Clark wiped the dust and dirt from his face, spat out the mud from his mouth, and struggled to stand up.
His eyes were filled with confusion as he looked up at the sky.
The dim air was filled with dust from the explosion, and a pungent, unpleasant smell permeated the entire atmosphere.
Leaning against the wall, he gasped for a while, then grabbed the edge of the deep pit and began to climb up.
All the strength in his body seemed to have vanished, and he was enveloped by a dizzy, muddled sensation.
Climbing out of the deep pit, Clark, breathing heavily, looked around.
The scene before his eyes stunned him!
The ground appeared to have been bombed, with overturned soil scattered everywhere, and thick trees were snapped in half.
Buildings not far away were also damaged, wind turbines had collapsed to the ground, and rubble and debris were scattered nearby.
His friend Pete's car was overturned on the roadside, steaming.
"No!"
Clark, distraught, shook his head, uttering a pained whisper, "No, no, no!"
He quickly ran to Pete's car, pushed open the car window, and looked at his best friend inside.
Pete lay unconscious in the car, blood flowing from his head.
"Pete! Pete!"
While desperately pulling at the car window, Clark shouted to him, "Wake up, wake up, Pete!"
But with all his strength gone, Clark couldn't break the car window no matter how hard he pulled.
"Ah!!!"
Clark cried out in pain, pulling at the car window with all his might.
Pain, self-blame, regret—various emotions intertwined and assaulted his heart, making him want to cry out loud.
Unable to open the jammed car window, Clark staggered to his feet, grabbed the edge of the car, and tried to push the overturned car upright.
Gripping the car with all his might, Clark cried out in agony, "Get up for me!"
However, no matter how hard he tried, the car remained motionless.
Just as he was about to despair, a hand grabbed the edge of the car.
Clark looked back and saw that Eric had arrived and was gently supporting the car for him.
With a creaking sound, Eric slightly lifted the car with one hand and pulled open the car door with the other.
Seeing the car door open, Clark didn't bother to greet Eric and immediately knelt down to drag the unconscious Pete out of the car.
Eric glanced at the bewildered and remorseful Clark, nodded, and led Pete away from the scene.
After Eric left, Jonathan looked at Clark, who was about to speak, "Clark, the most important thing you need to do right now is to go change your clothes."
At the Smallville Medical Center, Clark, having changed his clothes, ran breathlessly down the corridor.
He happened to encounter Jonathan standing outside a patient room in the corridor.
"How is Pete? Dad."
"Moderate concussion, fractures, and a head injury. He's still in a coma, and the doctor said they can't determine when he'll wake up."
Jonathan's tone was calm, "It's not just Pete; there are many others injured by the earthquake. Listen to the wailing in the hospital; these are all victims who were just admitted. Clark, what did you do?"
Although his tone was calm, beneath that calm was an explosion barely suppressed.
"I... I stole chemicals from school, wanting to blow up that cave related to Krypton."
Clark kept his head down, not daring to look his father in the eyes.
He felt the aura emanating from his father, an aura that could erupt at any moment.
"You—why did you do that?"
Jonathan turned around and walked step by step behind Clark; his body was trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't tell you the truth. After the spaceship was moved to the North Pole, I could still often hear that sound, and I often sleepwalked at night; it would guide me into that cave. I don't want to be controlled, I... I had no choice."
Clark's eyes were filled with self-blame and unease, "I'm sorry, Dad."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Jonathan faced the wall, one hand resting on it, and asked with a trembling voice.
"Because I knew you wouldn't let me do that."
Clark, with reddened eyes, moved closer to Jonathan, "Dad, I don't want him to take me away from you. I don't want to hurt you and Mom, and Eric. I... I'm sorry for what I did."
"I told you! Clark, you need to think about the consequences!"
Jonathan suddenly turned around to face Clark, "Just a few nights ago at dinner, I told you that we are a family, and no matter what happens, we can share it together, but you never considered that!"
His voice was filled with undisguised disappointment and anger.
"Dad, I wanted to..."
"There are no excuses now, Clark!"
Jonathan roared, pointing at Pete in the hospital room, "It's all too late. You didn't consider everything thoroughly, you didn't think about what might happen. Now, your friend, innocent people, have been hurt. If it weren't for Eric, Mom and I would have been hurt. You even turned a wedding into a bloody wedding. Clark, you never grew up, never learned how to recognize consequences, and never learned to consider everything carefully."
"Sir, this is a hospital, please keep quiet."
A doctor who came out of the room reminded Jonathan.
Jonathan shook his head, glanced at the patients in the corridor, then turned and left.
As he left, his gaze did not fall on Clark again.
Clark watched his father's back, wanting to follow him, but after two steps, he stopped.
He stared blankly at Jonathan's disappearing back, his eyes filled with confusion and regret.
On the way from the Smallville Medical Center to the farm, Clark was in a daze.
He didn't know how he got back to the farm; when he came to his senses, he found himself standing in the farmyard.
Eric was standing in front of him, quietly looking at him.
"Eric?"
"I guess Dad must have reprimanded you."
Eric had just come from the cave, the source of the explosion.
After a brief investigation of the scene, he collected everything that could potentially expose information to the outside world.
Upon returning to the farm, he found Clark walking towards the farm with a blank look in his eyes.
"But it's not beyond redemption, Clark. If I were you, I might have done the same."
Breaking character, Eric comforted his older brother, "Although most of the time, I wouldn't cause consequences like yours."
"It's all my fault."
Clark shook his head, his eyes revealing confusion and helplessness, "Just like before, I keep bringing misfortune and tragedy to those around me. That's just the kind of existence I am, Eric."
"Maybe what you said before is right; I never know what path to choose; I've always drifted with the current. I want to hide my past and push everything away, but I can't."
Clark walked a few steps in the yard and continued to the silent Eric, "Maybe he's right, if I don't leave, everyone I care about will be hurt, Eric, you, Mom, Dad, and Pete..."
As he spoke, he walked outside, muttering breathlessly and nervously, "I have to do something, I have to leave here!"
"Clark!"
Eric called out to Clark, who was about to leave, "You'd better know what you're doing."
"I know, I'm very clear-headed now, Eric. Leaving is the best option for me, don't stop me!"
Clark turned around, his eyes slightly red, "I don't know why fate gave me this outcome, but I won't choose the hardest path, nor the easiest. I want to be free from anyone's manipulation. So please, don't stop me."
He looked at the distant sunset, trying hard to control his emotions.
"Take care of Dad and Mom."
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew through the courtyard, and Clark's figure disappeared before Eric.
Eric did not stop Clark again, merely watching him disappear before his eyes.
If this was the path Clark chose, even if it might be wrong.
Then for him to step forward and stop him, unless he tied him up in the end, there was no way to change his mind.
After leaving the farm, Clark first went to the hospital to check on Pete in the ward, as well as the innocent people affected by the earthquake. Afterwards, he came to the school newspaper office.
"Clark!"
Chloe was in the school newspaper office and, seeing Clark rush in, immediately stood up, "Clark, I just went to the farm and didn't see you. Where have you been?"
Clark didn't answer her and began to search through the cabinets in the school newspaper office.
"Clark? Are you okay? I heard about Pete... What are you looking for? I can help you."
Chloe walked over to him, watching Clark rummage through everything, and asked him.
"It's too late, Chloe, no one can help me now."
As he spoke, Clark placed a drawer on the table, searching through its contents, "Where did you hide those red Krypton stone rings?"
Chloe asked him in surprise, "What do you want that for? You know the influence that thing has on you. There's no way I'd let you touch those things."
"Yes, I know, but it might make me feel better."
After searching through the drawer and not finding it, Clark started rummaging through a storage box.
"Maybe you should talk to your parents."
Chloe suggested, a worried expression on her face.
"I tried!"
Clark stopped what he was doing, faced Chloe, and said excitedly, "You should see the way my father looks at me. He looks at me like I'm an alien."
"If... if I had done what I should have done from the beginning, then none of this would have happened!"
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