<h4>Chapter 552: 552-Take Them Down</h4>


    <strong>Clementine:</strong>


    After we had breakfast and decided what to do, we left the mansion to find the towers.


    "So here is the thing," Ian began, turning around and walking backward once we reached the road, facing all of us.


    "We will find the closest tower to the station that leads to the dark side. Once we obtain the stone, remember, the protectiveyer will shake."


    He pointed in a circle when mentioning theyer.


    "It will not break immediately, so we will still have time because the other towers will still stand guard. But two towers could be dangerous."


    Everybody nodded in understanding.


    "So we will head toward the dark side of the station after we obtain the stone," he continued. "We will reach the woods, dig a grave, and bury the stone there. The ones staying behind will wait for some time before they take out the stone from the other tower."


    He exined, pointing at each of us before his finger stopped on me and a smirk appeared on his lips.


    "But how will we know when it is time to take the stone from the other tower?" I asked, taking a few steps forward. "What if you have not even buried the first one and secured the dark side border, and we have already taken the stone from the other tower? What then?"


    Although I had forgiven Yorick because everyone had made wrong decisions under power, control, andpulsion, it was still difficult to look at him without remembering what I had been through.


    However, I kept my emotions beneath the surface because I did not want to make it about myself.


    Right now, we have to protect the maind and the other crusaders from being killed by monsters or manipted by those evil people in the future.


    "For that, let us set a window of time," Ian said. "You will give us exactly five hours. Five hours will be enough for us to pass through the tunnel, reach the dark side, and fight the monsters thate in the way."


    Ian spoke firmly as everyone began to exchange nces.


    "What kind of monsters are we talking about?" Troy asked from behind me, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up at the mention of them.


    "These are the kinds you have not seen here," Ian replied. "They are not monsters you can simply escape. They upy a particr area leading to the woods, so you will have to go through them."


    He exined, slowly turning around to walk ahead again, giving us his back.


    I stepped forward, and once I was shoulder to shoulder with Ian, I moved back and began walking backward.


    Ian slowed down so he could still face me.


    "We have cleared one area of monsters, but others still linger," I exined. "So we need to decide who wille with us to the dark side and who will stay behind on the good side."


    I said it carefully, still calling the monster side the good side, even though it was obvious there was a bad side and a worse side.


    Everyone slowed down because we had to form a team.


    "Mariana and I are staying back here," Yorick announced, making everyone’s eyes widen.


    It seemed he was sticking to the n.


    He saw it as redemption, and I could tell he would not let it go.


    "Yorick and Mariana should stay on the good side," Ian suggested.


    As soon as Ian said that, Yorick shook his head in disagreement.


    "You are already doing too much. So please, just stay on the good side. At least let us do something heroic," he insisted, trying to convince Yorick not to take everything on himself and not to carry too much pressure.


    We all disagreed with Yorick going to the dark side, and thankfully, Leysa stood up as well, making it obvious that he did not have the votes.


    Yorick looked upset, but he had no other choice. We were not going to waste time.


    "Okay, then Yorick and Mariana will stay here," Ian stated, pointing at the two.


    "Haiden and Fauna should also stay here," Leysa added, raising her hand.


    Haiden immediately shook his head in disagreement.


    It seemed like everyone wanted to do something good, to be useful after the fallout of the academy and the monsters.


    But they did not realize it was not apetition anymore.


    There was no headmaster, no academy, no rank leaders handing out medals or rewards forpleting a task.


    "Why do we have to stay back? We want to go to the dark side," Haiden argued.


    Mariana nced at Leysa, and the two nodded at each other.


    "Actually, I think that is the right thing to do," Mariana said, agreeing with Leysa’s suggestion.


    Haiden grunted and paced a few steps back and forth.


    "Actually, it is true. I do not think Fauna should go to the dark side," I said.


    Everyone’s eyes shifted to me.


    Even Haiden looked at me in confusion.


    "That is why we do not want you to go to the dark side. Even though Fauna is powerful and not an omega, I do not think she is trained enough for this," I exined.


    As we continued exining, Haiden finally understood why we were concerned.


    The fear was practically written all over Fauna’s face.


    She stayed silent because she did not want to seem scared.


    "Okay, yeah, you guys are right. So then, a five hour window, right?" he asked.


    He did not agree quickly once it came down to Fauna, and I think that made her happy because she instantly smiled at him and kept smiling while staring at his face.


    "Yes, five hours," Ian reminded them.


    He took off his watch and handed it to Yorick.


    "Start the timer when we leave," Ian instructed.


    "Let’s go. Let’s find the closest tower to the station first," he added, turning to me and giving me a nod.


    Yorick quickly put on the watch, and we all moved forward, one step at a time, thinking about finally putting an end to all this.


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