Chapter 141: Worse Case Scenario [2]

Clank!

The door to the intensive care unit slammed open.

A stretcher emerged. Surrounding it were several nurses, and amidst all that was a man with pale-white hair.

His body was in a bad shape with possible hemorrhage.

Beep... Beep.... Beep....

Standing behind the glass, Rachel scanned the entire process with an agonizing look.

She bit her lip tightly.

Before she realized it, it started to bleed.

However, she didn't care.

Brandon was in a perilous situation.

Clank!

"Rachel!"

The door abruptly opened, and emerged the familiar figure, with long lustrous pale-white hair.

Her ice-blue gaze instantly met Rachel's, and her expressions seemed to crack.

"Belle..."

"Rachel, what happened?! Why is--Oh my god..."

Belle covered her mouth as soon as her eyes landed on Brandon.

As soon as the ambulance arrived, Rachel had already called Belle.

She had only told her which hospital they were going to. For the other details, she panicked too much to think of any explanations.

And now came the hard part.

Explaining to Belle how everything happened.

It became apparent to Rachel that Brandon was--in fact--a secretive person.

But,

This was no time to be hiding any secrets.

Not when it was the sole reason why he fell in this predicament.

But for the time being, she allowed Belle to break down.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Minutes persisted like that. The occasional sound of the beeping, mixing along with Belle's sobbing.

Rachel had already cried her eyes out.

But still,

Seeing Brandon in that state.

Belle's agonizing cries...

...Even Rachel found herself in tears once again.

Drip. Drip...!

***

"Zed, you fucking bast-ah..."

Unable to finish his last words, Dwight breathed his last.

Thump!

Limply falling on the ground, several crystals etched on his back.

"Hoo...."

The fight lasted for an entire 32 minutes. If Zed was at his prime, it would've been shorter.

Dwight was always weaker than him. Moreso, because he mostly fought with his brawns and not his brain.

"Tsk."

Zed clicked his tongue.

Now that Brandon was out of commission, he didn't know what to do next.

This plan...

"It's a bust."

Cli... Click--!

Lighting a cigarette, Zed took a long nice drag.

*Puff*

Regardless of how smart Brandon was, and despite him being strong for his age, there were limits to what he could do.

"What was I thinking, relying on a 16-year-old kid?"

He regretted it.

"Now wake up... You crazy bastard."

Just as he spoke, Brandon's eyes slowly opened.

His vision was hazy, hence he blinked repeatedly.

Slowly, he took in his surroundings.

The familiar man stood beside his bed.

As expected.

Jin was here.

Just before the operation, Brandon had specifically sent a text message to Jin.

Just a simple, 'I'm going to die.'

That was it.

It became apparent to him that Jin didn't want him dead.

So maybe...

Just maybe...

It would lure him out.

And to his surprise, it did.

Slowly, Brandon spoke with a hoarse voice.

"Cough... You've finally... shown up."

"Yeah, now make it quick. I've got somewhere to be."

"Why.... Cough... have you been... ignoring my calls?"

"You think I've got the time for that?"

Jin's expressions were indifferent as always, as well as his tone.

"I'll only save you once. Next time, you're on your own."

"Twilight Syndicate, have you heard of them?"

A sense of familiarity seemed to etch itself on Jin's face.

"That ragtag group of children? What about them?"

"Tell me what you know."

"You sure you want to know?"

There was no sense of hesitation in Jin's voice.

Clearly, he knew something about the syndicate.

"...Yes."

"It's better if you find out slowly. If I tell you now, you might go and kill yourself again."

"...."

That was enough.

It meant there really was something important going on in that organization.

Even Jin spoke a bit highly about it.

"If that's all, I'll be going now. I told you, three years."

Jin walked towards the window.

"Wait."

But halted as soon as Brandon called out to him.

"What?"

"What do you know about the rift?"

"...."

This...

Now he hesitated.

At that, a sudden chill ran down Brandon's spine.

Was there really something ominous beyond that rift that even Jin couldn't articulate his words?

So...

"They..."

Brandon's eyes were slowly peering wide open.

There was a sense of tension in the way Jin spoke.

But his next words...

"They're going to die."

Flooded Brandon's thoughts like a tidal wave.