Deborah's POV
The Amulets were no longer enough.
The puerperae (women after childbirth) who had escaped from Tirnanog didn't hesitate to hand their Amulets to the pregnant women who hadn't received one yet.
"You still carry new life inside you, while our bodies have long been weakened by the constant cycles of childbirth. Even if we reach the surface with the Amulets' protection, we won't survive for long," an older puerpera said softly, her eyes filled with calm resignation.
I saw the woman who had given me a small pouch in Tirnanog hand her Amulet to a girl around ten years old, then gently took the girl's hand and led her toward the exit, her movements firm yet tender.
But in the end, only a third of Tirnanog's population managed to escape.
Most of them had already been swallowed by the magma, forever buried underground.
When we finally reached the surface, the air was harsher than that of the underground city.
We turned back and saw black smoke already billowing from Murias' exit.
Every survivor from Tirnanog did their best to help one another.
Some held children in their arms, others carried bags of supplies on their backs.
Though exhausted, none of us dared to stop.
Not long after we left the Murias exit, a deafening roar echoed behind us.
Magma burst from the exit like a fiery serpent, devouring everything in its path.
"Run! Keep running!" Matthew urged everyone forward.
We had no choice but to keep moving, hoping to meet up with the others as soon as possible.
At last, we caught up with the larger group, gathered on the far side of the desert.
Relief washed over everyone's faces—survivors, glad to have escaped death, yet fear still lingered in their eyes.
Thick black smoke continued to rise from the direction of Murias, the sharp smell of burning filling the air.
Even from this distance, we could feel the weight of Murias' complete destruction looming over us.
By now, those without Amulets had begun to show signs of weakness.
We decided to hold an emergency gathering.
After counting the numbers, Matthew and I stood at the front of the group, holding a prepared loudspeaker.
His voice was calm and steady as he began, "First, congratulations to everyone who made it out of Murias alive. Now, there are a few matters regarding the great migration that I need to announce."
The crowd cheered, celebrating their successful escape from the underground city.
Matthew continued, his voice booming, "The reason Deborah and I were wanted by Murias is that we discovered a new home, a place where humans can live safely—it's called Tirfothuinn. We've already found it! This series of operations was once forbidden by Murias' FDB, but today, you've all seen it for yourselves. Lieutenant Colonel David Miller, carrying Colonel Peter Cox's Signet Ring, led the FDB soldiers to help you escape from Murias. We should be grateful to them from the bottom of our hearts."
At this, a wave of cheers erupted through the crowd, mixed with tears of relief and hope.
Before, we had warned them that magma would consume Murias, and now everything had been proven true.
They believed every word we said.
Matthew paused for a moment before continuing, "After counting the numbers, we learned that out of the original 55,351 residents of Murias, only 31,791 of you stand here today, having survived this catastrophe. Let us observe a moment of silence for the 23,560 residents who perished in the magma."
Silence fell over the crowd.
At that time, he looked just like the Alpha of a werewolf pack.
Many had lost friends, neighbors, colleagues, or even their closest family members in the disaster.
I took a deep breath and spoke, "The journey to Tirfothuinn is long, so please take good care of your Amulets—do not lose them. Especially for children, it's easy for them to misplace things, so please be extra careful."
I paused, my eyes scanning the crowd, my tone turning serious. "We prepared enough Amulets, but clearly, some people didn't receive one. This means someone took more than they needed. I need to remind you, Amulets emit low levels of radiation themselves. We distributed them based on everyone's individual needs. If you took more than one Amulet, please return it immediately so those who don't have one can be protected."
A murmur spread through the crowd. Many people whispered among themselves, but few came forward to return their extra Amulets.
A few children stepped up, handing back an extra Amulet taken for their parents, but it was far from enough.
My voice grew sterner. "Additionally, those of so-called 'slave blood' don't need Amulets. We've already informed you of this. If anyone took one, please hand it over to someone in greater need."
At this, the crowd erupted.
"That's right, why do slaves need Amulets? They exist to serve us!" sneered a resident at the front, his face full of disdain.
"Why not? Are we not human?" A slave yelled in anger, his fists clenched, golden eyes blazing with rage.
I raised my hand to quiet the crowd, my voice firm and commanding.
"Stay calm! They are not 'slaves'! From the moment we left the underground city, discrimination is no longer tolerated in Murias. Everyone is equal now. They are not the 'slaves' you think they are."
The so-called slaves stood there, stunned, looking at me as if they couldn't believe someone was speaking up for them.
I continued, "Those you call 'slaves' are, in fact, powerful werewolves. They possess incredible strength, and their natural abilities allow them to resist the radiation from Falshi. Because of their werewolf bloodline, they don't need Amulets. And because of their werewolf bloodline, they've been exploited in Murias—because they are terrifyingly strong, they could only be suppressed…But they can survive freely on this harsh surface."
I watched the crowd's reaction—people were in disbelief.
It was true; the term 'werewolf' was something they'd only read about in books.
Author's Note: In the face of disaster, both the light and darkness of human nature are laid bare for all to see.