Exiting the gym building, they found themselves on a desolate road, bathed in the pre-dawn twilight. Three shadowy figures, silhouetted by the faint light, cast long, distorted reflections on the pavement.
Lucy, her expression resolute, tightened her grip on the rope that bound John's wrists.
"Your name is Lucy, right?" he inquired, a hint of discomfort in his voice. "Lucy, can you loosen the ties? It really hurts the longer it's on."
Her eyes narrowed, Lucy replied firmly, "No."
The first light of dawn began to paint the horizon, revealing the passage of time since Lucas had been shot. It had been six to seven agonizing hours since they left the university, and the journey had been punctuated by the nerve-wracking intervals between each auction bid.
John turned to Belle, his eyes pleading. "Belle, can you help me?"
Belle met his gaze, her brow furrowing with concern as she shook her head. Her mind was consumed with worry about her friends' well-being. She had always considered Jeremiah and Kristian her closest companions, and knowing that only four of them remained from their original group was a sobering realization.
With a resigned sigh, John conceded, "Okay then, I'll endure it for now. But can you at least find me another shirt? I'm shirtless right now, and what if I get scratched?"
Again, Lucy's response was a stern "No."
Annoyance crept into John's voice. "Can you say anything aside from 'no'?"
Belle, who had been silently observing, spoke up, "Can't."
John, losing interest in arguing, fell in step behind Lucy and Belle as they made their way back to the university. The road was littered with zombie corpses, but the immediate vicinity appeared eerily clear of the undead. Most of them seemed to have migrated elsewhere.
Lucy issued a command to Belle, her voice taking on a protective tone. "Belle, watch his back."
"Yes," Belle replied promptly as she positioned herself behind John. She couldn't help but notice the scars that marred his back, and her gaze lingered on the pendant he wore around his neck, a detail she had often observed but never questioned.
They didn't take long to reach the university, its imposing entrance looming before them. However, the scene that unfolded in front of them was far from welcoming. A horde of zombies, numbering in the dozens, stood just twenty to thirty meters from the university's entrance.
Suddenly, Belle noticed Uncle John's body jolting slightly, prompting her to glance over at him. Her heart sank as her gaze fell upon the gruesome sight before her. Red blood, now dry, marred the road, staining it in a grotesque tableau. Clothing remnants lay strewn about, with a green dress lying nearby, its fabric shredded as zombies feasted on the unfortunate victim within.
Beside her, Uncle John turned his head toward Belle, his voice filled with dread, "Belle, is that—"
"Yes," she affirmed, her voice trembling with the weight of the horrifying scene. Four adults from their base lay dead, their bodies being devoured by the ravenous undead. Belle wasn't particularly close to most of them, but they were Uncle John's companions, and their deaths weighed heavily on him.
She could hear Uncle John muttering, "I can't believe this."
In response to their conversation, Lucy, who had been walking ahead, suddenly whispered, "Be quiet, you two."
Continuing onward, they finally reached the entrance of the university. To Belle's surprise, Lucy diverted their path, instructing them, "Follow me. There's a backdoor at the rear of the building. We'll take this alleyway."
Lucy was well-acquainted with the university's layout, having scoured the place while searching for Meri. Her familiarity with the building made it possible to navigate the labyrinthine structure with relative ease.
As they followed Lucy, Belle eventually spotted the door she mentioned. Lucy opened it, revealing the male student bathroom on the ground floor. There were four stalls, and a row of sinks with a large mirror reflected their images as they entered. From there, they proceeded to the stairs leading to the first floor.
As they ascended to the second floor, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. Belle could feel her heart racing with anxiety, her thoughts consumed by the well-being of her friends, particularly Kristian. She hoped beyond hope that they were still alive. Her steps faltered as she glanced at Lucy, who seemed equally hesitant to approach the door that led to the source of the footsteps.
She understood Lucy's trepidation, for they were both afraid of what they might find on the other side of that door. The specter of death loomed heavy, and neither of them was eager to confront it head-on.
With a deep breath, Lucy summoned her resolve. She reached for the doorknob, and even as the dread mounted, she swung the door open, revealing a grisly sight. Lucas's lifeless body lay atop a makeshift desk, his presence hauntingly familiar.
As they gazed upon Lucas's motionless form, a sudden sound echoed from within the room.
"Aunty Lucy, you're back!" A child's voice, filled with joy, called out.
A woman emerged from the back of the classroom and approached the door, asking, "Is that you, Miss Lucy?"
"Yes, I'm back, Aunt Meri, and it's nice to see you too, Cale," Lucy replied.
Lucy, her concern evident, inquired further, "Is Lucas okay now?"
"I cleaned most of the blood and removed the bullet. For now, his bone is intact, but the flesh is... horrible," Meri nodded, her expression somber.
Lucy reached into her pocket, pulling out the elixir she had won in the auction. It was fortunate that it was small enough to carry easily. "This is the thing I bought. It should heal him, I think. Should we pour it or make Lucas consume it?"
Meri considered for a moment, then suggested, "I think we should pour it over the wound. I doubt making Sir Lucas drink it will help. Wait, a minute; I will go get some towels to ensure none of the elixir droplets go to waste."
As Meri moved toward the door, she noticed a shirtless man with his hands tied behind him, standing near Lucy.
Lucy stepped aside to let Meri pass, then gestured towards the man, explaining, "He's a prisoner for now. I don't think he has any malicious intent, but keep an eye on him. He's their comrade, and I discovered him when we went to their base."
"Oh," Meri muttered in response as she swiftly passed by the man and the girl. However, she hadn't gone far before the girl behind the man approached her, leaving Meri feeling threatened. In response, she reached for her bow.
"Wait, wait, listen," Belle urged, keeping a cautious distance.
"What do you want, Belle?" Meri asked, still wary.
"It's nothing important. I just want to ask where my friends are. Are they fine?"
"Yes, I locked them in the storage room after I asked them some questions. I will take you to them only after Sir Lucas wakes up," Meri replied sternly.
"But, Aunty, that will be a long time."
"It's already a miracle that Miss Lucy spared your lives instead of killing you. I will only release the two of them after Sir Lucas wakes up," Meri stated firmly, walking off to retrieve towels and water once more.
***
"Miss Lucy, I'll hold Sir steady. You can pour it slowly over both leg wounds," Meri offered her hands gently but firmly, supporting Lucas's legs.
It was nothing short of a miracle that despite taking two bullets—one in the back of his right leg and another in the front of his left leg—Sir Lucas's legs remained intact. It seemed that Sir Lucas's extraordinary vitality played a pivotal role in preserving his limbs, yet this alone couldn't guarantee his complete recovery.
As they carefully lowered Sir Lucas's body to the floor, it presented a gruesome sight for the two boys who had once been their adversaries. Their faces twisted with a mix of disgust and shock as they beheld the severity of Sir Lucas's leg injuries. The fact that his bones hadn't shattered was, in itself, a miracle.
Lucy paused for a moment, her eyes scanning Lucas's pale face. She reached for her belt, unfastening it with a swift movement, and removed an iron ring from her pocket. With great care, she slid the ring onto Lucas's third finger, placing it beside his fire and hurricane rings.
"What does that do?" Meri inquired, curiosity in her eyes.
"It increases his vitality stats. Just in case it helps improve the elixir's performance," Lucy explained, her voice laced with determination.
Meanwhile, Belle sat nearby with her hands tied, next to John. John broke the silence, his voice heavy with concern. "Are both Rosa and Evelyn dead too?"
Belle nodded; her eyes filled with sorrow.
John sighed deeply, a mixture of regret and understanding in his expression. "They didn't deserve death, but it was their foolishness," he remarked. Belle nodded in agreement.
Her anxiety held her captive, her mind overwhelmed with concern for her beloved friends. She cast a yearning glance at the two women standing before her, desperately wishing for Lucas to regain consciousness. Though they had temporarily escaped impending danger, Lucas's fate remained uncertain.
In the depths of her heart, Belle silently beseeched, "Please, Lucas, wake up. Please, dear God, grant him the strength to wake up."