"You made this sound easy, Kaze." Veronica grumbled under her breath, standing against a tree, watching the campsite buzz around her.


    Half a dozen people were cooking hotdogs on the grills during dinner time, and another group was lying in the dark green military-style tents.


    It was hard to call the area a [campground], which made it sound like a dirty area with tents and a fire pit. It was anything but.


    The area was high-quality, containing charcoal grills, tables, and sitting areas. There was a public bathroom and shower house.


    Despite the cleanness of the area, the atmosphere was tense.


    "You sent me to lead pre-traumatized people at a high-quality campsite." Veronica chuckled bitterly, "Then you sent in a monster ying on easy mode."


    "We need someone who can act as a scout!" Haiden yelled bossily, "And another person who is strong with Guided Arrow with them!"


    The brte was busy trying to organize a self-defense squad that would watch the area around the clock, prepared to do anything.


    "I can do the scouting." A blonde said, walking up.


    "I''m not the best at Guided Arrow, but I''m definitely up there." Omar, the man who tried to hit Kaze and caused trouble, said, "So I''ll do it."


    Veronica observed passively but watched Omar ept with a conflicted face. He was on her skycruiser to Meridian City, and she knew the man would do anything to get back on Kaze''s good side. So watching his good intentions drag him into a trap was painful.


    "Can''t we hold back on putting together a military force?" She asked, "They say it''s better to have a gun and not need it than need it and not have it.


    That sounds nice, but studies show people with guns get themselves and others killed because they use them when it''s not the best option. Having one just makes them feel like it is."


    "Are you looking down on everyone?" Haiden snapped in genuine annoyance, hands on her hips, "We''re training as soldiers.


    Yet you think that we''re more likely to kill ourselves than others in a fight? Is that a joke?"


    "You''re forgetting who you need to worry about most." Veronica replied sharply, iris'' sharp as broken ss, "The Emperor."


    Icy chills crawled down everyone''s spine when they heard her cold tone. Her statement was absolute—decisive to the point it felt irrelevant.


    "If our little force gets paranoid and kills the wrong person, we''ll all get kicked out and die." She continued, "That''s a guarantee.


    You''re right; we''re strong. That''s why we should be confident in our self-defense if it''s necessary and not roll the dice with getting kicked out when it''s not."


    "Uh… sorry, Haiden." Omar said with a shaky demeanor, "I think that Veronica''s right, so I''ll have to decline. I want to help, not risk getting on the Emperor''s bad side."


    "Wait up…." Haiden said with trembling eyes, trying to find words.


    "I also think this is problematic in retrospect." The blonde said, "We''re afraid of the military, right?


    Well, there are over a thousand military people here. What if someone randomly tries to pick a fight, and we go to war with them? It''s kinda scary."


    The area became noisy, with people debating the topic. While a few joined the self-defense force, over half left after Veronica''s argument. It was a massive blow.


    Everything moved so fast that it made the brte''s head spin. She turned to the ck-haired pixie with narrowed eyes, hiding a murderous gaze.


    "Veronica, can we talk for a sec?" Haiden asked with a sharp smile.


    Veronica''s eyes narrowed, displeased that she was making contact. "Sure thing. Let''s go on a walk."


    The brte smiled viciously. "Sounds good to me."


    Everyone watched the two walk away, whispering excitedly. They were the unofficial leaders and almost always at odds with one another. So they were curious if there would be a fight in the woods.


    Both asked themselves the same question as they left the area, listening closely to ensure people weren''t following them.


    After making it behind a rock face, Haiden turned around sharply and red into the pixie''s eyes. "What''s your game?"


    "I''m keeping peace and dissuading stressed-out people from rebelling." Veronica replied decisively.


    "Is that so?" The brteughed with shaky eyes, bursting into a chorus of ominous cackles, "Well, if that''s~the~case, I''m gonna need you to stop that."


    "No." The pixie replied sharply, "I''m here to keep order; that''s what I n to do."


    "Yeah? Well, I''ll let you in on a secret, but you can''t tell anyone, kay?" Haiden said cutely, with murderous eyes, "I have orders to turn this ce into a powder keg.


    That way, when things get real, it''ll go ka-BOOM!"


    Veronica shuddered, looking into her eyes as herughter increased. While the brte wasughing, her eyes weren''tughing. Her iris'' were devoid of life, holding only self-hatred and depression.


    "Look, I''m not trying to ruin you, Haiden." The ck-haired pixie said calmly, "However, I''m here on orders to prevent this ce from exploding."


    Haiden''sughter stopped sharply, and she turned to her with crazed eyes. "Did you just say you got ordered to be here?"


    The abrupt shift from loudughing to a low growl was as eerie and terrifying as the brte''s gaze.


    "Yes…." Veronica replied slowly, "Kaze sent me here to—"


    "Kaze!?" Haidenughed loudly, "Kaze sent you here!? Un~fucking believable.


    Tell me, Vicks. Are you here to prep me for the altar to make a juicy sacrifice?"


    The ck-haired pixie narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion. "What are you talking about?"


    "I thought it was strange, but now it makes sense, doesn''t it?" Haidenughed, "The reason Evalyn got this operation?


    It''s not her operation! I was assigned a role that''ll get me strung up for breaking his rules, and now he has a reason for Evalyn to kill me if I don''t. Ah~maze~ing. Truly Lovely.


    I''m curious. Did you volunteer to reap my soul? Or did he give you that role because I almost killed you? Was it Jake''s request? Please, give me the deets."


    Veronica''s body developed goosebumps after listening to the woman''s crazed tone and erratic behavior. "Haiden, I''m not here to ruin you."


    "You''re not?" Haiden asked cutely, "Then why the fuck would you get a role to keep this ce stable when my life hinges on sessfully destabilizing it? Hmmm?"


    The ck-haired woman felt an icy chill crawl down her spine. Knowing Kaze, she didn''t doubt that the woman''s life was hanging by a thread.


    "I''m not sure what you''re here to do, but it''s not necessarily ipatible." Veronica replied calmly, "I''m here to remind people of the rules.


    Kaze expects a rebellion, so he wants everyone to consciously know they''re breaking the rules when they do it."


    "Of course, he expects a rebellion—that''s my job!" Haidenughed, bursting into cackles, "Of course, I only nned to sow the seeds.


    I''d organize people and set their hearts on fire so that I could adamantly speak out against rebellionter and get ignored. You know, be a super cunt no one would listen to, right?


    But guess what, Vicks! I can''t do that anymore because you''ve made me a viin from day one! If there''s a rebellion, it points to me! I have no fucking out!"


    Veronica felt static pulsed through her body—that was also her strategy.


    The ck-haired woman had to exin why she, a manager, wasn''t taking responsibilityter. Therefore, she needed to y the strong leader when it was already toote.


    It wasn''t a life-threatening requirement. However, if Haiden''s words were true, she inadvertently signed her death warrant.


    "Haiden, tell me what you got ordered to do." Veronica said calmly, trying to find clues.


    The brte stoppedughing and looked at the pixie with a lethal re. "What part of rebellion and ka-BOOM! Don''t you get, bitch?"


    "I doubt Kaze told you to make this ce go ka-boom, Haiden." The pixie replied sharply, "What''s the goal?"


    Haiden''s head cocked to the left slightly, and her pupils shrunk, cutting out the light from her vision. "What did he tell me to do? Kaze didn''t tell me to do anything."


    She walked over slowly with a vicious gaze. "Let me spell this out for you in a way that even you can get.


    I''m manufacturing a rebellion for Evalyn, the psychopath that keeps me alive. Kaze, the murderer that wants me dead, sent you in to thwart me.


    Mommy and Daddy are fighting about my life, so Daddy''s ying dirty to get what he wants. Was that simple enough for you to understand?"


    "Haiden, I think you''re the one that doesn''t understand your role." Veronica asserted, "I talked with both of them. They gave me the order toe here together.


    We have the same goal. Your job is to get people to rebel, and my job is to remind them of the consequences, so they must break the rules consciously."


    Haiden developed a feral grin, and she started chuckling, staring into dead space. "They gave you the assignment together?"


    After a few more chuckles, she burst into ominousughter.


    "Now that you mention it, I think you''re right!" Sheughed, "I''m here to rile them up, put them on edge, and then let them skull fuck themselves under a spy''s watchful eyes.


    That way, there''s a sacrifice to demonstrate the consequences of disobeying. That does sound familiar, doesn''t it, Vicks?"


    Veronica shuddered, looking at the unstable woman before her. Her mind looked invigorated, but her soul said she had given up. The pixie wanted to refute her statement to calm her down but couldn''t. That was exactly what she was there to do.


    "Of course, it does." Haiden chuckled ominously, speaking first, "That''s what you, Kaze, and Evalyn did to me already.


    It makes me wonder. What if… and this is only just a thought… but what if I''m the real linchpin?"


    She took a step forward.


    "Push me to the edge."


    And another.


    "Get me to the breaking point."


    A third.


    "Corner me."


    Closer.


    "Threaten me.


    Closer.


    "Get me to attack to defend myself."


    Closer.


    "And  make me the perfect example."


    Haiden stopped right in front of Veronica with a sinister smile. "By getting me to murder someone and set this camp on fire."