"If you want to see the child safe and sound, all of you must come to the abandoned building on the outskirts of town at midnight. We know how many of you there are, so if you care about the child's well-being, everyone needs to show up. Follow our instructions, and no one will get hurt."

Serena and Marcus sat in silence, both lost in thought. They wouldn't mind going on their own, but the men wanted everyone there, including the children. Marcus clenched his teeth, frustration eating at him. Time seemed to stop for the siblings. No one said a word—what was there to say? Despite knowing the risks, Serena and Marcus felt guilty for sending Lucian to school. Evelyn knew this was all happening because of her and felt a deep regret. The twins, meanwhile, felt useless as they had been unable to reach Shin, despite their efforts.

Finally, Serena lifted her head and sighed as she looked at everyone's worried faces. "This isn't working… we need to come together and come up with a plan. At the very least, we need to think this through before midnight."

Evelyn spoke in a shaky voice, "Let's call the police… even if it means exposing our secret. The police could save Lucian..."

Marcus clenched his fists. "And what if they can't? Evelyn, the police aren't as reliable as you think… Serena and I know that better than anyone."

Serena looked away. She understood exactly what Marcus meant, but she didn't have any other solutions.

"Marcus… it's different this time. When someone's life is in danger, I'm sure they'll take us seriously. Besides, we're not children anymore. They have no reason not to believe us..."

"Do you even realize what you're saying? If we do this, you're risking Lucian's life. One wrong move, and Lucian… I can't take that risk. I'll go alone."

Everyone stared at Marcus in shock. Serena slammed her hands on the table in frustration.

"Are you out of your mind?! Going alone? Did you even read the note? They want all of us to go!"

"I know, but…"

"Then let's all go!"

The twins unexpectedly spoke up.

"What?"

Evelyn looked at them in surprise.

"Let's all go," Noah repeated. "The note said that no one would get hurt if we did what they asked, right?"

Marcus sighed. "Don't believe everything the bad guys say, kids."

"But..."

"Forget it! There's no way we're taking you there!"

Marcus thought for a few minutes, and an idea suddenly came to him.

"Alright then, we'll all go."

No one expected him to say that. They all stared at him in shock. While the twins were thrilled, Serena looked at Marcus angrily.

"Have you lost your mind? Are you seriously thinking of taking the kids there?!"

"Yes. The plan is simple. We all go, and as soon as I see Lucian, I'll surround him in thick ice to protect him—along with all of you. Then, I'll use my powers to take down the others."

Everyone listened carefully. The kids thought the plan made sense, but Serena still had doubts.

"We don't know how many of them there are, or what kind of weapons they might have."

"It doesn't matter; they're just human. But I'm not. I know how to use my powers and some fighting skills—Shin trained me, remember? I can handle this."

The twins' eyes sparkled with hope.

"Yes, you're right! Marcus's ice is super thick," Noah said excitedly.

"Even if they have weapons, it'll take them at least half an hour to break through that ice," Nora added.

Serena sighed. She still wasn't entirely convinced, but it didn't seem like they had any other options.

"So what do we do afterward?"

Marcus's face darkened.

"After that, we'll vanish…"

The children looked at him in shock. Evelyn, with a worried expression, asked, "What do you mean?"

"…pack your things and load your bags in the car. Once we rescue Lucian, we're not coming back here. We'll escape somewhere else… another place, or even another country, if we have to."

 These words pierced Evelyn's heart like a knife. Was this really all? Was she really going to have to leave everything behind, all her friends and everything she knew? Was she supposed to leave without even saying goodbye to Alice, Kate, and Daniel? Evelyn wasn't the only one who felt sorrow; the twins' eyes were also filled with tears. Serena looked at them with a deep sigh.

"I know you don't want to leave, but we have no other choice... They know where we live. We're not safe here anymore..."

Marcus also sighed and stood up. He couldn't even look at the children; he felt like he had failed at keeping their smiles intact.

"Start packing your things... We have four hours until midnight... We need to get ready now."

No one objected. After all, they all knew this was the only way. Everyone had given up, but the twins still held on to a glimmer of hope.

"Evelyn sis, can you pack our things too? We'll keep trying to reach Shin-nii..."

Evelyn nodded and began packing their things into a suitcase. When Marcus was gathering his belongings, he noticed the gear Shin had once used to train him.

"Damn it! I lost again!"

Breathing heavily, 16-year-old Marcus threw his protective gear to the floor in frustration.

"If you keep going like this, you're going to lose every fight."

Shin looked at him with his usual calm gaze.

"...Maybe I don't have the talent for fighting..."

"Fighting isn't about talent. It's about having a goal and working tirelessly towards it. Anyone with discipline and purpose can move forward."

"Tch... But that doesn't change the fact that some people are just geniuses."

"..."

"I'm sure you haven't worked hard enough to be this strong. Because you're a genius too!"

"...I think you're still too young to understand that, but that's okay. Keep working every day with discipline. One day, when you find a real purpose, that's when you'll feel invincible."

As Marcus looked at the training equipment, a memory from years ago came to his mind. It had been an ordinary moment back then, one of those times when Shin always gave him such advice. But this time, when he thought about it, a smile appeared on Marcus's face.

"I think... I understand now what you meant, Shin... I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not going to lose..."

"Oh? Really?"

Marcus jolted in surprise. When he turned around, he saw Serena grinning at him.

"W-What are you smiling about?"

 "Oh, nothing. I just never thought there'd come a day when you'd understand what Shin was trying to say."

"...Shut up... And why are you still here? Is your work done?"

"Yes, we're all done. We're just waiting for you."

"You packed Lucian's things too, right?"

"Yes, I did. We can leave now."

Marcus and Serena began carrying everyone's luggage to the car. After they finished, Marcus started the car and began driving slowly. The children looked out the window, taking one last glance at the house they had grown up in for years. The place they had to go was near the edge of town, and there was just one small abandoned building there. As they passed through the town, Evelyn took a final look at her high school and silently said goodbye to the memories it held.