'We have to leave', thought Éloïse.
"Jack! You and three others, scout the area—look for any hidden shelters. The rest of us will secure the zone." The Cleppé soldier took command, and no one dared to challenge him. Once the scouts had left, he turned to the other Cleppé soldiers: "Don't let anyone leave." Then, to the group: "Stay quiet. No gathering. We wait calmly for their return."
A few hours later, the scouts led them to a small cave. It took five trips to carry all the unconscious people there, under the watchful eyes of the Cleppé soldiers maintaining order. Once inside the cave, they waited—and finally, just as hardly anyone else was waking up, Jean came to.
He listened to the situation and called out a few soldiers by name to act as scouts. They returned a few hours later with news.
"There are hundreds of demons to the West and South. What should we do?"
Jean's expression darkened."I don't know… Right now, while people are still waking up and the enemy is still recovering from the explosion, we might be able to slip through—but the chances are slim. The blast must have scattered them, but given the vastness of the terrain, we'd be spotted in no time."
"Can't we just stay here and recover from our wounds?"
"That's possible… but then our chances of returning would drop even further. As for food—we didn't bring enough. Even trying to sneak back to the army with regular hiding doesn't guarantee we'll have enough provisions. If we wait too long, the army will leave, and we'll miss the chance to resupply. We'd be left to starve."
"Isn't there any other option?"
"The West and South seem like the best options, but the chances are low. The North is demon territory, and the East belongs to demonic creatures. Honestly… I don't know. If anyone has an idea, speak up. Everyone should think."
Jean lowered his gaze, lips cracked from thirst and the violence of the explosion.
He stared blankly for a moment, then muttered to himself:"We definitely don't have enough supplies. Maybe we could go without food for a while… but not water. Not water. Our reserves won't last a week. If we want to avoid the scattered demonic patrols—a mission nearly impossible as is—doing it in just a few days is completely impossible. Neither West nor South will work, and North is worse: the demons will regroup and re-establish communication with their leaders. We'd be discovered within a day. Whatever the decision is… it has to be made, and quickly."
"Then… couldn't we go East?" a soldier asked.
"We could try, but—" Jean let out a nervous laugh. "Without a guide? Without a map? Without even knowing where there's water? Even if the demons don't chase us, it would mean abandoning human territory… maybe for good. Fighting demonic creatures constantly? With no tools or human outposts to help us?"
There was silence.
"Then what can we do?"
No one answered, but the choice seemed to lean in one direction.
"But… if we decide to head back home, what about the unconscious?" Éloïse asked. A few felt a flicker of horror as they grasped the logical consequence.
"…We can't bring them," Jean said with difficulty. "It would further lower our already slim chances."
"So our choice is between risking a nearly impossible escape past demons and abandoning our own… or venturing into the unknown with creatures who might at least be less coordinated than an army?" Éloïse continued.
Hands clenched, elbows on knees, Jean looked at his wounded men and thought of Cleppé. He covered his eyes with his hands and said:
"I need a few minutes to think. In any case, I won't force anyone to follow my decision."
Though his words were meant to be reassuring, everyone knew that the presence of a Knight would greatly improve their chances of survival.
"I won't be able to speak."
Then Jean closed his eyes, and his expression froze. He remained still in front of the others.
"What—""Shh," someone whispered. "He's slowing his perception of time. He needs silence."
Minutes passed amid the soft sounds of nervous shifting and anxious glances. For Jean, hours went by. Then, at last, he ended his pre-awakening state and opened his eyes.
"I'm heading toward the territory of the demonic creatures."