Ronan Kendrick waved dismissively. "I’m fine. Everyone, get out of here. This place is about to collapse."
"Let’s get out of here," Evelyn Ford said, coiling the rope and pulling Ronan Kendrick forward by the hand.
Once they were over two hundred meters from the stone bridge, Evelyn Ford brought out the RV and had everyone get on to change their clothes.
"Evelyn Ford, is Ronan Kendrick’s injury serious?"
"If it hit bone, that’s serious. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from an injury to the bone. We can’t let him drive."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "I’ll tend to his injury in a bit. Everyone, get on board for now."
Evelyn Ford took off her raincoat and rain boots before opening the door and getting into the RV. She was so worried about Ronan Kendrick’s injury that she didn’t even think to ask how the others were doing.
Pulling a curtain aside, Evelyn Ford immediately took Ronan Kendrick into the space.
"Let me see where you were hit."
Ronan Kendrick obediently took off his clothes. "The bone has already set itself. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Don’t be angry."
His skin was fair, and there wasn’t a single wound on him. A rock that big would have left a massive bruise, even if it didn’t break the skin. Seeing no marks on his chest or back, Evelyn Ford finally let out a sigh of relief.
"I’m not angry. I know your injuries heal quickly, but how could I not worry when a rock that huge fell on you?"
Evelyn Ford hugged him tightly. "Ronan Kendrick, please don’t let yourself get hurt again, okay?"
Seeing her looking so pitiful, he wouldn’t hesitate to grant her anything. It wasn’t just this one promise; he would cut out his own heart for her as proof without a second thought.
"I promise you. I’ll never let myself get hurt again."
Evelyn Ford nodded and casually ran a hand over his sculpted abs.
Ronan Kendrick was fully healed, and Evelyn Ford’s mood brightened instantly. When they emerged from the space, everyone was already drinking ginger soup.
"Here, drink some ginger soup to warm up. After being in that water for so long, my knees are starting to ache," Quincy said, handing bowls to Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick.
"It’s still raining, but it’s very light now."
Evelyn Ford glanced outside. "Let’s get going once we finish the soup."
’I need to go lie down for a bit. Being in cold water during my period... even though my raincoat and boots kept my clothes dry, I still feel a heavy, dragging sensation in my lower abdomen. It’s like a block of ice is sitting on my stomach, and a chill is seeping up from the soles of my feet.’
Earlier that afternoon, Evelyn Ford had drunk a bowl of chicken soup. The soup had a slightly metallic taste, and only after finishing it did she realize something was off.
Sure enough, her abdominal cramps had eased up by the afternoon, and the color had returned to her face.
That night before bed, Evelyn Ford asked Ronan Kendrick if he had put some of his blood in her soup, but he wouldn’t admit it.
"Really?" Evelyn Ford narrowed her eyes.
Ronan Kendrick just looked at her with a smile, saying nothing.
"Are your cramps still bad?"
"Don’t change the subject." Evelyn Ford grabbed his hand. "Which finger was it?"
Seeing her persistence, Ronan Kendrick stopped hiding it and held out the ring finger of his left hand.
The finger was immaculate, the nail neatly trimmed, its bed a healthy, rosy color. For a grown man, Ronan Kendrick had remarkably long, slender fingers.
Evelyn Ford pressed a soft kiss to his fingertip. Ronan Kendrick’s pupils darkened, and his right hand snaked around the nape of her neck, pulling her down to him.
Evelyn Ford had no intention of ’fighting a bloody battle’ with him, so to speak. She tried to push him away, but her body went as soft as a marshmallow.
"Ronan Kendrick, I... I can’t."
In that moment, Ronan Kendrick was like a different person. He was no longer quiet and reserved, no longer gentle and refined. He transformed into the most ferocious wolf in the forest, baring his fangs as if he wanted to devour Evelyn Ford piece by piece.
"Don’t be afraid," he whispered. "I just want to kiss you."
Her vision blurred with tears, Evelyn Ford let him have his way.
—
The next day’s travel went smoothly. The rain had stopped by the time they woke up, and after the fog burned off, the sun even made an appearance for three hours. It wasn’t warm, but its presence was a small comfort to everyone.
That afternoon, however, the mood turned somber as the RV passed a small town. Seeing the crumbling walls and ruins, everyone couldn’t help but sigh with melancholy.
A few years ago on their journeys, they would still come across towns and cities where they could find clean, intact houses. Now, the buildings here were not only dilapidated but also draped in cobwebs and moss, their outer walls stained and peeling. A decade ago, this place must have been bustling with life. Now, only ruin and desolation remained.
Ethan Dawson and Miles Vaughn got out to scout the town, but they were back within twenty minutes.
Quincy’s teeth were chattering from the cold. "We didn’t find any human remains. Looks like they evacuated."
"It’s good they evacuated. If they got out, they must have survived."
"We should reach Frelia by noon tomorrow. If things are normal there, there will be patrols everywhere. We need to be on high alert. When we get close, everyone changes into their old, ragged clothes. We’ll enter Frelia on foot."
Evelyn Ford looked at the group and continued, "Okay, let’s get our story straight. We are refugees from Oakhaven who walked all the way to Frelia."
"Zoe and Wendy, you two need to remember this as well. And one more thing, same rules as always: when we’re around other people, we don’t meddle, we don’t speak loudly, we don’t draw attention to ourselves, and we don’t act charitable."
’When it’s just us, we can say what we want, do what we want, and eat what we want. But once we’re part of a larger community, we have to blend in. We absolutely cannot be the nail that sticks out.’
’In both my past life and this one, I’ve always lived by one principle: keep a low profile.’
’Of course, in this life, with Ronan Kendrick and the others by my side, I’ve gotten braver. Relatively speaking, I’ve also been a bit more conspicuous.’
’To survive for a long time, you have to know when to yield and when to stand firm. That’s the ultimate truth.’
"Don’t worry, Evelyn Ford," someone said. "We’re all experienced refugees by now. We’ll be careful."
"One more thing." Officer Graham cleared his throat and added, "We’ve all been through life and death together. We’re a family now. And since we’re family, we have to be loyal to one another."
In truth, even without Officer Graham saying it, everyone had already taken that to heart.
"Wait a minute," someone asked. "What if we run into people we used to know in Frelia?"
"We’ll play it by ear." Evelyn Ford glanced at the time and told Quincy to get behind the wheel.
"Let’s get moving."
Leaving the small town behind, the RV once again entered an endless stretch of mountains. Occasionally, they could spot wild animals dashing through the trees.
"Joy Ford, look over there! What a beautiful waterfall!"
Wendy pulled Evelyn Ford’s hand, pointing at the waterfall in the distance. ’The stream plunges three thousand feet, as if the Silver River falls from the highest heaven... This must be what that poem described.’
"That must be the famous Plum Grove Falls," Officer Graham remarked, glancing out the window.
"Is it really Plum Grove Falls?" Wyatt Vaughn asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"This was the place I most wanted to visit back in high school! They say if you see the Iris over Plum Grove Falls, any wish you make is guaranteed to come true."
"The most important thing isn’t the Iris, but The Plum Grove that surrounds the falls. In winter, when the whole grove bloomed at once, it was a magnificent spectacle."
Evelyn Ford lowered her binoculars and coughed. "I don’t think The Plum Grove is there anymore. There is, however, a pit of bodies."