Chapter 9\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! That\u2019s not true!\u201d Nathan cried out, his voice raw with anguish. \u201cYou\u2019re back now, aren\u2019t you? The research at the lab is complete. We\u2019ve managed to purge Eveline from the system-\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
I cut him off with a sharp, derisive laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat research you speak of is just an excuse. It was a justification for cruelty. A way to inflict pain on others while using self- harm to numb your own guilt, I\u2019d say.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the door was flung open. With a blade raised high, a figure threw itself at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all your fault, Caroline! Look at what you\u2019ve made me become!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Eveline, though I barely recognized her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her face was a map of grotesque scars. Having lost an eye, the sight of that empty, hollow socket was enough to make anyone\u2019s blood run cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nathan was the quickest to move. As she sprang forward, he kicked her hard in the chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eveline shrieked as she was hurled backward. She hit the ground with a dull thud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sprawled on the floor, the blood pooled from her mouth as she gasped, \u201cCaroline\u2026 I hope you die in misery! They took everything from me because of you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, before she could finish, she drew her final breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Paying her no mind, Nathan\u2019s gaze searched mine tentatively. \u201cCarol, look\u2026 I\u2019ve avenged you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing that, I scoffed, \u201cBut weren\u2019t you the ones who hurt me in the first place?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turning away from their deathly pale faces, I firmly said, \u201cSystem, shut down the life-support systems.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, a long, piercing beep echoes throughout the silent room. It extinguished their last glimmer of hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under their incredulous stares, I said, \u201cCaroline is gone. Forcing this shell to remain in this world will only lead to its collapse.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that, Nathan fell unusually quiet. The obsession in his eyes deepened by the second. \u201cI won\u2019t let you leave, Caroline,\u201d he\u00a0<\/p>\n
said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, he pulled out a palm-sized device from his pocket and pressed a button.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instantly, the system let out a piercing alarm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWarning! Unknown energy interference detected! Teleportation sequence blocked!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlbus and I built this energy disruptor together. Its only purpose is to keep the system from taking you away,\u201d Nathan explained, stepping toward me. His eyes burned with a possessive, almost mad intensity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re crazy!\u201d I snapped. Beside myself with fury, I swung my hand and gave him a hard slap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t flinch. Instead, he pulled me closer, refusing to let go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am crazy! I lost my mind the second you died!\u201d he said, breaking into a sob. \u201cCarol, please don\u2019t leave me. I\u2019m begging you \u2026 I can\u2019t live without you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the other hand, my three brothers remained silent, yet the identical crazed look in their eyes was a dead giveaway. They felt the same way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At some point, tears were already streaming down my face. Dragging my palm down my face, I felt a strange stillness settle\u00a0<\/p>\n
over me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never knew, did you? I\u2019m an orphan,\u201d I calmly said. \u201cThere was a time when I dreamt of staying here for good. Your\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 9\u00a0<\/p>\n
love was worth more than any reward and everything in the real world. It was the only thing I craved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze swept calmly over them as they crumbled under the weight of their own grief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a real home now, with people who genuinely care for me. I am finished with this place,\u201d I continued. \u201cIf I must die again to leave, then so be it. After all, I\u2019ve been living on borrowed time!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that, Nathan\u2019s grip loosened. The crazed look in his eyes slowly gave way to despair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll let you go\u2026\u201d he repeated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He let go of me, only to grab the knife on the ground and drive it straight into his chest. As he fell, his gaze remained fixed on me with a deep longing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCarol\u2026 the debt I owed you\u2026 I\u2019m paying for it with my life\u2026 Please don\u2019t hate me, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked away. Though the tears continued to flow, my resolve had never been stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnergy interference cleared. Teleportation sequence initiated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, I felt the familiar tug on my body. Just before leaving, their soft pleas for forgiveness reach my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound was thick with regret and despair, but I refused to look back. Not this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in the real world, Lawrence was flying kites with the children in the yard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he saw me return, his expression clouded with concern as he asked, \u201cWhere were you? Are you okay? I\u2019ve been looking everywhere for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing that, I felt a surge of warmth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I replied. \u201cI just had to close a chapter on the past.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The people I once loved and hated didn\u2019t matter anymore. From here on out, they have nothing to do with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 9\u00a0 \u201cNo! That\u2019s not true!\u201d Nathan cried out, his voice raw with anguish. \u201cYou\u2019re back now, aren\u2019t you? The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-only-when-i-gave-up-did-they-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}