Chapter 5: Greatest Gift (3)

Paradise Mainland, someone near the desolate building

Coming back to the real world as Jian was still in her knees and the young boy was still resting against the wall, they both were silent as they stared at each other before Jian ask " What's your name ".... She asked as the young boy wipes the tears from his eyes before answering with a voice still sounding like that of someone that screamed for a long time making his voice to be rough.... " A-am Tuddi "..... He said as he expression seems to calm down slightly

" Mind if I call You Tud ? "..... She asked as a slightly warm smile showed on her face,

" No "... He answered as he didn't see anything bad with it.

Being curious he ask for her's too, so she answered him with a smile..... " Call me Jian "

After the small introduction, Jian saw that Tuddi was shivering as the wind of the forsaken night emanated a serene cold wind, making the surroundings cold,

Feeling somewhat unhappy she said

" Here, wear this "... As she took off her trench coat and used it to cover Tuddi to warm him from the cold.... "Thank you".... He said as she replied him with only a smile before carrying him up since he can't walk for the moment as he is weak from passing through the almost successful transformation under the crimson moon light in the forsaken night

" I'll be taking you to safety, so hang on tight".... She said as he answered her with a Mmm! sound as he was already falling asleep from the tiredness he's feeling...

So she begins her journey back to the safe zone

...

Upon arriving there she met two familiar faces as they walked up to her,

a young man who seems to be in his early twenties wearing a white long sleeve and black trouser like that of an average office worker, with short dark blue hair and light blue eyes like that of a shimmering pearl, his figure is sturdy, yet he wears a nerdy eyeglasses which doesn't affect his appearance as it made him even more handsome,

a young lady who seems to be in her early to middle twenties wearing a dark blue long sleeves with a long black skirt and hose, with cover black boots that firmly matches her slender legs and her slender yet exquisite figure like that of a popular model with blonde hair, gorgeous blue eyes and a star face like that of an actress

It was Yona and along side him was Viola a lady Jian knows ever since, they both walked closer to Jian, seeing she carrying a young boy on her hands

Upon getting closer, Viola asked

" Is he alright ? "..... Jian didn't answer as she only nodded in response while walking closer to Yona with a stern expression on her face she said

" Please take him to the camp where the others are, and see if you can find any doctor or nurse among them and ask them to find out if he's doing alright "..... She said as she handed the sleeping Tuddi whom she carried in her arms to Yona to take him inside the camp,

" Alright ".... Yona answered as he carried the young Tuddi to the building leaving Jian and Viola alone and making the air around them seem awkward,

....

The mist hung thick and silent between Jian and Viola, their breaths almost visible in the eerie red glow cast by the moon. Jian took a step away, intending to leave, but Viola's voice pulled her back.

"Jian…" Viola's voice was soft, almost dissolving in the quiet emptiness of the night. Jian stopped, her body still as she listened, though she didn't turn around.

"Can we talk?" Viola asked, her tone carrying a slight tremor, as if her words were fragile things she was afraid might shatter. Her voice drifted through the thick night, swallowed up by the mist, leaving only the blood-red glow that washed over them, tinting the landscape a haunting crimson.

Jian hesitated, lowering her head, trying to decide what to say. Before she could respond, another voice steady, familiar called to her.

"Jian."

She turned, catching sight of a man with sharp features, black hair, and deep grey eyes that seemed indiscernible. He wore a white shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, a black tie knotted carefully at his throat, and dark trousers. A half-top hat sat atop his head, casting a slight shadow over his face.

It was Jack, her colleague, and his expression was as serious as always.

Jian glanced back at Viola, meeting her gaze with a look of apology. "Could you give me a few minutes? If you wouldn't mind" she asked. "This seems urgent."

Viola's gaze dropped slightly, her expression flickering with something like disappointment before she nodded. "Alright… I'll wait in the camp," she murmured, pausing before adding quietly, "I hope you'll come back soon."

As Viola turned and walked slowly to the entrance of the underground camp, her figure grew faint, merging with the shadows. Watching her retreating form, Jian felt a strange weight settle over her, but she brushed it aside and turned to join Jack. Together, they walked in silence under the red moon's gaze, their silhouettes merging into the mist. The night around them seemed alive with the shifting fog, as if it held its breath, listening.

In the distance, a quiet, rhythmic sound, like the slow beating of a drum, echoed in the forsaken night, each beat growing louder, closer as if purging the very essence of the soul,

Bang!

It stopped abruptly, plunging the world back into a silence so dense it felt as though it might swallow them whole.