June 23rd, 2032 | Day Zero

Evalyn woke up to the sound of her ringing phone. She tried to ignore it, but it continued going off over and over again, stuck on repeat like a broken record.

"Okay…." She groaned, pushing herself off her bed. Only once she realized she was on [her] bed did she feel a surreal wave of confusion wash over her.

"Was it all a bad dream—" The blonde looked down and found she was in the same clothes from the party.

She grabbed her phone with haste, worried it might be Kaze calling.

"H-Hello?" Evalyn stuttered, answering the phone without checking the ID.

"Evalyn! Thank god you're awake!" Daniel cried.

"U-Uncle? W-Why are you calling me?" She asked.

"Why?" He scoffed, "Did you get too drunk at Kaze's party and blackout or something? I know it's early, but have you ignored all of the emergency notifications?"

She gulped, and her eyes trembled. "N-No. I was just exhausted after cultivating."

"Whatever. Can you ask Kaze to have mercy?" Daniel asked, "He's had me move everyone to Immortal Skye since 1:30 am, so I haven't taught my family his technique, and no one wants to work!"

Evalyn took a sharp breath with a shaky voice as scenes from the night before flashed before her eyes.

Kaze didn't blink his eye at murder, let alone show sympathy for basic matters.

"U-Uncle, listen to me." She stuttered.

"Evalyn, why do you sound so panicked about my situation?" He asked, confused by her tonal shift.

"Uncle, listen to me." The blonde said more sternly.

"Did something happen? Evalyn—"

"Uncle! Shut the hell up and listen to me!" Evalyn screamed.

"O-Okay…." Daniel replied after dry swallowing.

"Kaze will not show sympathy to us." She warned.

"If you don't follow through with the arrangement, you're out.

Don't try forcing him to do anything, or no one you know will get into Immortal Skye."

"What? You're serious, aren't you?" He asked in shock.

"Yes. I haven't seen the broadcasts, but I know it's hell out there." Evalyn replied.

"The government and faction members care about [Kaze]; they don't care about you—and neither does he."

"What about you?" Daniel asked, "Doesn't he—"

"Don't try to leverage your relationship with me." She snapped, "Kaze likes me but doesn't care about anyone else.

He recognizes the danger of the epidemic, and he won't risk [his life] for anyone, including my mom.

If I demand her entrance, he'll turn us both away."

Evalyn lied about his help with her mom. Still, her analysis of the situation wasn't off base. If Daniel didn't take the situation seriously, Kaze wouldn't allow him into Immortal Skye.

While he would have made exceptions for the man's wife and children, he wouldn't do so now that he knew he didn't prioritize Evalyn's family.

Her uncle fell silent for a moment to recollect his bearings. "Then what should I do?"

"Take your family to the outskirts of Immortal Skye and work remotely, doing your job as if your life depends on it—because it does." Evalyn replied. "That will buy you time to teach them.

Do you know where my family is?"

Daniel froze on the other side of the phone. He couldn't believe his panic drove him to disregard the obvious.

"I don't know." He replied, "All I know is that they never made it on the flight to Meridian City. I'm still waiting on more details."

Evalyn's eyes trembled. "When will you know?"

"I'm having someone check the hospitals to see if they were admitted." Daniel explained, "I'll know in the next hour.

I'm spending a fortune just trying to get people to work."

She scoffed after hearing him bring up money during an epidemic but didn't have time to scold him.

"Just let me know when you find them." Evalyn replied coldly, "Then do everything in your power to complete Immortal Skye preparations. Work every other priority you have around that."

"You make it sound like it's the only thing important." Daniel chuckled bitterly.

"It is. To teach your family that cultivation technique and get them into Immortal Skye is the same as keeping them alive." She replied in annoyance.

"Why are you speaking as if you know the future?" He asked, "Kaze told me to buy thousands of pounds in canned goods and demanded security equipment from the beginning.

He had the same confidence and certainty in his voice you do."

She fell silent, trying to collect her words.

"Evalyn, who the fuck is Kaze?" He asked.

"If you're asking a question that implies he's an insider, it means you're smart enough to understand he holds the keys to survival." Evalyn asserted, "The rest is irrelevant."

Daniel scoffed. "Smart enough? So he is special, and you won't tell me?"

"It's because I'm smart, you idiot!" She snapped, "Kaze has power and the key to survival.

Do you think I'd reveal his secrets and threaten our relationship to appease your inconsequential curiosities?"

He fell silent, stunned by her words. She sounded like the arrogant man he was working for.

"Look. If Kaze gave two fucks about my family, he would've taught them that technique, and they wouldn't have gone on that vacation." Evalyn continued.

She viciously twisted the truth with less hesitation than Kaze, showcasing an inner rational darkness underneath the surface.

Daniel was stunned, realizing the situation. "He didn't tell you anything?"

"No, he didn't." She replied, "I thought my parents would get in by default, but he told me last night that he wouldn't make exceptions for them, even though they're missing.

If he doesn't care about my family, I assure you he doesn't care about yours.

So don't ask questions, do your job subserviently, and make things happen."

"Okay. I'll make things happen." Daniel affirmed solemnly.

"And uncle—remember that he likes me." Evalyn warned, "If you abandon my family during this, he'll leave yours to die.

So figure out where they are now before you go through hell."

"You're leveraging your relationship with him to force my actions?" He scoffed in disgust.

"Did you just scoff at me?" She asked coldly.

Daniel snorted. "Of course. I—"

"You're leveraging your relationship with me to get your family into Immortal Skye despite not following orders." Evalyn replied coldly, "And I'm helping you, am I not?"

He fell silent on the other end.

"Now, I'm asking you to help me retrieve my family." She continued with a pounding heart, "If you don't help my family, I won't show any mercy when asking Kaze to cut yours out.

All me apathetic all you want. However, you've been apathetic to my family and now they might die. Or am I wrong?"

Daniel was stunned again. He couldn't figure out when she began sounding like Kaze, but it was distinct.

"Why are you treating me like a fiend?" He asked sternly.

"It only took twenty minutes for me to learn how radically desperation can transform humans." Evalyn replied, "You're a desperate human.

My parents aren't your priority; otherwise, you would have found them. That's why I'm making them one."

"Fine. There will be a skycruiser touching down at the private dock in 30 minutes." Daniel replied coldly.

"Hoh? So you knew where they were but didn't tell me because you were focusing on your priorities?" She asked mockingly.

"Your parents are in Marysworth Hospital in Lanberry." Daniel continued, ignoring her.

Evalyn froze. "What happened?"

"I learned today that they fell ill two days ago during the last Qi pulse." He explained.

"That's all I know. Get packed, and send me a message when you need a ride to Immortal Skye."

"Yes, uncle." She whispered.

The connection cut, and Evalyn stared at her phone in disbelief.

"Even you, huh?" Evalyn chuckled bitterly, "I'm glad that I acted like Kaze. Even my uncle is proving his words prophetic."

She tested her uncle with Kaze's language and demeanor. As things turned out, doing so proved critical to her family's life.

After packing hurriedly, Evalyn made her way to a Skycruiser on the residence's private Skyport.

After boarding, they took off to Lanberry.

Only from the skies did she understand how disorderly things had become.

Many driving on the highways got sick or had heart attacks last night. As a result, their cars were left abandoned on the road.

When tow truck drivers showed up, the roads were too packed to get to them.

While it would normally be okay if there were only one pile-up, there were dozens, and drivers continued getting sick.

As a result, there were lines of hundreds of people walking down the highways, carrying loved ones and children.

When high-flying shuttles flew over the cars in the area, dozens of people would yell at them.

They stopped asking the shuttle drivers for help and were now just yelling and throwing objects at them.

Countless people were yelling at each other, showcasing the aggressive behavior she had witnessed the night before.

All of this was happening on the first morning.

—

You: Marysworth Hospital in Lanberry. Mother and Father are admitted. I'll return as quickly as possible.

—

"Please be okay, mom." Evalyn whispered with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her phone flashed.

—

Kaze <3: If it's only your mom, have her transferred here immediately, and I will seed the technique. No negotiations on your father or anyone else.

So think about whether you want to endanger her by delaying her entrance to teach him the technique.

Keep a low profile and don't help anyone, you foolish woman.

—

"Does he know about my father?" Evalyn asked pensively, "No… of course, he knows about my father. I wonder if he's doing this just to prevent him from showing up."

She developed a wry, bittersweet smile. While she liked the sentiment of that statement, the thought of leaving her father for dead was disturbing. The same was true of Kaze killing him.

Still, she could tell there was more to his actions than met the eye.

—

You: Thank you.

—

Evalyn typed out the words and stared at the screen, conflicted.

She decided not to send it. Instead, she decided she'd thank him in person, when the time was right.

Until then, she felt silent gratitude that she had an out, and hoped the man was already dead before she got there.