The night had fallen, cloaking the city in a shroud of darkness, but inside Lizzie’s apartment, the oppressive quiet was even more suffocating. She sat by the window, her face illuminated by the dim light of her phone, her eyes glued to the screen. The cold glow cast deep shadows under her eyes, mirroring the growing anxiety that gnawed at her insides. She had tried calling Calvin over and over again, but every call went unanswered, the silence on the other end of the line only amplifying her fears. Each second that ticked by without a response tightened the knot of dread in her chest, like an invisible hand squeezing her heart.Lizzie's fingers tapped nervously against the back of her phone as she stared out into the dark streets below, her mind racing with horrible possibilities. *Where is he? Why isn’t he answering?* The questions circled endlessly in her mind, refusing to let her find even a moment of peace. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. He
Calvin’s consciousness returned slowly, like swimming up from the depths of a dark, suffocating ocean. His head pounded with a relentless, throbbing ache that made it difficult to focus. He tried to move, but his limbs felt heavy, sluggish. As his senses began to sharpen, a harsh, blinding light pierced his vision, making him wince. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the light was so intense that even behind his closed lids, it seemed to burn into his skull. He forced his eyes open again, blinking several times as he tried to adjust, but it was useless. All he could see was that single, invasive beam. Beyond it was only darkness—thick and impenetrable.A cold, biting sensation encircled his wrists. Calvin tried to shift in his seat, only to realize that his arms were bound to the arms of a metal chair, the rough material digging into his skin. His wrists throbbed from the tightness of the restraints, and as he tugged against them, a sharp sting shot up his arms. Panic began to build in hi
Calvin’s head pounded as his thoughts spiraled into chaos.“What is it? Just tell me what you’re looking for!” Calvin’s voice was strained, desperate. He needed answers—anything that could help him understand what they wanted, why they thought he had some kind of secret.“The fountain of health, Hudson,” the leader growled, stepping further into the light. The harsh glare illuminated his sharp, angular features, casting deep shadows that made him look almost inhuman. His eyes were like ice, cold and unfeeling. “Where is it? You have the key to it. Don’t pretend you don’t.”Calvin’s heart raced as he searched his memories for any trace of the phrase, but nothing made sense. His family had its share of old stories, whispered tales passed down through the generations, but none of them had ever mentioned anything like this. The fountain of health—was it a place, a thing, or something entirely different? He didn’t know, and the frustration gnawed at him like a dull blade.“What are you eve
Lizzie’s hands shook uncontrollably as she clutched Calvin’s phone, her knuckles white from the pressure. The weight of her fear seemed to press down on her chest, making each breath a struggle. Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the screen of the phone. The despair she had been trying so hard to keep at bay broke through the cracks in her resolve. Her sobs were quiet but intense, her shoulders trembling with each ragged breath. *I have no idea where Calvin is or how to find him,* she thought, her mind racing in circles. *I can’t just sit here and do nothing. What if something has happened to him?*She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, trying to clear her vision. Her surroundings felt oppressive, a dark blanket of uncertainty closing in on her. *Who can I turn to?* she wondered desperately. This situation was far too perilous to involve anyone else. She had to rely on herself. But where could she even begin?In her desperation, Lizzie’s gaze fell to the pendant aroun
In a final, desperate attempt to hold onto her bearings, Lizzie collapsed to the ground. Her body crumpled into the dense foliage, her head resting against the cold earth. The pendant, still clutched in her hand, dimmed to a faint glow, its power exhausted. The green light flickered once more before fading completely, leaving Lizzie in the darkness of the underbrush.Her breaths were shallow and uneven, her eyes fluttering closed as unconsciousness overtook her. The forest around her was eerily quiet, the only sound the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional call of nocturnal creatures. Lizzie lay still, hidden from view, her body curled up among the leaves and branches.In her semi-conscious state, she could barely sense the cool breeze against her skin and the dampness of the ground beneath her. The weight of her exhaustion pressed heavily upon her, and she felt as though she were drifting away from the world, leaving behind the last flickers of hope that had guided her.Lizz
Calvin’s head throbbed with every beat of his heart, a dull, persistent ache that seemed to pulse in time with his ragged breaths. Bound to the metal chair, his wrists were chafed raw by the tight restraints, and every movement only seemed to intensify the pain. The room was dim and claustrophobic, the harsh light glaring directly into his face, blinding him and making it difficult to gauge his surroundings or plan an escape.His mind raced, but his body felt sluggish and uncooperative. The drugs administered by his captors were clearly having an effect, clouding his thoughts and sapping his strength. Calvin tried to access his cultivation powers—an ability he had relied on in dire situations—but the effort felt like trying to grasp at smoke. The power was there, but it was as if something was blocking him, preventing him from tapping into it fully. Was it the drugs or his weakened state? He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he needed to buy time, to wait until he could regain his s
Calvin's heart pounded in his chest as he made his way toward the dense foliage that surrounded the area. The night air was cool against his skin, a stark contrast to the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could hear the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures as he ran, his senses heightened in the darkness. The men behind him were relentless, their footsteps pounding against the ground, growing louder with every second. Calvin knew he couldn’t outrun them for long—he needed a plan, and fast.As he darted between the thick trees, the sharp crack of a dart gun echoed through the night. He felt a sharp sting on his back, and for a brief, horrifying moment, panic surged through him. They had hit him with another tranquilizer dart. The familiar sensation of numbness began to spread through his body, but this time, Calvin was prepared.He gritted his teeth and summoned his cultivation power once more, forcing himself to focus desp
Calvin’s frustration grew with each step. He had been walking for what felt like hours, trying to find a way out of the dense forest, but every path he took seemed to lead him back to where he started. The night was pitch-black, and the trees were so thick that they blocked out any light from the moon or stars. He could barely see a few feet in front of him, and every sound in the forest seemed amplified in the darkness—branches snapping, leaves rustling, the distant hoot of an owl.After another futile attempt to find the main road, Calvin found himself back at the same spot where he had started, the unconscious bodies of the Han Xin men just barely visible through the trees. He cursed under his breath, knowing he couldn’t keep wasting time like this. The forest was disorienting, and the longer he stayed here, the more likely it was that his enemies would wake up and come after him. He had to think of something—fast.Calvin decided to sit down under a large oak tree, taking a moment