Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 100: Weak Hearts Breaks.

Chapter 100: Weak Hearts Breaks.

Without hesitation, she turned toward the forest where Ayra had taken Garvin, Ethan, Larry, and Maya. With Kato and Louise close behind, she led the way, her heart heavy with worry yet determined to see them all through the night.

On reaching the forest, an eerie silence enveloped them, broken only by the rustling of leaves, the crunching of sticks beneath their feet, and the distant chirping of birds.

"This is where they all went. So where are they now?" Louise muttered, his voice a mixture of frustration and unease as he scanned the area for any potential threats. His hand hovered near the hilt of his blade, ready for anything. "Could it be that they managed to overcome the monsters after all?"

"That’s impossible," Kato interjected firmly. He crouched down, his sharp eyes catching the faint glimmer of a strange liquid splattered across the forest floor. It shimmered faintly in the filtered moonlight, mingling with streaks of blood. "There was a hell of a battle here." His voice dropped, a grim note underscoring his words.

He stood and let his gaze trail upward, his breath catching as he spotted something. "Look..over there," he said, pointing toward a frayed rope hanging limply from a thick tree branch. He then knelt down again to pick the other half of the rope on the floor.

Louise’s eyes followed Kato’s direction, widening in shock as he registered the scene. He stumbled forward and knelt beside Kato, his expression one of utter disbelief. "Whose blood is this?" he whispered, his voice shaking. "Don’t tell me they’re... dead. Garvin, Larry, Ethan, and Maya... are gone?"

"Chill," Kato said sharply, his tone firm but laced with concern. He placed a steadying hand on Louise’s shoulder, aware of the younger man’s fragile condition. "We don’t know that yet. This blood could belong to some bird. Don’t jump to conclusions."

Kato’s eyes darkened as he added in a low voice, "Besides, if you let this get to you, you’ll stress yourself out again. You’re already injured internally. If you keep pushing, you’ll just end up coughing up blood or worse. Just because I and Scarlett helped in extracting poison from your body doesn’t mean you’re fully healed, so stay calm. We’ll figure this out, but only if you’re alive to see it through."

Louise clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. "You don’t understand...."

"They’re not dead," Scarlett interrupted suddenly, her voice cutting through the tense air like a blade. Both Kato and Louise turned toward her, startled by her uncharacteristically forceful tone.

"What?" Kato asked, his brows furrowing. "What are you saying?"

Scarlett’s crimson eyes glowed faintly as she stared at the bloodstained ground.

"They’re not dead," she repeated, her voice quieter now. "They’ve been captured. Taken back to the organization."

Louise and Kato exchanged puzzled glances, their faces a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"Scarlett," Louise began, his voice softer now, "what do you mean? You’re driving me crazy now."

Scarlett didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze was unfocused, her mind consumed by a cascade of vivid images replaying in her mind. Scenes of violence and chaos unfolded before her, as if the forest itself was sharing its secrets.

Her voice wavered as she murmured, more to herself than to her companions, "I don’t know how I’m seeing this... but it’s as if the forest is showing me what happened to them. Everything they went through... it’s all right here."

She staggered slightly, clutching at her chest as an ache radiated through her heart. ’System,’ she called out internally, her thoughts desperate and raw, ’Are these... are these memories of what happened to Garvin and the others or I’m just hallucinating?’

Ding!

{Yes, host. You have unlocked the ability to perceive and relive the memories of a location. This ability is called Echoes of the Past. It allows you to tap into the residual energy imprinted in a place, replaying the events that have occurred there.}

Scarlett’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on her. "Echoes of the Past," she whispered, her voice trembling with both awe and dread. "So... this is why I’m seeing everything. I’m reliving their pain, their terror. They almost didn’t make it..."

Kato and Louise watched her closely, concern etched into their features.

"Scarlett," Louise said cautiously, his voice gentle yet probing, "what exactly are you seeing? "What do you mean the others aren’t dead but have been captured and taken back to Austin’s organization? That doesn’t make any sense."

Scarlett blinked as her crimson eyes refocused, pulling her attention back to her companions. Her expression was serious, etched with determination and a hint of sadness.

"I can see what happened here," she began, her voice calm yet heavy with the weight of what she had witnessed. "I can see the memories of this place."

Louise’s eyes widened in astonishment. "You can see memories? Are you serious?" His awe quickly gave way to urgency as he pressed further, his voice rising slightly. "Then, tell me, what are they going through now? It’s obvious Austin wants to eliminate everyone without powers. If Garvin and the others aren’t dead, there has to be a reason they’re being held captive."

Scarlett shook her head, frustration flickering in her gaze. "You’re right, there’s definitely a reason."

As if on cue, another vision crashed into her mind. The scene was vivid and brutal, playing out as if she were right there. Scarlett’s breath hitched as her body stiffened, her eyes widening in shock.

"They... they killed Ayra," she blurted out, her voice breaking.

"Killed Ayra?" Louise echoed, his voice trembling. "Why? What happened?"

Scarlett inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. "Ayra wanted to sacrifice Garvin and Maya to the monsters while she escape the forest with Larry and Ethan but Larry sacrificed her instead."

Kato leaned back against a tree, a faint smirk playing on his lips despite the grim revelation. "Well, I’d say that serves her right. People like her deserve what they get. And Austin? He should be next."

"Enough about Ayra," Louise said, his voice firm as he attempted to refocus the conversation. "Now that we know the truth, the real question is: how are we going to save them?"

Scarlett paced back and forth, her brow furrowed in concentration. "We do need a plan," she interjected, her tone sharp. "It’s not just about rushing in with guns blazing or in my case, unleashing monsters on his organization. I could easily tear that place apart, but doing so would put innocent lives at risk. And we don’t even know what Austin’s planning right now. One thing’s clear, though: he’s going to kill Garvin and the others if we don’t act soon."

Her voice dropped as she added quietly, almost to herself, "Garvin is alive. I can feel it. That’s the only reason I’m still here. But Austin is toying with time. He’s going to kill them, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow." Scarlett exhaled heavily, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

"We need to come up with something fast then," Louise urged, his voice edged with urgency. "We can’t just stand around. The longer we wait, the more danger they’re in." He added as he turned his gaze towards Kato.

Kato chuckled dryly. "Don’t look at me to play the hero again though. I already lost my arm in the cave, remember? Sure, it grew back, but the pain of losing it in the first place isn’t something I’m eager to feel again. I’ve used up my luck saving people, and I’m not sacrificing any more body parts for anyone."

Louise rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by Kato’s cavalier attitude, but he held his tongue. He understood Kato’s hesitation. The memory of Kato’s severed arm and the excruciating screams that followed was etched into his mind.

Scarlett, however, wasn’t interested in the banter. She stopped pacing and turned to face the two men, her expression resolute. "I have an idea." she declared, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Kato’s eyebrows rose, and his smirk returned.

"Oh? An idea, huh? Care to share?" he asked through their mind link, his tone laced with curiosity. "You’ve awakened as an SSS-ranked chosen, the so-called ’Queen of Monsters,’ right? I’m dying to know what powers come with that title and just how crazy this plan of yours might be."

Scarlett remained quiet, cutting off the mind link but Kato awaken it again.

He chuckled mentally, his voice dripping with mockery. "Sure, you’re stronger now. But strength isn’t everything. You might have the physical edge, but your heart? It’s weak. And weak hearts break, no matter how powerful their owners become."

Scarlett smirked, unimpressed by his taunts, and severed the mind link again without replying.

Louise, oblivious to their silent exchange, threw his hands up in exasperation. "What’s wrong with the both of you? What’s with the staring contest just now?" he demanded, his frustration evident.

Kato ignored him, pushing off the tree with a lazy stretch. "So, Scarlett," he said aloud, his smirk unrelenting, "what’s the big plan?"

Scarlett turned to face them, her eyes blazing with determination. "I’m going back to Austin’s organization as Ayra," she declared, her tone steady and unwavering.