Chapter 12

I knocked on the door. When Mom gave permission to enter, I fidgeted in place. "Mom?"

I called out tentatively, unsure of how to proceed.

My gaze drifted to the framed picture of my father, his blue eyes appearing kind and gentle. I couldn't believe that my own blue eyes could look so docile.

"Mm-hm?" Mom set her equipment down on the table and removed her glasses.

"What kind of person was Dad?" I asked, still fixated on the picture.

A bright smile immediately appeared on Mom's face at the question. She fondly recalled memories of my late father and shared, "He was known for his gentleness and unwavering faith in humanity. There was no questioning his intellect, but he could have done so much more for the world if only..."

Her voice trailed off as she choked up. Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to hold back her emotions.

If only Dad were still alive, was what I suspected Mom wanted to say.

From what I've heard, my dad was a fantastic scientist and a significant contributor to key research conducted by Genesis. However, Mom didn't disclose detailed information as she was sworn to secrecy about all aspects of her work for the government.

Dad was about to be named the Head Researcher before he died of an unknown illness. Mom refused to talk about his death, as it reopened her past wounds.

"Just know that before he was a great scientist, he was first a great person."

"If he were here, what do you think he'd feel? Seeing the world that he loved so much, crumbles, in front of his eyes, would he remain idle?"

Mom squinted as she dissected my rhetorical question. "What is it this time? What did Aidan tell you now?"

I let out a long breath. This wouldn't be easy, for sure. "It's not about Aidan. It's this country. This place! Do you know how many times I was attacked in the past few weeks? It never happened before, but people are agitated now. Supplies are being cut. Dozens of unexplainable deaths. And the Prime Minister is in jail."

"Did Aidan tell you those things?"

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. You're taking it too lightly. Things are in chaos now. We have to get out when we can."

Mom looked appalled at my suggestion. "Out? What has that kid been feeding your mind with, huh? If this continues, I won't let you be friends with the twins anymore."

I gritted my teeth in seething anger. Mom didn't even take me seriously. "Prime Minister Pachis has sent three teams outside the border to investigate the missing people. Isn't this something? Why would the government send out people if the outcome is set in stone already?"

Mom rolled her eyes. "And this Prime Minister is in jail, right? Shouldn't that be self-explanatory enough?"

"But it's possible that she's framed. Mom, we don't know if the teams could make it back here. If just one of them could, then would you believe that there's more in this world but this dusty place?"

"What do you mean, 'more in this world'?" Mom asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.

"I mean, what if there are other countries out there? Other civilizations? What if we're not alone as the government made it seems to be?"

Mom frowned. "Stop with the ridiculous ideas."

"Did you not see the rations we got? We only received five for both of us. How long do you think before things take a drastic turn for the worst? I'm good at stealing, but what if there's nothing left to steal? What if there's no more food or oxygen to trade with? What's the use of our pills or coins if there's nothing to buy?"

My heart raced with elevated adrenaline. The image of Roxy's lifeless body turning lifeless flashed through my mind.

The weight of reality was suffocating. "I don't want to witness any more deaths. I'm scared. I'm scared for us, Mom," I said weakly as I dropped to the floor.

My physical prowess had protected my family so far, but with the current situation, I couldn't be sure that strength alone would be enough to survive. The thought that nothing could prevent our demise terrified me.

"Tes..." Mom started to say, but a loud thud interrupted her.

I sprang into action, telling my mom to grab her weapon, which was a syringe filled with poison for emergencies. "Stay here," I whispered to her.

My heart pounding, I cautiously approached the door. Were they finally coming to rob my house directly?

I pressed my ear against the door, listening intently to the noise coming from my neighbor's house. Slowly turning the doorknob, I pushed the door open with care, trying my best not to make a sound that would give away my presence. Crawling on my hands and knees, I made my way down the hallway toward the source of the commotion.

Most amateurs would have focused on movements at eye level, but I knew better.

As I reached the end of the hallway, I saw that the door of Scipio's house was open, and light was streaming out into the darkness. Scipio was one of the 10 Monsters in Genesis, and I knew him only through brief, mindless greetings.

Then I heard it - the sound of shattering glass and a woman's screams. It was likely Scipio's wife. She was no match for him in terms of strength. She might be the one in trouble.

Peering through the doorway, I saw a man being held against the wall by a muscular, bald man with tight leather clothing that revealed his abdominal muscles.

The mask he wore had no glass to protect his eyes, and from this distance, I could see that they were an eerie shade of gold.

That made him appear scarier, which I guess was the purpose of his whole getups.

I heard another whack from inside the room, and Scipio turned around, his eyes widening as he released his grip on the man. He raised both of his hands in surrender.

"Don't move!" a voice from inside the room commanded.

As the man gasped for air through his mask, Scipio's expression darkened. It wasn't long before I realized why. The man was holding Scipio's wife hostage. I didn't know her name.

A knife pressed against her neck, blood already dripping.

Scipio's wife let out a piercing cry, her hair disheveled and her ribbon falling to the ground as her lips trembled. Her tear-filled green eyes met mine, and she silently implored me to help her.

I knew what I had to do; I was her only hope.

I knew I could take him down easily. However, my steps were halted when a man emerged from Scipio's house, followed by a dozen armed men.

Of course, Scipio was rendered helpless. Bullets would kill us, and as Zone E residents, we were never taught to use advanced weapons. We didn't know how it works. Fighting against men equipped with guns could be tricky.

The situation was grave, but the pleading eyes looking at me now reminded me of a lost soul that I couldn't save. Roxy.

I couldn't make the same mistake twice. There was no time to overthink.

I was a fighter; all I needed to do was fight.

So I charged.

To be continued...