Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

The valley was surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs. The night was dark, the wind was howling, and of course, there was no cell signal. Even if they wanted to call for a food delivery guy to save the day, there was no chance of that happening.

Buzz walked up to Andrew and said, "Mr. Lloyd, once the sun comes up, we're heading straight back to the village down the mountain."noveldrama

Andrew smiled and replied, "Buzz, once it's light out, I want to head inside and take a look."

Buzz's face changed. "Mr. Lloyd, you're planning to go into the forbidden area? Have you lost your mind?"

Andrew's smile did not waver. "Fortune favors the bold, and I want to give it a try."

Buzz shook his head hard. "Mr. Lloyd, why won't you understand? There's no treasure in there no hidden vault, no gold mine, nothing. You city folks have all been deceived. Chief Flintspire already explained it clearly. If Gallow's End really had a secret stash, do you think it'd be waiting around for you to find it?"

Andrew replied calmly, "Buzz, you make a good point, but since we've already come this far, I'll regret it if I don't go in and see for myself."

Buzz stared at Andrew for a long moment. Then, he sighed and said, "It seems no matter how much I try to persuade you, Mr. Lloyd, you won't listen. Fine, if you want to go in and look, then go ahead. But if anything happens to you in there, I'm sorry, my people can't help you."

Andrew gave a small nod. "Buzz, when the sun rises, take Mohave and the rest back down. I don't want the Patoaja to get involved in this any further."

Buzz got up and was about to head back to his people.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned around. He looked puzzled as he said, "Mr. Lloyd, there's something I just can't figure out. You don't strike me as someone greedy, reckless, or impulsive. On the contrary, you seem sharp. Calm, thoughtful, and always in control.

"So why would someone like you walk straight into danger, knowing the odds are stacked against you?"

Andrew gave him a dazzling smile. "Buzz, let me ask you a question. Has the heritage hamlet of Gallow's End always been dangerous throughout its entire history?"

Buzz blinked, then shook his head. "Of course not. Once upon a time, this place was a real paradise. My ancestors hid out here during wartime. They lived in peace totally off the grid."

Andrew replied, "Exactly. It was a peaceful, secluded little town, like something out of a storybook. Everyone lived quiet, happy lives. So what happened? Why did it suddenly turn into a cursed place? Why did people flee and never dare come back?"

Buzz seemed stumped, and his face went blank for a moment. Eventually, he spoke up again. "Didn't Chief Flintspire already tell you? Qur village was hit by a huge disaster. A lot of people died, so we had no choice but to relocate."

Andrew chuckled lightly. "Let's hope that's the whole truth."

Buzz just shook his head. He figured there was no point in arguing with Andrew anymore, and he walked off.

In the darkness, Andrew's eyes clouded over. The waters of this Gallow's End heritage hamlet ran deeper than he had imagined.

First of all, where were Rafael and the others? They still had not shown a single trace.

Second, Andrew was certain that there was definitely something off about Axel.

Suddenly, a panicked scream rang out from the distance. "Oh no! Oh god! Mr. Veyne... he's gone! He's disappeared!"

Everyone froze, wide-eyed in shock.

Andrew shot up to his feet and barked, "Spread out now and start searching immediately!"