Yvonne’s hands trembled slightly as she took the parcel from the nurse. Her father and Ricky exchanged wary glances, their bodies tense, but Yvonne barely noticed. Her mind spun wildly, heart thudding against her chest.Slowly, she peeled away the brown wrapping. Nestled inside was a small, plain flash drive. The sight made her breath hitch. Memories rushed back—how she had handed the flash drive over, how the horrible man stabbed her, how Zach had come to save her, and how he had chased after the goons only because she begged him to retrieve it.Tears burned behind her eyes.That man didn’t just save my life... he saved this too, she thought, clutching the flash drive tightly in her palm. “He’s an angel... a real one.”A small, grateful smile unknowingly curved her lips.Chairman Weather noticed. His voice cut through the room, sharp. “What’s funny?”Yvonne looked up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, masking her emotions. “A present from an admirer.”“Really?” His tone was he

The moment the trembling words left the leader’s lips—“he broke my thumb”—the room fell into a tense, breathless silence.Don Pablo took a step forward, eyes narrowed, his body trembling—not with fear, but with rising rage. The enjoyment he had experienced earlier was forgotten. His jaw tightened. A vein pulsed on the side of his head as he stared down the men standing before him, the last survivor of what should have been a clean, quiet execution.“You’re telling me…” His voice was dangerously low, almost a whisper, “that a single man destroyed your entire squad and took the flash drive?”The leader swallowed hard, blood from a cut on his brow trailing down to his lips. “Y-yes, Don. He came out of nowhere. Fast. Precise. L-like a ghost…”Don Pablo launched with ruthless speed. A fist crashed into the leader’s jaw, sending him sprawling across the room. Before the man could recover, Don Pablo was on him—grabbing him by the throat, lifting him with one hand, slamming him against the g

Zach stepped into the mouth of the cave, the weight of the villagers' mocking stares clinging to his back like a shroud. The air inside was cold and stale, thick with dampness. Shadows danced on jagged walls as he shone his phone light ahead. The silence was broken only by the soft hiss of something slithering.He took careful steps, eyes scanning. A sleek, dark serpent curled over a boulder and hissed low. Zach held his breath, skirted the edge, and kept moving. Every few feet, more snakes appeared—some thin and fast, others thick and slow, their scales glinting under the beam of his flashlight. He kept a stick in hand, whittled earlier from a dry branch, ready to swat or stab if needed.“You got this,” he muttered to himself. “Eyes open, don’t rush.”It was hard. His muscles ached from ducking, sidestepping, dodging. The path narrowed and widened without pattern, and twice he nearly tripped over unseen stones. But he pressed on, determined. He hadn't come all this way to retreat.Su

Zach led with steady strides, phone torch in one hand and his senses heightened. Behind him, Ria and Linda followed closely, their silence a delicate blend of guilt and awe.But even with their mouths shut, their minds weren’t quiet.Linda leaned toward Ria, her voice low. “I still can’t believe the way he crushed that snake. Like… it was nothing.”Ria nodded, eyes fixed on Zach’s broad back. “He’s built like a warrior. I’d hate to be his enemy.”Linda chuckled softly. “Imagine that strength in…”“Don’t,” Ria cut in, holding back a laugh. “We promised to behave.”“I know. But I can’t help it. My thoughts are louder than my mouth.”The cave air grew warmer, denser. They were getting closer to the end—that much was clear. The stale air began to thin, and the occasional gust of wind teased their faces.But then…A sharp hiss sliced through the air.Zach stopped.So did the girls.“What was that?” Linda whispered, clutching Ria’s arm.From the shadows ahead, something shifted. Heavy. Purpo

The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a golden shade across the forest as Zach stepped out of the cave. The soft crunch of gravel under his boots was the only sound until he paused, breathing in the fresh air—the scent of pine, earth, and freedom. He blinked against the fading sunlight peeking through the trees. For a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in. Alive.Behind him, feet scurried."Winsome!" Ria’s voice trembled with relief as she ran toward him, Linda close behind.They launched themselves at him, arms wrapping tightly around his torso."You saved our lives," Linda said, her voice muffled against his chest."Thank you... Thank you so much," Ria whispered, tears running down her cheeks.Zach sighed and gently peeled their arms off him. “That’s enough. You two shouldn’t have been out here in the first place.”Ria looked down. Linda sniffled.“No one might show up to save you next time,” Zach said sternly. “This was reckless.”“We’re sorry,” they said together, ashame