Chapter 59: Chapter 59: I Want to Bring Mom With Me

Some people had already heard the loudspeaker and opened their doors before they even had a chance to knock.

Without exception, all of them had gaunt cheeks and haggard expressions.

It was impossible to know how much hunger they had endured to survive until today.

This was where the usefulness of the Space Ability Users became apparent.

Space in the vehicles was limited, so there wasn’t much room for luggage.

However, everyone was allowed to bring two suitcases or two large bags.

They just had to write their names on them, mark them clearly, and they would be stored in the Space Ability User’s pocket dimension.

Once they reached the base, the items would be returned to them.

Nearly everyone was ecstatic to learn they could bring so much with them.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce continued upstairs, trying to notify every household.

Some doors wouldn’t open no matter how much they knocked, leaving them no choice but to break in.

In such rooms, without exception, they would find one or more dead bodies.

After seeing it so many times, Sierra’s initial complex emotions had gradually faded into numbness.

Before they knew it, the two of them had reached the top floor.

"You’re with the rescue team? I’m still packing, just a minute!"

A woman’s voice called out as she pushed open her door.

Sierra Sullivan nodded. "You have twenty minutes to pack. By the way, does anyone live in the apartment across from you?"

"Yes."

The woman answered with that single word before turning back into her apartment.

A moment later, the sounds of CLANGING and BANGING came from inside, along with the woman’s hurried voice.

Knowing she was in a rush to pack, Sierra didn’t ask any more questions and walked over to the other apartment with Jayce.

She knocked.

No response.

She knocked again.

Still no response.

After the third knock went unanswered, Sierra’s heart sank.

They had just experienced a situation like this.

She knew what it meant.

"Break it down," Sierra said softly.

No matter what was inside, they had to open the door and check, just in case.

Jayce was already experienced in using his Superpower to break down doors.

He could break open an ordinary security door like this one with ease.

As the door swung open, the stench of decay drifted out.

Sierra blinked before stepping inside.

But just as she reached the doorway, she heard a series of footsteps.

Looking toward the sound, her eyes met those of a little girl.

The girl looked to be about five or six years old.

Her hair was a mess, and her face was so pale it was almost translucent.

Her small face wasn’t even as big as Sierra’s palm, but her eyes were large and bright.

Before Sierra could react, the little girl turned and ran as if she’d been spooked.

Without a second thought, Sierra immediately chased after her.

Standing at the bedroom doorway, Sierra saw the little girl again.

The little girl was leaning over the edge of the bed, her small hands clutching the clothes of the person on it, her eyes fixed on Sierra.

Her eyes were huge, yet Sierra couldn’t read any emotion in them.

And the one lying on the bed could no longer be called a person.

It was the decaying corpse of a woman.

It must have been the little girl’s mother.

Judging by the state of decomposition, she had been dead for quite some time.

At least a week.

’So how did this little girl survive for a week?’

Ignoring the foul stench in the air, Sierra walked toward the little girl step by step.

"Please don’t be scared, okay?" Sierra said, her voice as gentle as she could make it.

She’d never interacted with a child this young and had no idea how to talk to them. All she could do was try to sound gentle so as not to frighten her.

"I’m here to rescue you!"

After saying that, Sierra felt a pang of regret.

’Does this little girl even understand what "rescue" means?’

Just as Sierra was trying to figure out how to explain her purpose, the little girl pointed at the woman’s body on the bed.

"Save!"

The little girl said only one word.

Her voice was hoarse.

You could tell she hadn’t spoken in a long time.

Sierra understood what she meant.

The little girl wanted her to save her mother.

’But... there’s nothing I can do!’

"Your mommy... she..."

Sierra had originally intended to be more delicate.

But she worried that if she was too indirect, the girl’s young age meant she might not understand.

As it turned out, her worry wasn’t unfounded.

The little girl stared at her with wide, watery eyes full of hope.

Faced with such a hopeful gaze, Sierra no longer hesitated. "Your mommy is already gone. She can’t be saved."

The little girl’s pupils dilated abruptly.

At the same time, her big eyes filled with tears.

Kids these days mature quickly.

With the internet being so prevalent, they receive more information much faster.

Even though she was only five or six, the little girl clearly understood what death was.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know her mother was dead; she had just been clinging to a sliver of hope.

And now, Sierra had shattered that hope.

Watching large tears roll down the girl’s cheeks, Sierra felt a sting in her nose.

"Your mommy is gone now. How about I take you with me?" Sierra asked softly.

"What about Mommy?"

She spoke a short sentence, her voice still terribly hoarse.

Sierra was stumped.

She didn’t know how to answer.

In the current situation, finding a place to bury the body was next to impossible.

Even if they managed to clear away the sand on the ground and dig a grave, there was a high chance she would be eaten by Aberrant Beasts.

It was better to just seal the doors and windows; that way, she might be able to remain here undisturbed.

"She might... have to stay here," Sierra said gently.

The little girl’s eyes widened even more.

Perhaps because her eyes were so large, Sierra could see clearly this time.

Those big eyes were filled with sorrow and reluctance.

Just then, Jayce walked over. "We can also cremate your mother for you."

Sierra was taken aback. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

’Is it really okay to say something like that to a five or six-year-old?’

The little girl had already looked at Jayce curiously. "What’s cremate?"

"We have a Fire Ability User burn her body into ashes, which you can then take with you and keep by your side. It would also prevent her from being eaten by Aberrant Beasts."

Listening to Jayce’s words, Sierra ultimately decided not to stop him.

Although it seemed cruel to say such things to a child so young...

...what Jayce said was the truth.

If the body remained here, it was very likely it would be eaten by Aberrant Beasts.

Rather than being eaten, it was better to burn it. That way, the little girl could take the ashes with her and have something to remember her mother by.

The little girl seemed to be seriously considering the possibility.

Neither Sierra nor Jayce rushed her.

After a little while, she seemed to have made up her mind.

"I want to keep Mommy with me!"

Jayce nodded. "Alright."

Jayce took out his walkie-talkie and called for a Fire Ability User to come up.

Ten minutes later, a Fire Ability User named Luke Warren walked in.

Looking at the body on the bed, Luke Warren’s expression was also complicated.

He never thought his Superpower would one day be used to cremate a body.