Muffled complaints filled the forest as Squad 11-D retraced their steps from Day One.

The excitement from Isaiah’s theory had faded considerably.

Now they were simply searching because they had no other option.

Farida and Finch knelt beside the shrub where Yesu had discovered Scales during the first hunt.

Both had their hands buried deep among the branches.

Farida was visibly trembling.

Finch noticed.

"Don’t be afraid." He said.

Farida looked up.

"Easy for you to say." she muttered. "What if my arm gets wrapped by a snake like last time?"

Finch shook his head.

"I don’t think that’ll happen. The probability of it happening twice is pretty low."

Farida didn’t look convinced.

"Besides," he added, "I’m not sure robotic snakes bite. They may not even have teeth."

That somehow sounded worse.

Farida bit her lip and nodded nervously.

"Don’t worry. If anything happens," Finch assured her, "I’ll help."

"Awww."

Carrots’ voice drifted over from nearby.

"How sweet."

Farida immediately ducked her head.

Grover glanced toward Carrots.

"Thinking of revising your theory?" He asked.

Carrots looked to her left.

Reggie stood several meters away.

And despite trying very hard to appear busy, he kept sneaking glances toward Farida.

Carrots grinned and answered Grover.

"No way."

Reggie immediately noticed he had been caught. He blinked rapidly.

Then he pointed at the shrub.

"The snakes still haven’t shown up." He blurted.

Everyone paused.

Reggie was growing confident again.

"Maybe they aren’t stationed here anymore." He continued.

A beat passed.

"Or..." Reggie looked directly at Yesu. "Maybe Yesu was wrong."

Nobody answered.

But doubts had definitely started creeping in.

Time was passing. Soon they would need to clock out for the day.

And if they failed to find Scales...

Tomorrow’s Directive would become another nightmare.

Soraya slowly rose from a fallen log she had been searching.

"Hey, Reginald."

The forest went silent. Several students gasped.

Even Reggie looked startled. Then he frowned deeply.

"What?"

His voice was dangerously low.

Soraya sighed.

"I really appreciate your fault-finding traits."

The squad blinked.

"They can be useful, especially in times like these." Her expression flattened. "But you should stop it now."

Soraya’s eyes narrowed weakly.

"I’m sick of it."

She sounded exhausted. Not angry, just tired.

Like she might give up on the whole thing any moment from now.

Reggie straightened, tight faced. "Did you just call me a fault finder?"

Soraya didn’t even bat an eyelid.

"Yes."

His jaw dropped. He took several steps toward her.

"Say it again. I dare you."

Soraya didn’t skip a beat. "You’re a fault finder."

The words landed heavily.

Soraya folded her arms.

"Sometimes hope is the only thing people have left." she said.

Her gaze swept across the squad.

"And somehow you always manage to take it away."

Nobody spoke.

"Look at everyone." Soraya continued quietly. "You think they care about logic right now?"

Silence.

"You think they really care about Scales or points? Or about outsmarting other squads?"

More silence.

"All they care about is the belief that at the end of the day, everything will be okay."

Her voice softened.

"And that at the end of the week, once this is all over, they can leave this place. And do what?"

A pause.

Everyone knew it was a rhetoric question, yet it got them wondering.

"And go home." Soraya answered. "Just go home."

The forest became completely still.

"And also make their families proud somehow."

A long silence followed.

Even Reggie couldn’t find words.

Then Yesu shook out of the silence and suddenly walked toward Finch.

"Give me your necklace." She said.

"What?"

She reached under his collar and pulled it free herself.

"Hey—"

Yesu wrapped the chain around her arm.

"Move aside."

Finch opened his mouth to protest. But on second thought, he closed it.

"Alright. Alright."

He stepped away and went to join the others.

Around them, students resumed searching.

Soraya instructed everyone to spread out in groups.

They did just that.

Yesu crouched beside Farida and dug both hands into the shrub.

"I was thinking we should recreate what happened on Day One." She said as she searched.

Farida smiled nervously.

"Why not?" She laughed softly. "Soraya’s talk of hope was really surprising. I certainly didn’t expect it from her."

Then she nodded in determination.

"Let’s put it into action. Who knows? Something might..."

At that exact moment—

Yesu froze.

Farida blinked. "What?"

Yesu stared into the shrub.

"A snake. It’s crawling up my arm." She said with a smile of delight.

Farida’s own smile vanished.

"What?"

She shifted in alarm and looked in the direction of the others.

"Guys..." She called out.

But her voice came out small and frightened, no one heard it.

Yesu’s hand was still buried in the shrub.

Her expression changed.

Her smile faded and was now replaced with confusion.

"What are you doing?" Farida squeaked.

Yesu remained perfectly still. One arm buried inside the shrub.

"It hasn’t stopped climbing." She said carefully.

Farida shot upright.

"EVERYONE!"

Students rushed over instantly.

"Did you find the snakes?" Someone asked eagerly.

Farida turned back to Yesu. She was growing pale.

"What are you still doing? Pull your hand out!" She screamed.

Yesu nodded.

And slowly withdrew her arm.

Gasps erupted.

A slim grey snake was coiled around it.

Long.

Heavy.

Alive.

Nothing like the small glossy robotic snake from Day One.

Farida nearly collapsed.

"Find the Scales." Yesu said casually. "They must be somewhere around."

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Then Isaiah shoved through the crowd to the front.

He got a look at the snake.

And froze.

The snake wasn’t even wrapped around the hand she had worn the jewelry. It was on her other hand, which was bare.

"Yesu..." he said shakily.

"What?"

"That isn’t a robot snake."

Farida slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back another scream.

Several students stepped backward.

Yesu frowned.

"I know."

Isaiah croaked. "What?"

"I know it’s real."

Isaiah choked. When he found his voice again, it was cracked.

"Yesu... that’s not just any snake."

The students around him retreated another step.

Isaiah pointed a shaky hand to the long snake already curled up to Yesu’s shoulders.

"That is a black mamba."

It came out breathless.

Yesu’s expression was even.

"I also know that."