The High Oracle's voice echoed over the altar. He declared that while Cormac's mark remained, there was no proof Jasmine ordered the assassination.
He brushed it off as a personal grudge of Cormac's, completely clearing Jasmine of any wrongdoing.
The crowd murmured in agreement. Jasmine's warriors praised the elder's wisdom.
Angel listened to the absurd judgment in silence. She felt no anger, only a deep contempt for this rotten clan.
The High Oracle turned to Jasmine. He gave her a slap on the wrist-"failure to discipline her consort"-and sentenced her to three days of house arrest. It was basically a vacation.
Jasmine put on a grateful face, bowing her head. But she shot Angel a look of provocation and victory.
Then, the High Oracle's cold gaze locked onto Angel. He warned her that as an exile, she was forbidden from stepping foot in the clan again.
Since Cormac was dead and couldn't testify, the elder didn't execute her on the spot. Instead, he ordered the guards to throw her back into the wasteland.
Worse, he stripped her of the right to scavenge from the clan's dump. He was cutting off all her chances of survival.
Two guards grabbed her arms to drag her away.
Angel shook them off violently. She brushed the dust off her sleeves, her back straight. She didn't look like a loser.
She looked at the cold, mocking faces around her, memorizing every single one. She didn't utter a single word of threat, but her burning eyes swept slowly over Jasmine, Al, and the High Oracle on the platform, etching their smug expressions deep into her mind. This blood debt, she vowed silently, I will collect it all. A chilling, imperceptible smile touched the corners of her lips.
She turned her back on them and walked out of the gates, into the biting wind. She didn't look back.
The steel gates slammed shut behind her. This time, there was no despair in her heart, only an endless desire for revenge.
Meanwhile, inside the clan, Jasmine was escorted back to her warm, luxurious stone house. Her fake mask slipped off instantly.
She smashed an expensive bone china teacup against the wall, furious that Angel wasn't dead yet.
Al Stein approached carefully with hot tea, trying to soothe her. Jasmine backhanded him across the face, sending him sprawling.
"You useless idiot!" she shrieked. "You couldn't even frame her properly!"
She grabbed a whip from the wall and began furiously lashing Al's back, taking all her anger out on her former brother-in-law.
Al curled up on the floor, whimpering in pain, not daring to fight back. A flash of humiliation and regret flickered in his eyes.
The other consorts huddled in the corner, shivering in fear, reduced to mere slaves.
Back in the wasteland, Angel finally returned to the hidden cave. She carefully moved the rocks and slipped inside.
Seeing Kain still lying there, silent as an ice sculpture, she finally relaxed. She collapsed on the floor, exhausted.
The sky outside grew dark, and the temperature plummeted. Angel huddled next to Kain's massive body, trying to absorb what little warmth she could.
Her stomach growled in protest. The bear meat was almost gone. The survival crisis was back.
She checked the system panel. Because Kain was in deep hibernation, she couldn't harvest genetic energy. Her progress had stalled.
[System Warning: Host will face severe energy depletion if high-calorie food is not consumed within three days. ]
Angel looked at the unconscious Kain. She knew she couldn't just sit here and wait to die. She had to survive on her own.
