Zerra’s mouth twitched, and her breath was becoming heavier. So, all this time, they were searching for her? "Zizi, are you alright?" Amora asked in a worry. Zerra was choking and fell into utter silence for a while after she heard the name. A ridiculous thought emerged in Amora’s mind. "Or, have you seen her? A lot of people have been dispatched to find the girl. Her siblings even stayed in the forest to search for her and have never taken a single step out yet," Amora explained. "Her fiance is truly dedicated too. When he got the news, he went directly here..." Before she could continue, Zerra grabbed her hands. "Do you know where her fiance and siblings are right now?" She asked urgently. It was really a joke! She had joined a search party that was searching for herself! Amora blinked. "We have to ask the group leader for that. He might have a method of contacting them soon." Zerra rubbed her chest, telling herself to be patient. It was nighttime after all... "So, did you really meet this girl, or...?" Amora trailed off. Suspicion was thick in the air. Even when Zerra couldn’t see her expression, she could already imagine Amora’s wrinkled forehead. "Actually, yes, I might know about her whereabouts..." she scratched the back of her head. What to do? If she told them, would they beat her up once they found out the person they had been searching back and forth, was actually beside them all along? "Where is that girl?" Amora’s suspicion has lessened, but she didn’t seem to believe her either. Zerra fell silent. She was in front of you... "I can’t tell you for the time being," she muttered awkwardly. "That’s fine," Amora said. "You can just tell our group leader or her family once we meet them. Let’s just take a rest for now." She yawned, obviously very tired and sleepy after a long day. "Alright." Zerra bit her lip and agreed. Not long after, she heard light snoring beside her. Amora had fallen asleep so quickly. She might have been too exhausted to keep talking to her and had been forcing herself to stay awake. She lay down and also tried to sleep. An hour later, tossing and turning for a while without being able to fall asleep, she sighed and sat up. Her mind was restless. She used her senses to check whether Amora had fallen asleep for real. Her breathing was light and even, and she looked peaceful. She determined that Amora had truly fallen asleep. Soundlessly, she got out of the tent. The tiger was already waiting outside. She sat on its back as per its cue, hugging the lively baby tiger who seemed happy to see her again. Soon, they found a comfortable spot. "It’s nothing," Zerra muttered when she sensed the tiger licking her, showing its worry. It seemed to notice her restlessness. She didn’t know. After a week of getting lost in the forest, it was as if a long time had passed. She felt quite nervous at the thought of meeting them again soon. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs noⅴelfire.net Zerra slapped her own cheeks, feeling that her own action was a bit ridiculous. Why should she be so anxious as if they were reuniting after a long separation? She should be happy they were going to meet soon. Her parents must have been worried too, right? Her hands went to her cheeks. Even if she didn’t admit it, she missed her family too during the time she was stranded in the forest. "Alright, I will go to sleep," she muttered. The tiger had been tugging on her sleeve for a while, as if it was urging her to take a rest. Pulling the blanket over her body, she slept with the sky as the ceiling, hugging the warmth that was tiger and its baby. Before she fell asleep, she had one funny thought in her mind. Why did she feel as if the tiger had regarded her as its cub too? Was it merely her imagination? "Zizi, where have you been?" Amora briskly walked toward her the moment she spotted her figure. "I have been looking for you everywhere. When I woke up, you weren’t in the tent." Zerra had a slightly guilty look on her face. She almost overslept because the tiger’s fur was too warm and comfortable, casting off all the negative thoughts in her mind. "It’s the call of nature..." she trailed off. Amora just nodded and didn’t pursue it any longer. "The group leader wants to speak to you." "Oh?" Zerra tilted her head. "Where is he?" "I will lead you there. Follow me." Amora took her hand. They went to find the group leader. He was alone, and there were no other group members. It seemed he really wanted to talk. "Zizi, you are here." He greeted her as soon as he saw her. The redhead leader didn’t seem to be someone who liked to beat around the bush, so he directly asked her. "Did you really meet Zerra Sylvaris?" Zerra slowly nodded, staring at him with eyes full of certainty. "Where is she right now?" She had a bit of a headache. "Um... I will tell her family directly where she is." "Group leader..." Amora called out softly, her expression a little unsure. Zerra didn’t find it weird at all. After all, how could other groups who were looking for her couldn’t find any traces of her existence, but she, a stranded weak ability user, accidentally had happened to ’meet’ her? "That’s fine." The group leader pursed his lips. "Any clue is important. Maybe there is something she can’t share unless it’s with Zerra Sylvaris’ family member." With that, the group leader took out a pen and paper. Then, he pulled a birdcage filled with a bird inside. He tied the paper to its leg, and then let the bird go. "It’s some kind of bird raised by the Research Institute." He explained upon sensing Zerra’s curious eyes. "Our lieutenant general bought the carrier birds so we can exchange information more effectively." So they waited. The bird flew as if it were wind itself. In a few seconds, it had already disappeared completely from sight. Zerra guessed they might need a few hours to receive a reply. However, in half an hour, just as she was prepared to head back as the group leader suggested, someone pulled her into a big hug. Startled, she almost hit the person until she sensed a familiar breath. "Cassias?" she asked softly, almost breathless because of how tight he was hugging her.