After a long ten-kilometer trek, the search group finally reached the shelter.
An abandoned building wrapped in a wall of pulsating roots—a place hidden from the eyes of any stranger.
Its structure was modern, strangely mismatched with the other buildings in the area. No one knew how many floors it had in its prime; now, only two remained, nearly destroyed.
The second floor was completely uninhabitable, on the brink of collapse. Fortunately, the group resided underground.
Joshua saw the building from afar and sighed, a wave of relief washing over him. "Haa… we made it..."
But his words froze mid-sentence. A shadow blinked beside the building—a figure, distant but unmistakable.
Silver hair that shimmered faintly, like a spark of hope in the heart of darkness. "Zach..."
Joshua felt mentally unprepared to face him. He muttered under his breath, "What now... He'll definitely blame me. Damn it... whatever."
He knew Zach's temperament well. Though hesitant, he had no choice. He couldn't run forever—best to confront what lay ahead.
When he came to his senses, he realized he had fallen behind the group. And with the boy still slung over his shoulder, he looked more exhausted than ever—he'd been carrying him the whole way.
Despite the boy's frail, skeletal frame, something about the journey back weighed heavier than just his body.
Joshua glanced at the unconscious boy. "I don't know... but this feeling is strange. I just hope bringing you here wasn't a mistake."
Eventually, Joshua and Zach locked eyes. Zach's gaze was sharp, questioning. "What's going on here? Who is that boy?"
Aylin stepped forward. "We found him unconscious. He's in a terrible state. I decided to bring him with us."
Zach rubbed his temple in frustration. His voice cold. "Aylin, you know we're a small group. Security always comes first. You're too soft. Do you want another disaster to happen?"
Many would call him heartless, but for Zach, the only thing that mattered was the safety of his team.
If something threatened that—he would eliminate it without hesitation. And now, he faced a serious threat:
The sickly, near-death boy that Aylin had brought into the shelter.
Zach couldn't let the boy stay.
"Aylin, you need to let him go. He's in no condition to survive."
But Aylin, unable to bear his words, scowled and shouted, her voice fierce and unwavering.
"Zach, that's enough! How can you be so indifferent to a human life? Not everyone's the same. I want to help him—at least until he gets better."
Joshua and Billy, who had watched the argument unfold, wore tense expressions.
They wished they could end it, but neither had the courage to step between them. So, they chose silence.
Eventually, after a brief but heated clash, Zach relented. He agreed to let the boy stay—on one condition:
Once healed, the boy must leave.
Just as the quarrel ended, a voice soft as spring brushed Aylin's ears.
"Sister Aylin, you're back… Why so late?"
A little girl with an angelic face ran up and hugged Aylin tightly.
Aylin bent down and pinched her cheeks with a laugh.
"Haha… my sweet Karina, you have no idea how much I missed your beautiful smile over these past three days."
Joshua stepped forward, eyes dim. "Aw, Karina, what about me? This big brother is heartbroken—nobody loves him."
As Joshua sulked, Billy nudged his side. "Hey… cut the drama and go inside."
After the lively reunion, the group descended underground into the shelter.
Cracked walls, mold sprouting in crevices, and the smell of damp moss filled the air.
The light was faint. Zach held an old oil lantern—its glow barely enough to mask the ugliness of the place.
But sometimes, the wind rushing through the cracks made eerie sounds that could strike fear into any heart.
They arrived at a large hall divided by ancient shelves.
In the corner lay bizarre objects—like the trunk of a tree with tiny tendrils swaying as if dancing.
Finally, they reached the resting area and gently laid the boy's lifeless body on the ground.
There were no beds here. Only a makeshift blanket crafted from tree branches and leaves.
Aylin, Joshua, and Billy, exhausted after three days of patrol, were asked by Zach to rest.
Though Aylin wished to stay and help, Zach insisted.
"You need to rest. If an emergency comes and you're exhausted, you won't be of any use. I'll watch over him."
Aylin went silent, then finally left to rest.
Zach took that moment to check the boy's condition. If he had deep wounds or heavy bleeding, they had no medication or equipment.
Even food was precious here—medicine, even more so.
But after examining the boy, Zach realized something troubling:
There were no wounds—his body was completely intact.
Yet Zach could clearly smell blood emanating from him.
"Am I hallucinating...? He's perfe
ctly fine. Maybe he fainted from hunger. Then where is that scent coming from?!"