Chapter Seven
Before heading back inside, Risa made her way to the water pump. She rinsed off the blood splatters, scrubbing her hands and arms until only faint stains remained. Running wet fingers through her hair, she exhaled slowly and straightened up.
Risa tried opening the system interface from earlier to check her current status. It appeared instantly, and she realized she could summon it at will.
---
[SYSTEM – ACTIVE]
HOST: RISA REEVES
LEVEL: 2
EXP: 35 / 200
DESIGNATION: LOCKED [Unlock Condition: ???]
[ATTRIBUTES] – (Points Available: +2)
Vitality: 0 Endurance: 0 Strength: 0 Agility: 0 Perception: 0 Crit: 0
[HOST ABILITY]
Status: LOCKED [Unlocks at Level 5]
---
The sun was bright now, and she took a moment to scan the area.
Satisfied, she stepped back into the cabin and secured the door behind her. She dragged a heavy wooden chair over and jammed it under the handle as a makeshift barricade, just in case. She did the same to the other door before finally heading toward the bedroom.
Before checking on Amelia and the kids, Risa stored away the items she had looted, making a mental note to sort through them later.
She pushed the door open. The soft creak of the hinges drew Amelia's attention, and the white-haired woman looked up from where she was crouched on the floor, using the bed as cover, her arms wrapped protectively around the twins.
The children were wide awake, their terrified faces fixed on Risa. They looked like they were trying their hardest not to cry.
Risa gave them a small, reassuring smile as she stepped further into the room. She had barely taken a few steps when the twins threw themselves into her arms, clinging to her as they finally burst into tears.
They clung to her tightly, small arms wrapping around her as if afraid she might disappear.
Risa stiffened at the sudden contact, caught off guard by how desperately they latched onto her. But after a moment, she let out a quiet chuckle and returned the embrace.
The twins couldn't remember if their mother had ever held them like this before. Aside from what had just happened, there were no other memories of warmth or closeness. But now, in this moment, it felt nice. It felt safe.
"Were you both scared?" she murmured.
Airi sniffled, nodding against her. "There were loud noises..."
Rika's grip tightened. "But you came back."
She held them a little longer, trying to comfort them.
Eventually, their small bodies grew heavier in her arms, exhaustion finally overtaking their fear. As their breathing evened out, Risa carefully shifted, glancing toward Amelia.
The white-haired woman watched in silence, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she helped Risa move the kids into a more comfortable position on the bed.
As they settled the now-sleeping twins, Risa began to shift, looking like she was about to leave, but Amelia suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?" Amelia whispered, careful not to wake the kids.
Risa looked back at her and replied in the same quiet tone, "I was planning to take a nap on the couch. Just a quick rest, then I'll keep watch again and maybe figure out our next move."
Amelia stared at her, as if trying to read her mind. The way Amelia continued holding her wrist made Risa a bit uncomfortable.
"You don't have to sleep on the couch," Amelia said after a pause. "The bed is big enough for all four of us."
Risa raised an eyebrow. Amelia hesitated, then nodded toward the empty space on the other side of the bed. "There's room."
Risa looked at her for a long moment.
"You sure?" she asked quietly.
"You've been busy. I think you should rest properly," the white-haired woman said at last, releasing her grip and lying down beside the kids.
Risa hesitated. Her instincts told her to decline, to take only a short nap and resume her watch. But she wasn't invincible, and now that the adrenaline had worn off, she could feel exhaustion settling deep into her bones.
With a quiet sigh, she carefully moved to the edge of the bed. She lay down on the left side, while Amelia took the right, the twins nestled safely between them.
Risa glanced at the children, still curled up against their mother, their small faces peaceful despite everything that had happened.
She felt... strange.
There was an unfamiliar warmth in her chest, and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
Deciding to ignore the feeling, she exhaled softly, closed her eyes, and let sleep claim her.
When Risa woke up, the sun was still up. She looked around and saw Amelia sitting on her side of the bed, her back resting against the headboard, reading a book.
Where did she find a book? Risa wondered.
"You're awake," Amelia said, looking up from the book to meet Risa's gaze.
"You didn't sleep?" Risa asked, sitting up.
"Someone had to keep watch, you know?" Amelia replied. It was a rule they had followed to survive. Someone always had to stay awake.
Risa nodded and gave her a smile. Amelia was still unsettled by how friendly Risa was acting.
Risa stood up quietly and stretched a bit. "I'm just going to step out and check something," she said before leaving the bedroom.
Amelia raised a brow. Risa didn't usually tell her where she was going or what she planned to do. She only did that if it directly involved her own survival.
Risa's body was still tired, but she figured she had rested enough. They had survived, but that didn't mean they were safe. She made her way to the pile of loot she had gathered before going to bed.
She pulled out the shotgun she had taken from the dead man outside. The metal felt cold, the weight solid in her hands. She only had a total of eight shells, but it was enough for protection.
Next, she picked up the machete. The blade was sharp, though slightly rusted along the edges. It would serve well for defense and help her avoid using the gun unless absolutely necessary.
Risa frowned. She couldn't carry everything herself, not comfortably at least. She needed to figure out how to distribute the weapons.
Her gaze flicked toward the bedroom door.
Did Amelia even know how to use a gun?
Risa wasn't sure, but if another fight broke out, they couldn't afford to rely on her alone. She would have to talk to Amelia about it.
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Author's Note:
Hello! This is the updated version of the story. Thanks for your patience!