Theodore froze, stunned by the chaos spreading through the enemy ranks. Wait, those shots ... Are they coming from the Holland side? Did the Hollands really have an entire squad hidden in that villa? The Mervyns exchanged uneasy glances. After a beat, Theodore barked the order. "Fall back! Head home!" Danny frowned. "Mr. Theodore, the Hollands are fighting back too. Shouldn't we use this chance to hit them from behind and finish them off?" Theodore shot him a sharp look. "Hit them? Are you insane? In this fog, what if the Hollands mistake us for the attackers and blow us away too?" He was already jogging back toward their villa. "Retreat! And no one leaves the house again." The bodyguards finally got the message and hurried after him toward the Mervyn Villa. Only Raven lagged behind, her face blank and her eyes glazed. She was moving like a puppet on autopilot, her steps shaky. Theodore glanced at her but said nothing. When they reached the villa, the guard posted in the yard was still dutifully at his station. "Mr. Theodore! Danny! You're safe!" Theodore nodded and told Danny, "Take your men and keep guard. No matter what noises you hear outside, don't open the gates. Under no circumstances let anyone in—got it?" "Yes, sir!" The men fanned out quickly to their posts. Theodore headed toward the front door but noticed Raven still standing there, dazed. He reached back, grabbed her arm, and pulled her inside. The moment the door swung open, Celina rushed to him, tears streaking her face. "Son! My son, you're okay?!" Dave followed close behind, not running like Celina but just as anxious. Celina clutched Theodore, sobbing. "You're covered in blood! Are you hurt? Tell me now!" Theodore released Raven and squeezed his mother's hand. "Relax. None of this blood is mine. I'm fine." Celina didn't trust him at first. She ran her hands over him, checking every inch until she finally believed he was unscathed. Only then did she breathe out in relief. Dave sank onto the sofa. "Stop clinging to him. Boy, sit down and tell us what happened." Celina nodded. "Right. Theo, come sit. Tell me everything." She then noticed Raven standing silently behind him, eyes glassy. "What's wrong ... " Theodore glanced back. "She's shaken. Let her rest." Celina nodded. "Raven, you don't need to stay. Go to your room and lie down." Raven paused a beat, then nodded blankly. "Oh ... okay." She drifted toward the servants' quarters, moving like she'd lost her soul. Dave frowned at her retreating figure. "Theo, what the hell happened outside? Tell us everything." Celina clutched her son's hand. "Yes. I heard the blasts and gunfire. I thought I'd lost you!" She pressed her hand to her chest, trembling. Theodore watched Raven disappear down the hall before taking a seat to recount the events to his parents.Raven stumbled into her room, her mind foggy until the familiar surroundings grounded her. The images surged back—slitting throats, the blank stares of the dying, the sticky warmth of blood coating her hands. Her stomach lurched violently. She doubled over and retched. The older maid sharing the room jumped, shoving a trash bin under her chin. "Good heavens! Are you all right?" Raven couldn't answer, gagging until she finally expelled bile. The maid rubbed her back gently, heart aching for the girl. "Raven, are you okay?" She grabbed a mop to clean the floor. "I heard the explosions and gunfire from here and nearly fainted. You went out with Mr. Theodore—it must've been terrifying. What happened out there?" Raven leaned against the wall, pale as chalk. She set the bin aside and muttered, "Thank you." But she didn't answer the question. What happened outside? What had the world become? She couldn't even make sense of it herself. The maid continued tidying while sneaking glances at her. "Are you sure you're okay?" Raven forced out, "I'm fine." The maid's eyes flicked to the bloodstains on her clothes. "Y-you're not hurt, right?" Raven shook her head and looked down at the dark red smeared across her clothes. "It's not mine. It's theirs." The images came rushing back, and she lifted her trembling hands. Even after wiping them on her clothes, the blood was stuck in the lines of her palms and under her nails.