A firm shake jolted Hellen from her sleep. Her mind swam in the haze of early morning fatigue as she blinked. The natural light filtering through the window illuminating the small room. “Hellen.” Another shake followed. “Come on, wake up.”


    Hellen groaned, turning onto her side and pressing her face into the rough hide that served as a blanket. “What is it?” she mumbled, her voice hoarse with sleep. “Ezekiel is outside. He wants to talk to you.”


    That was enough to pull her further from her drowsiness. Hellen opened her eyes fully, blinking several times against the low light as she adjusted to her surroundings. The wooden walls and roof, along with the stone flooring, were some of the first thing she saw. Her eyes then flickered to the other beds in the room, landing on the one that belonged to an occupant who was not present. “Where’s Anna?” she asked, her voice sharper now, as she pushed herself upright.


    June, who was now, sitting back on the edge of her bed, brushed a stray strand of black hair behind her ear before answering. “She left earlier. Saying something about, wanting to check if more settlements showed up in the shop.”


    Hellen clicked her tongue in irritation. “Damn it. I told that girl several times not to go anywhere without me.” She ran a hand over her face, dragging her fingers through her long wavy hair before sighing. “She is too rash.”


    “She’s young,” June offered with a small shrug. “That''s how they normally are supposed to act.“ “Young doesn''t have to mean dumb,” Hellen muttered as she swung her legs over the bed, her bare feet meeting the cold stone floor. “Did Ezekiel say what he wanted?”


    June shook her head. “No, but it''s not like he ever actually says what he wants.” Hellen scoffed as she stood, rolling her shoulders to work out the stiffness in her muscles. “No, he doesn’t.”


    Crossing the room, she made her way to the door, passing the small wooden window, that served as the only light source in the lit space. She unlatched the door and pulled it open.


    Ezekiel stood just outside, his blond hair slicked back, blue-green eyes piercing, and wearing his usual fake-overly-cheerful expression, as if this whole situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. His hands were clasped together, his posture straight, giving off the air of someone who thought himself important.


    “Ah, Hellen,” he greeted with an exaggerated smile. “A good morning our Lord has blessed us with, isn’t it?” Hellen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “If you say so,” she replied, her tone careful to stay neutral. Ezekiel either ignored her lack of enthusiasm or pretended not to notice. “Would you care to join me for a walk?”


    “No, thanks,” Hellen deadpanned. “Is there something you need?” Ezekiel’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a brief flicker of something in his eyes, annoyance, perhaps. “I merely wanted to ask if you and your niece would be finally joining us for prayer today.”


    Hellen barely kept herself from scoffing. “We have no plans to do so, no.” “You should reconsider,” Ezekiel pressed, stepping slightly closer. “Now, more than EVER, is the time to have faith. This—” he gestured vaguely at the surrounding settlement, “—is all part of God’s plan. A final test for the sinners, a chance to prove ourselves worthy and join the other souls in the Kingdom of Heaven. As stated by the word of God”


    Hellen clenched her jaw. Keeping frustration from leaking into her voice. “That’s not what the System message said,” she countered. “It didn’t say people were sent to heaven, Ezekiel. It said they died.”


    Ezekiel’s smile twitched, but he remained composed. “You are simply misinterpreting the message, my dear Hellen. Those who, quote, perished, were simply taken early, while the sinners were left to face the final tribulation. But we, the few yet faithful sinners, must persevere and show our devotion and willingness to change and follow the correct path. Only then will we be granted salvation.” Hellen had to bite her tongue to keep from outright arguing with him. She wasn’t about to waste her breath debating with someone so far gone.


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    Instead, she sighed. “Is that all?”


    Ezekiel’s expression shifted, as if just remembering something. “Ah, no. On second thought, I also wanted to inform you that the logs are ready for trade. Just inform Francis when you and your niece are ready to receive them. I will then come by later so you and I can check what else is available in the market.”


    Hellen narrowed her eyes slightly. So this was the real reason he came. The sermon was just an excuse to keep up his act of being the pious leader. She did not doubt that he saw himself as the settlement’s leader, even if the people in the settlement hadn’t explicitly given anyone that position.


    “We’ll be ready soon,” she replied simply. Ezekiel studied her for a moment, as if contemplating whether to say something more. Then, having come to some kind of internal decision, he tilted his head, flashing another sickeningly false smile. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider the walk? A beautiful morning like this would be even more pleasant with a lovely company.” Hellen suppressed a shudder. Instead, she forced a polite but firm smile. “I’m too tired for a walk now. I’ll see you later.”


    With that, and before he could make another comment, she stepped back inside and closed the door behind her. She waited a moment, listening as Ezekiel’s footsteps faded. Then, she turned around, finding June still seated on her bed, her arms crossed, an unimpressed expression on her face. “He’s disgusting,” June muttered. “The way he keeps trying to flirt with someone nearly half his age—" Hellen sighed, rubbing at her temple. “I know.”


    “He’s getting more insistent,” June noted, her expression darkening. “And bolder.”


    “I know,” Hellen repeated, this time more tiredly. June shook her head. “Someone needs to put him in his place.” Hellen let out a humorless chuckle. “You volunteering?” June smirked. “If I thought I could, I would have. But with Francis around his finger, I doubt anyone can.”


    Hellen sat down on the edge of her bed, putting on her shoes. “I need to find Anna before she gets herself into trouble.”


    June nodded. “Want me to tell Francis to bring the logs over in a bit?”


    “Yeah,” Hellen said, standing again. “Let me know if Ezekiel tries anything else. Okay?”


    June gave her a two-fingered salute. “Will do.”


    With that, Hellen exited the small wooden home, stepping out into the open. The cool and crisp air greeted her, as she looked around. The settlement was small, consisting of twelve identical simple wooden homes, arranged in a rough semicircle, all surrounding the central structure that acted as the shop. The houses were designed more for function than comfort. The entire settlement had been a reward from the quest they all had received when the first week had passed, and while the housing wasn’t much, they still offered a bed to sleep in.


    Beyond the settlement’s western edge, a forest loomed, dense and vast, with a mountainous background. To the east, the plains stretched endlessly, a sea of grass swaying with the breeze.


    Hellen ran a hand through her hair. “You owe me for taking care of your kid, sis,” she muttered under her breath, her mind drifting to the person she hadn’t seen since everything changed. “So you better be alive.”


    With that thought in mind, she continued making her way toward the settlement’s shop. As she did so, she walked by people going about their day, some eagerly talking about skills, or the common item someone had received from a quest.


    It didn’t take long to reach the wooden structure, its exterior plain and unremarkable. She stepped inside, her eyes immediately locking onto the young brown-haired girl, standing in front of a table that had a magical circle in the middle of it. The table being located in the center of the room. Annabelle, or Anna, had her hand placed firmly on the glowing circle, her expression one of deep focus. The girl jumped slightly at Hellen’s voice. “What have I told you about going out without me, Anna?”


    Anna turned, her face scrunching with mild guilt. “I just wanted to check if there was anything new,” she mumbled. “And I was bored, there isn''t much else to do here.” Hellen crossed her arms, her expression unimpressed. “That’s not an excuse for you to behave like this, Anna.”


    Anna shuffled her feet. “I just thought—”


    “I know what you thought, but you should know better,” Hellen cut in. “It’s not safe. Don''t you know that?”


    Hearing that, Annabelle looked even more downcast. “I know, I know. And I am sorry…” Then, she perked up slightly. “But we’re important! No one else but me has access to the shop. They wouldn’t do anything to us.”


    Hellen sighed. “We don’t know if it will stay like that. And besides, that’s exactly why you need to be careful.” She placed a hand on the young girl’s shoulder, her expression softening. “The fact that only you can use the shop, Is the reason why Ezekiel is the way he is with us.”


    Anna looked up, her brows furrowing. “What do you mean?” Hellen’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn''t want to tell you this, but you need to know… it''s becoming more obvious he wants to control the settlement, and to do so he wants to control you and me.” And that was becoming a big problem.