At the crowded bus terminal, Leo took advantage of the chaotic morning rush to slip Lily into the luggage compartment of a long-distance bus headed toward the countryside, where their granduncle’s old cabin was located. However, their escape was far from peaceful.
Crammed inside the dark, claustrophobic luggage space, the siblings leaned against each other for warmth. Each sharp turn of the bus sent painful jolts through their bruised bodies. Exhausted, Lily finally fell asleep in her brother's arms, but Leo did not dare close his eyes for a single moment. He repeatedly touched his pocket, making sure the precious address note was still there.
The next morning, as the bus reached its final stop, the children snuck out unnoticed. But as soon as they stepped onto the street, Leo froze. News flyers featuring their faces had been posted across public bulletin boards under the guise of an anonymous "missing children emergency alert." The syndicate was using corporate influence to turn both the police and street gangs into their hunters.
"We can't use the main roads anymore," Leo whispered to Lily. He tore strips of fabric from his pants to bandage his sister's bleeding feet to ease her pain.
While navigating through a crowded local market, a suspicious woman approached them, staring intently at Leo’s dirty face. She reached for her phone to call the authorities. Danger lurked not only from the thugs, but from clueless strangers as well. Acting quickly, Leo pulled his sister through a maze of vegetable stalls, disappearing into a quiet dirt trail leading toward the mountains.
Chapter 4: The Clue in the Dark
Their granduncle’s hideout was a secluded wooden cabin nestled deep within the forest. After hours of exhausting trekking, the siblings finally arrived. But instead of a safe haven, they were greeted by shattered windows and overturned furniture. The cabin had been raided.