With the arrival of morning and everyone awakened, Joseph burst into the cabin yelling, "Wake up, you idiots! You've been summoned!"Everyone groggily rose from their beds, looking at him with tired faces.Joseph, breathing fast, continued, "Get up! You're needed now!"Jesse, still drowsy, replied, "Calm down. What's the rush?""It's Markus—he wants to see you. He doesn't tolerate lateness. Jenny's outside too. So hurry—don't keep her waiting," Joseph urged.
Jesse looked puzzled: "Markus? Who's that?"At the same moment, shock spread across Nicholas's face as he exclaimed, "Markus? That bastard who locked us up before?""Yes, him. Now move—don't get me into trouble," Joseph replied firmly.They all left the cabin.
A few minutes later, they reached the village center and paused before a field of flowers to catch their breath.Joseph closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and said wearily, "Finally… we're here."Moments later, the creak of a door opening startled Joseph. He looked up to see Nicholas standing in the doorway.
Nicholas marched in, scanning the room angrily*:* "Where is that bastard? I'll beat him for what he did to us."Moments later, he spotted someone standing by a map on the wall. He pointed fiercely and shouted, "Markus, you bastard! Do you think I'll forget how you left us to die in those rooms?"Markus remained motionless, provoking Nicholas's fury.
"Say something!" Nicholas demanded.Markus didn't react.Nicholas clenched his fist—just as he moved forward, he collapsed with pain all over his body.Dazed and shocked, he thought, "What? What happened? Why does it hurt so badly?"
He noticed his nose felt odd. Wiping it, he saw his hand stained with blood."Since when am I bleeding? What is happening to me?"
Suddenly, Jesse appeared and gently placed him in a chair. At the same time, Joseph ran toward Markus and said anxiously, "Stop, Markus! You've hurt him badly!"Nicholas's expression drained. "What? All this is because of him? But he never moved!"
Jesse looked at Markus and recognized the description given earlier—taller than Joseph, black loose pants and shirt with a strange symbol, wearing an orange mask with dark goggles.
Markus spoke sharply, "That's enough. Sit everyone down."They sat, nervous, while Ethan watched Nicholas with concern.
After a moment, Markus said, "So, Joseph… since your friend knows my name, I guess you introduced me already.""Yes, sir," Joseph replied.Markus continued, "Good, saves me the intro. To the point: there's an outbreak in the village. It hasn't spread because we quarantined the infected. I'm going to Willowood with three of you to get medicine or a vaccine."
He then glanced at the door, adding quietly, "Late as usual."Everyone turned to see Mira standing there."Come on when I feel like it, you idiot," she grumbled."Alright, let's begin," Markus said.
They stepped forward, raised their fists, and shouted together, "Rock, paper, scissors!"Mira chose scissors; Markus chose paper.With a playful grin, Mira pointed at Jesse: "You're with me."Confused, Jesse asked, "What do you mean?"Markus sighed and said, pointing at Nicholas, "I'll take this one."Jesse and Jenny exchanged puzzled looks.
Mira gestured toward Joseph: "I'll go with Joseph, and you two stay."Markus called out, "Those I chose, follow me."
Nicholas, Ethan, and Jenny followed Markus outside, while Joseph and Jesse remained inside the cabin chatting.
— Meanwhile, back with Markus and the group —
They walked along a sandy path flanked by green trees, like a tunnel leading to another world. Jenny gasped in wonder, "How beautiful!"Nicholas agreed, "Yes, I've never seen anything like this."They continued until they reached a great wooden wall with an enormous door. Markus took a deep breath: "We've arrived." He knocked.
A voice called from behind: "Identify yourself.""Markus, from Redville Village," he replied."ID card," the voice ordered.
A small hatch opened. Human eyes peered at Markus. He retrieved his card and showed it.After a silence, the hatch closed, and the great door began to open. Out stepped a bearded man in gray shirt and black trousers—the gatekeeper.
He looked at the carts, then at Markus. In a gravelly voice: "What do you need?"Markus explained, "As I mentioned before, there's an outbreak in our village. We need your help to develop medicine or a vaccine."
The gatekeeper observed him quietly for a moment, then called out loudly. People emerged to carry the carts inside, as Nicholas and Jenny watched.
Moments later, Ethan awoke in the cart. He looked around in shock and confusion. He hurried out of the cart.The man pulling it glanced at him oddly but continued moving.Nicholas approached and greeted teasingly, "Morning, sleepyhead."Ethan's shock turned to relief upon seeing Nicholas: he happily raised his hands in the air.Nicholas laughed, "You're weird, kid."
Markus called them inside, and they entered the village.They noticed that the village was quiet and tidy, with wooden huts and herbs—but not crowded.
Markus approached the cart and released the driver. He rummaged through the wheat, pulled out a large wooden chest sealed with a rusty lock.The driver eyed him suspiciously and asked harshly, "What's in the box?"Markus replied, "None of your business. Just move the cart and leave me alone."
Angered, the man grabbed Markus and pointed a pistol at his head: "What? You expect to bring anything here without us checking? What if it's dangerous? Open it."Villagers watched in confusion as Markus and the man faced off.After tense silence, Markus dropped the box.The man smiled, sat down, and began picking at the lock. Finding it unlocked, he opened it—and recoiled in horror.
He sprang up and yelled at Markus with alarm, "What the hell is this? Explain now!"Markus replied calmly, "Are you blind? It's obvious—it's a corpse."Inside lay a shivering pale corpse sealed in plastic—black hair and milky-white eyes.
The man shouted to the guards, "Seize him! He's got a corpse—must be a murderer!"The gatekeeper intervened, visibly annoyed: "Sorry about him, Markus. He's new and doesn't know protocol."
The newcomer, embarrassed, said, "What are you talking about? This is bad—someone brought a corpse. Why's this normal?"The gatekeeper scolded him, "Shut up, idiot. Didn't they teach you about this village?"The man asked, "What are you saying?"The gatekeeper explained, "We need that corpse. You think we brought all this wheat for nothing? We're developing a cure. He brought an infected body so we can study the disease. Didn't anyone tell you?"Ashamed, the man apologized, "No one told me, sir. I'm sorry."
The gatekeeper replied, "Don't apologize to me—apologize to the man you frightened."The man faced Markus: "I'm sorry for all that happened. I was ignorant."Markus ignored him, closed the box, lifted it, and walked toward the village entrance. Nicholas and the others followed quietly.The man stood there embarrassed.
Twenty minutes later, Markus stopped before a large wooden hut marked with a red cross and cracks in its walls, with a glass door.
They entered. Inside it was cold and noisy, with an unusual—but somewhat pleasant—smell.A white hallway stretched through the center, with several doors on either side.
People clad in full blue protective suits, masks, gloves, and headcaps moved about, along with others in white outfits and masks, some missing limbs or using crutches and wheelchairs.
Ethan, Nicholas, and Jenny felt uneasy as they were handed masks and walked down the corridor.Curious, Ethan peered at a group of blue-suited figures behind one door, then it closed.Suddenly he nearly collided with a tall man in dark blue protective gear, masked goggles, and smooth hair with a faint beard.
The man quickly pulled up his mask and stared at Ethan with cold indifference: "Watch where you're going, kid."He walked off, leaving Ethan on the floor.Ethan rose, watching the figure, until Markus called, "Stop standing there like an idiot—move!"