The proud knight of the kingdom, Melody, was frustrated with herself for being stopped and held back by a mere civilian struggling to survive; she sneered at Maya, saying, "Betrayal is second nature to demons; your partner has run away. Give up, this is the end for you."

Maya, who was blasted away flying by Melody's outburst of brute strength, crashed into the lush, green lawn, struggling to stand up in agony. She thought, "I just need to buy several more seconds for Patrick; Thomas can drive my wagon," as she prepared to die, putting her trust in Patrick. Wasting no time, Melody stood up, quickly sprinted toward Maya, and prepared to deliver the final strike.

All of a sudden, a smoke bomb detonated nearby, enveloping both Maya and Melody in a thick, white haze. Melody had learned in school: From a tactical standpoint, staying inside the smoke was extremely dangerous due to the risk of hidden attacks; arrows, bullets, and spells could strike from anywhere without being seen. Following her training and protocol, Melody calmly jumped back from Maya.

Seizing the opportunity, Maya quickly rolled to the side, in case Melody was still sprinting toward her, before standing up and ran away from Melody. As Maya sprinted toward the wagon, her right leg cramped, and an agonizing pain shot through her mind, "It must be the Mana-enhanced charge earlier," she thought. Slowed down by her leg, when she arrived at the wagon, Patrick was already getting ready to drive his, albeit panting heavily. Without wasting time, she immediately took the driver's seat of her family's wagon.

"Let's go!" Patrick called out to Maya, as the traffic had decreased significantly.

"To the east? Back into the town?" Maya asked, as most people seemed to be heading in that direction, fleeing from the bandits attacking from the west.

"No, to the west. We will reach the capital city by tomorrow afternoon," Patrick said resolutely.

"But won't the bandits chase after us? Shouldn't we stick with the crowd?" Maya asked, her gaze darting anxiously towards the smoke, threatened in fear by Melody's imminent appearance. The formidable knight should come out any second now to slaughter them.

"Don't worry; she's dead. Relax and follow me," Patrick firmly assured her.

"Alright," Maya said, bewildered and confused. "What just happened?"

"I slit her neck," Patrick answered casually, as if it were an afterthought.

Maya was startled for a moment as her eyes widened with surprise. As their wagons started moving side-by-side, she composed herself and asked, in a polite tone, "Would you mind telling me sooner next time?"

"Sorry, old habits die hard," Patrick said, realizing his mistake. "Hopefully, there won't be a next time."

The bandits were not interested in the wagons and carriages that had gotten onto the highway, so the families were able to escape the scene without any trouble. When the smoke dissipated, Maya could see Melody lying face down on the ground. The rest of the bandits could be seen looting the wagons that had been left behind.

Escaping the chaotic scene, the families let the horses gallop at top speed on the highway for about two minutes. As soon as they felt safe enough, Patrick immediately stopped the wagon and said, "Would you mind asking Thomas to take over driving my wagon?" his voice laced with desperation and urgency as he needed to tend to Jonathan as soon as possible.

"Sure! Thomas, you heard Grandpa Patrick." Maya said, called to her son.

"Got it!" Thomas answered firmly. He swiftly jumped off from Maya's wagon and took over for Patrick. The boy knew that he was being relied upon as the oldest brother in the group.

"Children, get into your beds, quickly." Patrick said with utmost urgency, and the children swiftly moved. "Divine Spells: Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep." All four of them, including Jonathan and the children, fell asleep immediately.

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"Appraisal," Patrick chanted, and then he started examining the wound of his son as he washed his hands and took out his medical equipment.

Patrick's voice barely rose above a whisper as he uttered the diagnosis, "Pulmonary hemorrhage... Pneumothorax." His hands trembled with anxiety as he implored, "Hold on, little Johnny, please... survive this. Your children need you."

"Beep... beep... beep" Nathan heard a rhythmic beep of signals before he opened his eyes. He sat up, grimacing, and felt a sharp pain in his left forearm arm as he tried to flex his fingers. "Aw…" His left arm was tied tightly by bandages to his right shoulder. He turned to look at his father and saw him being monitored by a screen that displayed his heart rate and blood pressure. This must be one of Grandpa's Divine Spells. At the same time, he noticed that Grandpa had moved him from his upper bunk to Ashley's lower bunk to treat his arm last night. A nearby basket, containing blood-stained towels and clothes, sat as a grim reminder of the previous night's trauma.

In the narrow corridor between the bunk beds, a teddy bear made by Ana for Henry lay alone inside the crib. Nathan's eyes lingered on the empty crib, drifting between the teddy bear and Henry's empty blanket, both heartbreaking reminders of Henry's laughter and adorable sleeping face. On a typical morning, Henry would ask to be picked up or cry for attention. As if he needed to pick up something from the crib, Nathan retrieved the teddy bear and held it close to his heart.

"Good morning, Dad. I'll be back after breakfast," Nathan said as he left the wagon in sorrow.

The families parked their wagons in another rest stop next to the highway, joining many other groups enjoying their breakfast in the area. Patrick's and Maya's were the only groups traveled westbound. Since the knights did not respond to nighttime emergencies, the eastbound travelers were oblivious to the bandit attack that had occurred just hours ago.

Everyone except Jonathan, Harold, and Nathan was eating breakfast at a table in a gloomy silence. Without uttering a word, Nathan took his toiletries and headed to the bathroom to freshen up, still reeling from the previous night's events.

Nathan sat down next to Arielle and Thomas at the table. Maya handed Nathan a steaming bowl of fish congee, and Nathan started to eat mechanically. Patrick was about to say something, but a long, piercing beep sound suddenly came from Jonathan’s monitor. Without hesitation, Patrick rushed towards the wagon, shouting, "Don't come inside!" Nathan heard Patrick chanting, "Divine Spell: Electric Shock," as he attempted to revive Jonathan.

Nathan lost his appetite and put down his spoon, concerned for his father. "Is Dad going to be okay?" Ashley asked helplessly. Nathan exchanged gazes with Arielle, but neither of them knew what to say. Nathan handed Henry’s teddy bear to Ashley and said, "We don’t know."

After half an hour, there was a moment's silence. Patrick then came down from the wagon, gestured with his hand and said soberly, "Nathan, Arielle, Ashley, come here."

The children went into the wagon. Their father, covered by a white blanket, lay peacefully on his bed. The curtain of the wagon was opened, revealing their father's serene face; his black hair rustled softly in the wind from the window. His eyes were closed, giving the appearance of a peaceful sleep. Next to him, Henry lay in the same bed, his baby cheeks as cute as ever.

"Dad, Henry, wake up!" Ashley tugged on her father’s hand.

"Your dad is not going to wake up anymore. Remember his face, Ashley." Patrick said as he patted Ashley with a broken heart.

"No! Wake up, Dad!" Ashley cried, jumping up and down in frustration before finally collapsing to the ground in despair.

Arielle also burst into tears.

"I'm sorry..." Nathan said, his voice cracking as he spoke, overwhelmed by grief and guilt. "...Mom, Dad and Grandma… they all died because of me... and I couldn't protect Henry. It's my fault."

"So, it's your fault they are all gone?" Ashley shrieked, tears streaming down her face. "I hate you, Nathan!" She shouted before running away from the wagon in anger. Arielle chased after her, trying to console her.

"I wish I were never born," heartbroken, Nathan said as he broke down in tears.

Suddenly, Patrick gave Nathan a smack on his cheek. With a burning sensation on his face, Nathan was shocked and startled as he looked up at his grandfather.

"The happiest day in Jonathan's and Ana’s life was the day you were born, Nathan." Patrick scolded the boy in a very serious tone. "They gave their life for you. So you need to live strong. Never utter those words again."

Then, Patrick knelt on one knee and gave Nathan a hug. He gently snuffed Nathan’s face into his chest and let him cry out. "Also, Henry’s death isn’t your fault. No one would expect a 10-year-old boy to block an arrow, okay?"

Patrick then thought, "I let my guard down before reaching the capital. This is my fault," as his chest throbbed in pain while holding his crying grandson.

Nathan continued crying for a few minutes. "Grandpa, promise me you'll never die," Nathan said, looking at Patrick with tears streaming down his face.

"I promise. I am going to live for several hundred more years." Patrick said, trying to lighten the mood.

"That will make you a monster, Grandpa." Nathan giggled, with tears and snot still on his face.

"Grrr..." Patrick tickled Nathan, causing him to laugh. However, as soon as he saw Jonathan and Henry, Nathan started crying again in the warmth of his grandfather's embrace.