章節 100: 2.68
"I told you to stay away from him," Victoria leaned against the open door frame, inspecting her nails nonchalantly, "now you've gone ahead and caught the general's attention."
The sudden intrusion had my guard up instantly, dagger drawn as I turned to put myself between Victoria and Izzy.
"What do you want?" Though I tried my best to control my emotions, the words still came out aggressive alongside my stance.
She chuckled, raising her hands in an innocent and defensive manner.
"Calm down killer," she tutted whilst rolling her eyes, "I come in peace."
"Like the last time?" I had been lucky enough to avoid her all these months, trying to avoid attention and taking the high road. At the end of the day, I had no intentions of approaching Noah before, but now I had an inkling of who he was…
Who was I kidding I did not deserve the man.
"I let my emotions get the best of me I admit; however, I thought we were on the same page?" She quirked a questioning brow.
"We are, all I care about is keeping my daughter safe," the grip on the hilt tightened as nerves overwhelmed me, visions of the sweet girl behind me pale, lifeless, her lips blue.
"Hmmm… sure." She didn't seem to believe me. Sure Hannah had been a bit neglectful and distant with Izzy, but I had been everything but that.
"If that's the case I'd advise you to leave this place as fast as you can, if you think the blood test was the last you'll hear from that man you're sorely mistaken."
She spoke as if she knew the General's plans for Izzy in his super soldier program, in his quest for power, and in staying alive in this crazy world. Had she overheard something, or was she involved, or worse yet, was she an immortal too who'd travelled back in time with Noah?
"I understand."
At my words she nodded her head and dismissed herself, closing the door.
The sound of the key turning in the lock after made my stomach drop. The adrenaline still coursed through my veins despite her disappearing.
"Nyx are you here?" I asked quietly into the empty room, feeling like an idiot for talking to thin air.
"Yes Miss?" She appeared out of thin air beside the large patio doors.
"Do you know where Noah went?" I asked pulling food out of my space to give Izzy her belated breakfast.
"Yes, I can locate him at all times," she replied in her usual curt, cold manner.
"Great, we're leaving camp at nightfall, can you monitor the guards' patterns?"
She nodded and disappeared again. Someday I'd get used to that, someday.
During the day General Lee sent supplies, including food to my room. Having been poisoned horrifically once before as Katsuki, there was no way I was going to allow myself to make the same mistake twice.
I simply tossed the food into my space inside a bucket and gave the plate back with a smile on my face to the guards outside the door.
In the evening I had a quick nap, ensuring Nyx was watching over Izzy, and keeping her up so I could get her to sleep when I woke.
By the time the sun had set and the camp had quietened down to a lull, whilst I, on the other hand, was wide awake and had a sleepy Izzy in the sling on my back.
At the open patio doors, I hesitated, the future events Hannah had endured playing in my mind.
"We have a ten-minute window," Nyx appeared at the balcony edge, perched on the wooden fencing.
"Great," I sighed, taking a last glance around the room Hannah had spent the last three years of her miserable life.
Closing my eyes I reached out to the tall oak tree situated not far off, it responded to my energy eagerly, its branches weaving to reach the balcony edge.
Carefully, cautious of Izzy who was sleeping on my back, I climbed onto its branches and walked along to its main trunk, resting a hand to feed it a little energy in thanks. I wondered if the people here were aware that the trees were all sentient and feeding heavily on the Virus now firmly rooted in the world's ecosystem.
After requesting System to adjust my vision, I glanced around to see the faint outlines of light around me showing the living souls nearby.
Selecting the branch closest to the fence surrounding the property, I allowed the tree to gently stretch towards it before gently climbing down, taking a quick seven or eight-foot drop to the ground on the other side.
Freedom.
Oh, how I hated to be the prey in a snare.
One day I'd become a predator so fierce that men like the General wouldn't even think to mess with me… one day.
I'd do it all for the little bundle on my back snoozing peacefully. Wary of the souls moving close by, I hoped the dose of melatonin I'd requested the System to administer to her ensure she stayed quiet until the morning sun rose.
Making my way through the shadows in the unlit path I headed back towards the makeshift caravan park, to the forest behind the home I now had to abandon all over again.
Reaching the wall that ran through the woods I paused, hand touching the cool concrete whilst I tried to muster the strength to climb to the other side, where dangers would be at every corner I turned.
In my mind, I tried to weigh the pros and cons of leaving the camp.
"Nyx, where did Noah go?"
She appeared sitting on top of the wall above me, "to a place just over twelve miles northwest of here, he took most of his squad on a scouting mission on words that another survivor camp had been established there."
"Will is there with him too right?" I took a few steps back to get a clear view of her face, though it was hidden behind a mask, dressed all in black she looked every part the shadow guard Noah explained her to be.
"Yes, alongside a lot of the others you met on your last escapade outside these walls."
She had witnessed that… my eyes drifted to the floor as I tried to hide the embarrassed look on my face. I'd been so stupid and naive before, desperate to find someone to lean on, too scared, insecure, and lazy to stand on my own two feet.
Mentally I spurred myself to action, conscious that at any moment someone could catch on to my disappearance. If the general was as desperate as he had been in Hannah's memories of the future, he'd not take too kindly to me trying to leave with Izzy.
After asking for help from the nearest tree, I awkwardly climbed up to the top of the wall, standing beside Nyx, then looked out to the vast forest before me.
Taking one last glance behind me at the place that had peacefully protected me so far, I couldn't help but feel slightly reluctant to move forward. Though I'd exercised and practiced with my swords, within the security of the forest, I was still out of practice in actual combat.
It was just twelve miles, a twenty or so minute drive, I could do this. My mind connected with the plants ahead, feeling every living creature roaming its depths. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"It's now or never…" I muttered to myself, reaching out to the nearest tree for assistance to scramble down.
As my feet touched the ground I felt the adrenaline rise in my body, my heart thumping away encouraging my every step forward, creating distance to the place that may have once been my heaven, yet had only ever been Hannah's hell.
創作者的想法 
Raychbunni
Raychbunni This is my ninety-ninth chapter of the story (not including the bonus chapter), cannot believe I've gotten this far. I'll be honest and say I'm feeling a little insecure, I've put a lot of passion and love into my writing, though I'm aware that it needs polishing and refining.
I'm working hard on trying to improve my writing skills and I hope you agree and see the improvement as we go forward if you continue on this journey with me. Thank you to everyone who's reading and adding me to their library, letting me know that at least my work is giving some of you enjoyment.
I've been contracted a while back, I think August, but I really wanted my first one hundred chapters to be free so that you can really understand and get into the story and get a feel for my writing style before committing to paying any coins for future work.
I'll also be releasing a second novel based in the same universe in a month or so, which will not affect my writing/upload speed for this one, don't worry. In all future works, I'll be continuing the first one hundred chapters being free.
Thanks again for your love and support, you all mean a lot to me <3
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