Kamiyo spotted Nathan sitting by the lake and gave an involuntary shudder. The glowing light beneath the water hadn’t returned since the night he’d seen it while saving Vamps. Jackie had asked him not to share the theory of there being a gate beneath the lake with anyone else unless they were certain it was the case. They didn’t have proof, nor could they do anything to address the potentiality. Even so, it worried Kamiyo to see Nathan so close to the water. He went over to check on the boy. His wrist had been healing well, but Emily had taught him that things could spiral downwards quickly. “Hello, Nathan, what are you doing?”
Nathan looked up from what he was doing, revealing a pile of blood and guts. “Just preparing a fish,” he said.
Kamiyo was not averse to blood—two years in a maternity ward thrashed any squeamishness from a person—but what he saw now disturbed him. Nathan wasn’t so much gutting the large carp as cruelly eviscerating it, slicing at its organs and innards instead of merely removing them.
“Um, didn’t Steve collect all the fish this morning, Nathan?”
“He’s training me. I want to be a butcher like him. Next time we catch another rabbit, he’s going to show me how to skin it.”
“Oh, well, it’s good you’re acquiring new skills. How’s the wrist?”
Nathan held it up in its sling bandage, which was stained with fish blood. “It hurts when I move it, but not as much as it did.”
“Great. Make sure you wash your hands in clean water when you’re done here.”
“Will the blood make me sick?”
“Not necessarily. But it will make you stink.”
“Is Emily dead yet?”
Kamiyo frowned. “Um, yes, she passed this morning, but why would you assume that?”
He shrugged. “It was obvious. She kept getting worse. Could you have helped her with medicine?”
“Yes, probably quite easily.”
“Shame.” Nathan said it without emotion.
“Were you friends with Emily, Nathan?”
“Nobody is my friend here.”
Kamiyo folded his arms and waited a moment before speaking again. He felt like the conversation was nearing a sensitive issue. “I’ve noticed you don’t interact with the other kids, Nathan. Do you feel alone here?”
“We’re all alone here, Doctor.”
“That’s not correct, Nathan. We have each other.”
Nathan prodded the dead carp with his knife. “You’re wrong. People only care about themselves. The only loyalty in this world is blood, but there are no more families left. Survivors only care about surviving.”
Kamiyo had suspected it for a while—Nathan was suffering from some kind of dissociative disorder. Whether it was the trauma of recent events, or something deeper, was unclear, but he was certain the child had a clinical lack of empathy. The question was whether it was reversible or permanent. “Do you miss your family, Nathan?”
Nathan frowned as if he didn’t understand the question, but he did give a nod after a moment’s thought. “I miss my little sister sometimes. Her name was Sophie. I miss the sound of her laugh.”
“You were close with Sophie?”
He shrugged. “I used to look after her. She was mine.”
“Yours?”
He nodded and showed emotion, a faint glimmer of a wistful smile. “I had no friends at school, and mum was never around. She put me in after-school clubs for as long as she could, so she could work. Sophie was the only person who was ever happy to see me. When I got home at night, she would always smile and give me a great big hug. When she had nightmares, she would climb into my bed. She was happier when I was around. Only time I ever felt like I mattered was when I was looking after Sophie. She cried the morning I caught the coach to come here. She wanted me to stay home. If I had, I’d be dead. I wish I knew what happened to her though.”
“She might have made it somewhere safe. You did, Nathan.”
He shook his head. “No, she’s gone. I hope it was quick, but I don’t think it was. I think she was screaming my name when the monsters ate her.”
“You shouldn’t think about things like that, Nathan. It’s not good for you.”
“What else should I think about?” He held up his bloody knife, wafting the stench of fish guts. “When the demons come, I’ll be ready. Will everyone else be?”
Kamiyo looked up at the castle, to where people were milling about with various tasks. They were more ready than they had ever been, but it still might not be enough. As cold and disconnected as Nathan so clearly was, he might actually be the most suitable person to survive in this new reality. He did not shy away from the horror. Instead, he embraced it.
“Everybody is ready, Nathan, because they all know that sticking together is the only way to stay safe.”
Nathan stared at him blankly. “Lot of good it did Emily.”
“We need medicine,” said Kamiyo, nearing anger at the thought of the dead girl. “If we had some basic supplies, I think we could ride things out here long into the future. Without them though…”
“So, go get some. You survived outside the forest. Go find what we need. Save us, Doctor Kamiyo.”
It was a terrifying suggestion, but something fast becoming necessary. “You might be right, Nathan. It’s something I need to think about.”
“Not really. We can’t hide in the forest forever, can we? When you go out to find supplies, take me with you.”
“What? Nathan, no! You and the other children need to stay here.”
“I’m fourteen.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Exactly! I need to know what’s out there, so I can survive it. You can show me how to make it outside the forest, how to fight.”
Kamiyo shook his head. “You survive by avoiding fighting.”
“But you can’t avoid it forever. I want to live, Doctor, that’s all. Hiding here won’t make any of us stronger. If the demons ever take this place, I want to know how to cope on my own.”
Everything the kid was saying made perfect sense, yet it
