MasukThe next day, the sun was shining brightly. Although Amelia hadn’t gotten up yet, there was already a flurry of activity outside the clinic.
Qi had come in twice, standing by her bed and gesturing, but she couldn’t even be bothered to open her eyes.
It wasn’t until Granny Ye called out, "Amelia, today is Thursday. Why aren’t you at school?" that Amelia finally got herself together and walked out, her face fresh and natural, with no makeup but still striki
In this way, the two of them walked side by side, step by step, out of the secret realm.The moment they stepped out of the secret realm, the morning breeze brushed against their faces, carrying the unique fragrance of grass and trees from the dense forest. The sinister chill of the night was gone, as was the bone-piercing cold of the miasma. The daylight was clear, thin mist lingered lightly, towering ancient trees stretched their branches, and morning light filtered through layers of foliage, scattering fragments of gold across the ground.Occasional crisp birdsong echoed through the forest, streams burbled softly, and the dense woods that had been terrifying in the night now appeared unexpectedly tranquil and peaceful."Oh, right." Amelia tilted her head to look at him. "The place we were in just now—could it heal injuries?"Carl glanced sideways. "That place was a secret realm. It had existed for a long time, but no one noticed it. I found it by accident.""So that's how it was."
Her eyelashes had been wet and stuck to her cheeks, her lips pale and cracked, even bearing deep bite marks left from gritting her teeth all the way, carrying a faint taste of blood.Her clothes had long been soaked through with fresh blood. The old wound on her shoulder and back had split open again and was still seeping slowly, staining his fingertips red. Her arms and wrists were covered in cuts left by thorns and traps, crisscrossing in varying depths, new wounds layered over old ones. Even the palms that had tightly clenched torn cloth were riddled with tiny gashes from sharp stones, a bloody mess of torn flesh.She had been like this all along—one step, one wound, surviving by the narrowest margins—following his faint traces through countless dangers until she finally stood before him.Carl's Adam's apple rolled hard, and the heartache in his eyes nearly overflowed. In those calm, gentle eyes that had always been steady, guilt and pain appeared
The wall was built of bluish-black ancient bricks, weathered by a thousand years of wind and rain. Its surface was covered with cracks of varying depths and patches of moss, heavy and archaic, carrying a deathly stillness that seemed to sever it from the mortal world. Rising several meters high, the wall extended straight in both directions, disappearing into dense forest and mist, like a barrier stretched across the boundary between life and death.The bloodstains ended right at the base of the wall. They did not continue forward, did not turn aside, but vanished abruptly and completely, as if they had never been there at all.Amelia slowly crouched down, her trembling fingertips inch by inch brushing over the icy stone surface, over the soil, gravel, and decaying leaves at the wall's base. Again and again, almost obsessively, she searched for even the faintest trace of Carl—anything at all, a single strand of hair, a scrap of fabric, a drop of blood long since
In its place was an ancient, silent aura, carrying the scent of bluestone and old wood.The dense forest ahead finally began to thin, and after a few more steps, Amelia's stride abruptly halted.A towering, ancient, and majestic mountain gate stood quietly before her. This was the second time she had come here.It was built from massive blue-black stones, rising several meters high. Three vigorous, archaic characters were carved into the lintel: Mistpeak Sect.Weathered by the passage of time, the stone surface was covered in grooves and cracks of varying depths, as if it had endured countless battles. Silent and solemn, the stone beasts on either side were already mottled, yet they still held their heads high.Only, the former splendor she remembered was gone, leaving behind nothing but a deathly stillness.Amelia stood before the mountain gate, her entire body drained of strength, barely able to remain upright. She could only reach out to
The night was so thick it could not be dissolved, with visibility of no more than half a meter. The surrounding tree shadows twisted and writhed, baring their fangs and claws like the man-eating malicious spirits of legend.Amelia was an ordinary person as well. When facing the unknown, she too felt fear, yet now, alone in these perilous deep mountains and forests, she showed not the slightest hesitation.Because she had to find Carl. She would not abandon him alone and had to bring him home.She walked very slowly, pouring all her strength into every step. Weakness and unrelenting exhaustion surged over her like a tide. Her vision darkened again and again, forcing her to stop, brace herself against a tree, and breathe lightly until the dizziness passed before she continued on.She did not know how long she had walked when the tight pain in her chest grew heavier and her breathing became rapid and disordered. Her throat was so dry it felt as if it were sm
His Energy Sea had collapsed completely time and again, dissolving into nothingness, only to be forcibly reshaped by sheer obsession and vitality. Though it was no longer as vast as before, it had gained a strand of resilience fused with the primordial source of life.The agony never ceased. From flesh to soul essence, from sinew to marrow, every inch of him was repeatedly tormented. He clenched down hard on gums long devoid of flesh; even if his jawbone shattered, he refused to let out a single groan. All the pain, all the suffering, all the despair were buried in the deepest recesses of his heart, leaving only his obsession with Amelia as the sole pillar that sustained his will to live.He could feel it—thousands of miles away—Amelia's concern, Amelia's worry, Amelia's bone-deep reliance and longing. That invisible tether, like the toughest strand of silk, bound his soul essence as it teetered on the verge of dispersal, allowing him to grit his teeth and
"Special Operations Team leader?" Levi's fingertips trembled. "No... impossible, how could you be from the Special Operations Team! That's a high-level unit, how could they possibly come to HUD?"Amelia smiled faintly, her tone gentle and lingering. "If it weren't for the demolition of Cle
Amelia's voice was calm and light: "Do you have people in Mexico?""Of course, that's my first home," Colten replied with a hint of pride at the corner of his eyes. "I can't speak for other places, but when it comes to Mexico, I'm more than familiar."Amelia smiled faintly: "Let's find a place to h
But as for who it is specifically, Amelia still has no leads. For now, it seems the person's position must be even higher than Patrick's."Then we just have to wait for him to make a mistake," Carl said, lifting his eyelids slightly. "After we finish dealing with this, I need to take Elijah away fo
When the crowd heard this, they all returned to their seats. This was the first time there had ever been a hidden item; such a situation had never occurred before.Two staff members carefully carried a tray covered with white silk onto the stage. On the tray was an object protected by a glass dome,







