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Belinda, Kellie, and the others trudged through the chaotic streets, their path obscured by downed power lines, debris, and the distant roar of fighter jets. Despite the madness around them, Chase's house stood solid, untouched by the destruction nearby. It felt like a small, stubborn sanctuary in a world falling apart.
"CHASE!" Kayla called out as they reached the house. Her voice cracked with urgency, reflecting the heavy atmosphere surrounding the three-headed monster still lurking outside. The sight of it, coupled with the constant hum of jets overhead, made the air feel thick with impending doom.
Kellie hesitated at the door. She didn't know what to expect, but a sense of dread settled deep in her chest. "Chase, I'm coming in," she called softly, then pushed the door open, stepping inside. The others followed, their eyes wide, their hearts racing with a mix of hope and fear.
What greeted them inside wasn't Chase, but something just as startling: walls covered in paintings. Each one depicted strange scenes, all tied to an unsettling reality. In the center of it all was one massive painting: a portal glowing with a strange purple light, emerging from the ocean. Chains bound the edges, and behind them, a dark, monstrous figure strained against the barrier.
"Unbelievable!" Kayla gasped. Her voice echoed through the house, her shock mirrored in the others' faces. They all stared at the painting in disbelief. The creature in it mirrored the one outside, the same three-headed beast that had caused the world to shudder.
Kellie turned to Belinda, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Did you bring it?"
Belinda nodded, retrieving a small, circular device from her bag. She expanded it with a flick of her wrist, the device unfolding like an intricate piece of machinery. She placed it near the painting, and the device hummed to life, scanning the artwork.
"The reading is twenty," Belinda said, her voice filled with awe. "This painting was made twenty days ago."
The others exchanged glances, the implications dawning on them. Chase had known. He had seen this all coming, and he'd captured it in his art, long before the world had begun to fall apart.
Kayla's voice broke through the silence, trembling with guilt. "He knew... He knew all of this was coming, and we didn't listen."
A storm of anger surged within Kellie. She whirled on the group, her face a mask of fury and shame. "We ignored him. We dismissed him!" Her voice rose with each word, her eyes blazing with frustration. "All of us, myself included—our arrogance, our disbelief. We let him warn us, and we mocked him."
Belinda flinched under Kellie's scorn, and the others fell silent, the weight of their guilt settling in. The accusations hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy and inescapable.
Hampton, standing near the back, felt his heart tighten at the sight of Kellie's tears. He admired her strength, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were all responsible for this. Still, Kellie wiped her eyes, composed herself, and spoke again, more calmly now. "Tears won't help us. We have to find him. He's the key."
Belinda's eyes moved from the painting to the others. "Where would he go if not here?" she asked, her mind racing for answers.
Hampton spoke up, his voice steady. "His parents' graves. If he's anywhere, it's there."
It was a decision that none of them questioned. The group left the house, stepping into a world where chaos reigned and time was running out. The streets were littered with debris, and the air felt thick with uncertainty. But none of them hesitated. They moved with purpose, knowing that finding Chase was their only hope.
As they reached the gravesite, the weight of their mission pressed on them. The graves stood quiet, the only sound the wind whispering through the trees. They called out for Chase, their voices filled with desperation, but the silence that met them was deafening.
Kayla's face twisted with frustration. "He's not here. What now?"
Kellie didn't flinch. Her gaze hardened as she scanned the area, her mind set on one thing. "We keep searching. We don't stop."
But just as hope began to wane, a sudden broadcast crackled through the air, drawing their attention. An urgent message from the EVA organization, urging everyone to seek refuge in their underground sanctuary—a place designed to withstand even nuclear attacks.
Belinda's face went pale. "They're preparing for a nuclear strike."
Fear gripped the group. The weight of the situation was unbearable, and yet Kellie remained steadfast. "You all go," she said, her voice resolute. "I'm not stopping until I find Chase."
Her eyes locked with Belinda's, and without another word, Kellie turned and headed back toward the bridge—the last place she remembered seeing Chase. The bridge, like the paintings, felt like a symbol: the crossing from one world to the next, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Her resolve was unshakable. She wouldn't stop until she found him.