When the last man got off Celine, she was barely alive. She was breathing weakly, more in than out.
Vanissa was sitting in Lorenzo's arms, looking down at Celine from above.
Seeing Celine's body covered in bruises and dirt, Vanissa's beautiful face was full of twisted pleasure.
"Hahaha, doesn't she look like a dog?"
Celine heard that sharp voice. It felt like a needle stabbing into her brain. Her scattered mind suddenly became clear.
She used the last bit of her strength and slowly opened her swollen eyes.
Through the blurry vision, she saw Vanissa's proud face and Lorenzo's cold, heartless eyes.
A deep hatred rushed out from her chest.
"You two... will die badly... go to hell..."
Vanissa didn't get angry. She laughed even harder.
"Hell? Celine, that wish might come true in your next life. But this life…"
She dragged the words on purpose. Her eyes were full of cruelty.
"Your whole family is dead. Except for that dumb little brother of yours."
"But he's not doing much better. The idiot has gone crazy. Now he's both dumb and mad. Hahaha."
Vanissa's words and her sharp laughter felt like knives stabbing into Celine's heart.
She remembered her mother being forced to drink poison.
Her oldest brother lying injured in a pool of blood.
Her second brother jumping off a building in despair.
Her third brother dying in a horrible car crash.
Her fourth brother dying unfairly in prison.
Her youngest brother being bullied until he went insane.
Scene after scene played in her mind like a nightmare, tearing at her heart and pushing her deeper into pain.
Celine wanted to scream. She wanted to move. But she didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
Her mind became fuzzy. Everything in front of her looked twisted and unclear.
Lorenzo frowned with disgust and held Vanissa closer.
"Enough, Vanissa. Stop talking to her. It's gross. Let's go."
Vanissa gave Celine one last cold look. She turned away like she was throwing out garbage and walked out of the factory.
The floor under Celine was cold like ice. It sucked the last bit of warmth from her body.
Darkness came quickly, like waves, swallowing her completely.
Gasp. Gasp.
Celine sat up in bed suddenly, breathing hard.
Her pajamas were soaked in cold sweat. They stuck to her skin, making her feel uncomfortable all over.
Outside the window, everything was dark. Only a little starlight came through the curtains, shining softly in the room.
This was already the third day.
For three days, she couldn't believe she had really come back to life.
She didn't feel much happiness. Instead, she felt fear and worry that she couldn't shake.
Those painful memories from her past life followed her day and night like a nightmare.
"I won't let those things happen again. Never."
Celine spoke in a low voice. Her hands were shaking, but her tone was firm.
She held tightly to the safety charm around her neck. The cold feeling of the stone helped her calm down a little.
It was a white jade pendant, smooth and warm. In the dark, it gave off a soft glow.
This was the only thing her late father had left her. It was her most precious treasure.
Suddenly, a strong dizziness hit her. Celine felt everything go dark. It was like something invisible pulled her away.
"Ah"
She shouted, trying to grab something. But there was nothing to hold on to.
When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a strange courtyard she had never seen before.
The small courtyard was not big, but it was very clean.
In the middle of the yard stood an osmanthus tree. Under the tree was a clear spring.
There were two wooden doors on the courtyard wall. One faced east, the other west. They were not in the front or back. On each side, a red lantern was hanging.
On the lanterns, the words "Pawn Shop" were written in big letters.
Pawn shop?
Celine felt confused.
Could it be...
She looked down at the peace charm in her hand. It was still glowing with a soft light, but now it was even brighter than before.
Celine felt a strange feeling, as if there was a connection.
Just then, the weather inside the courtyard changed.
A moment ago, the sun was shining brightly. But in the blink of an eye, it turned to evening.
The wooden door facing east creaked open by itself. The red lantern hanging on the door suddenly lit up.
The sudden change scared Celine. She stepped back two steps.
She froze for a second, then quickly turned around and ran into the small house behind her. She hid behind the counter.
Through a small crack in the counter, Celine saw something outside the east door. Two rows of lanterns appeared in the air. They stretched far into the distance, like they were welcoming someone.
The strange scene gave her chills. Her mind started to imagine all kinds of scary things.
At that moment, a tall figure appeared outside the east gate.
It was a man with torn clothes and messy hair.
Even though she could not see his face clearly, his body was strong and big. His arms were full of muscles. He looked very powerful and not someone easy to deal with.
He was looking around, clearly confused by what he saw.
Celine held her breath and stayed still.
Who was this man?
Where did he come from?
Why did he also appear here?
The man was Red. His mind was full of questions too.
Half a month ago, he was the second leader at the top base in the apocalypse. Everyone respected him.
His father-in-law, the leader of the base, had always trusted him.
"S City has a big underground food storage. Enough for the base to eat for two years. I don't trust anyone else. I only trust you."
Red believed him. He took his best team and went to find it. But it was a trap.
There was no food inside. Only hundreds and hundreds of zombies.
As soon as they entered, the zombies screamed and rushed out like a flood.
The fight was terrible.
His teammates died one by one. His wife died protecting him. She was torn apart by zombies.
He used all his strength to escape alive. Then he heard something shocking.
His father-in-law had found his long-lost son. That son also brought back news about a food supply that could feed the base for two years.
Son?
That child born outside the family?
Red understood everything in an instant. His father-in-law had used him and his wife. They were just tools to help that son take power.
The hate in Red's heart burned strong. He wanted to go back and get revenge for his wife and his team.
But before he could do anything, people came to kill him.
His father-in-law and that son knew he had survived. They sent people to finish him off.
Outnumbered, Red and his teammates had to keep hiding and running. Now they had nothing left. No way out.
Just when everything felt hopeless, the courtyard appeared in front of him. On the gate was a red lantern with two words: Pawn Shop.