Chapter 14 - The Flower Remained

After the announcement, I ordered everyone to leave the island. The mayor begged for another chance, but I refused without hesitation. Vien, her eyes downcast, understood the gravity of my command.

I told her she was free to stay, but on one condition, her contact with her family would be severed. She was an adult, older than me, in fact, and capable of making her own decisions.

She seemed relieved that I allowed her to remain, but then she posed a question that caught me off guard. "If I prove my absolute loyalty," she asked, "will you let me save the people important to me, as long as they pose no threat to you or your family?"

Her request surprised me. Vien was a woman who held others dear, her convictions unwavering. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of strength lay beneath her gentle exterior. Yet, I knew her loyalty to me was born of necessity, for now, I was her only lifeline.

"Lives are at stake," I reminded her, my voice firm. "This isn't a game. The dangers ahead will only grow. I have my family and friends with me, but you, you'll lose everything. I hope you've weighed your choices carefully."

As the evacuation began, Captain Wes pestered me for a meeting with his superiors. I dismissed him outright. "You lost any chance for dialogue the moment you attacked us," I said. "If this island isn't cleared in ten minutes, whatever-or-whoever remains will be thrown to the sharks."

Amid the chaos, the injured from the downed chopper were left behind, abandoned in their tents, barely clinging to life. No one cared to save them; everyone was too busy saving themselves.

"Well, I have you, don't I?" Vien said, offering a bashful smile. She added that there was nothing left for her on the mainland anyway. She wanted to ride the tide sweeping the world into something new.

"But what about the injured?" she asked, her eyes hopeful. She is mistaken if she thought I'd save them. They answer to someone else, not me. Saving them would only invite future betrayal.

She pondered for a moment, then proposed, "If you like, I can stay with them outside. I don't know your secrets, and I don't need to. I'll watch over them until they recover, and then I'll send them on their way." Her offer puzzled me. What did she stand to gain from this? I found her motives suspicious.

I smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'll deal with them. As for you," I paused, locking eyes with her, "you'll be bound here with no chance of escape." It wasn't a threat, just a warning.

"Okay," she said simply, handing me her phone. "There are some interesting pictures on there. You might want to take a look," she added with a wink. Her comment caught me off guard, and I nearly dropped the phone.

She laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh my gosh, you really need to work on your tough guy act. You're adorable." I felt my face flush. I couldn't believe I'd embarrassed myself in front of her. I resisted the urge to facepalm, it would only make me look more foolish.

As she waved goodbye to her family, the mayor and others left a few belongings for her. They didn't try to convince her to leave, perhaps clinging to the false hope that she might become their Trojan horse.

I pocketed her phone and told her she could take it back anytime, but the moment she did, she'd have to leave. "Maybe you have a TV or a laptop I can use?" she asked, kicking a pebble with her foot. "A girl needs her Korean and Chinese dramas, you know."

I sighed. "Don't worry. My sister loves those too. You'll get your fix." I sent a quick message to Fae and Zild, summoning them to meet me outside the tower. Vien clapped her hands lightly and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"You're playing with fire," I warned, though a flicker of warmth stirred within me. "Don't blame me if something happens." I stepped back, busying myself with my phone to hide my discomfort.

"I trust you," she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her words caught me off guard. Am I not the one being harassed here? I fumbled in my pockets, searching for a handkerchief.

She smiled at my flustered state. "If you were going to do something bad, you would've done it by now. You're the one who looks terrified." Her gaze drifted to the sea, a forlorn expression on her face. "I trust you, Liam Loq. Thank you."

I shook my head. "You shouldn't." I remembered the past, when women like her were given gifts, abilities to aid and heal.

But there were also men who hunted and exploited them. Even in this reborn world she spoke of, wickedness persisted. It was only when some women became executioners that the brutality lessened. Others hid, their powers buried in the shadows.

"Women have intuition," she said confidently. "And I've never been wrong."

"That's what's going to get you killed," I replied. Just then, Fae and Zild arrived on an e-bike. Fae greeted Vien warmly, asking how she was holding up. Vien responded politely, though her eyes flickered with unease.

The island was nearly empty, but the injured in the tent remained. They were in terrible shape, their bodies scorched by the lightning strike. "Do your thing, Fae," I said. My sister began to sing a lullaby, her voice soft and soothing. Vien looked confused, but Zild joined in, sounding playful.

Slowly, the injuries began to fade. Burns lightened, lesions healed, and the victims sat up, inspecting their restored bodies. Zild approached them one by one, shaking their hands or patting their backs. "It's okay now," he said, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

One by one, they moved unnaturally, like marionettes controlled by invisible strings. "From now on, you'll obey me without question," Zild declared. "Disobedience will cost you your lives, so choose wisely." He wrapped an arm around Fae, the two of them smiling with unsettling satisfaction.

Fae had healed them, and Zild had bound them to his will. We finally had workers for the tower. Vien, visibly shaken, took several steps back from the dangerous couple. I couldn't help but grin. The outcome was exactly what I'd hoped for.