2. SHADOW HUNTER ᵇᵉˡˡᵃᵐʸ ᵇˡᵃᵏᵉ

15. lost trust

-LOST TRUST-

"lincoln was a true warrior, and I am proud to have called him a brother of mine"

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With a soft command, Sairah ordered her horse, Atlas, to find a concealed sanctuary. Obediently, the loyal companion hastened into the woods, disappearing into the shadows. Turning her attention back to the rover, Sairah joined Clarke, Jasper, and the unconscious Raven, settling into the vehicle's confines as they delved into the revelations that awaited them.

Jasper, his voice tinged with a mix of urgency and concern, began to unravel the unsettling developments in Arkadia. He detailed Jaha's return and the subsequent distribution of peculiar chips that promised relief from physical pain. As he spoke, the weight of a profound transformation in the once-familiar community hung heavily in the air.

Now, as the familiar cave looms into view, and with a sense of urgency, Sairah swiftly exits the rover, closely followed by Clarke. As they step into the dimness of the cavern, a heavy silence descends, broken only by the subtle echoes of their footsteps.

Sairah freezes as her eyes meet those of Bellamy Blake. The air tightens with tension, and her attention fixates on his bloody face. Their gazes lock, eyes wide, mouths agape, both grappling with the unspoken complexities of their last encounter—a time when Sairah faced a death sentence by the hand of Chancellor Pike.

A shared history lingers in the air, fraught with unresolved emotions and the harsh decisions made under the weight of authority. Sairah's gaze shifts to Octavia, her knuckles bruised and torn. The realization dawns, and Sairah pieces together the source of the simmering tension. Octavia, bearing the scars of grief, blames her brother for Lincoln's death.

Shaking her head as if dispelling the heavy atmosphere, Sairah takes a deliberate step forward, choosing to navigate the tangled web of emotions with a measure of detachment. Without uttering a word, she walks past the Blake siblings and stops at the entrance to the cave.

"Need your help!" Jasper's urgent voice echoes through the cavern as he emerges, the last to exit the rover. With a swift motion, he retrieves Raven, still unconscious, from the vehicle and rushes towards the rest of the group. "We have to get her inside before she wakes up."

Concern etches Bellamy's face as he hastens toward Jasper, seizing Raven from his hands. "Were you followed?" he asks, the urgency reflecting in his eyes.

"Maybe I— I don't know," Jasper mutters, uncertainty coloring his words.

Miller shifts his gaze to Bryan. "Get to the Ridge. Radio if you spot anyone following," he instructs before his eyes meet Harper's and he adds, "Harper, we'll stay here on watch."

When Sairah sees the look on Octavia's face she realizes that the girl was planning on leaving before they arrived. She clears her voice before speaking up. "Octavia. We're going to need you in here."

Octavia sighs before nodding her head and following after her.

"Clear some space," Clarke orders, her tone carrying a sense of urgency as she follows Bellamy, who cradles the unconscious Raven in his arms.

Sinclair, the lone figure who remained within the cave during the trio's arrival, widens his eyes at the sight of the unconscious girl. "What the hell happened to her?"

Jasper steps forward to provide an explanation. "I told you on the radio," he sighs. "Raven is not Raven anymore. None of them are. Jaha has been chipping everyone."