Ivy forced a wry smile. She knew full well that monster blood was toxic, but saying it out loud provided some psychological comfort.The room fell silent again. Nobody wanted to talk, and neither was there anything left to say. They had considered numerous ways to escape, but all their attempts had failed. Ivy realized that they were stuck and had no way to leave the room.If they stayed, there was a chance that they would be rescued, albeit a slim one. On the contrary, if they left, it would truly be over for them.***Time slowly ticked by, and the women fell asleep. Eira was the only one who was by the window, continuing to observe the situation outside. She tried to think of a way for them to escape, but she could not come up with one.It was already evening by the time the group woke up, and they were all starving after having not eaten anything the entire day. Ivy, Eira, and Nyssa were particularly hungry, having expended energy during their fights against the monsters. Howe

"Papa! Papa!" Nova continued to babble, completely unaware that she was radiating a powerful aura. Samantha was frozen, while Ivy and the others stared at Nova in shock. The child was emanating some sort of energy, and the glow around her was getting stronger by the second. Soon, she was enveloped in a purple light. The floorboards beneath her continued to crack as the whole building trembled with powerful energy."Wh-What's going on? What's happening to her?" Samantha was slightly frightened by the changes in Nova. Anxiously, she tried to reach out to grab Nova but was repelled by the energy."Don't touch her, Sam," Ivy cautioned. "Papa!" Nova kept calling out as the energy around her grew stronger. "What's happening to her?" Nyssa asked in confusion and shock. She had no idea what was happening."Do you remember what happened with Jerome and Remy during the selection?" Ivy asked, and all eyes turned to her."Jerome and Remy suddenly unleashed some sort of power that allowed

The group rushed through the chaotic streets, desperately searching for a safe haven. However, it became clear that there were no longer any safe spots in Swallowston. The monsters were closing in from all directions, their numbers overwhelming and seemingly endless. Ivy planned to lead the group out of Swallowston and into the outskirts of the city, but as they ran, they realized that monsters from outside the city were pouring in as well. The city was filling up with monsters, and there was not a single safe place in sight."This way!" Eira shouted, pointing to an alternate route as they approached a roadblock of approaching monsters. She led the group in another direction the moment she spotted monsters up ahead.Ivy was holding onto Nova, who was asleep. Gloria and Samantha held hands as they ran, while Nyssa stayed at the rear. However, there were too many monsters around them, and it was clear they would be engulfed soon."F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!" Eira cursed as they encountered

The women took turns standing guard on the rooftop the entire night, waiting for someone to rescue them, but in their hearts, they knew the chances of that were next to impossible. Even if their message had gotten through, the people who heard it might choose to ignore them. Maybe the men they sent will not be capable of breaking through the army of monsters.They knew their lives had been forfeited at this point. ***The women continued to wait for the next two days. Having no food or water, they were so exhausted they barely had the strength to sit up straight. They had yet to receive any messages that brought them hope, and the monsters continued swarming around the base of the tower.Nova was crying incessantly from how hungry she was while Samantha's tears had dried up. She was out of ways to keep Nova safe.The fourth day arrived, and the sun was still nowhere to be seen. Ivy and her sisters were now weak and frail.Ivy struggled to stand up and walked to the rooftop's edg

At these words, Ivy and the others cried from relief and joy.Adrian smiled at them. He then pinched Nova's cheek and asked, "How did you know it was me?""Papa!" Nova's little hand tugged at Adrian's ear.Adrian chuckled and fished out some milk powder and water from his backpack. Handing them to Samantha, he said, "Here. I'm sure Nova must be starving. "Samantha stared at the milk powder like it was a lifeline and quickly prepared some for her daughter. Meanwhile, Adrian went to Gloria and held her face as he smiled. "You've lost so much weight. You must've been through quite the ordeal." Gloria bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. She simply let his warmth wash over her as he hugged her. "Thank goodness you're here. I thought we were all going to die.”"Let’s not talk about that for now. I've brought food and water. Go ahead and have some."Adrian released Gloria and walked to Ivy. The bird monsters had torn her clothes to shreds, leaving her with visible wounds all over.