Chapter 27: Recognized
Rhys, Caelan, Jae, and Eun-woo said their goodbyes to the rebels at dawn, exchanging brief but sincere hugs. Eun-woo received a silent handshake from Gunnar, and Milo gave him a farewell warning.
"Be careful. Not everyone will treat you as an ally."
To justify their immediate return, Caelan invented an excuse: they had left important supplies in the glass house, along with materials that could be used for the reconstruction. Milo let them go without too many questions, perhaps because he sensed they were hiding something, or perhaps because he knew it was dangerous for Eun-woo to remain in the city.
What they couldn’t tell Milo, at least for the moment, was that they not only had an esper hiding, but also Rong Ye, the illegitimate son of one of the regime’s most influential families.
Telling them about Eun-woo had been difficult enough. Rong Ye... it was a whole new level of risk. And both Caelan and Rhys still didn’t know how to approach it.
The truck roared with effort as it moved through the destroyed streets. Much of the main avenues had disappeared. They were now strips of rubble and craters. They had to take shortcuts through narrow alleys, skirt around collapsed structures, cross makeshift bridges made of planks, and occasionally remove chunks of concrete from the road.
"Didn’t think I’d be back behind the wheel this soon," Caelan said, gritting his teeth as he avoided colliding with a kid who appeared out of nowhere.
"Be careful, I know you want to get back as soon as possible, but keep your eyes on the road," Rhys replied from the passenger seat.
"I know, but Rong Ye is waiting for us."
In the back of the SUV, Eun-woo dozed, leaning on Jae’s shoulder. Jae watched him silently, stroking his hair with a protective expression. Rhys kept checking the rearview mirror to make sure they were alright.
"Stop," Rhys said suddenly.