Unable to withstand the silence any longer, Julie stepped forward and snapped her fingers in front of Karla, purposefully interrupting her deep thoughts. "What's wrong, Karla?" Julie inquired, glancing at Tara. Sensing something amiss, she lowered her voice and asked again, "Karla, are you alright?" Karla, shaken out of her reverie, forced a smile and shook hands with Tara. "Nice to meet you, Tara." Julie, still observing Karla's behavior, pressed further. "Okay, so what happened earlier...?" Feeling the need to cover up her true thoughts, Karla quickly came up with an excuse. "Sorry, Julie, I thought I forgot something related to work earlier." Julie narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing that something might be amiss, but then she smiled, deciding to let the matter slide for now. "You seemed like you know me," Tara said and laughed softly. Tara's comment about knowing her had struck a chord, and her laughter lingered in Karla's mind. Despite trying to brush it off, Karla could
Later in the evening, Peterson Rogers found himself in his cold, dimly lit cell at the detention center. He lay on the narrow bench bed, his eyes fixated on the peeling paint of the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. The weight of his past actions and the consequences they had brought upon him bore heavily on his conscience. Suddenly, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps echoing through the corridor. Peterson's attention was piqued, but he initially chose to ignore the disturbance, resigned to his secluded existence behind bars."Peterson," a voice called out, breaking through the silence. He sat up, his eyes shifting towards the cell bar gates, and a flicker of surprise replaced the gloom on his face as he recognized the familiar voice. It was Ma'am Luna and Laura, two individuals he never expected to see in this place."What are you doing here?" Peterson asked, his tone laced with dismissiveness as he eyed them warily. His guard was up, uncertain of their intentions."To tal
Peterson absorbed Sarah's words, realizing the gravity of his actions. "Do you know who it was that intervened?" Sarah inquired, hoping to gather more information about the situation.Peterson shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "Strangely, the police aren't mentioning who gave them the news about me being in that location. But I do know that there were two women; the intruder girl and the other woman who came in later, and the guy who intervened to save one of them was Duncan." "Duncan?" Sarah questioned, her interest piqued by the mention of the name.Peterson nodded, his intuition guiding his suspicions. "Yes, Sarah. My hunch tells me he was involved in this, and the police are hiding his identity. I feel like I saw Duncan that day." Peterson couldn't shake the feeling that he had encountered Duncan during the events that had unfolded, but he lacked concrete evidence to support his belief.Sarah, however, urged Peterson to rely on facts rather than his instincts. "Do a
As Karla spun around, her heart pounding in her chest, she hastily dialed Duncan's number, desperate for an explanation. However, before she could complete the call, a sudden thud echoed through the room. Time seemed to freeze as fear gripped her, and her phone nearly slipped from her trembling grasp. With cautious dread, Karla turned around slowly, her eyes widening in disbelief as she witnessed Duncan stepping across the window into her room. Shock threatened to escape her lips in the form of a scream, but before she could react, he swiftly rushed towards her, covering her mouth with his hand. In the process, their balance faltered, causing them to tumble onto the nearby bed, with Karla ending up on top of Duncan. The unexpected turn of events caused Karla to let out a shrill cry of pain. "Ahh!" she exclaimed, the jolt causing a surge of discomfort. Duncan's concern was immediate. "Shit. Are you okay?" he asked urgently, his worry evident in his voice. With a gentle touch, h
Thoughts of Tara crossed Karla's mind, but she decided not to mention her just yet, not wanting to burden Duncan with additional concerns. Duncan noticed the slight change in Karla's demeanor and sensed that there might be something more she wanted to say. "Is there something wrong?" he inquired. Karla shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "No," she replied, offering him a reassuring smile. "Just thinking about tomorrow and wishing you all the best. You've got this, Duncan." Duncan's features relaxed, a grateful expression settling upon his face. "Thank you, Karla," he said sincerely, a flicker of determination gleaming in his eyes. Karla nodded once again. "We're in this together," she stated firmly. "And we'll see it through till the end." With a shared understanding and a renewed sense of purpose, they prepared themselves mentally for the tasks that awaited them on the following day. The following morning, at the Walton Domicile mansion, Lady Zinnia sat i
Slowly turning back, Duncan's eyes locked onto the safe resting on the table. Determination welled up inside him as he approached it, ready to give it one last try. "Give it the last ever try, Duncan. Let's be hopeful," he silently encouraged himself, summoning a glimmer of optimism. Taking a minute to gather his thoughts and calm his racing mind, Duncan allowed his eyes to roam around the room. The familiar words from his father's diary echoed in his thoughts once more, "...It's all about you." The significance of those words struck him with renewed intensity as if they held the key to unraveling the mystery of the password. His eyes widened as a word suddenly flashed across his mind. It felt right, resonating with the theme- "Mystery" of the diary and his own personal journey. Without hesitating, Duncan swiftly entered the word as the password, his fingers moving with purpose and anticipation. After what felt like an eternity, Duncan's impatience reached its peak as the saf
Gently letting go of Karla, Duncan proceeded to explain further. He spoke with a mix of concern and firmness, wanting to make it clear that he needed her to step back from his life. "I need you to draw the line here, Karla," Duncan began. "I don't want you interfering in my business any longer. Let me fight my battles alone." "Duncan…" Karla tried to interject, wanting to express her thoughts, but Duncan interrupted her, determined to make his point. "End it, Karla," he insisted. "You're still hurt from getting involved in my life before. I don't want to see you get hurt again." Karla, understanding the worries behind Duncan's words, tried to reassure him. "My wound is healing," she said, hoping to convey that she was stronger now and capable of handling the challenges that might come their way. Duncan's frustration was evident as he cut her off, not fully convinced of her healing progress. "Shut up," he replied, his tone sharp. "It's barely been a week, and you're already t
Once Duncan regained his composure, he found his voice and posed another question to the enigmatic system. "You're a system that's going to help me?" he inquired, his tone a mix of hope and uncertainty. The system responded promptly, confirming Duncan's assumption. "{Yes, I've been waiting for you for ages}," it affirmed, its words carrying a sense of anticipation and purpose. Duncan's mind swirled with a whirlwind of questions, eager to understand the nature of this system and its connection to his journey. Before he could voice his inquiry, however, the system abruptly cut off any further conversation. "{End of chatting}," it stated matter-of-factly. "{You should go now to the Quest X Apex Dungeon. Keep walking straight. I'll guide you.}" Tilting his head slightly, Duncan regarded the system with squinting eyes, a mix of curiosity and skepticism etched across his face. He was still grappling with the newfound reality of his situation, unsure of whether to trust this mysterio