"He said he knows who we are." Zen pondered over Trar's words as a shiver crept down his body.

"He knows we are runaways?" Scarlett battled internally on all the things that happened a few minutes ago.

They lifted their worn-out faces as Opeul moved closer to them.

"He is dead." Opeul started with a blank tone, "I didn't anticipate you to carry a revolver, isn't what that thing is called eh?" He fixed his eyes on the handgun.

Scar shifted her body weight from the left foot to the right one, "yes."

"Who are you guys? Refine this old hag with your agendas and ideals."

"Sir, we-" Opeul cut her off saying, "Let's spare our body the torment of weariness, let's sit somewhere.." He looked around, "that rock... let's go."

They walked towards the dark rocks withered all over the earth. Zen and Opeul sat over those tough rocks, Scarlett stooped on a chopped tree trunk.

Scarlett let it all out, leaving some parts as a mere mystery and blurting out a few other things with high-resolution descriptions to which Zen kept scowling. Opeul printed an impartial expression on his face, not that anyone expected any kind of amazed expression. After the deliberate narration of their entire escape saga, Opeul stood up.

"Silly of you, young kids, for not letting me know this the day you stepped on this Island."

Both bore a relieved expression knowing that he wasn't at least kicking them out of this island.

Opeul dusted his cloak as he began saying something," smugglers and mining. Clear the connection between them!" Opeul said as he faced his back towards them.

"The kids smuggled from different places are forced to work in the mining field which these malicious people own. The tunnel is built for cheap and profitable transport of ore and mining staff."

"Of which you would have been a prominent part, if not escaped?"

"Exactly, sir!" Zen exclaimed with a slight annoyance.

"Do you have any anonymous plan?" Opeul was certainly curious.

Zen scratched his neck and glanced in the direction of Trar's house. "It was all coming together.." Scarlett bit her lips knowing what just happened.

"He deserved a glossy death like this! Had we not promised to save his dear life if he were to abide under our orders?" Opeul soothed them realizing how remorseful they felt.

"Coming to my plan, we are all brains and no brawns relative to those wretches. I thought of this since we earnestly want to save them. She, of course, refused to move forward at the most heated point of our runaway. This was because her heart ached for them. So, we need to distract the guards at the hour of their toiling in the mines. We must go there ready with our boats. The period we are exempted from must be profited to collect them in a boat."

"But Opeul, is there any ship that carries us back home?" Scarlett uttered in trouble.

"One. It never enters our radar. Always passes by the north of Blue Hill."

"Ahh..but how do we distract them?" She had too many questions.

"Weapons," Zen started rubbing his forehead.

"Weapons deadly enough to distract a whole gang of armed humans?"

"Uh.." Zen brooded over it. They surely didn't own any bombs or any fatal missiles. He hung his head in thought-a constriction in his smooth plan.

Opeul, who was standing his back towards them twirled. He intently gazed at them, his expressions concreted firmer. "Let me show you something."

They followed him in striking anticipation. Violet blossoms on the non-existent pavement (trees along the roadside) blinked as they withered when the wind slapped them off their branches. The moon showed itself off brighter and brighter every passing second. Scarlett stole a glance of Opeul. He had his furrows knotted and his lips were cleanly pursed. Scarlett wondered how much it takes to latch all his emotions behind his face.

Both didn't let a word slip between them, not when Opeul's presence governed every step they took.

Trees kept multiplying, the sound of the forest insects pierced their ears. Scarlett clutched Zen's arms tighter, he returned her an assuring stare. The old trees were semi-balded and the trunks with a million lines seemed to mock the young fellows stuck in a tragic circumstance like this. The canopy of the forest got spookier and mysteriously repulsive. The rustling leaves collided with their sounds which came out like hysterical laughter.

Opeul finally turned back for the first time which he had not done till now assuming them to be following him with no guarantee of life, the crunching of dry leaves otherwise said so. "Young lady, never have I seen you this terrified," he said staring at her shaking hand. Scarlett bore an ironic smile.

"We have reached the destination." He said as he pointed at a huge tree, dipped in honey-burnt colour. Its infinite branches covered its shy forehead. The leaves panted when the wind blew through them.

"A tree," Zen observed.

"Yes, A tree.." Opeul heard him.

'How long until you distract us with a rusty tree and kill us' Scarlett screamed internally.

They walked closer to the giant tree. "Climb!" Opeul commanded.

Scarlett and Zen gaped at the gigantic creation. They stood there staring at each other with the great ordeal before them.

Opeul smiled parting his lips, "amateurs! What are you waiting for? An elevator."

Zen cleared his throat and took the lead, Scarlett followed. It was certainly a huge tree. So many thoughts clouded their brain.

"Ladder, isn't their one?" Zen asked looking around.

'Hehe,' he was laughing as if someone cracked a joke. "A ladder on a tree would be too suspicious my boy, an open invitation for all the lazybones" he continued laughing, "look carefully, there are deep but unnoticeable cuts on the bark, hold on to it."

Zen tried to climb the tree clutching the invisible grips, after reaching halfway up he slid down like he would on kerosene.

Scarlett balanced her body and after a good amount of physical and mental determination, she successfully reached the nearest branch.

"You see some leaves amassed?" Opeul yelled.

"Yes." She screamed intently looking around.

"Then sift through the mini-jungle." Opeul said this with a cough running his throat, "only if my knees were tough, I would have reached the top within you blink twice."

Scarlett rolled her eyes, she pushed the leaves out to find a copper box, rusty and old. She pulled it out from the knot it was tied to the branch. "A copper box, Opeul? Anything else?"

"Bring it down, bring It down!! Don't drop it!"
However, Zen was already climbing down as he accidentally brushed his hand over a territory of ants. He rushed down unable to bear the stinging bites of wrathful ants.

Opeul received the box with caution. He unclasped the little rectangular box. A piece of paper laid there, it seemed more than that.

Zen and Scarlett, in all honesty, loathed these few seconds. They disliked the weird anticipation it creates when they are directed by someone else, particularly Scarlett hated it. The mystery of every step weighed on, made them scream with disgust. They would rather want to be left alone with a hint here and there, and full autonomy carried upon themselves.

Opeul carefully flipped the paper, barely touching its corners as if a portrait drawn with charcoal was fixed behind and smudging It would be fatal. It turned out to be something else, "A fingerprint." Scarlett observed with unwavering eyes.

"A cloned one," Opeul said with a shift of uneasiness.

"Who's is it?" Zen raised his lowered voice. A wasp buzzed around, seemingly eavesdropping on their talk.

The muscles on Opeul's face laced together in anguish. A rain of pain and a hint of shyness overtook his face. A careless, tender smile hung loose.

"Helyn Vestica's thumbprint." He said crazing the copper box, "the lady who triumphed in goodness and impeccable satire. My classmate when I studied in the university." His eyes said she was more than that to him. "Search a party of cowards, prey through a bunch of gossipers or go around the streets, you will never find her there. She was that superior type, the rarest- chiding the ignorant and favouring those who thirst for knowledge." He went on dreamily, "her eyes spoke wild things and she carried the glory of wisdom. The smartest yet the most humble....ahh..Helyne..her charm made every man spare a second to steal a glance at her, yes, even the busiest man would. Just like you young lady, you remind me of her." Opeul tuned towards Scarlett, "In the death ring, mercy scooped me in its hands not because of any vain reason, but this- you radiate Helyn's aura. When she heard I was to leave in a day, her face crumbled. She cried and cried. That's when I knew she loved me better than I loved her. Before my departure, she handed this and another thing saying I am to fight these trials like a warrior. Come, I will show you my ten-year-old secret." Opeul crimsoned as his sweetheart walked before his memory.

He walked closer to the base of the tree. Opeul moved a wooden block with great difficulty and finally found a cubical box, cushioned with thick grass.
"A mild weapon to distract the hoods" Opeuls softened feature struck stern again.

Zen and Scarlett were both intrigued by the object which was a red case with a thumbprint on its centre.

"Helyn's masterpiece. Her genius powers concentrated into this little case. This," he lifted It higher with pride, "is her engineered weapon. I never had to use it, but now am handing it to you both. Do what pleases you. Rescue them. We will protect you! She will be happy to know the great cause this is being used to."

Scarlett had her jaw unknowingly drop. Her respect for Helyne boosted to such high levels. Before, his flattering about Helyn sounded to be as ordinary as anybody would do to one's young age sweetheart, but not anymore. Now Helyn had become an extraordinary figure in their eyes.

"She is indeed an intellectual!" Zen said completely dipped in appreciation.

"Her lab was her home!" Opeul went on with fondness.

Opeul instructed them about the weapon. He matched the thumbprint and the weapon activated. It was a vision of years of hard work pinned onto the device in a single mechanism of science. "The minute you throw this own by turning this button down, it creates such high-frequency loud enough to turn down a 3 storey building into ashes. I know, it isn't too destructive but it serves the purpose now unless you want to create a huge massacre."

They took a while to register everything. Then, they walked back to the town. Dim moonlight was their natural flashlight. The island gripped onto a sheer tension as the residents followed the strict orders. Opeul parted ways with words of encouragement. Zen and Scarlett walked back to their lodging. They remained in silence as the big day was soon to be planned. They stretched their weak bodies. Scarlett immediately flopped onto the mattress.

"How much risk are you down to take?" Zen asked looking at her sideways.

"Mhm..until I rinse my last breath." She answered glueing her eyes onto something intangible.

"That's the voice of the fearless!"

"What do we do now? Save our life or carry many more lives to safety along with ours?" Zen questioned.

"Let's take the tough way!"

"Like when Robert Frost wrote, 'two roads diverged in a wood and I-"

"I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference." Scarlett finished Zen's lines with the same intonation and resolute sensation Zen started with. They grinned unconcerned about the reality. Scarlett hugged him by the side and called it a day.

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A/N: if you have come this far, thank you ❤
The curtains are soon to be drawn on this book. One more huge chapter and an epilogue will be hopefully published soon. And once again thanks for coming this far✨