our leader was there, or so he convinced me. We darted towards the site, creeping like insects as we got closer. All I saw was a pile of burning wood, desperately holding its own against the harsh snow.

Martin tapped me, drawing my attention to the side. I gaped at the sight: on the icy, thick floors were remnants of what seemed like food supplies and a copper pot scattered around. From what I could make out, the objects were cans and chip packets. A small jolt ran down my back. I turned to Martin; his face faltered, uncertainty gleaming in his eyes.

"What should we do?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

He looked at me with a sort of stunned yet relieved expression. "We should retreat for now and get the others. I don’t think our group is alone out here."

I nodded in agreement, and both of us crawled back, our voices a gentle hum. Apart from the strange litter partially buried in the snow, a heavy presence lingered. It felt thick and somewhat choking, not to mention how it invaded our souls. Only one thing flashed through my mind: ’This is an Indulger’s Wavelength!’

Martin rose slightly to run away. From thin air, something similar to a sliding door shut around his neck and vanished. Instantly, he slumped to the ground, gasping poorly for air as though he were being choked. My eyes widened in horror as I shot back instinctively.

He stretched his hand out as he twitched on the floor like a fish out of water, begging for my help. "Help," he uttered in a frail tone as he took a sour drag of air.

The door reappeared, slamming shut on his wrist. His hand flapped like cloth linen; groans ceased, and his body gradually stiffened on the ground.

"Martin!" I cried out, baffled and shocked at the same time.

A tiny jolt struck my neck. On impulse, I sprung up like a fired string, folding my legs near my back. The door appeared beneath me and shut. I was saved by my quick movements; the same couldn’t be said for Martin.

Once my feet touched the ground, the area’s vibe reverted to normal, and the Wavelength I sensed vanished as well. I glared at Martin’s motionless body, a strained look emerging on my face. I could tell he was alive; he was wrapped in the blue ooze of energy that was his Wavelength. That much gave me a relieved sigh.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Sounds of footsteps marching against the snow graced my ears. They were coming from behind—the Indulger responsible for the attack. What made me short of air was the sound’s pattern; it wasn’t just one person crunching against the snow, but multiple. From what I deciphered, not one, not two, but at least six people were on their way.

Swiftly, I grabbed Martin, placed him on my shoulder, and intended to flee. After gaining a few feet of distance, my body slammed against what I could best describe as an invisible wall of air. I pushed the wall, amping my strength with Wavelength, yet it didn’t budge. If someone saw me, they’d think I was a performing mime, but that wasn’t the case at all.

We were trapped in a force field.

To make matters worse, I saw dark shadows making their way from the front as well. Left with no other options, I placed Martin back down and readied an attack stance. I would rather die fighting than be taken hostage.

’It seems we’re surrounded. Was this planned from the start?’ I pondered.

The echo of crunching snow grew louder and closer until...

"Well, what do you know? They really are human," a man spoke with a glad voice.

They wore dark uniforms similar to ours, their features covered by hoods. Seven people trekked from behind me.

"Guess your assumption was right, Reginald." Eight others wearing the same attire walked from the front.

By their appearance and stable Wavelength, they seemed like average Indulgers. Since I didn’t sense any bloodlust or malice, I dropped my guard a bit.

"Are you the Indulgers of the North Pole?" I asked bluntly, a hideous scowl plastered on my face. I stayed close to Martin’s unconscious body in case we had to make a last-minute ditch effort.

I watched one of them dig their hands into their pocket, heightening my guard back in place. Instead of a weapon, they brought out an ID, something I was accustomed to.

He threw it to me, and I caught it. The information was printed in bold letters.

[Name: Estern Herdrick]

[Class/Status: Subjugator]

[Faction: Stunted Lesion]

[Nationality: Eastern Rantford]

In a small portrait, a depiction of four circles intertwining with each other, marked with a toxic sign, was placed.

"Now that we’ve identified ourselves," the man who threw the ID spoke to me calmly, "it’s your turn now." His voice thickened