Seeing his strange movements, Hill asked, "What are you doing?"
Ares, still a virgin at eighteen, was seeing such a passionate scene for the first time, and his mind couldn't help but wander. He looked at Hill beside him and stammered, "You're... you're a woman, right?"
Hill covered her mouth and giggled. "What do you think?"
Ares seriously studied the buxom, beautiful girl before him, murmuring, "A woman... you really are a woman!"
"Woof, woof, woof!" A bark came from behind them. Ares turned his head and cried out in delight, "Dopey! You found me!"
"How did it know we were here?" Hill asked.
Ares didn't answer. Instead, he stood up, ran forward, and scooped up the little dog, stroking it affectionately. "It's so good that woman didn't take you with her. Where is she? Still in town?"
"Woof, woof!"
"Good, let's get out of here right now!"
The two humans and the dog emerged from the woods once more. "Where are we going?" Hill asked.
"Let's go back to Eagle's Nest. It's boring, but at least it's safe."
"I'll follow your lead."
Just as they left, Nandi appeared from behind another tree and quietly followed them. Dopey kept looking back, and Ares, instantly alert, asked, "What is it?"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"What did it say?" Hill asked.
"Be careful. It says it thinks someone is following us." The two quickened their pace, deliberately choosing narrow paths. Nandi followed at a leisurely pace. At a turn, she suddenly cried out in pain, bending over to check the sole of her shoe. A small iron nail had pierced the arch of her foot. She cursed through the pain, "Those two damn pests! I'm going to kill them." She sat right down on the ground and pulled off her shoe. Her stocking was already stained red with blood. Gritting her teeth, she pulled out the nail and tended to the wound. When she looked up again, Ares and Hill were long gone.
When Alice woke up, she saw a man standing before her. She instinctively took a step back and cried out, "Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Where is this place?"
"This is the Nine Stars United headquarters. My name is Paitun. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Alice."
"You know me?"
Paitun nodded. "I've often heard Vega speak of you."
"Where is Vega? I want to see her."
"I'm sorry, she's not here right now. You'll have to wait a few days to see her," Paitun said apologetically. Alice looked Paitun up and down. He was a man of about forty, with tanned skin and a medium build. He was rather handsome, with a straight nose, strong facial features, and a look of sincerity in his eyes.
"What is your position in Nine Stars United?" she asked.
"It seems that among the 'Group of Seven,' people only recognize Ethan. No one cares about the rest of us," Paitun said with a sigh, shaking his head. Alice was a little surprised. She knew the Group of Seven was the highest authority in Nine Stars United, but she couldn't guess why they had captured her. Seeing that the man before her seemed friendly enough, she decided to make a bold request. "Could you... could you let me go?" she asked cautiously.
"What? You just woke up and you want to leave already?"
"Yes. Since Vega is with you, there's no point in me staying here. She's much smarter than I am." As she spoke, she looked at him with pleading eyes, a picture of pitiable vulnerability. Paitun's heart trembled slightly. What a beautiful woman. How can I get her to stay? He didn't want to use force; that would be a desecration of beauty. "Alice, I truly hope you will stay. Of course, if you still wish to leave, I will personally see you out."
Alice was moved by his sincerity and felt a bit embarrassed in return. "Well, in that case, I'll wait here for Vega to come back before I go."
Paitun was overjoyed. "Thank you!"
Daechir was still locked in the stone room. She felt a helplessness she had never known before. No one was coming to save her, and the energy in her body was slowly depleting. She began to regret killing Number Two and Number Three. Most importantly, she was getting further and further from her mission. Everything had become a mess. Paitun hadn't been back since their last argument, as if he had forgotten her existence. She sat curled up in a corner, her expression like that of a wounded fawn.
Just then, a voice spoke. "How did you end up in this state?"
Daechir looked up and cried out in surprise, "Alice? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
"Where's Vega? Where did she go? I will catch her."
Alice sighed. "What can you do in your current state?"
"What? Have you thrown in your lot with Nine Stars United, too? When did the whole Watson family become so spineless?"
"No, I'll be leaving here in a few days."
"How naive. Why would they let you go?"
"I trust Mr. Paitun."
Daechir cried out, unwilling to accept it. "That wretched man again! He was supposed to be in love with me."
Alice didn't want to argue with her. She turned and walked out. Daechir roared at her retreating back, "I will get you both!"
In Zi City, the ten members of the Grand Council were gathered. The city-state had reached its most perilous moment. Three more sub-cities had been captured by Nine Stars United, and only four of the twelve main cities remained. The faces in the room were grim, the atmosphere suffocating. De Silva was not among them; his ten-year term had ended, and he had retired from the council. With him now were Alena, Simon, Collin, and other former warriors of the "Courage Alliance." They were discussing the formation of a shadow team to assassinate the enemy's high command.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye. The city-state struggled to hold on under the pressure from Nine Stars United. Aldabra Island, where Zi City was located, had been blockaded. Alice happened to be on the island. She tried calling Catherine on the time phone, but the calls were consistently rejected. In this moment of crisis, she tried dialing again, not holding out much hope. But this time, someone answered.
"Catherine, you finally answered my call!" she exclaimed joyfully.
"This is Enos, not Catherine," the voice replied.
"Oh! Where is she?"
"She's been sick the past few days, so I'm answering for her."
When Alice told Enos what was happening to the city-state, Enos made an instant decision. She took the time phone and left the isolated manor, completely cutting off communication between Catherine, Ethan, and the others.
For two years, Daechir had been locked in the stone room. Now she lay perfectly still on a cold bed, like a corpse, to conserve what little energy she had left. A piece of red gauze covered her face, and her body was coated in dust, like a doll forgotten in a corner.
"Daechir!" a voice whispered in her ear.
She sat up with a start. "Shalu, is that you?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I'm late."
"Are you here to save me?"
Shalu lowered his head in shame. "I don't have that kind of power yet. But I will find a way to get you out, I promise."
"Just go," Daechir said, her voice filled with disappointment. "No one can save me."
Shalu's voice was a hoarse, low cry, filled with raw determination. "I will get you out of here. I swear it."