Chapter 148: The Will to Survive |
Carrying the sentinel on his back, Bai Mu led the way. The three children shadowed his every step. He kept his flashlight off, well aware that even the faintest glimmer could draw the attention of the soldiers.
Guiding the group, he carefully skirted the sweeping beams of the searchlights near the checkpoint. The military had locked down all the main roads, leaving them no choice but to trudge through the desolate wilderness and crumbled ruins.
The modern cityscape had given way to a much older landscape. Towering structures of reinforced concrete were nowhere to be found, replaced instead by dilapidated old houses built from red bricks and clay tiles.
A heavy, suffocating darkness blanketed the entire area. Their only source of illumination came from the erratic sweeping of distant searchlights.
It looked as though no one had lived in these houses for years. Broken bricks and debris littered the ground, crunching sharply underfoot with every step. The air hung heavy with the stench of damp rot and pulverized masonry, while the occasional gust of wind carried a faint, coppery scent of rust. Bai Mu kept his ears pricked and his eyes peeled, frequently pausing to guide the three scrawny shadows into hiding behind the crumbling walls.
The heavy tread of soldiers echoed terrifyingly close. Even in this ruined wasteland, patrols were actively sweeping the area.
Whenever the footsteps drew near, the children held their breath in sheer terror. They crouched deep in the shadows, clamping their hands over their mouths. Only when the marching faded into the distance would Bai Mu motion for them to press on.
Moving in fits and starts, it took them roughly fifteen minutes to safely navigate past the checkpoint.
Leon, Sam, and Katie had never felt time drag on so agonizingly. It was only when Bai Mu led them through a withered grove and up a small incline beside the road that Leon realized his palms were slick with cold sweat.
Clean water was far too scarce to drink, let alone waste on a bath.
A vortex of deep crimson clouds hovered over the city. Even from over a dozen miles away, the towering inferno was clearly visible. Blood-red light and billowing black smoke twisted together into a maelstrom that looked ready to consume everything in its path.
Leon trembled with lingering fear, yet a profound sorrow washed over him. His home used to be there. Before this summer, he had lived such a beautifully ordinary and mundane life.
He remembered fighting with his siblings over the TV remote, dozing off during class, excitedly chatting about the latest video game consoles, and complaining about exams while eagerly awaiting the holidays.
Back then, he never had to worry about where his next meal or sip of clean water would come from. Yet, ironically, he had always found those days painfully boring.
Now, his home had been reduced to ashes. The city he grew up in was entirely swallowed by a sea of fire.
His father was missing. His mother was missing. As for his classmates and friends, he had no idea where they had gone or if they had even survived.
That peaceful routine now felt like nothing more than a beautiful dream. The dream had shattered, plunging him into a waking nightmare. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his bones. He could not help but gaze up at the tall figure leading them. Bai Mu's mature face maintained an unwavering, absolute calm. The man carried a burden far heavier than any of them could imagine; a fully grown adult was slung over his back, and a massive rucksack strapped to his chest likely weighed more than Leon himself.
Leon knew deep down that he and his siblings were just another burden, yet this stranger had carried them all this way regardless.
'If he did not have to drag us along, his journey would be so much easier,' Leon thought.
A profound sense of uselessness washed over the boy. He felt like dead weight—unable to help, unable to contribute.
But as he watched Bai Mu take another steady step forward, a fresh surge of courage blossomed in Leon's chest, urging him to keep moving.
Bai Mu continued to lead the way. He avoided the main roads; wide avenues meant for vehicles were too risky, as military convoys could roll through at any moment. They had no choice but to navigate rugged, unpaved trails—paths choked with weeds, slick with mud, and littered with jagged rocks. It was a desolate trek through the wilderness where nothing broke the silence save for the howling wind. Glancing up at the starry sky, Bai Mu checked the printed photograph of the map to ensure they were still on course.
He had set their destination as an Abandoned Factory on the outskirts of the city. It used to be a cannery that processed food sourced from the surrounding farmlands. However, due to high operating costs and poor-tasting products, the facility had eventually shut down.
Bai Mu had read about the closure in some old newspapers and magazines he had scavenged.
He figured the place would be completely deserted, yet still structurally sound enough to offer decent shelter from the elements.
The location was ideal, far removed from the urban sprawl. Beyond the factory lay rugged, untamed mountains virtually untouched by human presence. Taking the main road would have been a straight hike of about six miles, but relying on these winding backroads added significant distance and difficulty to their trek. Bai Mu was determined to reach the facility before daybreak. Once the sun crested the horizon and the scorching heat set in, traveling would become impossible.
He hoped the kids could maintain the pace, though he harbored deep concerns about their dwindling stamina.
Regardless, pressing forward was their only option.
Leaving behind a trail of footprints, the group trudged across the unforgiving terrain of dirt and loose gravel.
Three hours later, at three in the morning.
Much to Bai Mu's surprise, the children possessed a staggering amount of resilience. Not once did any of them complain.
Even he was beginning to feel a dull, throbbing ache in the soles of his feet. With his stamina depleted by thirty percent, a heavy wave of drowsiness and fatigue washed over him. The children were undoubtedly faring much worse, yet they leaned on one another for support. They had scavenged sturdy branches to use as walking sticks, relying on them to keep their exhausted bodies upright as they forced themselves forward.
Leon and Sam held onto Katie's shoulders, bearing some of her weight to ease her steps. All three were panting heavily. Their small faces were flushed bright red, and sweat plastered their matted hair to their foreheads.
They could barely lift their feet off the ground, shuffling along more like struggling insects than walking humans, yet they stubbornly matched Bai Mu's grueling pace.
It was their unyielding will to survive that kept them moving.
Clinging to each other, the trio pushed through every agonizing step. They kept their eyes glued to Bai Mu's back, utterly refusing to be left behind.
When Bai Mu eventually offered them a chance to rest, Leon stubbornly shook his head. "We can keep going," the boy insisted.
Their three resolute faces conveyed a clear, silent message—they refused to be a burden.
A profound sense of familiarity stirred within Bai Mu, as though he were looking at reflections of his past self. He hadn't started out knowing everything either.
It was a good thing. Such fierce determination was the most critical asset for survival.
With that, he dropped the subject of resting and continued to lead the march into the darkness.
Finally, as dawn began to break over the horizon, their brutal six-hour trek came to an end. They had reached their destination.