Even the small crate of supplies Lisa had brought back yesterday was still sitting there, untouched. The candle Whitney had given them for light was still standing on the nightstand. Whitney looked around. "What's going on? Did they leave already?" Bruno nodded. "Seems like it. Everything's still here, so they probably got up before us and headed out." Whitney said, "Then let's hurry and go scavenging too. Maybe we'll run into them." Bruno thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Either way, once he locked the door, Lisa had no key. She couldn't sneak back in on her own. As long as no outsiders were left in the house, he felt a little safer. So they got ready and went out, following their plan to dig for supplies. But after wandering around the Hillside Villa District all day, they never saw a trace of the mother and her son. By the time they returned home exhausted for dinner, the two still hadn't come back. Bruno carefully checked every room again, making sure they weren't hiding anywhere. Finally, they plopped down on the couch, both confused. Whitney said, "They're not here, and they're not in the neighborhood. Did they just ... leave?" Bruno gave a short, "Yeah," then added, "Looks like it." Whitney frowned. "Why wouldn't they at least say something?" Then she suddenly remembered little Joe knocking on her door last night. "No wonder he came by so late just to give me that ... Was that his way of saying goodbye?"Bruno said, "Could be." Whitney was baffled. "Then why not just tell me? Why sneak off without a word?" Bruno didn't answer. Either way, those two outsiders were gone. They hadn't caused any trouble or taken anything, which made him feel a little more at ease. Whitney said, "See? I told you they weren't bad people. They left without touching our stuff. They even left the supplies they'd found behind for us." Bruno still looked uneasy. "Or maybe ... she just didn't care about that little crate of supplies." Whitney laughed. "Come on, how's that possible? A single mom with a kid—she was begging us for food just a few days ago." Bruno's brow furrowed. "She said she had nowhere to go. Yet she just up and left. And with an injury, too." And that wound ... Yesterday, she kept dodging treatment and wouldn't even let Whitney touch it. That's weird, right? This woman showed up out of nowhere, then disappeared just as quickly. Too many things didn't add up, and even if he couldn't figure out why. Still, since neither he nor Whitney had lost anything, he decided not to overthink it. They chatted a little more and started prepping dinner. Northlorn, Broadview District Inside a wedding hotel that had once been lively but was now abandoned, more than 500 people had gathered. In the largest banquet hall, everyone sat in neat rows, all eyes fixed at the entrance. Soon, two figures walked in—a tall woman and a small boy—under the gaze of countless onlookers. The crowd rose to their feet, voices booming as one. "Welcome back safely, Ms. Eland!" Lisa strode in confidently with her son by her side and took her seat at the head of the hall. "No need to stand on ceremony! Sit down, please." Everyone sat in unison. The pitiful, ragged single-mother act was gone. Now there was a commanding gang leader exuding authority. Her oversized, tattered cloak was gone, her hair neatly tied back. She wore freshly pressed, high-quality clothes that fit perfectly, radiating strength and warmth. Joe's shabby outfit was replaced with a clean, well-fitted set. He sat obediently beside his mother. Lisa leaned back in her chair, sharp eyes sweeping the room. "I've already scouted Greenhaven Mountain. Once this is done, everyone can relax for a year, maybe even longer!" The hall erupted in cheers. Someone started a chant. "Long live Ms. Eland!" "Long live Ms. Eland!" "Long live Ms. Eland!" Once it quieted down, Lisa raised her hand and spoke with authority. "Tonight, we finalize the battle plan. Tomorrow, we move out!" A man stood, praising her. "Whenever you lead, Ms. Eland, nothing ever goes wrong!" Another added, "Of course! Ms. Eland risked herself to gather intel for us. Where else could we find a leader like her?" This banquet hall used to host weddings. The room was divided into stage and audience sections, with Lisa and Joe seated on the stage, while the audience area below was split in two by a central aisle. Before the apocalypse, one side would've been for the bride's family, the other for the groom's. Now, the hall still felt divided. On the left, her men cheered and sang her praises. On the right, the other group sat in silence, saying nothing.