Se connecterIan 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
Ian came out of the bamboo carrying a large squirrel by its hind legs.Nora noticed it first. "What's that?" she asked, staring at the animal."Looks like dinner just got better," Marcus said, setting down his can opener. He looked from the squirrel to Ian, then grinned. "Yeah, Ian, when did you become a hunter? Did you tackle that thing into a bush or something?"Ian laughed, holding up the animal. "Hardly. I was walking down by the eastern path and found it caught in a thick cluster of sharp twigs. It had injured itself trying to get free and couldn't run away. I figured it would make a decent meal before something else found it.""Well, protein is protein," Azriel said, nodding. "We'll take what we can get after a day like today."The group seemed genuinely pleased at the thought of having a proper meal. Ian smiled, but his eyes moved over the people gathered around the fire. His expression changed when he didn't see Amelia."Where's Amelia?""She's still in the sedan," Kira replie
The moment Lucifer disappeared, everything returned to normal. The silence broke with the sound of movement around the bamboo treehouse. The dust that had been suspended in the air settled, and the people who had been frozen moments earlier continued as though nothing had happened. Inside the room, Elu's arms finally reached her son. She pulled him close as she realised he was breathing normally. “Oh my God, my boy! You're breathing normally!” Down below, Marcus finished speaking to Nora. Neither of them seemed to notice anything unusual. Amelia stood on the platform outside the door, gripping the railing, but her exhaustion wasn't the only thing troubling her. She looked down at Ian, different thoughts flooding her mind. “Nora! Come up here!” Elu called. “Come and see! your brother is awake!” Nora's head snapped up. She had been standing beside Marcus, but at the sound of her mother's voice, she hurried towards the ladder. “Gongfu?” She climbed as quickly as she could, reac







