The daycare center was dimly lit and eerily silent, save for the soft whimpering of the frightened children. As we stepped into the room, Yan-Hua looked up from where she was kneeling, comforting the children. Her eyes, full of confusion and fear, met mine.
"Chang?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's...what's happening? The sounds, the gunshots..."
Her words trailed off, leaving an uneasy silence hanging in the room. Cassidy cleared her throat, stepping forward to explain, "There's a riot, Yan-Hua. The town's gone into chaos."
Yan-Hua paled, her gaze darting towards the children huddled around her. "The kids..." she murmured, her voice filled with dread.
"We need to get everyone out of here," I added, my tone firm. "It's not safe here."
Yan-Hua nodded, her expression grim but resolved. She turned to the children, putting on a brave smile. "Alright, everyone, it's time for an adventure. Everyone take a buddy and hold hands, okay? We're going to play a game of follow the leader."
As Yan-Hua tried to calm the children, I turned to Cody and the others. "We need to be quick and quiet," I said. "Cody, can your truck fit everyone?"
Cody rubbed his chin, considering. "If we squeeze in, maybe," he finally said. "But we're gonna be sitting ducks if we get caught in the open."
"We have no other option," Kaya interjected. "It's either we risk it or leave them here."
"There's no leaving anyone behind," I stated firmly, meeting each of their gazes. They nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of our situation.
We then quickly herded the kids got onto Cody's converted school bus.
"Take the kids out of here as-" I said.
The bus rumbled to life, the engine's gruff roar cutting through my sentence. Yan-Hua took one last, lingering look at us before stepping up into the vehicle, her eyes filled with worry.
"I can help," she started, her voice wavering slightly. "I can stay with you--"
"No," I interjected quickly, meeting her gaze with a firm stare. "We need you with the kids. You have to keep them safe."
"I--" she hesitated, her eyes darting between me and the bus full of terrified children. After a moment, she nodded, her expression hardening with determination. "Alright, I'll take care of them. But you better promise me you'll be okay, Chang."
I gave her a reassuring smile, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I promise, Yan-Hua," I said, hoping the steadiness of my voice would mask the fear gnawing at my insides. "We'll meet you as soon as we can."
With that, Yan-Hua boarded the bus, and the door shut behind her with a resounding thud. As the bus pulled away, I turned to Cassidy and Kaya, both watching the vehicle disappear into the distance.
"Cody's going to take them to safety," I said, more to myself than to them. "Now we need to go find Hazuki."
As we turned to leave, Cassidy placed a hand on my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "Chang," she said, her voice soft. "We're going to get through this, okay? We're going to find Hazuki and we're going to get out of here."
I looked at her, seeing the fierce determination in her eyes, and nodded. "Okay," I echoed, my voice filled with renewed resolve. "Let's go."
Q: Would you stay behind or escape with the kids?