Chapter 3

A month later, thanks to the Fire Rat Oil, my injuries miraculously healed.

Apart from some faint brown scars that wouldn't fade, I was back to normal.

Ben's arm, however, was permanently crippled due to delayed treatment.

I found him trying to awkwardly string his hunting bow with one hand.

"Your arm..." My voice was hoarse.

"It's nothing. What's done is done, I still have one hand," he said dismissively, though a flicker of sadness passed through his eyes.

I looked at him and said earnestly, "Ben, will you marry me?"

Ben froze, dropping the bow to the ground.

"Aurora... I... I'm not good enough for you. I'm a cripple now..."

"You're not a cripple," I cut him off. "You're my man, Ben. From now on, I'll protect you."

Our wedding was simple.

Grandma May sewed me a new gown from salvaged red cloth, and everyone brought out their treasured food, creating a "feast" for us.

No guests, no elaborate ceremony, just the sincere, smiling faces of The Burrows.

I looked at my unfamiliar reflection in the mirror, my heart oddly calm.

Forget the Ark, forget the betrayal, forget the hatred.

Aurora Sterling was dead. Now, there was only Ben's wife, Aurora.

Ben held a cup of murky liquor, blushing, and smiled at me: "Aurora, from now on... I'll be good to you."

I nodded, reaching for the cup.

Suddenly, a deafening tear-through sound ripped from above.

The massive iron sheet that served as our camouflage was instantly shredded.

A dozen dark figures descended from the sky. They wore sleek black insulated suits, their weapons gleaming with an ominous blue light.

"It's the Ark people!" Someone shrieked in terror.

Without a word, the black-clad figures raised their weapons and fired.

Blue energy beams tore through the crowd. One by one, vibrant lives instantly turned to ash.

A joyous occasion had become a funeral.

The stench of blood and burnt flesh instantly permeated the air.

My mind buzzed, my body's instincts moving faster than thought.

I shoved Ben aside, grabbing his hunting bow from the wall.

Drew the bow, nocked an arrow.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Three iron arrows flew in a deadly spread, precisely impaling the necks of three black-clad figures.

The powerful momentum sent their bodies flying, crashing heavily against the wall.

Everyone was stunned, including myself.

I didn't know why I had such archery skills; it felt like an instinct carved into my bones.

I rushed forward, pulling a terrified Grandma May behind me, but watched in horror as Old Man Reed, protecting a child, was pierced through the chest by an energy beam.

"Old Man Reed!" I roared, my eyes burning.

From the group of black-clad figures, a man stepped out and removed his helmet.

He stared at me, a smirk playing on his lips. "Ms. Aurora, we finally found you. Ms. Scarlett's been just *dying* to see you."

It was her! Scarlett!

She still wouldn't let me go!

"Bastards!" I trembled with rage, drawing my bow again.

The captain merely twitched his lips and waved a hand.

Suddenly, my neck was clamped tight by something, and I was lifted off my feet, my legs dangling in the air.

"A useless Key dares to fight back?" He looked at me like I was an insect. "Ms. Scarlett said I should personally finish you off."

He raised his hand, and a ball of blue light glowed at his fingertip.

The energy was about to shoot out when a figure suddenly rushed forward, slamming directly into me.

It was Ben.

He held me tight with his good arm.

"Aurora... run..."

Those were the last words he left me.

The next second, his body was ripped into a mist of blood by that sharp energy blade.

"Ah—!"

Pure fury and grief shattered the binding force.

I fell to the ground, soaked by the rain of blood.

The hunting bow in my hand hummed to life, as if it were alive.

I shot an arrow.

That arrow, carrying all my hatred, tore through the air and viciously impaled the captain's shoulder.

He let out a choked grunt, staring at me in disbelief.

He prepared to strike again.

But a white shadow was faster.

It was an incredibly swift flash of a blade.

The captain's head flew skyward.

A man in a white trench coat, his expression grim, slowly sheathed his blade and stood before me.

He looked at me, his eyes complex.

"They deserved it," he said.

I couldn't hold on any longer. My mind completely broke.

I collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably until I passed out.

Another sun appeared in the sky.

This was an energy phantom, projected onto the atmosphere due to the Ark's unstable core energy.

The two "suns" pushed the surface temperature up to 149 degrees Fahrenheit.

I stood on the rooftop of a derelict building, watching the distorted air in the distance.