Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

In the forest behind the hill, as noon rolled around, Flora and her crew decided to take a breather right where they were. Their first-aid kit was stocked with some pre-made sandwiches and pickles. Luiz and the others found the meal a bit tough to get down, but hunger and

the promise of more grueling work ahead meant they had to fuel up.

Flora wasn't usually fussy about her food, but ever since Connor had spoiled her palate, those sandwiches seemed particularly uninviting. Her senior sister noticed, throwing a glance at the savory braised fish in her bowl and then at the hefty sandwich in Flora's. A sly grin crept onto her face. Newbies needed to know their place, after all.

"Flora-" Her senior brother, noticing her uneaten meal, sidled over, offering his lunch box. "FloraFlora, mine's a bit nicer. Why not have some of mine?"

"Oh yeah, little Flora, go ahead and have mine. I've got beef!"

"I brought some homemade beef jerky, Flora, you've got to try it!"

Seeing her reluctance, a few senior brothers offered up their meals. The senior sister pouted, "I want some beef jerky too!"

He handed her a small piece with a touch of reluctance and passed the rest to Flora. "FloraFlora, it's all yours. Dig in!"

The senior sister's face darkened, especially as she watched her crush gravitate towards Flora. Her expression soured even more, prompting her to abruptly get up and walk away.

"Flora, that gal's got it in for you," Selene nudged Flora with her elbow.

Flora replied with a laid-back "Ah." She'd faced plenty of folks who weren't too fond of her, but she'd managed to handle them all just fine. As long as they didn't cross her line, she couldn't be bothered to deal with them.

After lunch, Flora and her group got back into action. "We're heading into a risky area now, lots of cliffs and steep drops. Everyone, stay sharp!" The senior brother warned, as the five of them each took a couple of newcomers under their wing. That way, if any trouble came up, they could lend a hand.

"SeleneFlora, come on, give me your hands." At one particularly steep cliff, the senior brother climbed up first and reached out to Selene.

Selene gave him a look, placed one hand firmly on the rock face, and easily flipped herself up. No touchy-feely for her. She had a boyfriend, after all.

Feeling a bit awkward, the senior brother then extended his hand to Flora. "Flora Flora"

But before he could finish, Flora effortlessly sprang up beside him, leaving him feeling somewhat deflated in the bravery department.

"Senior sister, help me out here."

Luiz, lacking the physical prowess of Selene and Flora, struggled with the climb. He looked to the senior sister, who was closest to him, and

extended his arm hopefully

"Useless," she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she reached out. Such a small height, and he couldn't even manage it? And he was supposed to be a grown man.

She forgot, though, that her own

skills had taken years to hone. Luiz was a bit miffed at the insult, but he kept his smile intact. As she pulled him

up with a strong tug, right at the moment he was about to land safely, the senior sister had a

sudden thought.

Noticing that no one was paying attention, she let Luiz's hand slip from her grasp, releasing it slowly! "Ah-"

"Luiz!"

The group was taken aback! The

cliff was over a dozen meters high; a fall from that height could mean

serious injury, if not worse! The

senior sister's lips curled into nets

a

wicked smile, her eyes glinting with malicious satisfaction.