"Don't take it off, Natalie will be done in just a couple of minutes." Cassian did not remove his own mask either. After all, he could be transported out at any moment. Lucky grew restless. "Ow ow! Ow ow ow!" I want water! My master said I could come in and drink! Cassian patted her head. "Be good, don't worry, we'll be out soon." Lucky huffed. Stupid human! Can't understand dog language! In her eyes, Cassian's handsome face lost a good bit of its shine. There was not much left in the old house. Natalie ran while collecting and quickly had everything packed away. Once the villa was emptied and she walked out safe and sound, she released Cassian and Lucky from the space. She leaned against him with a teasing smile. "Sorry, I didn't tell you before tossing you into the space." Cassian seemed to think of something, and the corners of his lips curved. He was not angry at all. "Come on, let's go home." But Lucky was not having it. She had just gotten Cassian to understand she wanted water. But right when the mask came off, she was sent out again. She whined in frustration. Natalie knew that usually, if the dog came out of the space barking, it meant she had not had her fill of spring water. But today, Natalie was not letting her back in. "Enough for today. That'll do. Who told you to dig through the trash?" Lucky stomped her paws. "Ow ow ow! Ow ow ow!" But I didn't even drink any yet! Not a drop! Natalie stared at her. "Still gonna dig through trash again?" Lucky shook her head immediately. "Good." Lucky perked up, sitting straight, ready to be sent back in. But Natalie only said, "Come on, let's go home." Lucky's ears twitched in disbelief. Natalie strapped the mask back on her, and the three of them headed home, their figures swallowed by the fog. Moments later, another figure dragged himself painfully toward Villa 14. It was Jacob. His wounds had already been infected, and Derek's punches had landed hard, especially on his head. He had been unconscious the whole night. When he finally woke up, the door was wide open and the fog had filled the house. With his vision limited, his anxiety doubled. He shouted a few times but got no answer. Crawling around the villa, he found nothing—no people, no supplies. Thinking of Lillian and Rosalie's cold abandonment, Jacob screamed in grief and fainted again. The fog messed with him, and he kept going through cycles of waking and passing out from rage. Until the last time, when the fit gave him a heart attack. This time, he did not pass out, just clutched his chest in agony, barely daring to move until the pain eased a little. He realized he had just brushed shoulders with death. Fear replaced his anger, and he wept for a long time, snot and tears mixing on his face. All his old pride and dignity were gone. Crawling toward the door, sobbing, he thought that all hope now rested with Natalie. He had to beg her forgiveness, beg her to take him in. With one leg useless and no crutch, Jacob could only crawl like a worm, dragging himself inch by inch until he finally reached Villa 14. He looked up with desperate hope, only to see the gaping gate and ruined walls. What happened? Did Natalie's house collapse in the quake? In disbelief, he crawled inside and found nothing—no one, no supplies. He exhaled, his mind racing. Looks like Natalie had already taken everything and left. Where would she go? Then Cassian came to mind, and Jacob's eyes lit up. That girl must have moved into Villa 1 to stay with Mr. Holland! Thinking this, he suddenly felt strength return, and he turned to crawl back out. But halfway there, the villa finally gave way with a thunderous crash, collapsing in an instant. Jacob let out a scream before being buried beneath the rubble.Dust filled the air, then slowly settled. Only the fog still lingered. Two hours later, a bloodied hand trembled out of the wreckage. Meanwhile, in a dark basement, an old woman with graying hair was tied to a crude bed, a rag stuffed in her mouth, muffled sobs escaping her throat. It was Maisie. Tear tracks streaked her face as she struggled, whimpering softly. A shadow walked into the dim room, clicking their tongue in disdain. "So noisy. Wasn't the operation a success? All the needles in your body have been removed." Maisie glared, pointing at her wounds with her chin. Sure, the needles were gone, but her body had been badly injured in the process.