Chapter 191 Save him!!

Chapter 191: Chapter 191 Save him!!

Rowan and Kai immediately took off after the vehicle carrying Ethan, determined to catch up with Mr. Davis before he could escape. Adrian, however, remained behind with Luna, who was already preparing to follow the others.

She couldn’t afford to waste another second. Ethan was in the hands of a madman, and every moment they spent standing around was another opportunity for Mr. Davis to do something terrible to him.

But just as Luna moved forward, Adrian caught her by the shoulders and stopped her.

"Luna, wait."

She turned to look at him impatiently.

"What?"

"I know why you couldn’t do much with your system earlier. You’re exhausted." Adrian studied her face, his expression filled with concern. "Look at yourself. Do you even realize that you’re still human? You’re not some kind of superhuman who can keep fighting forever without consequences."

Luna tried to move past him, but Adrian tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Let go of me, Adrian. I need to go after them."

"And what exactly are you going to do when you get there? Collapse in the middle of the fight?"

His words earned him a sharp glare, but he refused to back down.

"Luna, stop acting like you’re invincible. For Christ’s sake, you’re exhausted! You keep pushing yourself as though you’re made of stone, but you’re human, just like the rest of us. If you can’t go any further, then rest and let us handle what we can."

His words should have been enough to make her reconsider, but Luna’s mind was too occupied with Ethan to listen properly.

She could still remember the way Mr. Davis had spoken about her men. He didn’t see them as people. To him, they were nothing more than valuable specimens whose abilities he could exploit.

And Ethan was already in his hands.

How could she possibly sit still knowing that?

"Look at Ethan!" Luna suddenly snapped, her voice rising with frustration. "Look at what that poor man is going to be subjected to, and you’re telling me to rest?"

Adrian’s expression changed.

"You do realize that if I had never dragged you guys into this, perhaps you would all have had a better life. You wouldn’t have to keep fighting through one nightmare after another just because you chose to stay with me."

She swallowed hard, struggling to contain the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

"We keep fighting, escaping danger, and losing people. Is this even a life worth living anymore?"

Adrian’s jaw dropped.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Then his expression hardened.

"So, what’s this supposed to mean? Are you saying you don’t want us anymore? That you’re no longer interested in the family we’ve built together?"

Luna opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her a chance to respond.

"What makes you think we would have been alive if we hadn’t met you? Have you forgotten what happened at the safe zone we escaped from? The place where you took me, Rowan, and Ethan away from?"

His hands clenched at his sides.

"Have you forgotten what that place was like? Do you honestly believe we would have been better off there?"

Luna fell silent.

Adrian shook his head in disbelief.

"We’ve already passed that point, Luna. Don’t start talking as though you regret everything we’ve been through together."

His voice softened slightly, but the seriousness in his expression remained.

"It’s unfortunate that we met in a world like this. None of us asked for the apocalypse, and none of us chose to live like this. But we can still make something out of what we have."

He stepped closer to her.

"Isn’t that what we planned? To build a civilization using your space, somewhere we could live without constantly worrying about the next disaster? We were going to work toward that future together before this happened to Ethan."

Adrian held her gaze.

"So don’t go back on your own words now."

He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a firm embrace.

Luna stood stiffly for a moment.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to control her breathing. The tension she had been holding inside finally began to catch up with her, leaving her feeling as though she might either collapse or burst into tears.

She had spent so long forcing herself to remain strong that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to admit she was tired.

Now, with Adrian holding her, she could no longer pretend everything was fine.

"I’m tired, Adrian."

Her voice came out weak.

"I’m really tired."

She lowered her head, staring at the ground beneath her feet.

"Every time I think we’ve finally escaped one danger, another one appears. We’re constantly fighting, running, and trying to survive. It feels like the universe itself doesn’t want us to live."

Her fingers curled into fists.

"I can’t even close my eyes without worrying about what might happen next. Even when I get a moment to rest, my mind keeps reminding me of all the horrible things that could happen if I’m not prepared."

She let out a shaky breath.

"I’m tired of being afraid. I’m tired of always having to think about what comes next. And now Ethan..."

Her voice faltered.

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

The thought of Ethan being tortured, experimented on, or forced to endure something he couldn’t fight against made her chest ache.

She had seen enough cruelty in this world to know that Mr. Davis wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him if it meant getting what he wanted.

And the worst part was that she couldn’t protect him right now.

Luna’s legs suddenly weakened.

She staggered backward, and Adrian immediately tightened his arms around her, supporting her before she could fall.

"Easy," he murmured.

For a moment, he simply held her, allowing her to gather herself before speaking again.

"It’s an apocalypse, Luna. We’re among the few survivors still breathing in a world that has become a living nightmare. This is our reality now, whether we like it or not."

He paused, choosing his next words carefully.

"And if we want to survive until the end, I’m afraid we’ll have to fight harder than ever."

Luna slowly lifted her head.

Adrian gave her a tired smile.

"The world might not want us to reach the end, but we’ve defied fate countless times already. We’ve survived things that should have killed us. We’ve escaped places where we could easily have died."

He gently squeezed her shoulders.

"So why should this time be any different?"

Luna stared at him, unable to find an immediate answer.

Adrian had a point, even if she hated admitting it.

They had survived because they refused to give up on one another. Every time one of them had fallen, someone else had reached out a hand. Every time they had encountered something stronger than themselves, they had found a way to fight back.

They had never been invincible.

They had simply refused to let their circumstances decide how their story would end.

"You made us who we are today," Adrian continued.

Luna’s eyes widened slightly.

"The truth is, before I met you, I wasn’t this confident. I never thought I would find people who would accept me for who I am, especially after everything I’d been through."

His smile grew faint.

"I thought I would always have to keep parts of myself hidden. I thought that if people saw my flaws, my problems, and all the things I struggle with, they would eventually turn their backs on me."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"But then I met you."

Luna remained silent, listening.

"Since then, I’ve found a family. A family that doesn’t judge me for my mistakes, my crises, or even my clumsiness. You gave me a place where I could be myself without constantly worrying about whether I would be rejected."

His voice grew firmer.

"That’s what we share, Luna. We’re not just a group of people who happen to possess powerful abilities. We’re a family, and the bond we’ve built is one of the reasons we’re still alive."

He leaned closer, making sure she understood every word.

"And that bond is what will keep us alive until the end. I fucking mean it."

For the first time since Ethan’s disappearance, Luna’s expression softened.

A small, tired smile appeared on her face.

Adrian had always been gentle with her, but there were moments when his determination surprised her. He might not always be the loudest person in the room, yet when it mattered, he knew exactly what to say.

"So, Luna," he continued, "you’re going to rest and let your trusted men do their work."

He bent slightly, preparing to lift her into his arms.

But Luna shook her head.

"Wait."

Adrian stopped and looked at her.

"What now?"

"I think I’ve been going about this the wrong way."

His eyebrows rose.

Luna took a slow breath.

"Maybe I do need to rest, but I can’t just sit here while the others chase after someone important to us. Ethan isn’t just your companion or mine. He’s part of our family, and we should be standing beside Rowan and Kai."

She glanced toward the direction the vehicle had disappeared.

"Don’t you think?"

Adrian released a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"Why are you so stubborn, Luna? Honestly, I’m getting tired of you trying to carry everything on your shoulders."

He shook his head.

"Why can’t you understand that not everything is your fault?"

Luna’s lips curved into a small smile.

"I’m not blaming myself, Adrian."

He gave her a look that clearly said he didn’t believe her entirely.

She ignored it.

"I just want us to be complete again. That’s the only way I’ll be able to sleep peacefully."

Her expression changed, becoming frighteningly calm.

"And as for Mr. Davis..."

She paused, her eyes narrowing.

"I want to gut him with my dagger and watch him struggle to breathe. That’s the only way I’ll be able to have sweet dreams. Otherwise, all I’m going to see when I close my eyes are nightmares."

Adrian stared at her.

Then he slowly covered his face with one hand.

Good grief.

He had just spent several minutes trying to convince her to stop pushing herself, and somehow, they had ended up discussing how she wanted to kill their enemy.

There was absolutely no reasoning with this woman.

"Fine," he muttered, lowering his hand. "All I can do now is help you, can’t I?"

Luna’s smile widened slightly.

Adrian shook his head, but there was no real anger in his expression.

"I’ll teleport us to where Rowan and Kai are. We’ll catch up with them and bring down that madman together."

He bent to pick her up, preparing to carry her so she wouldn’t have to strain herself any further.

However, just as he was about to activate his ability, Luna suddenly raised her head.

"Wait! I know what we’re going to do."

Adrian paused.

"You do?"

"Yes."

She looked toward the direction of the vehicle, her mind already working through the possibilities.

"I just realized something. If we charge in recklessly, another dangerous battle will break out, and someone could get hurt again. I don’t want that to happen."

Adrian studied her face.

"And what exactly are you planning?"

Luna gave him a knowing look.

"You’ll see when we get there."

He stared at her for another moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty."

With that, he lifted her into his arms, holding her securely in a bridal carry.

A powerful gust of wind swept around them.

Adrian slammed his foot against the floor, and a massive crack immediately spread beneath them. The ground split open, revealing a dark vortex that twisted and churned like a whirlpool suspended in the earth.

Inside the swirling darkness, Luna could make out two familiar figures.

Rowan and Kai.

Both men were chasing the vehicle with furious determination, refusing to let Mr. Davis get away.

Luna’s eyes sharpened.

"Take me there!"

Adrian tightened his hold on her.

"As you wish."

Without another word, he jumped into the vortex.

The darkness swallowed them, and the opening snapped shut behind them.

---

Meanwhile, Ethan was slowly regaining consciousness.

Pain throbbed through his arms and legs, making it difficult to move. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and for several seconds, he couldn’t remember what had happened or why his entire body hurt so badly.

He tried to open his eyes.

It took considerable effort, but eventually, he managed to force them apart.

The first thing he saw was a metallic surface directly beneath his face.

Before he could make sense of his surroundings, the vehicle lurched violently.

His body was thrown forward.

BAM!

His face struck the metal floor, and a groan escaped his lips.

"Fuck... that’s brutal."

He tried to push himself up, but the movement sent another wave of pain through his limbs.

Grimacing, he gripped the sides of the structure surrounding him.

Only then did he realize that he wasn’t lying on an ordinary floor.

His hands met cold metal bars, and when he turned his head, he discovered that he was enclosed inside a long, tank-like cage.

Four metal walls surrounded him, leaving barely enough room for him to move comfortably.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

He tried to sit up, but the vehicle shook again, forcing him to grab the bars to keep himself from falling.

Panic began to creep into his chest.

He was inside a moving vehicle, locked in a metal enclosure, with no idea where he was being taken.

Then the memories came rushing back.

Mr. Davis.

The creatures.

The battle.

Luna.

His expression changed immediately.

"No!"

He grabbed the bars and pulled himself upright, ignoring the pain spreading through his body.

"Luna! Luna!"

His voice echoed inside the enclosure, but there was no response.

He looked around desperately, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of his companions or find some indication that they had managed to follow him.

There was nothing.

Only the metallic walls and the steady vibration of the moving vehicle.

"Luna!"

He slammed his fists against the enclosure.

"Rowan! Kai! Adrian! Can anyone hear me?"

Silence answered him.

His breathing grew ragged.

He couldn’t tell how far they had travelled or how long he had been unconscious. For all he knew, they could already be miles away from the place where the battle had taken place.

He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Ethan struck the metal walls again, harder this time.

The moment his hands connected with the enclosure, a strange force surged through it.

A violent beam of energy slammed into his body.

"AH!"

His muscles seized, and he was thrown backward. Before he could recover, the force struck him again, driving him toward the floor.

He tried to raise his hands to protect himself, but his body refused to cooperate.

"What... the..."

His words came out as a strangled groan.

The beam forced him down, and his head struck the metal surface with a sickening crack.

For a brief moment, Ethan struggled to remain conscious.

His vision blurred, and the world around him began to spin.

He could feel something warm running down his forehead. Blood trickled over his face, and another painful sensation spread through his nose and mouth.

He tried to move.

He tried to call for Luna one last time.

But his strength was fading too quickly.

The darkness closed in around him, swallowing the metallic enclosure and the distant sound of the engine.

Then Ethan’s eyes rolled shut.

His body fell limp against the floor, blood still running from his forehead, nose, and mouth.

And the vehicle continued moving, carrying him farther away from the people who were desperately trying to save him.