I didn't spare Kai or the black man another glance. Their fates were their own—irrelevant to me. I turned on my heel, Angela and Lisa falling into step beside me, their smirks matching mine.

We moved through the forest with ease, the trees parting for us like they knew we belonged here.

The clearing was alive with tension, the air thick with the scent of sweat and desperation. Mira, Nicole, Hailey, Paul, and Bill stood in a tight cluster, their faces a mix of relief and exhaustion.

Bill was conscious, his skin no longer pale, his breath steady—alive, against all odds. His eyes flickered open, weak but aware, as if he couldn't believe he had made it.

I stepped into the clearing, my presence cutting through the murmurs like a knife. Mira and the others noticed me immediately, their expressions twisting into disgust.

Mira crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she glared at me. "Look who's back," she spat, her voice dripping with contempt. "The great Dexter. Savior of no one."

I chuckled, my gaze locking onto Bill, who was leaning against a tree, his face still drawn but alive. "Looks like..." I murmured, my voice mocking, "You're still breathing." My laugh was low, dark, and amused. "Heh. Heh. Lucky you."

Bill lifted his head, his eyes burning with defiance. "Lucky?" His voice was hoarse but sharp. "I survived because of my mother, not because of you."

I smirked, shrugging. "Oh, I know." My tone was light, almost playful. "But let's be honest, Bill. You should be dead." I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper. "And soon, you might wish you were."

Nicole stepped forward, her voice sharp, mocking. "Oh, please." She rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Like you could save anyone." She crossed her arms, her smirk cruel. "You're all talk, Dexter. No action."

I laughed, my eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, Nicole..." My voice was smooth, taunting. "You think you know me?" I shrugged, my smile twisting. "But go on. Keep believing in your little hero fantasies."

Mira stepped forward, her voice sharp, venomous. "You're disgusting." Her eyes burned into me, filled with hatred. "We don't need your help. We don't need your poison."

I turned to her, my smile twisting. "Tsk. Tsk." My voice was smooth, taunting. "Looks like you lost your chance to be my slave." I shrugged, my tone mocking. "What a shame. Bad luck."

Mira's face flushed, her voice trembling with rage. "I'd rather die than be your slave."

I chuckled, my eyes gleaming. "Oh, Mira..." My voice was low, dark, and amused. "We'll see about that." I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper. "When desperation hits, people do stupid things." My smile twisted. "And you? You'll beg."

Bill pushed himself up, his voice weak but defiant. "You're sick." His eyes burned into me, filled with disgust. "You enjoy this, don't you? Watching people suffer."

I laughed, my voice cold, mocking. "Oh, Bill..." I shrugged, my smile cruel. "I don't enjoy it." My tone was final, unyielding.

"I accept it." I gestured to the forest, the clearing, the desperate faces around us. "This is reality. Survival isn't about kindness." My smile twisted. "It's about power."

Nicole scoffed, her voice sharp, mocking. "Oh, please." She rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You think you're so smart." She crossed her arms, her smirk cruel. "But you're just a coward."

I turned to her, my smile never fading. "Oh, Nicole..." My voice was smooth, dangerous. "You think you know me?" I shrugged, my tone mocking. "But go on. Keep talking." My eyes gleamed. "We'll see who's laughing when the food runs out."

Paul stepped forward, his voice firm, angry. "Get out, Dexter." His hands were clenched, his face flushed with rage. "You're not welcome here."

I raised my hands, my smile never fading. "Ok. Ok." My tone was light, amused, as I stepped back, turning to leave.

Megan noticed our return, her voice cutting through the tension. "Did you guys find anything?"

Before I could answer, Kai and the black man stepped into the clearing, their faces flushed from the run-in with the beast. Kai spoke up, his voice breathless but excited. "We found a lake nearby..." He paused, his expression darkening. "But there was also a bear..." His tone was grim. "It attacked us."

A few others stepped forward, their hands clutching mushrooms and berries. "We found some mushrooms... over there..." one of them said, holding them up like a prize.

Megan nodded, her face relieved, her voice firm. "Good. We'll sort through them. Make sure they're safe to eat."

The clearing was alive with activity, the survivors huddled around the mushrooms and berries they'd gathered, their hands busy as they cleaned and washed the food, murmuring among themselves about how to cook it. The air was thick with tension, but also with the faintest glimmer of hope—false hope, but hope nonetheless.

Megan stood near the center, her face relieved but tired, her voice firm as she nodded. "Good. We'll sort through them. Make sure they're safe to eat."

I watched from the edge of the clearing, my smile cold, amused. Pathetic. They clung to hope like drowning men, unaware of the storm brewing just beyond the trees. Their relief was temporary, their unity fragile. And soon, it would shatter.

The group huddled together, their voices low but urgent. I saw the way their eyes flickered toward me, their expressions hardening. Then, one of them—a man with a scruffy beard and wild eyes—stepped forward, his voice sharp, accusatory.

"Officer Megan, we have no problem with doing as you said..." He paused, his finger pointing directly at me. "But we are not all willing to share our food with that bastard."

The others murmured in agreement, their faces twisted in disgust. Mira stood among them, her arms crossed, her gaze cold. Paul was there too, his expression unreadable, but he didn't stop them. Nicole glared at me, her eyes burning with hatred, but she said nothing.

Megan sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of their demands. She turned to me, her voice firm but weary. "From now on..." She paused, her gaze meeting mine, unflinching. "You three will have to look after yourselves." Her tone was final, cold. "It's your own mess that got you into it."

I didn't react. I didn't need to. Their hate was expected, their betrayal inevitable. But Lisa? Lisa wasn't so patient.

She stepped forward, her voice low, dangerous, her hand twitching toward the knife at her belt. "Boss..." Her tone was cold, deadly. "Should I kill them?"

I reached out, my hand closing around her wrist, my smile never fading. "Oh, don't worry, Lisa..." My chuckle was low, dark, and amused. "I have a better idea."

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