They dragged Joong out of the water bucket. His breathing was so faint it was barely noticeable, his eyes tightly shut, only a whisper of life remaining...

"Is he dead, boss?"

"Dead? Nah. I didn't even use the max voltage. Leave him there, he'll die soon enough anyway. Hahaha."

"But if he dies, how are we supposed to find that other kid?"

"I know where he is. Probably at the spot where we blew up the car last time."

"Then let's head over there."

"For what? No rush. The prey will walk right into the trap on its own... Come on, let's go make some hotpot or something."

"Yes, boss!"

They left Joong there, in a space that wasn't too big, but since it was a stone cave, the wind whistling in from outside made it freezing cold. It was already late afternoon... If he stayed there through the night, he probably wouldn't make it.

Oat observed the group carefully before cautiously trailing behind them...

"Stay here, don't go anywhere. Wait for me to come back, alright?"

"I... I got it."

He was afraid Dunk might do something reckless and endanger himself, so he reminded him carefully before heading off. Only when he saw the group drive away from the entrance of the cave did he dare turn back...

"Damn it, where did you go?"

This was a shortcut with lots of narrow paths. If you didn't know your way, you could get lost or worse, wander into a pocket of toxic gas and die. He searched for a while before spotting the narrow crawlspace next to the iron bars where they had sat earlier. He squeezed through... The tunnel was tight, only wide enough to crawl through, and he couldn't lift his head.

After about thirty minutes, a faint light appeared ahead, making him breathe a sigh of relief. He crawled faster toward it..he saw Dunk.

"Oh God, I told you to stay put! Why did you come in here?"

Only silence answered him. Dunk was frozen, unmoving. His legs had given out beneath him as he knelt beside the body hanging limp in the middle of the stone chamber. Joong's body was bruised and battered, his face swollen... Dunk's small fingers gently stroked his cheek. That once warm skin now felt like a block of ice—it was painfully cold...

"Joong... I'm here now... Joong, don't sleep... Can you hear me, Joong?"

He held Joong's face tightly, pressing his forehead to Joong's, whispering softly, too afraid to speak loud in case someone outside might hear.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Joong... It's all my fault... Please don't sleep... please... hic..."

Oat didn't say anything else. He pulled the spear from his back and started cutting the ropes suspending Joong.

"Damn it, what kind of knot is this?"

They'd tied him up with thick rope—the kind used for bundling wood. It was the rough, fibrous kind, and it took him forever just to cut through one strand...

"Joong, please... open your eyes for me... I'm begging you... hic..."

"Du...nk..."

"Joong! You're awake! Hic... you're awake!"

Joong had been hearing everything... the voice of the person he loved most. How could he not? But he just couldn't open his eyes. It took every ounce of strength just to call out Dunk's name.

"The rope's almost cut. Hold him from below!"

"I... I got it... hic... okay..."

Finally, the rope gave way. Oat caught Joong's legs while Dunk supported his head, gently laying him down on the ground. Because he'd been hanging upside down for too long, the blood had rushed to his head, and before he could say a word, Joong passed out completely.

Oat looked around and managed to find the main path. He hoisted Joong onto his back while Dunk supported him from behind. Together, they made it out of the cave and all the way to the car at the edge of the forest—it took them over an hour.

"You sit in the back with the leader."

"Mm."

*Gunshots*

Two shots rang out, hitting the rear of the vehicle. Dunk and Oat instinctively ducked down in shock.

"Shit, hurry up—they're back!"

*Tires screeching*

The screech of the tires came just as Oat climbed into the car. He started the engine

"GO!"

Dunk shouted, and he slammed on the gas, speeding away from the group. The entire drive, he kept his eyes locked on the road ahead, searching for any shortcut he could take. Luckily, he was quick-thinking and managed to find a narrow dirt trail. It was a bit rough, but it cut almost an hour off their return time to the base.

When they arrived, he jumped out of the car, rushing toward the entrance. The kids inside quickly confirmed his face and opened the gates as fast as they could.

"Oat, where's the leader?"

"In the car with Dunk."

"Okay, hurry!"

Oat pulled open the door

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"D-Dunk... Dunk's not in the car!"

"What?!"

He stood there, stunned. He clearly remembered hearing Dunk shout at him to drive... even heard the door slam shut. But now, Dunk was gone. Still, Joong's life was the priority—he and the others carried him inside first. They'd deal with everything else later.

[45 minutes earlier]

"GO!"

"Well, aren't you a brave one... trying to snatch someone from us."

"I'm the one you've been looking for."

_________
#sapo 🇻🇳( 21:04 / 300525)