INICIAR SESIÓNAmelia walked back to the middle of the path, where the injured teenage boy was still sitting."We need to move now," Amelia said. She pointed toward the vehicle. "Ian, Marcus, Azriel, help carry the pots and food containers. Elu, carry Gongfu. We're going on foot."While the group hurried to unload the remaining gear, Amelia walked over to the other vehicle. Her system was still locked for another two days, but her spatial storage was a basic ability she could still use. She placed her palms against the canned food and extra blankets in the trunk. A faint shimmer passed over them, and the supplies disappeared into her storage space, making their load much lighter.As they gathered near the trees, Rachel slowly climbed out of the backseat of the vehicle. The mutant woman moved carefully, carrying Daniel with surprising gentleness. Daniel clung to her neck, his bandaged leg hanging at her side.The teenage boy stared at Rachel, his mouth falling open. Despite his injured foot, his cur
Amelia stepped toward the bush, but Marcus tried to wave her away with a weak flick of his wrist. He was bent over, his shoulders shaking. He looked embarrassed and clearly didn't want everyone crowding around him.Kira pushed her door open and hurried out of the vehicle, her face pale with worry. She ran into the bushes beside him and grabbed his arm. "Marcus, what happened?"Marcus turned his face away, avoiding her eyes. He wiped his mouth and struggled to catch his breath, but didn't answer immediately. His other hand rested against his stomach, and he seemed to be trying to steady himself before speaking. Kira kept hold of his arm, watching him closely."Marcus, please talk to me," Kira pressed, her voice trembling.Eventually, he let out a tired sigh. "I ate some of the squirrel meat," he admitted quietly, his voice rough. "When we were roasting it back by the fire. I hadn't eaten anything in a while, and the smell... it was just too tempting."Kira looked at him, then glanced a
Ian kept his foot firmly on the brake pedal, the headlights cutting through the darkness to illuminate the narrow trail. Just a few feet in front of the bumper, someone was struggling to move. It wasn't a monster. As the dust settled, the high beams revealed a teenage boy, likely no older than sixteen, lying across the damp leaves. He looked completely worn out. His clothes were torn, and a muddy backpack was strapped tightly to his shoulders.Instead of staying still or crying out for help, the boy panicked the moment the car engine idled. He looked up into the bright lights, his face pale with terror, and immediately began dragging himself backwards into the brush, using his elbows to pull himself away.Ian unbuckled his seatbelt quickly. "He's trying to run," he told Amelia through the talkie, his hand already on the door handle. "Stay inside for a second."Ian pushed his door open and stepped, keeping his hands where the boy could see them. "Hey! Hold on. We're not going to hu
The group moved closer to Amelia, their attention fixed on the small green screen of the military radio. The radio cracked again, and the same voice came through, cold and authoritative. "If anyone can hear me, confirm your status. Remember, do not kill her under any circumstances. Her ability is too valuable to the project. Bring her in intact." There was a sharp pop from the speaker before the signal cut off completely. Ian looked at Amelia. He didn't need to say anything for her to understand how worried he was. He turned to the others, speaking in a hurried voice. "Hurry up with the meal. Pack the food. We leave immediately." Everyone immediately got to work. Marcus and Azriel gathered the roasted squirrel and hot canned beans, putting them into whatever containers were available. Elu and Nora hurried to collect their belongings from the treehouse, bringing down the small bags they had left upstairs. Amelia remained beside the car, turning the radio over in her hands. Her
Ian noticed her hesitation. He looked at her pale face. "Amelia, what is wrong?"Amelia stood there, unable to speak. Lucifer's words from earlier came back to her, each one making her more afraid: If you save any more lives, I'll collect my debt. She looked at Ian, then down at Daniel, who was clutching his bleeding thigh. She couldn't bring herself to make a choice. Saving the child meant putting her husband's life at risk, but leaving Daniel like this was something she couldn't do either.Daniel weakly looked up at her through his tears, his voice barely above a whisper. "Amelia... please save me."Hearing the boy beg was too much. Amelia didn't even realise she was crying until a tear ran down her cheek. She wiped her face quickly, but more tears followed as she stared at the bullet wound.Elu finally stepped forward from the fire circle, looking from the blood on the ground to Amelia's trembling hands. "I can help," she said.She didn't approach Daniel immediately. Instead, sh
The leader stood near the fireplace, looking down at Amelia and Ian with an amused smirk."Well," he said, adjusting the strap of his tactical vest. "Look who we have here. Funny how we keep crossing paths."Neither Amelia nor Ian answered. Their knees were pressed on the ground, their hands still locked behind their heads.The man took a few steps closer. "I remember offering you people a perfectly good shelter back, but you just had to refuse my conditions. You thought you were too good for it."Marcus shifted on the ground, his teeth clenched as he glared up at the leader. "What the hell do you want from us now?"The man didn't even spare him a glance. He kept his eyes on Amelia as he pulled a pistol from his holster and tapped the barrel against his thigh."I'm the one asking the questions here, friend. Don't speak unless I tell you to."He walked over to Ian, "You know, it really makes me laugh. You guys were willing to risk your lives out in that storm rather than surrender what







