The villa was quiet—too quiet.
Luo double-checked the reinforced doors and barricaded windows, motioning for Lily and Mia to stay near the fire. He could feel something in the air, but couldn't name it yet. A low tension vibrated beneath his skin, making his senses sharper than usual.
Mia sat stiffly, still glaring at Lily. "I still don't like the way you lean on him."
Lily smirked, casually spinning a glass of water in her hands. "I don't lean. I float."
Mia groaned dramatically. "You're impossible."
Luo chuckled quietly. "You two are going to be the death of me."
---
Suddenly—a loud crash echoed outside.
"White Hand!" Luo shouted.
Zombies shuffled closer, drawn to the commotion, but the real threat was human: soldiers with white armbands and guns trained on the villa.
Mia grabbed a metal pipe. "Here we go."
Lily frowned. "I don't like this." She lifted her hands instinctively, and water from a broken vase began spiraling in the air, forming a thin, trembling barrier around them.
"Lily!" Luo hissed. "Don't panic."
"I'm not!" she said defensively, but the water obeyed her anyway, forming jagged arcs between her fingers. Mia blinked in shock.
"Okay… that's new," Mia whispered, hiding her jealousy behind awe.
---
The White Hand team kicked down the back door.
Luo reacted instinctively, grabbing the nearest metal pipe. He moved with uncanny speed, blocking bullets—not dodging yet, just instinctively positioning himself to minimize harm to the others. One shot grazed his shoulder; he didn't flinch.
Mia froze for a second, eyes wide. "How… how did you—?"
"Focus," Luo said, voice calm, but his chest thrummed strangely—an old, buried rhythm of power he didn't fully understand.
---
Lily twirled her hands, and the water surged forward, knocking two soldiers off their feet with a wet, forceful sweep.
Mia scowled. "Seriously?! She's showing off again!"
"I'm not showing off!" Lily yelled, spinning around to shove a zombie through a half-collapsed wall. "I'm surviving!"
Mia rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the grudging admiration.
Luo grabbed her hand. "Stay close," he said. "Don't separate."
Mia muttered under her breath, "He only says that to her…"
---
Amid the chaos, they fought like a strangely coordinated trio:
Luo instinctively positioning, deflecting bullets, and protecting them.
Lily using water to trip, push, or shield them—her control still subtle, inconsistent, almost accidental.
Mia swinging pipes and kicking with precision, fueled by jealousy and determination.
At one point, Lily accidentally splashed Mia with water, causing her to slip.
"You—ugh! You did that on purpose!" Mia yelled.
"I did not!" Lily replied, grinning.
"Luo, tell her she's lying!" Mia demanded.
"Stop yelling!" Luo snapped, exasperated—but inwardly amused.
---
After minutes of fighting, the White Hand retreated temporarily.
They weren't defeated. They were only delayed.
The villa trembled slightly under the explosions nearby. Smoke crept in through shattered windows.
Lily slumped against Luo. "That… was intense."
Mia crossed her arms, glaring, but couldn't stop her lips from twitching into a smile. "Yeah… intense."
Luo exhaled, feeling the pressure in his chest again—something ancient, buried, responding to Lily's presence. Not now, he thought. Not yet.
He caught Lily's eyes as she looked at him, the faint shimmer of water around her fingers still visible.
"Don't push it too far," he whispered, but his voice carried a mix of awe and worry.
Lily nodded slightly, then smirked mischievously at Mia.
Mia groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the floor. "I swear… she's impossible."
Luo shook his head, laughing quietly. I need both of them alive… somehow.
---
Outside, the White Hand operative radioed:
"Target group secured in villa. Subject L confirmed. Reinforcements en route. They cannot escape. Repeat: subject L is inside. All units converge."
Luo's heart skipped.
He looked at the two women—the people he cared about more than he could admit even to himself.
And thought, I will protect them. No matter what.
---
END OF CHAPTER 9