Ericka stretched her body while getting up from her bed; beside her, Ruth was soundly asleep.
Her mind was still foggy as to why she was here in the forest, walking alone just like her. She couldn't fully comprehend, because Thalia was the one he expected to come here.
She suddenly remembered from her visions that there was another companion of theirs searching in the dense forest. She could only shake her head. But she still couldn't help but think that what she was considering now was a possibility.
While Ericka was following the men, also looking for a lead, she heard a woman crying and pleading, and there, she followed the sound, only to find herself in front of the warehouse.
She felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked at the entirety of the warehouse, which was the reason for the goosebumps all over her body. Ericka is thinking about the events she sees in that warehouse.
While the men were dragging the poor victim away, she steeled herself and decided to face the danger she would encounter once she entered there, knowing that she wouldn't easily get out alive from that warehouse.
Ericka was about to walk away when suddenly someone grabbed her hand to stop her. She was scared because someone might have seen her and caught her. She was about to struggle when their eyes met, so she stared at Ruth.
She hadn't regained her strength from the shock yet, so she quickly pulled her away from the warehouse. When they had distanced themselves, they also saw William, who escorted them back to their home.
"You're awake now, Ericka." Her companion, who was with her, said this and also got up from the bed.
Because of her deep thinking, she didn't notice that her companion was already awake.
She just nodded, stood up, and descended from her bed, with Ruth following suit, standing up and descending as well.
"I didn't expect you to be here, Ruth." Ericka could only say that to her companion.
Ruth just nodded. Gerald's mother was there, preparing their meal.
"Stay here for a moment; I'll just help them." She said this as she headed straight to the kitchen.
She showed respect to Lucia, who smiled at her.
"I'll help you first, Auntie." Ericka could only say...
It's embarrassing that she doesn't help with the household chores; she doesn't want to be a burden to them.
Lucia chuckled softly at her; only then did she notice that Ruth was also there, helping out.
"Ruth," Ericka said with a sigh.
"Let it be; even in this task, I can help." That was the answer given to her back then.
She just shook her head and let it be.
She noticed that the entire house was quiet.
"Auntie, where are they?" Ericka asked her question while she busily washed the utensils that they would use.
"Ah, William is resting in the room, and Gerald is looking for firewood that we can use." This was the answer to her question.
Ericka just nodded back then. She looked out the window, which was surrounded by trees and faced the dense forest.
Gerald's presence in the hut was a blessing; otherwise, they might have gotten lost in the woods again.
Ericka estimated that it was quite far from where they had their school camping. For that reason, her best friend suddenly disappeared.
She still dreams of Jasmin, who sadly shakes her head at her, telling her not to pursue the truth any further. However, she is already here, determined to find the truth.
She noticed that she was also finishing what she was doing. The surroundings were breathtaking and so refreshing, and the breeze in the early morning was delightful to smell. The cold caressed her skin, even though she was wearing a jacket at that time.
"Ruth, what are you doing here?" She asked while observing the surroundings.
Ruth smiled at her. "Something was bothering me when I left our camp, and besides, I just wanted to know something about this place."
She sighed, still feeling the heaviness whenever she talked to her, but the two sibling souls no longer followed Ruth. It seemed unclear to her why, on every journey, she saw him with the siblings.
Ericka stopped drinking her milk as information entered her mind, which she was trying to piece together.
"Ruth," she called out to her. "Are you here to know the truth too?" she asked and looked intently at the person she was talking to.
Ruth just chuckled slightly, which surprised her; she didn't understand why and what was funny about what she said.
"Do you have extensive knowledge about the Fuego?" Ruth asked her.
She was surprised by Ruth's question, which furrowed Ericka's brow.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Are you like Thalia, who also travels to the past?" Ruth ignored her question and threw another question at her.
Ericka just nodded, because Thalia had once shared her ability. "Why was Thalia included in this?" was the only question she asked her companion.
"What do you see in your ability, Ericka?"
"We will meet here, Ruth."
"I feel it too; I know the woman you're referring to." She even laughed, but Ericka noticed the sadness in her eyes, which puzzled her greatly.
"Ruth, do you have a problem?" She asked curiously.
Ruth just shook her head at her and ignored her question.
"To be honest, I'm here to uncover the truth behind Jasmin's death. I am aware of the connection between her kidnapping back then and her escape. I know that; she just doesn't tell me." She clenched her fist when she remembered those moments. Ericka still couldn't accept what happened to her close friend.
She simply nodded in response to the words. "Won't your decision, Ericka, lead to your downfall? Do you know your enemies?" Ruth asked her again.
This question had already baffled her.
"Do you know what's happening now? I understand why you are here, because your parents were also killed in the mansion, and you were the only one who escaped."
When Ericka learned about the Dionson family's fate, she was shocked to learn that all the servants in the mansion died without a struggle. She saw what happened with her ability. She looked for Ruth then, but she was not at the scene.
She noticed that her emotions had changed; she saw hatred and loathing in her eyes. She didn't need to ask anymore.
"Ericka! Ruth!"
She was about to speak when someone called them, so they both turned to see who it was.
"Oh, you're here. My older brother, William, is calling for you." He said.
They both just nodded at that time.