Echoes of Crisis.

Sire, the mission was a failure. Diogo is dead," reported a man over the phone. The recipient of the call was unmistakably Rhodes Turner. Rhodes Turner muttered something else over the phone, and the man replied almost immediately, "Their mission was a success, but they are still at the hospital." The call ended abruptly, leaving the large, bald man, clad only in ragged trousers, with a furrowed brow as he exited the dimly lit area.

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At Wales Industry, Diogo's lifeless body was being removed. However, before it could make its grand exit to the ambulance, the medical staff found themselves in a comical quarrel over who should be the brave soul to escort Diogo. There was a genuine concern that he might pull a Lazarus again or that he's spirit would be tempted to use them as a host body and decide to go on a second round of havoc, just like he did with that unfortunate woman he strangled to death.

They bantered back and forth, transforming the situation into a lively exchange. Ultimately, they turned to a swift game, and the less fortunate participant found herself bestowed with the noble duty of escorting Diogo's body. As the loser led the procession, a chill crept down her spine, leading to a sudden realization. "Wait a minute," she pondered. "Does this mean I've been selected as the host for a ghost?" Shivers ran through her as the thought lingered. "It's just the cold," she reassured herself, yet the hairs on her arms defied her thoughts, and began to stand up (goosebumps) signalling fear.

She started pushing the stretcher towards the ambulance, unable to resist muttering, "I won't be the host for a ghost!" She repeated this mantra roughly thirty times before eventually reaching the ambulance.

The students and teachers laughed at the absurd scene, and the nurse was embarrassed. She darted out of the ambulance as fast as her legs could carry her. She fell in her haste, but quickly recovered and dashed back to her colleagues, panting and out of breath.

As the medical staff tended to their deceased colleague, strangled by Diogo, Barbara's mind raced. She worried about Trent; he had vanished after the attack, and she had no idea of his whereabouts. All she could focus on was his safety. Was he injured amidst the chaos? What if something dreadful had befallen him? She attempted to push these thoughts away, but they persistently nagged at her. Determined to discover Trent's fate and understand why he departed without informing anyone, she felt a sense of urgency.

Barbara briskly walked towards the area where Trent had headed off, her heart pounding with worry. She didn't know what had happened to him, and she was beginning to panic. She searched the area with her eyes, looking for any sign of her friend. Her breath quickened as the seconds ticked by, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Where could he be?" she thought.

As Barbara searched the area, she heard a muffled sobbing coming from a corner. She followed the sound and found Trent huddled on the floor, his face buried in his knees. Her heart ached as she saw him in such a state. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his back, gently rubbing his shoulder. "Trent," she said softly, "what's wrong?"

Trent lifted his head, and Barbara's heart broke at the sight of him. He looked completely undone, with his face contorted and his features distorted. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his nose was red and dripping. His mouth was open wide, as if he were trying to sob but no sound came out. Barbara was taken aback to see Trent in such a state, she had never seen Trent so emotional before; he had never cried so intensely, not even when he was still normal. Her confusion grew because Trent had remained perfectly composed outwardly when he killed Diogo.

Trent quickly wiped away his tears and stood up, adopting an indifferent expression. "Any problem?" he asked as if completely disregarding the fact that he had just been crying. Barbara was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor and played along with it, "You're needed outside," she said. Trent nodded, and they both left the room.

As they stepped outside, the ambulance was already pulling away, its flashing lights fading into the distance. The onlookers turned to face Trent and Barbara as they approached. When they drew closer, Mrs. Madris's phone rang. Without hesitation, she answered it, but seconds after receiving the message, she dropped her phone in shock. Her face paled, and she looked visibly shaken.

"What is it, Mrs. Madris?" Sydney asked, his voice full of concern. A hush fell over the crowd as everyone waited for an answer. Mrs. Madris finally spoke. "Trent, you need to get to the hospital right away!" she said, her voice quivering with worry. The crowd was shocked by her words, and a sense of urgency filled the air. Everyone turned to look at Trent, who stood there motionless, a look of confusion and concern on his face.

"Which hospital?" Trent asked. Mrs. Madris quickly replied, "The hospital where your mom was admitted." Upon hearing this, Trent tried to run out but was halted by John Wales. John Wales signaled Fane to do something. Fane left.

A few minutes later, Fane came back with a familiar object - the X necklace. "Please take this," John said handing the necklace to Trent. "It's all yours now. In case of an emergency, you're the only one who can secure this technology and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands," he concluded. Trent didn't care much and took the necklace, then ran out of the facility with thoughts on whether his mom was related to the reason he was needed in the hospital.

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Meanwhile, at the hospital, the man sporting a baseball cap (Oscar) and his associates were on the verge of departing from the now chaotic and dimly lit premises, where people scurried about in panic. Oscar's phone rang, and he promptly answered it. After receiving the message, he ended the call. "It appears we're about to host an unexpected guest. We're not leaving just yet. There's one more task on our agenda — retrieving the X necklace."