Do you really care?

Lily gulped and sat quietly in a corner of the restroom, holding her knees tightly close to her body. Her entire figure was trembling from top to bottom, and her gaze was fixated on the floor in front of her.

Next to her, a young man stood with his upper body completely naked and was washing the bloodstains on his body in the sink as best as he could.

Splash. He shook his head, and the water droplets from his hair drizzled everywhere, a few even landing on Lily.

Her gaze drifted from time to time to steal glances at the familiar and yet unfamiliar person standing near her. His body was lean and muscular, and there was a resoluteness in his eyes that made her feel safe.

Though she had known Ryan for quite a while now, it was just as acquaintances. She could count the number of times they had interacted with each other using her fingers.

He had always been reserved and silent and kept to himself mostly, except for perhaps Stella and John.

Ah! Lily realized something and quickly looked up. “Ummm… what about the others? Stella? John? Is everyone alright?”

Her words made Ryan flinch slightly, but then his lips curled upwards into a calm smile as he turned around to face her. “Do you really care?”

Huh? Lily was taken aback by his indifferent and cold attitude. “What…” She asked, even thinking that she hadn’t heard him clearly.

“Heh. I am asking if you really care?” He walked over to her and squatted down in front of her. A thick stench of blood wafted from him. It was a smell that was impossible to remove with just water and soap.

Facing him in such close proximity, Lily couldn’t help but gulp nervously. “I… Ummm…” She stuttered and quickly looked down.

Ryan chuckled at her timid behaviour and tipped the woman’s chin lightly with his finger.

“Answer me honestly. As long as you make it out of here safe and sound, that should be all that matters to you, isn't it?” He asked her again.

“Think before you speak. Who knows? Your survival might even depend on it. Ha ha.”

Lily trembled and looked at the man in a daze. She couldn’t believe that it was Ryan who was acting so boldly in front of her. No, this was nothing compared to the way he had handled that matter.

Something told her that her future relied on this single answer. But she didn’t know how the hell she was supposed to answer him. What was the right answer? What did he expect her to tell?

She was a kind person. So maybe the answer was…

However, before she could collect her thoughts, Ryan grabbed her chin and pulled her face closer to him. “You are taking too long.” He whispered.

Something in his voice and his behaviour made the girl instantly lose her composure, and she quickly blurted out without thinking. “Only me. Only me. I am fine as long as I am safe.”

Fuck! Lily only realized what she had spoken after the words left her mouth and she closed her eyes tightly shut, biting her lips in regret. What was going to happen next?

He is definitely going to leave me now! Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.

“Ryan… I…” She opened her eyes, attempting some sort of explanation, only to see that the man was no longer in front of her. He was back at the sink, washing his body.

Her eyes inadvertently wandered over the toned back muscles which stared at her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he had always been like this.

“You should stop staring at me and instead stare at the blue screen.”

Ryan’s voice snapped her out of her trance, and she awkwardly looked away. “Ah! The blue screen. Ryan, what is that?” She quickly asked.

She hadn’t paid a lot of attention to it as she was running for her life and then was cornered by a strange creature.

“Just close your eyes and try to think about it as if you want to see it again,” Ryan explained to her.

Lily gulped and closed her eyes. She did just as she was told, and the next second, the blue screen magically appeared in front of her.

Her almond-shaped eyes bulged in surprise, and she looked up at Ryan with a dazed expression. She had no idea what was going on. “What is this?”

“How should I know? I am also just like you.” Ryan shrugged. “If you describe it to me more, we can try to understand it.”

Lily nodded her head quickly. She also wanted to understand what was going on. It is blue in colour and has English words written on it.

“Read it out loud. What does it say?” Ryan crossed his arms and waited for her.