Afraid the pets might get lost, Roderick ran after them immediately. But with just two legs, he couldn't keep up with four legs and a pair of wings. The distance between him and the three little ones stretched wider and wider until they finally disappeared into the thick fog ahead. He had no choice but to keep following the main road. Midway, a blur of shadows caught his eye. He spotted a whole group of people, and for a second, he thought he'd stumbled into a parade of ghosts. Instinctively, he slipped off the road, edging carefully to the side and hiding in the fog. That was when he overheard them talking about attacking the Hillside Villa District. Anxiously, he tried to peek at the group, hoping to spot Lucky and the others to see if they'd been caught. But their formation was neat and orderly, not at all like it had been disrupted. That gave him some relief. He figured the three little ones must be doing the same thing he was—staying hidden and keeping out of sight. When the group moved toward the villas, Roderick thought about turning back to warn Cassian and the others immediately. But if he went back now, he'd completely lose track of Lucky and the others. He knew very well those three weren't ordinary pets—they were part of Cassian and Natalie's family. Everyone was armed at Villa 5, and the earlier explosion had surely put them on high alert. But the three little ones had no weapons. Soft and plump as they were, they were basically walking snacks—anyone who saw them would be tempted. Roderick knew they were clever, but how clever could animals really be? At most, they were like children.Even before the apocalypse, when cameras were everywhere, lost pets were hard to find. Now, in a foggy, dangerous world, it was almost impossible. So he made a quick decision. He wouldn't warn the others—he had to focus on finding them. Hearing this, Cassian felt mostly satisfied. No wonder I chose this assistant—his judgment is solid. But still ... He frowned. "You didn't find them?" Roderick looked troubled. "No. I chased for a long time, calling their names the whole way, but got nothing back. I was determined to find them before going back, but then I got lost ... " Natalie nodded. That wasn't entirely his fault. The fog had been getting thicker lately, and visibility was low. Leaving the main road to avoid those men made it easy to lose your bearings. Roderick shuddered at the memory. "Everywhere looked the same—a white blur. No matter how hard I tried, I just drifted farther off track and couldn't find the road again." Nadia gripped his hand, her heart in her throat. Getting lost in the mountains could mean starving to death. "Honey, how did you find your way back?" she asked. Roderick answered, "I heard gunfire and followed it until I finally reached the main road. Not long after, I saw you all." Olivia frowned. "Then where did Lucky and the others go? Could they have gotten lost too?" She looked at Natalie, worried. But Natalie stayed calm. "They ran off on their own, right?" Roderick nodded firmly. "Yeah, they ran fast—like they were chasing something." Natalie relaxed. Since no one had forced them and they'd gone after something voluntarily, they were unlikely to be in real danger.She'd never treated them as pets or kids, but as battle-hardened partners. After daily training, their fighting skills were no joke. And they could think independently, sometimes even more sharply than humans. Cash was quick-witted. Lucky, though hot-headed, was careful about staying alive and wouldn't act recklessly. Baron followed Lucky's lead and wouldn't do anything on his own. So when Roderick confirmed they hadn't been captured but were on their own trail, Natalie felt at ease. "Let's go. We're heading back," she said. The others looked surprised. "We're not going to search for them?" Natalie shook her head. "No." She gestured toward the thick fog. "You won't find them." The fog swallowed everything in sight. And with the world this wide, no one knew which way the three had gone once they left the mountain. Searching blindly would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Better to stay home and wait. Natalie was confident. Even if they failed to catch whatever they were after, they wouldn't risk themselves. Lucky's nose was extraordinary. Roderick might get lost in the fog, but Lucky never would. Even miles away, she could follow a scent back home. Natalie needed to wait at home. If the three ran into trouble they couldn't get out of, at least one of them would find a way back with news. Soon, the group returned to Villa 1.