52 Family P & C 24

Phil subconsciously shrank back, trying not to make any noise but the next second his fragile heart was shattered.

"Who are you?" it was a familiar female voice but the icy tone made him question his guess.

Then the lights turned on and it blinded him.

"Phil?"

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a pale face, "Kim?"

It was a barely audible sound, raspy and hoarse, he was sure she couldn't make out what he was saying but unexpectedly, she nodded.

His eyes lit up and tears threatened to drown his face. He was saved! He was-

"That's a brutal wound," her expression was complicated and his joy dropped to the underworld.

Lia noticed it and quickly said, "Don't worry. We'll get you out of here."

We… Noel and her.

She focused her attention back to the room. It was nowhere. The button was nowhere.

"Phil," Lia crouched down again to meet his height, "Have you seen a button of any sorts?"

"It's important. The button will lift the trap on this facility," Lia felt like she was talking to a child with him barely being able to understand anything.

Lia almost slapped herself. She was so lost finding the button, she didn't even tend to Phil. She ripped her pants and covered his stomach in hopes it would help the bleeding but the wound was too large and deep.

It was a wonder he was still alive but judging from the way he was hurt, he was likely attacked by a ghost and his body could still cope with it.

If a weapon of Min did the damage, then the lingering green light would've slowly eaten away at him. Lia's arm was struck by one but it was quite puzzling it started to heal faster than it should. Maybe this had something to do with her power or…

"Can you remember anything?" Lia pressed him to think but Phil couldn't recall anything as he stumbled in here in great pain. He forced himself to shake his head.

"Ok," Lia stood up and started to quickly examine the room but the more she did so, the more discouraged she became. Did Elder P lie to her?

Time was running out and Lia grew more anxious. Every second lost on finding the button, dragged Noel's fight on. Where could Elder P have hidden it? In his room? In his secret place? But he said it was in his office or was this only to fool her?

Phil groaned and Lia turned her attention to him, "Soon. Hold on for a bit."

"Does… it have to… to … button-shaped?" Phil chocked out.

It took Lia a few second. Phil was right. She was searching for a button that was round and had the typical shape, but it didn't mean it necessarily had to be.

It should be somewhere Elder P could easily reach and press. Her hands glided through the table and stopped at a rectangle box that seemed stuck in the table. She opened the lid and a shiny black button waited there.

She pressed it and slowly the shutters outside rolled up, revealing the faint sunlight announcing a new morning.

When Third P came barging into her room in the middle of the night until now, several hours have passed and now a new day began.

Only a few hours passed yet so much has happened. With no more time to waste, Lia called her corpse to carry Phil. He had no more strength left to be surprised.

Lia made sure the corpse was gentle with Phil before they headed for the stairs to finally leave the facility. She was sure Noel would be able to escape once he saw the shutters lift.

Through the hidden stairs, she rushed down and resisted the urge to stop on the first floor and straight went to the entrance leaving behind this nightmare of a place.

Basking in the wonderful glowing and fresh mountain air, all bad feelings were flushed away and made place for new, unfathomable ones.

Deep in the mountains, there was a spot hidden wich housed a terrible place with a terrible secret that still hasn't reached the light yet. Vengeful ghosts roamed around, mingled with rotten, walking corpses.

A whole facility filled with nothing but the aftermath of a cruel night and several wrong decisions.

Lia heard the footsteps behind her and walked to the corpse with Phil in its arms. Phil seemed like he enjoyed the sunlight and the fact he was out of the facility.

"Don't worry, we'll get you quickly-" Lia's words stuck in her throat.

Slightly trembling, she closed Phil's eyes and buried the corpse. Soon, she would give them all a proper burial. All she needed to do now was to wait for Noel to come out and for Kil to die.

Then this mission would truly find its end.