RedNovelChapter 0785
Nina
The thick veil of mist hung heavy in the air, enveloping our makeshift camp in a shroud of eerie stillness. The
acrid stench of smoke still clung to our clothes and hair, a lingering reminder of the inferno we had barely
escaped with our lives.
Two days. We had spent two days traveling, and | hadn't seen or heard from my friends or my husband all that
time.
| was beginning to lose hope.
Finally, we had managed to make our way out of the burnt portion of the forest, although the place we found was
still trampled by animals trying to get away from the hot blaze. We found a spot near a running stream, and set
up camp there.
As | hammered another tent stake into the damp earth, my muscles ached with exhaustion, but | refused to rest.
Not until we had ssemblance of shelter, sfragile sense of safety amidst the chaos that had consumed
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtthe world.
And after all, this had been my fault. | had failed; | had let things get out of control. And now, innocent people
were paying for it.
Suddenly, a faint rustling in the mist drew my attention, and | squinted, my heart leaping into my throat as a
cluster of familiar figures emerged from the haze.
"Lori! Jessica!" The names tore from my lips in a breathless torrent as | dropped the mallet, rushing forward to
throw my arms around them.
Tears stung my eyes as | clung to them, reveling in the tangible proof that they were alive, that they had
somehow survived the nightmare that had unfolded. Over their shoulders, | caught sight of Matt and Daphne,
their faces etched with weariness but their eyes shining with relief.
And trailing behind them were Luke and Tyler-whole, unharmed, and very much alive.
A choked sub escapedas | released Lori and Jessica, pulling Tyler into my arms and holding him close, as if
afraid he might vanish into the mist if I let go.
"You're all here," | murmured, my voice cracking as | tried to hold back tears. "How did you..."
"We got separated, but found sstragglers last night," Luke explained. "They told us about this group of
refugees, and we've been following your trail ever since."
"And hoping to find you," Tyler added.
| swallowed, feeling a mixture of relief and sorrow-because | noticed that there was one person who was missing
during this reunion.
Enzo.
Pulling back from Tyler, | scanned their ash-covered faces with my heart pounding in my chest.
"Where's... Where's Enzo?" | asked, my voice barely above a whisper, dreading the answer.
A heavy silence fell over the group, punctuated only by the faint crackle of the campfire nearby. Lori's gaze
dropped to the ground, her lips pressed into a thin line, while Matt's expression hardened, his jaw clenched as if
bracing himself.
"We don't know," he said at last, his voice gruff and filled with regret. "We had hoped... that he was with you."
The words hitlike a physical blow, knocking the wind from my lungs as my knees threatened to buckle
underneath me. Enzo, lost in the chaos, his fate unknown-the thought was nearly unbearable.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmTears streamed down my cheeks as | struggled to maintain my composure, my fingers curling into fists at my
sides. "No," | rasped, shaking my head in denial. "He's alive. I'm sure of it."
The others exchanged uneasy glances, but no one contradicted me. They knew better than to argue, to strip
away the fragile hope that was all that kepttethered to reality.
Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice cut through the heavy silence, sharp and laced with barely
restrained frustration.
"Nina. There you are."
| turned to find Kai hobbling toward us on his staff, his expression stony. He swept his gaze over our group, a
knowing look in his eyes, but that look was also mixed with an expression of frustration.
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