Divine & Wicked: The Strayed Memories (Book2)

《 Chapter X: "Like Being a Prisoner" (Part3) 》

Following Zach's departure, Clair set out on her mission to hunt down the infected souls. Moving swiftly through streets and corners, she tracked them one by one, her movements always precise and unrelenting. Within a few hours, she had already purified over a hundred Hivrins, unseen and without leaving a trace.

As dusk settled over Detroit, casting the city in fading light, she made her way back. While soaring above the clouds, a distant, bright light caught her attention. She descended slightly for a clearer view and identified it as a sizable fire blazing within the city. She knew she couldn't intervene, so she left it to the human authorities and resumed her duties. Yet, an unsettling sensation gripped her suddenly, it's unclear but deeply troubling. She landed in a desolate alley, then stepped out and approached a woman strolling along the sidewalk. "Excuse me, do you happen to know where Greenfield is?" she inquired politely.

The woman continued walking without stopping. "Sorry, I don't know," she replied.

"Greenfield, did you say?" an elderly man asked with a trembling voice from his perch on a small stool beside a barbershop.

Clair glanced at him, noticing he was a street vendor. She walked over to him.

"I once knew someone there, but he passed away last year. A fine fellow he was. May his soul rest in peace," the man shared without lifting his gaze, engrossed in a newspaper illuminated by the light from the barbershop.

"Could you show me which way that is?" Clair asked.

The man raised his hand and pointed towards the south. With a nod of thanks, Clair swiftly retraced her steps to the alley. Her hand slipped into her jacket pocket as she pulled out her phone and dialed Zach's number. After a moment, it began to ring.

****《•》****

Upon regaining consciousness, Zach was immediately engulfed in pain coursing through various parts of his body. When he opened his eyes, he was met with the terrifying sight of flames licking the ceiling above him. He was struck with horror. Casting a frantic gaze around, his dread intensified upon realizing that the path to the staircase was also ablaze, with portions of the ceiling collapsed from the fire's fury. Despite the searing agony pulsating through his scorched skin and battered back, he mustered the strength to rise to his feet. The intense heat enveloped him like an oven, causing profuse sweat to bead on his brow.

As he made his way back, the wail of sirens filled the air, signaling the possible arrival of firefighters. He rushed to what he believed was the iron door leading to another staircase, but he found it locked tight, dashing his hopes of escape. It dawned on him then that he was trapped. With debris from the ceiling beginning to rain down and smoke thickening by the second, the grim reality of his predicament set in, he was facing the terrifying prospect of burning alive. He glanced at the adjacent apartment room opposite room fifteen and noticed it too was locked with a cardboard sign reading For Rent. With no other options, he returned to room fifteen, pounding on the door and frantically twisting the knob in a desperate bid for freedom.

Desperation drove him to seize one of his shoes and pound it against the stubborn doorknob repeatedly. Tears welled in his eyes, and he coughed from the suffocating smoke and searing heat. Determination drove each successive strike, his efforts intensifying with each blow. Finally, after several more forceful hits, the knob yielded and broke. With newfound hope, he shoved his body against the door, mustering every ounce of strength to push it open. On his fourth attempt, it gave way, but his relief turned to shock as he found flames raging inside the apartment. The explosion from the adjoining room had blasted a gaping hole in the wall, allowing the fire to spread unchecked.