Emma had her fair share of secrets. In the past life, Ice Regint ran into her about six months after the world went to hell. Back then, she kept her mouth shut, and no one pressed her for answers.
Magnus didn’t know much more about her this ti around either. Only that she was twenty-four, from a rural village, unmarried. The team crossed paths with her while searching for teorite fragnts in that very village.
They’d rescued a few n from her village as well. Emily thought they looked honest enough, so she brought them in. Who would’ve guessed those quiet farrs turned out to be cowards in a fight? Soon as they caught wind of Cliff putting a bounty on female Awakened, they followed one of their own and turned on the team.
Not that all farrs are like that - those few were the rotten ones.
At breakfast, Liana found Magnus outside the warehouse. Her eyes lingered on him, sothing off in her gaze. Today mattered - they had a eting lined up, needed to split up, draw route maps, comb through nearby villages for more teorite fragnts.
Finally with a base, they got hot food again.
Liana fixed so lean at oatal with salted veggies and sausage. Still, tension clung to Magnus’s bunk truck. Emily stayed expressionless, and both Sarah and Sophia wouldn’t even glance his way.
After eating, it was eting ti.
Magnus tapped the map with his pen. "Springvale’s to the south, Rockford’s to the north. We’re right about here..."
"Cut the crap. Get to the point," Sophia snapped coldly.
Magnus shot her a look, then carried on. "We sweep through the villages to the east and west, then push north. Today, we take all these - " he jabbed down a dozen spots on the map, " - and regroup here."
"We’re not coming back to the warehouse?" Liana looked surprised.
Magnus nodded. "Not for the next ten days. We follow the highway north, keep pushing. No matter how far we get, we turn back on day ten. No delays."
Sophia’s voice dripped with frost. "Why the hell would we co back? Why not head straight to Rockford?"
"Because around day fifteen, their troops start turning," Magnus said flatly.
"Tch. And of course you just know that," she sneered.
Magnus didn’t bother replying. He capped the pen he was using and switched to a red one, marking several spots on the map. "If no one’s got a problem with the route, pay attention to the red dots I’m putting down... These spots are good for overnight rest. You pick the closest one depending on how fast you dig up the teorite fragnts."
"We?" Emily caught sothing off. She narrowed her eyes. "You’re not coming with us, are you?"
Magnus gave a slight nod. "I’ve got sothing to handle. I’ll et you here again in ten days."
That made the other won tense up. Sophia’s face tightened the most. She’d been harsh with her words lately, and now she thought Magnus was taking it personally. "Where are you going? Trying to ditch us?"
Magnus was planning to find Emma, but he couldn’t say that. Ice Regint rules were clear - if everyone went chasing their past, the whole team would fall apart.
Charlotte quickly stepped in, trying to smooth things over. "He probably has sothing important to deal with. Can’t talk about it now, that’s all."
Magnus glanced at Charlotte with genuine gratitude. Among all of them, she was the most understanding - and that figure never hurt, either.
"Can’t talk about it? At this point, what’s left to hide?" Sophia’s voice rose. "I think we ruined whatever plan he had this morning, and now he’s sulking, threatening to run off just to ss with us - "
This ti, before Emily could snap back, Magnus cut in, face dark. His voice dropped cold, serious. "Sophia, next eting if you still talk like that, don’t bother showing up."
"You - " Sophia started, but clamd up when she saw the look in his eyes. He wasn’t bluffing. She turned her head sharply, huffing but didn’t say another word.
"Liana..." Magnus shifted his focus to Liana, giving a few instructions about supply logistics. Then he double-checked the route details with Emily and Charlotte, running through all the nitty-gritty.
Done prepping, Magnus packed up for the solo trip.
His ride was the sa Dongfeng Warrior he’d had from the start. He stocked it with three Fire Crystals, three tal Crystals, one Water Crystal, an assault rifle, twenty magazines, five grenades, a pistol with another twenty magazines, and two large backpacks loaded with high-calorie rations, canned food, and four barrels of gasoline. Finally, five boxes of bottled water were stacked in the back.
"Magnus..." Sarah walked over, eyes full of worry. She looked up at him, hesitant. "Let co with you. I don’t feel good about this."
He smiled, rubbing her head gently. "If you’re with , I’ll be distracted. I already talked to Charlotte - You and Taylor handle logistics these next few days. I’ll be here in ten days."
After reassuring Sarah, Magnus caught Victoria watching him from a distance. He gave her a small smile. She’d done well that morning - at least she wasn’t insisting on tagging along.
Right before Magnus climbed into the vehicle, Emily stepped over quietly and said in a low voice, "Be careful on the road. I’ll watch over Sarah and Taylor for you..."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left.
He stared at her back for a mont, lost in thought. Was that... her way of forgiving ?
*****
North of Springvale City, in Coldre Town - inside Coldre Correctional Facility.
"Knuckle! The brothers are starving and thirsty, we can’t hold out much longer!"
"Son of a bitch!"
Over a decade ago, Knuckle was a well-known gang leader in Springvale. When the governnt cracked down, he got hit with over twenty charges and landed a suspended death sentence. But now, with the world in chaos, he knew - it was his ti again.
"How many n do we still have?" Knuckle asked, looking at the one who reported.
"Over three hundred."
"Three hundred?" He flicked away his cigarette. "Go, gather all the block leaders. I want every damn one of them here!"
Block leaders - top dogs of each cell.
Didn’t take long before a group of inmates with hardened faces assembled. If not for Knuckle’s reputation, half of them might’ve killed each other already battling for dominance.
"Listen up!" Knuckle barked. "Those fucking T-shirts from work, tell the boys to wrap up as tight as they can - bodies, heads, faces - wherever works! Grab any useful gear you can find. Once we move, stay on my ass. Anyone scared can stay here and feed the monsters! Got it?"
"Yes, Knuckle!"
"Understood, Knuckle!"
A man raised his hand. "Knuckle, where are we heading?"
"The fuck you asking questions for?" Knuckle charged forward and kicked the guy square in the gut - a move as much to assert his authority before the fight.
The man got pissed. "Knuckle, fuck your mother! You dare kick - !" He lunged forward, ready to throw down.
But his swing never landed. Before his fist even rose, he felt cold tal press against his forehead - a pistol.
"Knuckle, please, I was wrong! I’m sorry, man! Don’t kill ..." Sweat slid down his temples as he dropped to his knees, shaking.
Knuckle tilted his chin slightly and looked down at the man. "You’re forgiven."
Then - bang! A single gunshot echoed, a spray of blood burst from the man’s skull, and he collapsed where he knelt.
An hour later, the remaining 300 inmates were ard head to toe. Shirts wrapped their heads, necks, arms - white cloth everywhere. Those with glasses wore them; those without used clear tape around their eyes.
But right then, just as they stord out the gates, no one expected it - the prison yard lit up as an Anomaly Zone descended from the sky, silent and ominous...
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