Eleven o’clock at night.
The entertainment room on the second basement level was silent. Only the faint green standby light on the treadmill cut through the darkness, casting a thin, cold glow across the floor.
Ethan was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. After days of constant fighting, traveling, and surviving, exhaustion had finally caught up with him. The moment his head touched the pillow he had dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Then a cool hand gently nudged his shoulder.
"Mmph..."
Ethan woke with a start. His pupils contracted in the dark and his right hand reflexively shot toward the sword lying beside the sofa. The moment his vision focused, he froze.
Debbie was sitting on the edge of the sofa.
She wore only a white silk camisole nightdress that barely reached mid-thigh. The soft fabric clung to her body in the dim light. The faint green glow from the treadmill outlined her figure, giving her an almost dreamlike appearance`soft shoulders, the gentle curve of her chest, bare legs tucked beneath her.
For a brief moment Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind at once.
What is she trying to do?
Could it be that after being rejected earlier, she couldn’t hold back anymore and decided to force the issue?
The thought nearly made him jump out of his skin. He practically sprang upright, instinctively shrinking backward while crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive posture. His expression turned tense.
"You... why did you come here?"
The system warning immediately echoed inside his head like a blaring alarm.
[Drop Rate Mechanism May Be Disabled!]
But the very next second, Ethan realized he had completely misunderstood the situation.
Debbie’s shoulders were trembling. Clear tear tracks stained her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. The moment she opened her mouth, she could no longer suppress her sobs.
"Ethan... I..."
Her voice cracked. It was filled with pure despair. There was not even the slightest hint of anything romantic.
Ethan instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Then concern quickly replaced it. He dropped his guard and moved closer.
"What’s wrong? What happened?"
Debbie raised a trembling hand and held up her phone. The screen was still lit. A voice message marked as read remained open.
"I was charging my phone," she whispered. "After turning it on, I received this..."
Her voice shook violently as she pressed play.
A female voice filled with fear and desperation came through the speaker.
"Sister! It’s me! Daisy! Listen to me!"
"A group of escaped prisoners broke into our residential complex, and they have pistols!"
"They’re grabbing people everywhere. Many women have been... have been dragged away by them..."
Debbie’s face turned even paler as the recording continued.
"I’m hiding at home and don’t dare make a sound, but they’re searching door to door!"
"I think they’ll reach my floor soon..."
In the background, manic male laughter could be heard. Women were crying. Heavy objects repeatedly slammed against doors. The sounds sent a cold chill down Ethan’s spine.
"Sister... I might not be able to hold out much longer."
"Take good care of Nina."
"Live well."
"Let’s be sisters again in the next life..."
The message ended abruptly.
A shrill scream echoed through the speaker.
Then came the sound of a phone hitting the floor.
Silence.
The recording ended.
Debbie covered her mouth with both hands. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. Her entire body shook uncontrollably.
"It’s my sister... Daisy... We’re twins."
Before the apocalypse, Daisy had worked as a psychologist in the city center. Because she loved researching food and cooking, she had stockpiled a huge amount of supplies at home. Compared to most survivors, she had originally been living quite safely.
Debbie struggled to continue, her voice coming out in broken fragments between sobs.
"When communication still worked, we talked every day. We always made sure the other was safe. But then the power went out. My phone died. And when I finally charged it and turned it back on... this was the message waiting for me."
Her voice broke completely.
"Those escaped prisoners... they’re capable of anything..."
Ethan’s heart sank.
Escaped prisoners. Armed with pistols. Conducting organized searches. That alone was enough to tell him how dangerous the situation was. These people were far more dangerous than Jack Ward’s gang. At least Jack’s group had been little more than armed thugs. This was something else entirely.
Suddenly Debbie lifted her head. Determination flashed through her tear-filled eyes.
"I have to save her!"
She grabbed Ethan’s arm tightly.
"Ethan, please help me take care of Nina!"
The moment she finished speaking she tried to stand, as though she intended to rush into the darkness immediately.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Ethan grabbed her wrist. His expression turned serious.
"Do you know how far the city center is from here? Twenty kilometers. The roads are full of zombies and mutant creatures. Even if you somehow make it there alive, those prisoners have numbers and firearms. You going alone is no different from throwing your life away."
"But that’s my sister!" Debbie cried out. Hot tears splashed onto the back of Ethan’s hand. "I can’t just sit here and watch her die!"
Ethan’s expression hardened.
"If you go and something happens to you, what about Nina? Do you want her to become an orphan?"
His words sounded cruel, but they struck directly at her weakest point.
Debbie froze. All the color drained from her face. Slowly she crouched down and buried her head in her arms. Painful sobs escaped her lips.
On one side was her twin sister. On the other side was her daughter. No matter which choice she made, it felt unbearable.
Ethan silently watched her.
For a long moment neither of them spoke.
Images flashed through his mind`Debbie taking care of him day after day, her gentle smile whenever she held Nina, her flushed face beside the swimming pool earlier. Most importantly... Daisy was Debbie’s twin sister. If they were identical twins, then her appearance...
A strange thought crossed Ethan’s mind.
Finally, he made his decision.
"You stay here."
His voice was calm but firm.
"Take care of Nina. And watch over the base."
Debbie looked up abruptly. Her tear-filled eyes widened in disbelief.
"I’ll go."
Ethan stood up and immediately began checking his equipment.
"Tell me exactly which residential complex she lives in and what building she’s in."
Debbie stared at him. Her eyes trembled.
"Ethan... you don’t have to..."
"Don’t say anything else."
Ethan cut her off. He opened his Space Ability and removed enough food supplies to last several days.
"Twenty kilometers. If everything goes smoothly, it’ll take about a day for me to make the trip and come back."
Then he looked at her.
"Give me something that proves who I am. Otherwise she might refuse to trust me."
Debbie’s lips trembled. Slowly she removed a necklace from around her neck. A half-heart-shaped jade pendant hung from it.
"Take this. Daisy wears the other half."
Then she picked up the pistol and handed it to him as well.
"Take this too. Just in case."
Ethan accepted both items and stored them inside his space. Without wasting another second he headed toward the underground staircase. Several pieces of heavy fitness equipment were dragged into position. He blocked the entrance completely, leaving only a narrow gap that a single person could squeeze through sideways.
After finishing, he turned toward Debbie.
"Guard this place. Don’t let anyone inside."
Debbie nodded silently.
Ethan glanced one last time at Debbie curled up on the sofa, then at Nina sleeping peacefully in the bedroom. Finally he turned and walked toward the exit.
"Ethan!"
Debbie suddenly called out. Her voice carried a desperate determination that made him stop.
"You... you have to come back safely."
Her eyes trembled.
"Whether you can bring Daisy back or not... as long as you come back alive..."
She took a deep breath. Her cheeks flushed bright red. Even so, she forced herself to meet his gaze. Word by word, she said,
"Ethan!"
Debbie suddenly called out. Her voice carried a desperate determination that made him stop.
"You have to come back safely."
Her eyes trembled, still wet with tears.
"Whether you can bring Daisy back or not... just come back alive. Please."
Ethan paused for a second, then gave a short nod without turning around.
"I will."
He squeezed through the gap, climbed out of the basement, sealed the entrance from the outside, and disappeared into the darkness.
Debbie stood there for a long time after the door closed, arms wrapped tightly around herself, staring at the empty space where he had been.
Outside, Ethan walked through the night, the half-heart pendant resting quietly in his Space. He tightened his grip on the sword and kept moving toward Nova City.
Twenty kilometers of danger waited ahead.