Jean's decision gave a glimmer of hope to those who were still troubled by how things had unfolded. Even Jean himself wasn't sure it was the best solution. Maybe they didn't want the best solution—just a solution, something, someone to believe in. A decision made by a man just a few hours ago was now about to lead them on a journey with no known destination.
The small group stirred and soon realized the major concern.
"How are we going to deal with the bodies?" someone asked. There were only 24 awake, and 57 still unconscious.
"We won't be able to carry them all," Jean said gravely. "And we don't have time to build carts."
"But if we leave them like this, they'll die."
"I don't think you understand," said Jean. "I'm not forcing anyone. If you want to stay with them, if you want to flee somewhere else, if you want to fight the demons or whatever, then do it. I could, right now, head back to Cleppé. My chances would be slim, but still better than they are now. This isn't an easy choice, but sometimes you have to think about the survival of those who can still be saved."
With that, he stepped forward, picked up François, and wrapped the man's arms around his own neck.
"I'm giving you a few minutes. Then I leave—whether you're with me or not."
"I can carry François," said a soldier from Cleppé.
"I owe him. Pick someone else he'd want, if you want to help."
Éloïse looked around. There were only three from Nirl, for thirteen of their villagers. Her eyes first locked onto Alain—she would definitely carry him—and then on the two teenagers, Adrien and Corinne. But could she carry that many? Even Jean, a Knight, only seemed willing to take one. She called over another villager from Nirl who helped her place Alain on her back. His weight made her doubt whether she could even make it with just him. Then, she took a teenager in each arm. Her arms trembled.
'But with the energy from the system… and if they wake up, maybe it'll be okay,' she thought.
When Jean's anxious impatience finally ended the waiting, she realized she was the only one who had taken more than one person. Only two people stayed behind to watch over those who hadn't woken. One of them was the Cleppé soldier who had taken command. They watched the others leave until they disappeared from sight.
"They really left," said Jack, also a soldier from Cleppé.
"You can still catch up with them," the former commander pointed out.
"I'd rather die fighting demons than in the lands of demonic creatures. At least that way I won't die cursed."
There was a silence.
"Hey," the first one said.
"What?"
"If they all woke up… would you go to them?"
"…It's too late now."
"So we're just going to wait?"
"What do you think the demons would do if they saw us with a bunch of unconscious people?"
"They'd kill us, wouldn't they?"
"I think we're more likely to end up as slaves."
There was a silence.
"Maybe. That's another reason why I was right to stay. At least demons look like humans. Why is this war even happening?"
The other shrugged.
"For the same reasons humans go to war with each other."
"I've never understood the whole distinction between demons and angels," the first one added. "It's just a matter of energy, right?"
"Who cares."
Then the former commander pulled out some dice.
"Wanna play while we wait?"
"Gladly."
And they tried to entertain themselves, to kill the dread that gnawed at them from the inside. They were alert to every sound, every noise that might be the last thing they ever heard. They felt strangely like death row prisoners hearing the church bells toll. Yet they still had the luxury of hope. They had power—and that thought only made them more uneasy.
Despite their vigilance, neither of them heard the footsteps masked by the silence—of someone slipping out of the cave, invisible, and walking toward the demons, still unconscious. They simply waited for the demons to arrive, watching over people they had only met a few weeks ago in some cases. As the demons delayed their arrival, one of them set off in search of them.