Chapter 295

Chapter 295
Everett pov

I open my eyes and blink a few times, taking in the cave. The place is too quiet. It’s very quickly that I realize why it feels so quiet - Ethan’s gone. Again, damn it.

I’m up on my feet in a second. “Elias, wake up!” I shake him by the shoulder. “Ethan’s gone again.”

Elias groans but opens his eyes slowly. “What do you mean gone? Again? We just got here, can’t he have some chill pill finally? Shit, man, this is getting old.”

“I mean he’s not here!” I’m pacing now, looking around the cave like it’ll magically reveal Ethan’s location. “Where would he go? Did someone take him? Should we-”

“No.” Elias cuts me off, sitting up. “It’s Ethan. He does this all the time.”

I freeze. “You think so?”

Elias rubs his face, clearly still half-asleep. “Yeah. He does his thing. Goes off, comes back later. We’re not going to get him back by panicking.”

I nod, still worried but trying to calm down. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I just-”

Elias stops me with a hand. “Let’s just wait. He’ll come back.”

We both sit down and lean against the cave wall, half laying down. For a while, we just stare at the ceiling structure of the cave, unsure what to do next. The stillness is unsettling.

We’ve been through a lot, and the idea of being left in the dark about what Ethan’s doing doesn’t sit well with me. But Elias is right, panicking won’t help anything.

“I think we need to talk about Ash,” I finally say, breaking the silence. “We need to figure out how to keep her safe. And I think we also need to make sure she gets a chance to deal with Kaiden’s rejection. She needs to accept it, heal, so we can’t just sit here and wait for things to fall apart.”

Elias looks thoughtful, his eyes distant as he stares into the cave. “I agree. But it’s not going to be easy. There’s a lot we don’t know.”

“Yeah, but at least we can try,” I say, trying to push down the growing anxiety in my chest. We can’t just ignore Ash’s pain, not when she’s been through so much already. And Kaiden’s rejection probably hit her harder than anyone could imagine.

It isn’t just about him; it’s about the trust she put into him, the hope she had that maybe things could be different this time. I think.

We both fall silent again. It’s always harder when you can’t see the path forward clearly, when everything feels uncertain and all you have is the hope that somehow, things will just work out.

Enjoying the silence, kind of, and exchanging mumbled words, neither of us notices Ethan arrive until it’s too late and the fucker nearly screams in our ears. “Rise and shine, boys! Adventure calls!”

We both jolt up and glare at Ethan. “What is wrong with you?” Elias mumbles.

“Do you ever stop being annoying?” I add.

“Not a chance. Now, come on. We’ve got work to do. The rogue’s got some big news, and we need to be ready.” Ethan giggles.

Elias sits up, frowning. “What kind of news?”

“The hunters are planning something big. And he’s going to show us where their camp is. But we have to move fast. I have a feeling that once we find out what’s going on with those fuckers, they’ll lead us to Ash. Boom, one bird, two stones, or whatever the saying is.”

Elias and I exchange looks, clearly not entirely convinced by his words, but Ethan is Ethan, he does Ethan things and thinks Ethan way, so he just keeps on going with his rambling.  

“You guys have no idea how awesome this is.” His grin is so wide, it looks like it could split his face in half. “Let’s go, losers. We’re up for a road trip.”

“What do you mean, ‘road trip’?” I ask, still processing his sudden reappearance and the stranger that suddenly appears next to him.

The rogue gives us a nod, his eyes wary but curious. He’s tall and lean, with dark hair that falls into his eyes, and a rugged look that suggests he’s been living on the edge for a long time. His clothes are worn, and there’s a roughness about him that stands out.

Elias squints at him, his tone cautious. “Ethan, you brought him here? After everything?”

Ethan looks at his side and grins. “Hey, I thought we agreed to meet in the forest. Whatever, anyway,” he trails off and looks back at us. “This guy right here, he’s been keeping an eye on the hunters. And let me tell you, what he knows could change everything.”

The rogue crosses his arms, watching us closely. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’ve got information. And we’re running out of time.”

I exchange a glance with Elias again. “Information? What kind of information?”

The rogue looks at Ethan for a moment before turning back to us. “The hunters are planning something big. Something that could wipe out a lot of people. They’ve been making moves, preparing for a war. I don’t know the details, but I do know they’re more organized than we thought.”

“Wait,” Elias interrupts, shaking his head. “You expect us to trust you?”

The rogue meets Elias’s gaze without flinching. “I get why you’re skeptical. You should be. But you need to understand something. The hunters aren’t the only threat here. There’s something else at play, something bigger, and if you don’t move now, it’s going to be too late.”

Ethan steps forward, his grin still wide but with a hint of seriousness in his eyes. “Look, I know it sounds crazy. But we don’t have much time. We need to hit the road and figure out what we’re dealing with before it’s too late.”

Elias looks at me, I can tell he’s thinking it over.

“Alright,” I say, standing up. “We’re in. But this better not be some wild goose chase, Ethan. If we’re going to risk everything, we need answers.”

Ethan’s grin widens. “You’ll get them. Just trust me.”

The rogue looks at me, then at Elias. “Good. Let’s go before they realize we’re onto them.”