The Face of Travellers

"Arthur, Serina, and their teams are traitors... the very reason for why the plague is happening here." I said quietly, my voice steady, though I could feel the tension building up around me. 

Hina's eyes widened in shock and terror. Her mouth hung open, as if trying to grasp what I had just said. It was obvious she didn't believe me right away, but I could see the doubt creeping in, like a shadow in her gaze. 

"What?" she finally muttered, trying to process the words. "No, that can't be true. They've been helping people! Arthur was even feeding the children. He's been one of the people who has tried to make sure elves survives." 

"Believe them if you want, or believe me. I don't really care," I said, half sarcastic, half serious as I flopped down on the bed in the corner of the cell, facing away from her. I needed some rest after everything that had happened, even if it was just for a few minutes. 

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, I heard the soft shuffle of footsteps, and Hina's voice broke through the quiet. 

"I trust you more than anyone else at present..so don't say that!" she said, though her voice was tinged with uncertainty. 

"Huhh!?" I raised my head, staring at her from the bed. Her cheeks turned pink as she stammered, trying to explain herself. 

"I-I meant... I trust you more than them." Her eyes darted away, embarrassed by her slip of the tongue. 

"Yea, sure," I replied lazily, fighting the smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. 

"You know what I mean!" she huffed, crossing her arms, though a faint blush remained on her cheeks. I chuckled inwardly. Despite the tension in the air, her little flustered moments were always entertaining. 

She then shook her head, clearly trying to push the awkwardness aside. "But seriously... why did they do that? Why would Arthur and Serina betray us like that?" 

"I don't know," I muttered, my voice heavy with the weight of it all. "They must have some reason, but it doesn't make sense. I just know they're behind it." 

Hina furrowed her brow, her hands clutching the bars of the cell. "But they seemed so... so helpful! Serina was the one who brought us here. She seemed genuine. How could she... how could they be responsible for all this?" 

I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest. "I don't have all the answers, but that doesn't change the fact that it's true." 

"But how did you find out?" she asked, her voice softening with genuine curiosity. 

I took a deep breath, sitting up straight now. "I found a diary—one of the kids had it. The truth was all there, written out in black and white. Arthur came behind me, tried to kill me for finding out. Yes, TRIED to kill me," I repeated, my tone firm and final. 

Hina stared at me, her eyes filled with disbelief. "What do you mean, tried? Did you...?" Her voice trailed off, unsure if she even wanted to hear the details. 

"I'm still here, aren't I?" I said, giving her a tired look. "You think someone like Arthur take me down? A job which no one in many thousand of years could do?" 

Her lips parted in a mixture of awe and concern, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she paced in front of the bars, her hands thoughtfully placed on her chin, clearly lost in thought. 

"So, what's the endgame here?" she asked after a long pause. "What are they getting by causing all this? I mean, Serina was the one who... who told us to come here in the first place. She was so... so friendly. I don't understand." 

"Stop running your mind in circles," I said, sitting back against the wall and letting my hand rest on my knee. "We'll figure it out later. Right now, we need to focus on surviving." 

Hina shot me a sharp look, clearly frustrated. "So, what? You want me to just sit here and wait for them to come and execute us?" she asked, crossing her arms, clearly irritated. 

"That's not what I said," I replied flatly. 

"That's what's going to happen if we don't figure this out," she insisted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You know that, right?"

I sighed heavily, rubbing my face. "Yeah, I know. But let's not make it worse by panicking, alright? We need to be smart about this." 

*CLANG* 

Just as I thought we could settle into the quiet moment, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the distance. The building gate creaked open, and the steps grew louder as few people approached. 

"Looks like the elves are coming," Hina muttered, trying to peer through the bars of the cell, her face scrunched up in confusion. 

A few moments later, they arrived. Two elves stood at the front, their expressions stoic, with three humans trailing behind them. Two boys and one girl, all with bags slung over their shoulders. The tension in the room was thick, and Hina immediately started protesting. 

"We're innocent! Let us go!" she yelled, her voice shaking. But it was clear that her words fell on deaf ears. The elves, and the humans with them, ignored her entirely, focused only on me. 

Lala, one of the elves, pointed a finger directly at me. "He is the one who killed Brother Arthur," he said, his voice cold and unwavering. 

I remained expressionless at the accusation, though my mind is racing for what's the best thing they can do to me. 

The room went completely still for a moment. Every pair of eyes in the room shifted to me, waiting for my reaction. 

The tall man in black, one of the humans who had entered with the elves, finally stepped forward. His eyes locked with mine in a steady stare, his expression unreadable. His presence was imposing, and I could tell he wasn't someone who backed down easily. 

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with an air of authority that was hard to ignore. The tension in the room thickened