Chapter 312

BONE RIDGE: ANOTHER AREA.

A small bone cave-like structure could be seen.

This one was entirely different from the one the trio had been taking shelter in as this one was smaller and didn’t go as deep as that.

But it still provided enough shelter for the two figures staying inside.

"For goodness sake, Kai. Why the hell do you keep going outside every night even after we established that the skeletons won’t check into the caves but attack those outside.

And you keep coming back injured everytime. How can you still fight for eight hours straight each time? What are you trying to achieve?"

A short boy could be seen asking with a deep frown on his face. The dark bags under his eyes now growing more prominent with the frown on his face.

A blonde haired boy could be seen leaning against the cave wall with a cocky smile on his face.

The obsidian bandana wrapped around his head had a few tear here and there.

His beautiful, pristinely clean face still radiated power and elegance regardless of the hellish situation they had been thrown in.

"Come on Van, you worry a lot. Have you forgotten who I am? Ha!"

Van’s frown deepened.

"Even if you are strong, it doesn’t mean you can’t lose your life in the process. What do you even hope to achieve with this? For the past one and a half week we spent on this land, you keep going outside each time. Why?"

Kai’s hands tightened into fists as his teeth gnashed back and forth repeatedly.

"... You know why I’m doing this, Van."

"Hm? I honestly don’t."

"...."

"The hell are you feigning ignorance for? Of course I’m doing this to look for Ray! It’s been over a week since we got sucked into the gate and ever since that day, I keep searching for him but haven’t seen him yet. I have been worried but you have been so laid back. Why?!

Don’t you care about your so-called best friend?!"

"...."

"You think I’m not worried? Do you think you are worried about Ray’s safety than I am? Hah-hah! Do you hear yourself,Kai?!"

Van’s eyes flashed a brief blue for a moment as his jaws tightened.

"Incase you have forgotten. I have known Ray long before we came to the Corps when you met him. Each time I’m in trouble, he doesn’t think twice before running towards me. Whether he could solve the problem or not, he was always by my side.

And you think I’m not worried about my best friend?! I’m more worried than I am."

Kai folded his hands across his chest with a small frown on his face as he watched Van rage.

"And I’m not bothering myself as much as you are because I know it."

Kai lifted a brow.

"Know what?"

Unlike Ray who fell alone and later found Trisha and Chloe in Hill Valley; Kai and Van had fell into Bone Ridge at the same time and in the same area.

Unfortunately for them, it was nighttime and in the process, they were attacked by the skeletal creatures.

It took a streak of luck and the fact that it was just three hours before daytime that was how they had been able to survive.

They endured a few injuries. Nothing too life threatening.

Hence they quickly found this cave to shelter in for a few days till when their injuries didn’t bother them anymore.

And the few days also helped them better understand the Bone Ridge.

Afterwards, Kai kept leaving the cave each night, therefore leaving Van alone.

He would go out when it was nighttime when the skeletal creatures were assembling and then return in the early hours of the morning.

Battered. Injured and exhausted.

Every single night again and again while Van watched, observing.

Something didn’t seem right with all these.

"Tell me something, you could easily go out during the day when there’s no danger to search for Ray. So why nighttime?"

This same question had been asked by Van time and time again yet he always received no reply as Kai always found a way to deflect.

How else was he supposed to explain to Van that this was a form of training for him.

A test of stamina and endurance against an overwhelming horde of creatures.

Why he was training and what for, he refused to say anything.

If he even as much as say he was training, Van would ask for the reason and he couldn’t say anything.

Oh!

Coupled with the fact that Kai was still irritated at the fact that Van had ruined his plan to kill Berg.

But with their current situation, that could wait until they were back at the Corps.

For now, he needed to protect Van. Aside from the fact that they were friends and roommates, he knew that if something ever happened to Van.

Kai’s body shuddered thinking of that.

He really didn’t want to see Ray lose his mind and go on a rampage.

Even though Kai was strong and he believed he could handle most threat, a fully transformed Ray could rip him to shreds.

Which was why he always left Van in the cave knowing that the skeletal creatures won’t bother entering any cave; while he went out to hunt.

But over the days he spent here, he hadn’t found any sign of someone else being in this region.

Time and time again, he had contemplated crossing the dark sea to search the region beyond the dark waters but Van kept discouraging him saying he felt weird about the sea.

Something he couldn’t explain but his senses and mind were telling him something was wrong with it hence he hadn’t tried crossing it yet.

"I asked a question, Van." Kai frowned as he looked at the tech genius in front of him.

Van sighed and then smiled softly.

"I know this; Ray will come. He will come searching for me. He will come."

Kai almost broke out in a laugh as he shook his head.

"We don’t even know if he i... actually, he will be alive. But how sure are you that he would c—"

Crunch—! Snap—!

Kai immediately whirled around as a pair of crystal daggers appeared in his grasp.

His gaze was fixed on the entrance of the cave where the noise had come from.

’What’s that? The skeletons shouldn’t be active by now. It’s already morning. Is there another specie of beast here that I don’t know of?’

He tightened his grip on his crystal daggers while placing himself in front of Van, ready for anything that was to come out.

And then,

Sniff—! Sniff—! Sniff—!

"I knew Van was here. But is that Kai, I smell?"

Kai’s eyes stretched wide at the voice he was hearing and then,

Three figures stepped into view.

The handsome boy’s grip on his daggers loosened as he straightened in shock.

The corner of Van’s lips twitched as a crude smile crept onto them.

"My brother!"

Ray angled his neck with a wide grin.

"Good to see you are safe and sound, Van...and Kai too."