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Chase stared at the three-headed monster in the distance and sighed. "Whoever fired that missile... they just destroyed humanity's last hope."
Kellie stood next to him, her legs shaking. "Chase, we need to run!" Her voice quivered with fear. Two things terrified her: the thought of dying here, and the realization that her father must be in danger. As long as he was alive, he wouldn't allow Henry to fire that missile, especially with her out here. Something had to have happened to him.
Chase didn't respond right away. Instead, he sat down on the cold, barren ground and looked up at the sky, his expression distant. "There's no point running," he muttered. "We can't escape the radiation. Just stay still and accept what's coming."
Then, the nuclear missile hit its target. The sky seemed to warp as the air compressed, and a deafening explosion rocked the earth.
Boom!
Chase sat unfazed, a blank look on his face as the explosion raged toward them. Suddenly, he felt Kellie's arms around him in a desperate hug. "Please, just let me stay like this."
Chase glanced at her but didn't move away. He simply let her hold him, bracing for the blast. As the shockwave approached, something unexpected happened. A brilliant blue light erupted from his body, surrounding them both in a protective shield. The radiation bounced off, and Kellie gasped in shock, unable to speak.
Chase looked up to the sky, his voice barely above a whisper. "Dad, even in death, you still protect me."
Two years ago, his father had injected him with a mysterious glowing liquid, telling him it was the only one of its kind. He'd warned Chase that the substance could protect him in life-threatening situations—but only twice. He didn't know where he got it from but he was sure it came from his underwater exploration.
The blue shield lasted for an hour before it finally faded, leaving them in silence.
Chase stretched, preparing to stand, but then he noticed something. Kellie hadn't moved from her spot. She was still hugging him, her head resting against his shoulder, fast asleep. She must have drifted off, comforted by the shield's calming energy.
Chase sighed and gently pulled her arms away. "Hey, wake up."
Kellie blinked, her eyes fluttering open, still groggy from the unexpected nap. She yawned, confused but somehow comforted. "How long was I out?" she mumbled, her body still tingling with the lingering peace the shield had brought.
Chase didn't answer right away. Instead, he started walking again. Kellie, still half-dazed, followed him, but stopped in her tracks when she noticed he was walking in the wrong direction. "The EVA organization is that way!" she called out.
Chase shook his head, his pace steady. "Who said I was going there?"
"But... why not?" Kellie stammered.
Chase gave her a sidelong glance. "Do you really think there's a solution anymore? If it was before, I might have listened to my father's instructions. But it's too late now. Look at the monster. It's not dead—just wounded. It's angrier than ever."
With those words, his figure began to disappear into the distance.
"Where are you going?" Kellie called after him.
"To rest," he said without looking back.
"And by 'rest,' you mean... death?"
"Go home to your family," Chase replied, his voice heavy. "All of us are going to die anyway."
Kellie stood frozen for a moment before turning back toward the EVA organization. As she walked, she prayed her father was okay. She had grown up with him alone, never knowing her mother. Her father had always told her her mother left right after giving birth, but she never bought it. She had seen the tears he'd shed in private, holding her mother's photo, she found something weird but it wasn't the time to focus on it. The radiation from the nuclear bomb should have killed her and she shouldn't be alive.
After a long walk, she reached the organization. To her surprise, it was still standing, untouched by the blast. She quickly scanned her face and body, and the doors opened automatically. She rushed inside, heading straight for the elevator.
As the elevator ascended, she felt a rush of impatience. When the doors finally opened on the highest floor, she sprinted out, searching for someone. She found Belinda and the others sitting together, their faces tense with worry. Their parents were in a meeting room nearby.
"Hampton!" Kellie shouted as she entered the room. He stood up quickly, a concerned look on his face. "Did you find him? Where's Chase? How are you?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.
Belinda, however, had a different reaction. She stood up with a frown. "How are you still alive?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Not even a scratch on you... how is that possible?"
Kellie rolled her eyes, her frustration boiling over. "Are you serious right now? The first thing you ask me after surviving a nuclear explosion is how I'm still alive? We haven't even talked about the fact that your father ordered the military to fire a missile. You're all so selfish. You don't care about anything but yourselves! I don't even like Chase, but humanity needs him now. And you're too busy worrying about your own survival. I hope it was worth it."
Before Belinda could respond, Kellie barged into the meeting room, slamming the door open. She stared around at the worried faces before glaring at everyone. "Where is my father?!" she demanded.
Everyone went silent. Though her father was under detention, his status still carried weight, and the room fell into uneasy silence.