Chapter 65: Whose Wail Echoed Across the World
Tap. Tap.
The sound of light footsteps echoed quietly inside the wrecked shopping mall. Instructor Roth swallowed dryly, his hands trembling as he gripped the alien rifle tighter.
He glanced at a disabled alien machine lying on the ground, carefully circling around it before continuing his tense and cautious climb up to the higher floors of the mall.
By the time he reached the fourth floor, the building was already half-ruined. The walls still bore gaping holes from alien bombardments, and cracks threatened to bring the entire structure crashing down at any moment. The hallways were littered with abandoned goods—shoes, hats, and bags left behind by fleeing shoppers.
Instructor Roth moved slowly along the wall, weapon raised, ready to fire at the first sign of danger.
As he approached the entrance of a clothing store, his grip on the gun faltered. From inside the store, specifically from one of the fitting rooms, he heard faint movement.
Someone was inside.
Instructor Roth steadied his breath and stepped closer. Standing before the door, he could hear it clearly now—sounds of someone moving.
Without hesitation, he raised his boot and swung it at the door—only for the door to suddenly open from the inside before his kick landed. Roth stumbled forward and fell face-first into the fitting room.
At the same moment, two figures standing inside shifted lightly to either side, avoiding his clumsy fall.
"Instructor?"
"Instructor Roth!"
His gun clattered away as he hit the ground hard. More than the pain, fear froze his body. His face turned pale, convinced he had just thrown himself into death's jaws.
But then—
Two familiar voices reached his ears. Strong hands pulled him back up.
"You two… why are you here?" Roth stammered in shock, eyes widening as he recognized the boy and girl beside him. Weren't they his students—class monitor Gwen Stacy, and the one who had vanished earlier in the suburbs, Xi Nian?
Xi Nian, calm as ever, explained, "I was worried about Gwen, so I came back quietly. I found her here, and we decided to hide together in this fitting room."
"Yes, Instructor, we were both terrified…" Gwen's beautiful eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she spoke softly, discreetly wiping the corner of her lips.
Her lips were slightly swollen and red.
The girl shot Xi Nian a sharp glance.
Xi Nian sighed inwardly. Was that really his fault? She had been the one who started it.
Roth didn't notice any of this. Staring at the two students before him, he almost didn't believe they were real. When he confirmed they truly stood there, flesh and blood, the tall, burly man suddenly covered his face and began to sob uncontrollably.
Xi Nian and Gwen froze in surprise.
"Instructor, are you alright?" Gwen asked quickly.
"I'm fine. I'm just… so happy!" Roth choked out between sobs. "Earlier, in another part of the city, I found the three students who got separated. We hid together in an underground parking lot until it was safe. Then I came here to look for the rest of you."
"Now I've found you both. That means… none of my students are missing. Before we left the school, I swore I would keep you safe. If I brought you to New York, I had to bring you back unharmed."
"And now… I've done it."
Laughing and crying at once, Roth let his fear and relief spill out.
Xi Nian and Gwen exchanged a look. All their classmates were safe. That was perhaps the greatest blessing today had brought.
Xi Nian looked at his teacher with genuine admiration. "Instructor, you're the real hero here."
…
As night fell, the sunset cast long shadows across New York's ruined skyline.
Electricity had been partially restored, and neon signs flickered to life. Yet the city streets, once bustling with life, were now rubble-strewn ruins.
Some citizens had already returned from their forced evacuation, mostly ordinary people who had nowhere else to go. The wealthy, with second or third homes elsewhere, would not return any time soon.
Still, with the alien invasion ended, the city would eventually recover.
…
Xi Nian, Gwen, and Instructor Roth reunited with the other students, who were under the care of the assistant instructor at the city's edge.
The sound of wailing still echoed everywhere, red emergency lights flashing ceaselessly.
Helicopters roared overhead as police and military forces entered the city en masse. Troops secured the central war zone, while police maintained order in the outer districts. Temporary relief stations were erected to tend to the wounded and collect the dead.
Families reunited in tears of joy. Others broke down before the bodies of their loved ones. Tragedy and relief were woven together across the city's outskirts.
Xi Nian leaned close to Gwen and whispered, "Cover for me with the instructor. I need to check on something. I'll be back soon."
"Be careful," Gwen replied softly.
Xi Nian slipped away into the chaos of the crowd.
He quickly reached a devastated district, one of the areas hit hardest by alien bombardment. Half the buildings were destroyed, only a few streetlights still casting dim light across the rubble.
And there—
He saw them immediately.
Rescue workers in protective suits were placing two bodies into white bags. Nearby, a red-haired girl stood quietly, looking utterly lost.
Without hesitation, Xi Nian walked forward and wrapped his arms around her trembling figure from behind. "Wanda, it's okay… let it out."
The girl had been holding her grief inside. Now, as if finally finding a place to lean on, she spun and collapsed into his chest, sobbing. "My mom and dad are gone… My brother is missing… I don't have any family anymore…"
Her porcelain face was streaked with tears, her small voice full of despair.
"That's not true." Xi Nian gently stroked her red hair, remembering a certain fiery little green-haired girl. His voice grew firm. "You still have family who will protect you. Pietro will be fine. And if you want… you can think of me as family too."
"Really?" Wanda's reddened eyes looked up at him, reflecting his face.
"Of course." Xi Nian smiled faintly, hand resting on her head with quiet affection.
Wanda sniffled and nodded, finally calming down.
Then, suddenly, her gaze shifted sharply toward the far side of the city.
"What is it?" Xi Nian followed her eyes. He saw only the faint red glow of the night sky at the city's edge. But in the next instant, his icy-blue pupils contracted sharply.
Someone was wailing.
That in itself wasn't unusual—after all, the entire city had just been ravaged by war. Cries of grief echoed everywhere.
But the man's wail he now heard wasn't coming from any street nearby.
It wasn't even from New York.
It came from beyond the city, from the horizon itself.
This wail carried ultrasonic resonance, too subtle for ordinary humans to hear. But to anyone with enhanced physiology, it was unmistakable—
A cry that echoed across the entire world.
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