Chapter Eleven: Trust and Betrayal

“They’re gone, all gone, they’re all dead.” Fear gripped Su Zhu’s heart. Her face was smeared with mud, her hair wild and tangled, her eyes vacant, yet she forced herself to keep running.

Alone in Area A in the dead of night, she was vulnerable to attack at any moment. But she didn’t dare stop. To stop meant to die.

“Who survived? Could it be Xia Yan?” Waves of worry surged through her. “If it’s him, that would be good—I’d have a chance to live.”

She was no weakling. She had once carried out difficult missions. But this time, her courage had truly deserted her. In the face of such strange and overwhelming enemies, she had no means to resist.

“If he’s not chasing me, it can’t be Brook.” Su Zhu stared hard at her GPS wristwatch, her eyes wide with anxiety. “He’s not following, he’s not even moved, just staying in one place. Is he dead?”

“No, not dead. If his life signs were lost, the wristwatch would have stopped working. He’s alive.” Su Zhu clenched her teeth in thought. “Why isn’t he moving? Why, unless...”

The thought struck her: there was only one reason someone would become immobile like that...

Could that really be the case? She didn’t dare bet on it.

But if she didn’t sever her left hand, she’d still be caught even if she ran. She believed Brook wouldn’t let her go. Or perhaps—the survivor was Antoine?

Would Antoine let her live? No, she couldn’t believe that bloodstained man would spare her.

Who was it? Could it be Xia Yan? If it really was him, she needed to get there as quickly as possible.

Two voices echoed in her mind: trust Xia Yan, or don’t trust him.

Could he really survive both Brook and Antoine—these two powerful foes? That would be nothing short of a miracle.

“I...” Su Zhu’s face flushed red, “I believe in him. It must be Xia Yan who won. I must hurry.”

It took her half an hour to circle back, and as she drew closer, her conviction grew that Xia Yan was the one left alive.

When she arrived, she found several corpses—familiar faces among them: Brook and Antoine. But no matter what, the boy lying on the ground, still breathing, was Xia Yan.

He hadn’t even suffered a scratch—it was a miracle.

“Oh God, Xia Yan, are you alright?” Tears welled in Su Zhu’s eyes as she hurried to his side and crouched beside him.

This girl, after all she’d been through, was on the verge of collapse. Now, seeing Xia Yan alive, her nerves finally settled—all the horrors were over.

Her tears spilled over and she wept aloud, releasing the terror she’d held inside.

Death itself was not so frightening, but the looming dread of it had nearly broken her.

“Thank goodness... thank goodness... we survived... it’s alright, you’re alright now.” Su Zhu wept with joy, clutching the unconscious Xia Yan tightly. “We won. We made it to the end.”

Only after a long while did she manage to calm herself, her emotions finally settling.

“Ding Li is dead too. His signal has vanished.” Su Zhu’s gaze darted away uneasily. “Does that mean, of a hundred convicts, only the two of us are left?”

“He’s first, I’m second.” Su Zhu shook her head. “Second place comes with plenty of rewards—enough for a comfortable life.”

A whole lifetime... Just over ten years left, and that was all.

At last, a dark thought formed in her mind—a devil’s whisper tempting her.

Kill him. If she killed him, she’d be the winner, she’d take first place, get the gene serum, become fully human, and live another sixty or seventy years.

All she had to do was drive the dagger into his heart.

With Ding Li dead and Xia Yan gone, she’d be the sole survivor. Shameless, perhaps, but with everyone else dead, who would condemn her? She would win her freedom at last.

No epic battle was needed—just one quick stab, a second’s work.

Kill him!

Unconsciously, Su Zhu’s hand had closed around her dagger, shaking violently, but that inner voice would not be silenced.

He was as good as dead—no hope for his symptoms, the serum would be wasted on him. But for her, first place meant a new life.

For her own sake, he should die.

No, there was another possibility—if she told him everything, if she pleaded...

Her hand trembled. She hoped Xia Yan, knowing his chances were gone, would let her take first place—let her kill him, sparing her the guilt.

But no, it was too risky.

She wavered between two choices.

A faint cough escaped Xia Yan as he stirred.

Su Zhu quickly hid the dagger in her clothes, tears still clinging to her lashes.

“Thank goodness, you’re awake.” Her eyes darted, and fresh tears streamed down as she hugged Xia Yan tightly.

“I blacked out again, didn’t I?” Xia Yan sighed, patting his head with a wry smile.

“Xia Yan, we won, didn’t we?” Su Zhu exclaimed, excited.

“Yes, we won.” Xia Yan took her hand, warmth rising in his heart.

He knew that, by all rights, his connection with her should end with the competition. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel he’d been too cautious—Su Zhu had never truly meant him harm.

He’d been unconscious, and she could easily have killed him to win first place.

“I’m sorry, Su Zhu.” Xia Yan smiled.

It was the first time Su Zhu had seen him smile so warmly. It suited him.

“Hm?” She looked at him, puzzled.

“I never fully trusted you before, always kept my guard up. I want to apologize for that,” Xia Yan said gently. “I won’t do it again. You’re my teammate, someone I can entrust my life to.”

“Me too, Xia Yan. You’re someone I can trust with my life.” Su Zhu nodded firmly.

“Let’s go find Ding Li. He lost his left arm; I hope he’s alright.” Xia Yan pulled Su Zhu up with him.

A gentle warmth filled Xia Yan’s heart. He realized Su Zhu was quite wonderful—beautiful, a good woman.

In a way, she was his woman now. Was this the love people spoke of—the fluttering, the yearning to keep her by his side forever?

Would he really be conquered by a woman one day?

“Ding Li—is he still alive?” A shadow passed through Su Zhu’s eyes.

“Yes, he cut off his left arm to escape us,” Xia Yan replied, oblivious to Su Zhu’s unease. He smiled.

“Let’s go find him, then.” Su Zhu forced a smile.

It took just over an hour to find the injured Ding Li. He’d tended his wound, bandaging the stump heavily; pale from blood loss, but no longer in mortal danger.

“Thank goodness you’re alright, Xia Yan!” Ding Li greeted them with delight, running up to embrace him.

Hearing his name called by Xia Yan and Su Zhu, Ding Li instantly realized—these two were the survivors of this deadly contest.

“You lost an arm, though,” Xia Yan sighed.

“There was no other way. In a fight for survival like this, just being alive is a miracle. Losing an arm is nothing.” Ding Li brushed it off, glancing at Su Zhu. Though he harbored suspicions, he said nothing.

For the final four days, there were no more battles—only vigilance against mutants. By now, Xia Yan was first in points, Su Zhu second, Ding Li third.

All three would receive generous rewards.

Two days passed.

Xia Yan began to think he truly loved this woman. He and Su Zhu entwined themselves in each other’s company, time and again, basking in the warmth and affection, wishing never to part.

“We have enough food and water. We just need to wait until the competition ends,” Ding Li said, sitting in a corner of the suite, smiling.

“Yes, it’s almost over,” Xia Yan replied, though his heart was reluctant to let go.

“That’s wonderful,” Su Zhu said, smiling, though her mind kept circling back to yesterday’s conversation... She was filled with regret.

Two voices warred within her—one dark, one honest. The dark one always seemed to suppress the other, relentlessly.

Yesterday, when Xia Yan asked if she wanted the gene serum, she was suddenly afraid. It was as if he saw through her, as if he meant to drag out the demon she kept hidden.

She’d denied it, insisting she didn’t care about the rankings.

Yet now, today, she regretted it. If she’d admitted her desire for the serum, would Xia Yan have let her kill him?

To kill him openly, without guilt—after all, it would be his willing sacrifice.

But she had denied it.

...

At dusk, Xia Yan and Ding Li strolled through the neighborhood, watching the sunset.

“You really fell for that woman?” Ding Li eyed Xia Yan in disbelief.

“Yes, it’s a strange feeling,” Xia Yan laughed wryly. “The first time, when I was unconscious, she didn’t kill me—I thought maybe it was luck. But the second time, she could have won the championship by killing me, yet she didn’t. In that moment, she moved me.”

“But there are so many rumors about her—at least ten men, from what I’ve heard,” Ding Li murmured.

“I don’t care,” Xia Yan replied with a smile. “Because it’s nearly over.”

“Over?” Ding Li was puzzled.

“I asked Su Zhu if she wanted first place. She said she didn’t care; she just wanted to be with me. So, Ding Li, you should kill me.”

You should kill me.

That sentence rang in Ding Li’s heart.