Could even Ms. Hall save him? Lily's stomach tightened at the thought. Fine. With so many high-level zombies swarming that place, not even Ms. Hall might be able to get him out. But if she couldn't…Lily lowered her head and clenched her fists. She would make one last attempt to save him, and this time, she would go alone. Together in life, together in death. Honey, wait for me. At that moment, she heard the sound of tap-tap-tap. Amid the roar of gunfire and zombies, a helicopter approached as the first light of dawn broke. The helicopter landed beside Lily. The cabin door opened. Several people from East Sea Camp were the first to step out. Calvin led the way and felt the familiar walls of their base beneath his feet, as if no time had passed at all. They're back. Even though they had only been gone for a day and a night, that rescue mission had felt like it lasted forever. They had faced countless high-level zombies, the underground horde, the zombie Legion, and survived one life-or-death escape after another. In the end, they had all returned! It was almost overwhelming. Behind him, a few people who had been trapped for days could not help but feel weak in the knees from excitement. They were all home. They had never imagined this day would come. When they were trapped in the underground warehouse, they had accepted the possibility of dying there. Now they stood alive on the walls of their base, watching the bright new sun rise, and none of them could hold back their tears. They were all home. They were back! At that moment, a figure in a winter coat dashed toward them like the wind. "Honey!" Lily pushed through the crowd and sank into the arms of the last man to come down. For the first time, her usual composure slipped, and she looked fragile and flustered, almost unexpectedly vulnerable. "You finally came back." Her voice shook as she clung to him. The others stayed silent and looked away, each weighed down by emotions they could not show. Not a single person dared speak. Then, a soft voice sounded. "Harrance, I can't move. Can you help me?" Clara's voice called out from inside the helicopter. She had been the most seriously injured among those rescued. Her waist, her face, her whole body—Theresa had left her like this. Harrance stiffened at her words. hen a familiar voice came from the cockpit. "What's going on with her? Quentin, get her down." heresa's tone left no room for argument. "Got it! Beautiful!" Quentin kicked her down from inside. Clara barely had a chance to protest before she landed with a hard thud. Lily, still holding Harrance, couldn't understand what had just happened. She loosened her grip and moved forward to help. "Clara, what happened?"Clara had been Lily and Harrance's classmate for more than ten years. During high school, she had even shared a desk with them. She had asked to sit with Lily to learn from her, and the teacher had happily agreed, impressed by her dedication. That arrangement lasted all three years. Clara had been there every time Lily tutored Harrance, but after three years, her grades showed little improvement. In the end, only Lily and Harrance were accepted into the province's top university. Clara gave up the chance to attend a distant second-tier school and enrolled in a junior college closer to home instead. She had once told Lily she was used to being around them and could not leave them. Whenever Lily and Harrance went on dates, Clara would follow them, even going out of her way to cross between schools each day just to have lunch with them. Lily had sensed something off once and jokingly asked Harrance if Clara liked him. Harrance had been furious and disgusted. That Clara? She doesn't deserve me. Yes, Clara did not deserve him. She was no match for Lily—less attractive, poorer background, and a petty, sensitive personality. Lily had never seen Clara as a threat, so she never let her guard down. Later, when Lily wanted to work as Harrance's assistant to keep other women away, she had simply found a job for Clara too, thinking it would keep her close without harm. Even when the apocalypse began, Clara stayed close to them. Thanks to Lily's trust and her own ability, she had continued to participate in missions with Harrance. Lily had never doubted her.