The hospital air was thick with antiseptic and grief. Holloway stood by the doorway, arms crossed, watching Emma. She sat beside Alex's bed, gripping his hand as he lay unconscious, his face pale against the white sheets. Machines beeped in a steady rhythm, a cruel reminder that he was still fighting.
Kath stood nearby, shifting uneasily. The weight of everything—the blood, the bodies, the terror on Emma's face, it clung to them like a second skin.
Emma's shoulders shook. "Children, Mr. Holloway." Her voice was raw, broken. "They use children. How could they?"
Holloway didn't answer right away. He looked at Alex, the bruises, the bandages, the way Emma's fingers trembled against his. He had seen too many people break under the weight of this kind of horror.
He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "That's why we don't stop."
Emma exhaled sharply, wiping her face. She turned to him, eyes red but filled with something else now—determination. "Then we need to move. Now."
Holloway nodded. "Let's go."
---
The car ride to Holloway's place was silent, tension hanging between them like a storm ready to break. Kath sat in the back, clutching her laptop while Emma stared out the window, lost in thought.
By the time they reached his office, the sky had turned a dull gray, the sun barely peeking through. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and dust, as if time had stopped here long ago.
Holloway pulled a thick, beaten-up folder from a drawer and slid it onto the desk. "The boy disappeared without a trace," he said, voice steady. "But that doesn't mean there's no chance of finding him."
Emma flipped through the case notes, her fingers brushing over the boy's picture. The eyes staring back at her felt eerily familiar.
"He went to a school not far from that shitty apartment complex," Holloway continued. "When I went there to investigate, I searched his seat. All I found was this."
He pulled out an old slip of paper, the edges yellowed with age. Inside a plastic evidence bag, faded ink formed a chilling message:
"The promised land is far, and the gate to it is guarded by a man holding a spear."
Emma's breath hitched. She knew these words.
She reached into her bag, fingers trembling slightly as she pulled out the book. Fallen Angel.
Flipping frantically, she stopped at page 35.
An ancient illustration stared back at them.
A solemn figure stood before a towering gate, spear in hand.
Holloway's jaw tightened. "This isn't a coincidence."
Emma turned to Kath, the urgency sharp in her voice. "Find out where this comes from."
Kath had already pulled out her laptop. "Give me a few minutes."
The room was thick with silence, only broken by the clicking of keys.
Then—Kath's breath caught. "I think I found something."
Holloway and Emma leaned in, their world about to change again.
Kath squinted at the screen, zooming in on the illustration. "There's something behind the statue…" she muttered, adjusting the contrast on the image.
Holloway leaned in. "What does it say?"
Kath's breath hitched. "It's faint, but... it says Everglow Cemetery."
Holloway pushed back from the desk, already reaching for his coat. "That's not far from here! Let's go."
"Wait." Kath shot him a sharp look. "I don't think that's a wise idea. Given our circumstances, rushing in now puts us at a disadvantage. We're exhausted, wounded, and unprepared. If we go in like this, we could be walking into a trap."
Emma clenched her fists. "No, we need to go now! People are dying—"
"Emma." Holloway's voice was firm. "Kath's right. The smartest move is to wait. We rest, we plan, and tomorrow morning, we go in with an advantage. When we do, we'll search that place inch by inch."
Emma swallowed hard, her jaw tightening. Then, after a long pause—"...Fine."
---
Meanwhile—
Jia's fingers clenched around the strap of her bag as she approached the police station. She had spent all day gathering the courage to come here, to tell Emma and Alex what she remembered.
She needed to talk to them.
But when she stepped inside, her stomach sank.
The station was quieter than usual. Officers bustled about, but none of them were the ones she needed. She walked up to the front desk.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Officers Emma and Alex."
The officer barely glanced up. "They're not available right now, kid. Come back later."
Jia hesitated. "Do you know when they'll be back?"
"Can't say. Might be a while."
Her shoulders sagged. She muttered a quick "Thanks" and walked back outside, disappointment heavy in her chest.
The streets were dimly lit as she made her way home, her mind racing. She had wanted to tell them, to help them—but now she'd have to wait.
Then, as she turned a corner, she saw them.
A group of boys, same age as her, maybe tfifteen or sixteen—laughing, shoving another kid to the ground.
Jia's stomach twisted. The boy they were picking on looked younger than her, maybe eight. He was small, frail, and clearly outnumbered.
One of the bullies yanked at the boy's collar. "Say it again, freak."
The boy remained silent.
Jia didn't think. She ran forward.
"Hey!" she shouted, shoving the closest bully away. "Leave him alone!"
The group turned to her, startled.
"What's your problem?" one of them sneered.
"You're picking on a little kid. How pathetic can you be?" she shot back.
The boys exchanged looks, then scoffed. "Whatever." With a few final kicks toward the boy's bag, they scattered into the night.
Jia exhaled, turning to the kid. "You okay?"
The boy tilted his head up at her. His expression was unreadable.
Then, slowly—he smiled.
A quiet, eerie smile.
"We got you," he whispered.
Jia blinked. "What?"
The boy took a step back.
Then another.
And before Jia could react, darkness swallowed him whole.
Pain erupted at the back of her skull.
The world spun.
Her vision blurred.
And then—
Nothing.
That night, Jia Sun disappeared.