The tent was so quiet that the only sound was the heavy snow beating against the canvas.

Bunny was curled up into a tiny ball in a corner of the bedding. The other little ones were still fast asleep. She didn’t dare cry out loud and could only bite down hard on her lip. Large, silent tears rolled down her cheeks, soaking dark spots onto the quilt.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and the moment she saw Evangeline, all her pent-up sorrow burst forth.

"Mama!" She staggered and threw herself into Evangeline’s arms, her voice choked with sobs. The messy little silver braids in her hair trembled with her crying. "Mama, is Papa never coming back? Mama, I want Papa..."

She clutched at Evangeline’s clothes, her tears soaking through the fabric and searing Evangeline’s skin.

Evangeline stroked Bunny’s tear-streaked face and gently wiped away the moisture. "It’s okay, Bunny," she whispered. "Papa’s fine. I promise, Mama will find him, and we’ll all go home together, okay?"

"Really?" Bunny looked up, her amber eyes washed clean by tears, so clear they reflected Evangeline’s image.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Evangeline took out a handkerchief to wipe Bunny’s face, then applied some Cherie cream. The weather was freezing and the snowy season was dry; she couldn’t bear to let the little girl’s delicate skin suffer in the slightest.

Soothed by Evangeline’s reassurance, Bunny’s tense little body finally relaxed.

She hugged Evangeline’s waist tightly, her small, silver-white braids brushing against her. But then, as if remembering something, she suddenly straightened up, her long, beautiful eyes gazing timidly at the two "new faces" in the bedding.

Bunny lowered her voice, gently tugging on the corner of Evangeline’s clothes. "Mama, are they Papa Danton’s cubs?"

A gentle smile graced Evangeline’s lips. She led the girl forward and bent down to tuck the blankets around the two little ones.

However, the two Merfolk cubs were clearly not used to such a dry and warm environment. They squirmed restlessly, their azure hair fanning out across the bedding like newborn seaweed. Their delicate, doll-like faces were flushed red from the warmth. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

They unconsciously kicked off the blankets. When a cool draft hit them, they shifted uncomfortably, their tiny brows furrowing.

"Mama, are they little brothers or little sisters?" Bunny stared at the two beautiful children, reached out to gently poke one’s cheek, then quickly pulled her hand back. A faint smile finally appeared on her face.

"A little sister! I want a little sister!" Bunny tugged on Evangeline’s sleeve, her voice hushed but unable to hide her excitement.

She already had her little brother, Genesis. If she had a little sister, she would have someone to play dress-up with!

Evangeline stroked her fluffy silver hair and said softly, "It’s perfect. One little brother and one little sister."

"Huh?" Bunny’s expression was one of surprise, which quickly turned to even greater excitement. She immediately leaned over the edge of the bedding to examine them closely.

After a moment, however, she tilted her head in confusion and whispered, "Mama, which one is the little brother and which one is the little sister? They look so alike, even their eyelashes are the same length. I can’t tell them apart."

As she spoke, Bunny’s little face fell. She lowered her eyes, and her braids seemed to droop along with her spirits. ’I can’t even tell my new little brother and sister apart. I’m such a useless big sister.’

Evangeline paused. Looking at the two identical, beautiful little faces, the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Ahem..." She gave a light cough, cleverly changing the subject. "Are you hungry, Bunny? What would you like to eat?"

At the mention of food, Bunny’s stomach rumbled right on cue.

She cast a reluctant glance at her new little brother and sister before putting on a serious, adult-like expression. "I can eat anything," she said. "Papa told me that on the Beastman Continent, just having a full stomach is a blessing."

A soft look appeared on Evangeline’s face at the thought of Caden Albright.

With a flick of her wrist, she produced some meat jerky and handed it to Bunny. "Here."

Despite claiming she wasn’t a picky eater, the moment Bunny saw the sweet meat jerky, her amber eyes lit up and crinkled in a smile.

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly thrown open, and a biting gust of wind and snow swirled inside.

Danton stood at the entrance, his expression grave. "Loras is back."

Evangeline’s fingertips trembled. She strode out of the tent, and her breath caught the moment she saw Loras.

Loras was all but draped over Thorne, his steps faltering. His slender frame was soaked in blood, and he left a long, gruesome trail of it in his wake, staining the snow.

His normally gentle purple eyes were somewhat unfocused, but the moment they locked onto Evangeline, all the tension drained from his body.

Evangeline’s brow furrowed deeply. Her arms securely supported Loras’s limp body. Instead of taking him to the children’s tent, she set up a separate, empty one; the reek of blood on him would surely frighten the cubs.

Once inside the tent, sheltered from the wind and snow, Evangeline took out a warm, damp cloth to clean Loras’s wounds. Only when she began applying medicine did she realize he was injured even more severely than Thorne had been. For a moment, her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

His wounds crisscrossed his body, some so deep they revealed bone. But what was most terrifying were the nearly depleted energy channels within him.

Loras was a Plant Beastman, but now his body was like a plant that had been ravaged by a blizzard, leaving only an empty husk.

Although she had already heard from Thorne that Loras had exhausted himself to stop the Beast Tide, seeing his broken body with her own eyes sent a chill through her. ’This gentle, timid beastman faced the Beast Tide without flinching, and even drove himself into this ghastly state. If he keeps overexerting himself like this, he’s truly going to die from exhaustion.’

Loras lay quietly on the thick bedding, his face almost completely drained of color. His eyelashes trembled, his purple pupils were somewhat unfocused, and each breath he took was so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

"Loras..." Thorne’s brow was tightly furrowed, his dark green, slitted pupils fixed on Loras. His voice was strained.

’He’d always detested Loras. That stabbing incident at the tribal trading gathering had put him at odds with nearly all the other males. It wasn’t until this Beast Tide invasion that he’d truly seen the depth of feeling this beastman, who always shied into the corners, had for Eva.’

’If it hadn’t been for Loras this time, Blackwater Swamp wouldn’t have held out for so long, and I never would have gotten Bunny and Genesis away safely.’ Now, as he watched Loras’s chest struggle to rise and fall, Thorne’s emotions churned.

"He has to live." Thorne’s throat worked, his voice hoarse.

Danton stood quietly to one side, his gaze falling on Thorne’s tense back. He let out a soft sigh and patted his shoulder. "Relax. With Eva here, he’ll be fine."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the blizzard raging outside the tent, and his light blue eyes darkened.

’Loras has rejoined us,’ he thought, ’but I’m more worried about Caden Albright and Lachlan. We still have no idea where they are.’

’Why on earth did they go beyond the Triangle Sea? What happened at Blackwater Swamp?’