I climb the kuta. Lately, it's easier for me to move my body. It might have been the effect of training with Jade and Migo. The fifteen meters climb on the fortress made of wood will still make me wheeze, but that's it. No pain in the morning and after a minute of rest, the shortness of breath will disappear.

Once I reach the top, I find Laya looking over the shoreline and then at the sky. There's also Renz together with another sandig. The Argentavis' visits have become regular, but they can't do anything about it because of its erratic way of flying.

"Aian!" Laya exclaims when he senses my presence as if he's delighted to see him.

"Laya, I would like to retract my application to sandig," I answer.

Laya pauses. He looks puzzled. "You do know that you have already cleared two tasks? You only have one more."

"I need to be in the hunter's workgroup, with Jade and Migo."

Laya frowns and Renz snorts. I look at him, my annoyance rising. "What?!" I ask him.

"Can't believe you're gonna waste it for those two," Renz answers.

"If you understand what 'precious' means, then you won't say that. I feel bad for your current girl. Good thing Jade left you."

"Can't believe it before, but did she seduce and fool you too?"

"Why? Because Cielo's a slut?"

I watch as Renz's face reddens. He's pretty slow for a guy that Jade will fall in love with. How was he even able to follow her into her chosen University? Also, he's not aware of his surroundings. A combination of bad IQ and bad EQ. What really did she see in him? This guy does not deserve her tears.

"Say that again and I--"

"Oh, you little boys. Stop fighting. Now come, Aian. Let's talk somewhere quieter."

I turn my attention to Laya. He's smiling. "What?!" I snap at him.

"You look scary for someone shorter and smaller than I am," Laya answers and pulls me away from Renz. "Now, climb down, let's talk at the ground."

I glare at him, but still, I obey. Once we are on the ground, I say, "Migo and Jade need me with the battle against argentavis. It seems unfair that their task is way harder than mine."

"That's because their leader is Bagwis, and I am yours."

"So, you're saying that it depends on the workgroup leader?"

Laya looks at me and smiles, "Yes, come on, don't be shy, feel lucky," he says as if he's someone to praise.

"There's nothing lucky about it. I will live but my friends will die? How can that be considered lucky?"

The smile on Laya's face disappears. "They are just hunting for food, for a dignitary. It's part of life here."

"Food for a dignitary? It's like you're asking them to be food instead!"

"How about your challenge completion? I will have no choice but to give those achievements to Renz. He'll be the one to benefit from your efforts. And Jade's as well."

"I feel insulted," I say, and I watch as Laya's forehead creases. He's always smiling and this expression on his face is new to me. "Why would I care about my hatred of Renz more than the life of my friends?"

After saying that, I observe another change in his expression. It looks like something cleared up for him and he understands. "No can do. You can worry about them, Aian, but not too much. Bagwis will be there, as well as all the other hunters and sandigs. If they fail, I'm sure Bagwis will come to their rescue. They will fail but they will live."

Staying alive for a while is really not our goal, I'd like to say but stop myself. "Jade is not the one who can stand losing."

"Really? Is losing Renz to Cielo her first time?"

"Don't let her hear that," I say, a bit annoyed. "So about Jade and Migo's--"

"Hey! Isn't that Migo?" Laya interrupts. He's back to his usual cheerful self.

Frustrated that I haven't gotten my goal, I turn to where Laya is pointing. Migo is lost in thought as he walks beside the kuta. I'm not sure how long has he been walking, but it looks like it's been for a while—based on his sweat, the reddening of his skin, and the bakya that is already worn out.

Is he thinking about plans on how to leave the island? Perhaps, he's thinking of how to access the library as Jade mentioned once before?

"Migo?" I tentatively ask. He looks at me but he seems lost somehow.

Still, he recognizes me, "Aian, she said that the Mainland is not good for the ignorants. She said it's better if we stay here."

I get nervous. I don't dare look at Laya. I am sure he is listening to Migo's rambling.

"We can stay here, right? Most of the babaylans are beautiful," Migo continues.

Even in this state, he's still thinking about beauty. But, who's "she" anyway?

"Migo?" I touch his face then his forehead. He's burning. "What were you doing? You need to rest."

I grunt. How can he survive against argentavis when he's like this?

"I created a hammock at the hunter's barracks. It's the best, especially in this weather. The breeze would be heavenly," he smiles. "Oh yeah, I saw Cielo. She was busy with the cleaning with the other cleaners. So busy, that they are. Can you believe it? You said it before, right? She's from a wealthy family, right?"

"Yes, yes," I answer and look around. I need to get him away from Laya, else all our secrets will be revealed to him.

"Her parents might be very disappointed, right?"

"It's just cleaning, nothing wrong with that, Migo."

"Parents? What do you mean by 'parents'?" Laya interrupts.

I turn towards Laya. "It's nothing Laya." Then, I pull Migo away from him. If he's gonna be a tattletale, I need to move him as far away as possible from any Hirayan.

"My little sister, I miss her," Migo whispers.

This time, it's my turn to frown. What was he drinking? I'm sure he does not have a little sister.

"I've never talked about her before because you and Jade will tease me, but I miss her. I missed ruffling her hair and hugging her. My sweet sister."

"Migo, you d--"

"Shut up! I don't care if you say that I have a sister complex. I miss her, it's just lucky that she's not here with us. She will be safe back home. She--"

"Migo, enough!" I say as I notice that Laya is following us and still within earshot.

"What? You'll say I am overprotective?"

"No, that's--"

"Or that I'm a hypocrite, I like women! They're all pretty and nice to look at, don't you agree?!"

"I agree," I say, exasperated. His thoughts are disjointed but it's enough to give Laya ideas. "Now, we need to put you in bed, or--" I lean closer and whisper, "I'll punch you until you're unconscious so you stop this pointless rant."

"Don't you worry, AIan, I am under control!" he tries to stand up but suddenly falls over.

I kneel before him and see that he's already unconscious. How am I going to carry a guy that's much larger than I am?

"Need help?" Laya asks who was still hovering around me.

"Ah, no n--" Before I can reject, Laya pulls Migo up, puts his arms around his shoulder, and then starts to support his weight. They are of the same height but Laya has more muscle in him.

"At the hunter's or the babaylan?" he asks.

"Babaylan's," I answer, giving up.

But before we leave the kuta, Laya says, "From now on, I'll help you, Jade, and Migo to prepare for the challenges. In that way, you'll survive through the third challenge, will that be enough? No need to transfer designations?"

I place Migo's other arm around my shoulder, mimicking Laya, and say, "Fine, if a workgroup leader will help us on the tasks, I think that would be lots of help. But I need Migo to be healthy."

Laya smiles and I know I have made a Hirayan friend. "Then I should start thinking of your third challenge," Laya adds. No more frowns and questioning, but rather his face is glowing, which I am not exactly sure why.