After leaving Lakeview Estates, Ethan and the others headed steadily away from the Safe Zone.

It wasn't that they were afraid of the government—more like they still had a healthy respect for it.

If it were just Ethan, he wouldn't care. With his Teleportation ability, the government couldn't touch him. But Chris and the rest weren't at that level yet. They couldn't afford to ignore the authorities, not while they were still growing.

They needed time to lay low and build strength.

Once Chris and the others reached Stage D and awakened their second abilities, the team would hit a whole new tier. At that point, maybe they wouldn't have to keep looking over their shoulders.

For now, they kept moving.

Ethan carried the iron cage. Skinny Pete had Alicia slung over his shoulder. The rest hauled packs stuffed with supplies, clearing the way ahead.

The cage was too heavy to load into a vehicle, so they had no choice but to go on foot.

Fortunately, they had the power to back it up. The roads were crawling with zombies, but none posed a real threat. As long as they didn't get swarmed by thousands at once, they were fine.

Every now and then, a Tier 5 zombie would show up. Ethan would drop the cage, teleport over, bash its skull in, dig out the crystal core, and be back before anyone could blink.

Travel and zombie hunting—two birds, one stone.

...

By the time Colonel Reyes and his men arrived at Lakeview Estates, the place was already deserted.

He wasn't surprised.

Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have stuck around after what happened.

He crouched by the front gate, where a pile of corpses lay sprawled across the pavement. After a long moment of inspection, he stood up and dusted off his gloves.

"These were Tier 3s and 4s. Enhanced. If I had to guess, I'd say the Harlan family tried to ambush them and got wiped out instead."

"Fits their style," one of his men said. "Always picking fights they can't finish."

Reyes snorted. "Bunch of bored assholes. This was their beef—why drag us into it? Like we don't have enough shit to deal with already."

"So… should we go after them?" another asked.

Reyes glanced around, then waved a few of his trusted men closer. "Fan out. Make it look like we're trying. Later we'll just say they were too good at covering their tracks. Slipped away."

"Got it."

The men scattered to search the area, while the rest of the squad ransacked the house for anything useful.

It didn't take long before the scouts returned, all wearing the same expression—equal parts disbelief and exasperation.

"What is it?" Reyes asked.

"They didn't even try to hide their trail," one of them said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seriously, it's like they wanted to be followed. Tracks everywhere. Any half-decent tracker could find them."

"…"

"They have no sense of counter-surveillance?" Reyes muttered.

"Or maybe," another said, "they just didn't care."

"…"

"So… are we still chasing them?" someone else asked.

"Goddamn it," Reyes growled. "Why does everyone make my life harder?"

He couldn't just turn around and go home. Mayor Marks had eyes in his unit—plenty of them. If he gave up now, word would get back before he even made it through the gates.

"Yeah, we're chasing them," he said, resigned.

And with that, the squad set off in pursuit, following the trail Ethan's group had left behind like breadcrumbs.

Fresh zombie corpses littered the road ahead.

By midday, Ethan and the others had climbed to the rooftop of a mid-rise building. They sat in the sun, eating a quick lunch while scanning the streets below for any signs of Tier 5 zombies.

The iron cage had been left downstairs, wedged across the stairwell like a barricade.

Turned out, it worked pretty damn well.

They were halfway through their meal when Ethan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his whole body tensing.

"What is it?" Chris asked, instantly alert.

"National Guard," Ethan said quietly, his voice low and grim.

If there was anyone he least wanted to deal with, it was the military.

Not because they were too strong or too well-equipped—though they were—but because, unlike the bureaucrats and politicians, the soldiers had actually been out there saving people. They were the ones still trying to hold the line.

They were, in a word, respectable.

And that made this harder.

He didn't want to fight them. But in the end, they were still on opposite sides. They had orders. And he had no intention of being dragged back in chains.

Chris and the others went pale.

"Ethan… you think they've found us?" Henry asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"They're already this close," Ethan said. "What do you think?"

"So… are we fighting?"

"Not yet. They came prepared—AT-4s, heavy machine guns, high-caliber sniper rifles, even heavy ordnance. If it comes to a fight, I'll be fine. You guys? Not so much." Ethan stood, brushing crumbs from his hands. "Go downstairs. Fifth floor. Hide. If it goes south, you can jump from there and run. I'll handle this."

"Got it."

The group didn't argue. They slipped down to the fifth floor, finding cover behind broken furniture and cracked walls. If the building got shelled, they wouldn't be buried alive—and they'd have a shot at escape.

Meanwhile, down on the street, Colonel Reyes and his unit had spotted the iron cage blocking the stairwell. That alone told them everything—they were still here.

Reyes stood at the base of the building, staring up at the windows, jaw tight. His face was a storm of conflict.

They were just kids. Students. They'd been attacked in their own home and fought back. Was that really a crime?

But orders were orders. And the ones from above left him little room to maneuver.

As he stood there, weighing his options, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him—out of thin air.

"!!"

The entire unit flinched. Dozens of weapons snapped up in unison, barrels locking onto the young man who'd materialized in their midst.

Ethan didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. His eyes were locked on Reyes.

"You here to arrest us?" he asked calmly.

Reyes stared at him, stunned. The kid had appeared without a sound, without a ripple. If he'd wanted to kill him, Reyes would already be dead.

The thought sent a cold sweat down his spine.

And yet, Ethan stood there, surrounded by a thousand guns, as if he were out for a stroll.

Reyes couldn't help but respect that. Whether it was courage or sheer confidence, the kid had it in spades.

He raised a hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons.

"You're Ethan Cole, right?"

"That's me."

"Damn," Reyes said, shaking his head. "Didn't expect someone so young to be this strong. You've come a long way fast."

"Just lucky, I guess. Though I've gotta say, you guys really went all out. Thousands of troops, heavy weapons… all for a few students?" Ethan smiled faintly.

"…"

"Ethan," Reyes said, his tone shifting to something more earnest. "I don't want to fight you. I don't think you're killers. If you come back with us, I'll get to the bottom of this. If it turns out you're not at fault, I'll make sure you walk free."

Ethan shook his head.

"Go back. I don't want to hurt you. Maybe you think you're ready, but if this turns into a fight, your officers—your command—won't survive."

"…"

"Arrogant little shit," someone growled behind Reyes. A big man, dark-skinned and built like a tank, stepped forward, fists clenched. "You think the military's made of paper?"

"No disrespect," Ethan said evenly. "But if I decide to kill, you won't stop me."

"I—"

The man started to speak again, but Reyes held up a hand, cutting him off.

He believed Ethan. After what he'd just seen, how could he not? The kid had appeared in the middle of their formation like a ghost. If he'd wanted to, he could've taken Reyes' head clean off.

Reyes looked at Ethan, torn.

Then, subtly, he glanced toward Mia, the ice-user standing a few feet away. Maybe she could freeze him before he moved.

But Ethan's voice cut through the air again, sharp and cold.

"Don't bother. I saw you look at her. If she tries to freeze me, I have a dozen ways to kill her before she finishes the thought."

"!!"

...

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