**Chapter 32: Unexpected Aid**

**Waking Up**

Karen stirred from the depths of unconsciousness, her body feeling strangely heavy, yet lighter at the same time. Her senses slowly came to life—first, the strong scent of incense hanging in the air, then the soft hum of a Buddhist chant playing somewhere nearby. She blinked, her vision blurry, as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

The room was small but tidy, with warm sunlight filtering through the windows, casting a soft glow on the wooden floors. It felt peaceful, almost serene. A sharp contrast to the horrors she had been running from. For a moment, she lay still, her mind slowly piecing together fragments of what had happened. The house... the curse... the feeling of something malevolent crawling over her skin.

Then, vague memories surfaced—people, strangers, grabbing her, putting her in a van. Her initial instinct was to panic, but something stopped her. There was a strange, almost instinctive understanding that these people weren't enemies.

As her eyes fully adjusted, Karen noticed a woman sitting in the corner, casually flipping through a magazine while sipping tea. She was a mature beauty, with long, blonde hair and a laid-back demeanor. Her legs were crossed, and she didn't seem to notice Karen waking at first. The tea's steam curled up into the air, mingling with the incense.

Karen shifted in the bed, the sheets rustling. The woman—*Biscuit*, her memory supplied—glanced up with a smile, her eyes sharp but not unkind.

"Good morning," Biscuit said cheerily, taking another sip of her tea. "I see you're awake."

Karen's throat was dry, but she managed to croak out, "Where... where am I?"

"A safe house," Biscuit replied, putting down her cup and leaning back against the wall. "Not far from the city, but hidden enough that the curse won't find you—at least, not easily."

The calmness in Biscuit's voice had a grounding effect on Karen. She didn't feel the panic she expected. Instead, she found herself cautiously sitting up, wincing slightly as her muscles protested.

The room smelled strongly of incense, and the continuous chant playing from a speaker nearby was oddly soothing, almost as if it was creating a barrier between her and the dark presence she had felt for a while now.

"Why did you... take me?" Karen asked, her voice soft but steady. The memories were still jumbled, but she recalled being grabbed. Yet somehow, she knew they had saved her, not hurt her.

Biscuit smiled again, setting her magazine aside. "To help you, obviously. You were cursed. That house... Kayako... she had her claws in you, and trust me, if we hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have lasted much longer."

Karen felt a cold shiver at the mention of Kayako, the memories of that haunted house flooding back to her. She didn't argue, though. Deep down, she knew it was true. Something had been after her, something relentless, and these people—whoever they were—had saved her from it.

"How do you know about the curse?" Karen asked, her voice a little stronger now.

Biscuit leaned forward slightly, her expression turning more serious. "We've dealt with things like this before. You're not the first person to get caught up in something they didn't understand. Kris—our leader—he's got a knack for figuring out how to deal with these kinds of... supernatural problems."

Karen swallowed, her mind still trying to process everything. "So... what now? Am I... safe?"

Biscuit shrugged, standing up and walking over to the window, peeking out at the quiet street below. "For now, yeah. The incense and the chanting are keeping Kayako at bay. She'll have a hard time finding you here. But curses like this? They're persistent. We've bought you some time, but the fight's not over yet."

Karen exhaled slowly, feeling a strange mixture of fear and gratitude. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but for the first time in a while, she felt a sliver of hope.

Before she could ask more, the door to the apartment creaked open, and Kris stepped in, his calm but intense gaze locking onto Karen.

He gave her a nod of acknowledgment before turning to Biscuit.

"She's awake," Biscuit said with a grin, tossing a glance at Karen. "You want to fill her in on the rest, or should I?"

Kris pulled up a chair and sat across from Karen, studying her for a moment. His demeanor was less casual than Biscuit's, but there was a warmth in his eyes.

"You're safe for now," Kris began, echoing Biscuit's earlier words. "We've cleansed you of the curse's immediate grip. But Kayako isn't one to let go easily. There's still more we need to do to keep you safe for good."

Karen nodded, feeling a strange sense of trust in these people. She didn't know them, but they had saved her when no one else could.

Kris continued, "For now, rest. You're going to need your strength for what comes next. And don't worry, we're not going to let Kayako take you."

Karen settled back against the pillows, her body still weak, but her mind a little clearer. She didn't know what the future held, but for the moment, she was safe. And that was enough.

---

**The Plan**

Later that evening, Karen woke to the muffled sound of voices. She was still groggy, her body heavy with the weight of exhaustion, but curiosity pulled her from the bed. Quietly, she tiptoed toward the living area, keeping herself out of sight as she overheard the conversation between Kris, Biscuit, and another man she hadn't met yet—Tengyi.

"I've checked in with Zheng and the others. They're not happy about you and me leaving just like that, you know," said Biscuit, her voice carrying a mix of concern and frustration.

Kris leaned back against the worn leather chair, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. "Take it they're not having any luck figuring out what to do either?" he asked, his voice flat.

Biscuit shook her head. "No. After we left, Zheng had Zero and Kampa exchange some of the gold bars for local currency. But when they got back, eight of the newbies decided they were better off on their own and split. Zheng didn't stop them—he even gave them money and a couple of those talismans, just in case."

"Generous," Kris muttered, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze drifted to the window, where the night outside seemed darker than usual. The distant hum of the city streets barely reached the quiet room.

Biscuit shrugged. "Yeah, but now they're down to five newbies, including that assassin girl. Zheng's plan is to hit up some Buddhist temples in the morning. I think he's looking for answers... or protection."

She studied Kris for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer. "You sure this was the right move? Leaving them behind?"

Kris was silent for a few beats, his jaw clenched. Finally, he sighed. "It's not about being right or wrong, *Master*. It's about surviving. Zheng's too attached to Jie and his buddy-buddy persona. If we stayed, we'd be dragged into whatever mess they're bound to stumble into. And I'm not willing to play along with Jie's song and dance routine."

Biscuit shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Still… we were stronger together."

Kris's gaze darkened. "And Jie's seen that, too," he said, his voice low. "With what we pulled off as a team back at that cursed house, his mind's probably running a mile a minute. He's already thinking about how to prune us—keeping control of the group is all that matters to him. He's not taking risks with us around."

Biscuit frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You really think Jie would be so obvious? Thin out the numbers just to stay alive?"

Kris met her gaze, eyes cold. "You know he would. He's a *Psyche Force* user, and if we're a threat, he won't hesitate. Right now, he doesn't think we are. But if we stick around, he'll find out we know his dirty little secret. And then we're as good as dead."

The room seemed to grow heavier with his words. Biscuit crossed her arms, the tension thickening between them. "And what about Yinkong? With her showing up in this movie..."

"That's exactly why we had to split," Kris said, cutting her off. "Shit, god's playing dirty. Bringing in a player who's already unlocked the genetic constraint? We've delayed Zheng's awakening for now, but Xuan's also a factor. We finish this movie, or we risk them awakening. Honestly, we should just use a thermite bomb and burn that damn place to the ground."

"We can't wait any longer," Kris added, his voice low but firm. "Kayako's house needs to be destroyed. The curse won't stop until it's reduced to ashes."

"And this thermite bomb you mentioned... that's really our best shot?" Biscuit asked, skepticism creeping into her tone. "Problem is, we don't exactly have any lying around."

Tengyi leaned over the map spread out on the table. "There's a military base not far from here, just outside Tokyo. But breaking into a place like that is next to impossible without a solid plan—and we don't even know the layout."

Karen's breath caught in her throat. The familiar name jolted her awake—**her father's base**. Memories of sterile halls, guarded gates, and silent planes flashed before her eyes. She hesitated for just a moment, then her resolve hardened, and she stepped into the room.

"I can help," she said, drawing the trio's attention. Kris and Biscuit looked surprised, while Tengyi raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"You?" Biscuit asked, her tone skeptical. "How exactly?"

Karen swallowed, feeling a bit self-conscious under their scrutiny. "My dad works at that base. I've been there before... I know the layout, and I know where they store the planes that are armed with thermite bombs. I can help you get in."

The room fell silent as Kris, Biscuit, and Tengyi exchanged glances. Finally, Kris spoke. "This is dangerous. We're talking about breaking into a military facility. If something goes wrong..."

Karen shook her head, her voice resolute. "I'm already in danger. If we don't stop Kayako, none of us are going to survive. This might be the only way."

Kris studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. We'll need your help."

"But even if we know where the bombs are, we can't just waltz in there," Tengyi pointed out. "We'll need to avoid detection. The security will be tight."

Kris reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pill, no bigger than a button. "That's where this comes in." He paused, holding it up between his fingers for the others to see. "I've got a few of these left—power pills. They'll let me turn invisible for a short period of time. I can use it to sneak in and grab the bombs. But we're going to need help."

He paused again, waiting for some kind of alert or penalty from god for mentioning the power pill, but none came. Putting a pin in that thought for now, he glanced at Biscuit before continuing. "We'll need Bishop."

Karen furrowed her brow. "Who's Bishop?"

"A friend," Kris explained. "He's with Xuan right now, one of our allies. Bishop's skills will help us disable the security systems, dismantle the missile, and possibly create a good enough delivery system for the bomb. But we'll need to get in touch with Xuan first."

Biscuit pulled out a small communication device from her jacket. "Luckily, Xuan gave us this before he left. We can contact him directly."

Kris nodded and motioned for Biscuit to activate the device. A moment later, the screen flickered to life, and Xuan's face appeared, his expression as calm and composed as ever.

"Kris, Biscuit, Tengyi," Xuan greeted them. "What do you need?"

"We're going after Kayako's house," Kris said bluntly. "We need Bishop to help us break into a military base and steal some thermite bombs."

Xuan's eyebrows rose slightly. "That's a bold move. The technical knowledge needed to pull that off will be no joke."

"We know," Biscuit replied. "That's why we need Bishop. Can you send him to us?"

Xuan nodded thoughtfully. "I can have Bishop meet you at the rendezvous point outside the base. But be careful—once you're inside, you'll only have a short window to pull this off. Timing is everything."

Kris clenched his jaw and gave a firm nod. "We'll be ready."

Xuan's image disappeared from the screen, and the room was left in silence. Kris stood, his gaze landing on Karen. "You're sure about this?"

Karen met his eyes, her determination unwavering. "I'm sure. Let's do this."