Seeing Emma’s interaction with the group, Xyla nudged Amy with her arm. “Your boss knows them?” she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth between Emma and the unfamiliar faces.

Amy shook her head, then nodded, looking unsure. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “I haven’t been with Emma for very long.”

Xyla raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “Is that a yes or a no?”

Amy sighed, glancing back at Emma, glaring intensely at the group. “I don’t know,” she repeated, her voice filled with uncertainty. She had been with Emma for less than a year; how could she know? “But I think she does. Maybe.”

Xyla gave her a skeptical look. “That’s not very helpful, you know.”

Amy shrugged. “Based on what I know about Emma, I can tell she doesn’t like those people. She’s usually so calm, but now...”

Xyla looked back at Emma, who was now staring down Helan with a look that could freeze water. “Yeah, I can see that,” she murmured.

Meanwhile, Dean whispered into Xavier’s ear, “We need to stay on her good side. She is powerful.” Xavier nodded, still remembering how Emma’s RV had effortlessly killed all the zombies with its fire attack. If her vehicle was that fierce, she must be even more powerful. The memory of the flames burning the undead in seconds sent a shiver down his spine. It was a good thing they weren’t on her bad side like those people lying on the ground were. He glanced at them, noting them trying to hide their terrified expressions and the way they kept stealing glances at Emma.

It was Helan who couldn’t deal with the pressure that Emma was putting on them. Her voice trembled as she finally spoke up, “We just wanted to use you guys to divide some of the zombies. There were hundreds of them after us, you know? It was terrifying.” As she talked, tears began to dribble out of her eyes, her face contorted with fear and desperation. Emma squinted at her. Crying? Why did she have the audacity to cry? As if it was their fault they were being chased by zombies.

Emma’s gaze shifted to the others. She could see the discomfort on their faces, the way their eyes darted nervously. They were scared, but that didn’t excuse what they had done. Seeing Helan cry, Sawyer, lying next to her, spoke up, his voice shaky but determined. “It’s not her fault. We all agreed to the plan. There were hundreds of them; she just got scared.”

Emma stared at him next. Oh yeah, good old Sawyer, a no-brainer who always stood up for Helan whenever she cried. He continued talking, “And you guys wouldn’t have died anyway. You guys are in…” He shifted his gaze to Emma’s RV. The outside still looked brand new; their bullets hadn’t left a single mark. “...a good strong vehicle, while our car is easily destructible.”

Emma rolled her eyes. That was only because she was in an RV. What if she wasn’t? She would have been easily killed. But she pushed away the topic and refocused on another problem. “Where did you guys attract this many zombies?” she asked, her voice cold and demanding.

Helan sniffled, trying to compose herself. “We were at this place that our base sent us to. There was a sudden noise, like an explosion, and then they were everywhere. We barely made it out.”

James, still pale and visibly shaken, added, “We thought if we could lead them towards a larger group, they’d get distracted. We didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. We were just trying to survive.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed into slits as he listened to the excuse, a flicker of anger dancing in his eyes. “So, after you saw us, you purposely led them straight to us? Hoping we'd be in danger instead of you?” His voice carried a sharp edge, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a knife.

After Emma had rushed into the group, their initial hope for help, instead of targeting the encroaching zombies, they had aimed their weapons at the RV. The once-clear intention was now laid bare—they had intended to use them as a sacrificial distraction to escape the horde. It was a calculated move, borne out of desperation and selfishness.

Sawyer looked down, the weight of guilt evident in his posture as he avoided meeting Mark's gaze. “It wasn’t planned. We just panicked. When we saw your RV, we thought you’d be able to handle it.”

Cassidy, standing nearby, clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white with frustration and anger. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke, the raw emotion behind her words visible. “You risked our lives without a second thought. If it weren’t for Emma's quick thinking and bravery, we’d be dead.”

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The atmosphere grew tense as everyone processed the gravity of the situation. Emma took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling, before she steered the conversation back on course.

“Listen carefully,” she commanded. “You put us in danger, so now you need to pay for it.”

A fruit knife materialized in her hand with startling rapidity, catching the glint of the headlights. With a fluid motion, Emma directed the blade towards James, its tip stopping just a breath away from his eyes. The suddenness of her action left the others frozen in shock, their reactions sluggish against the speed of her movement. James found himself transfixed by the closeness of the knife, his eyes widening with fear.

Emma maintained her gaze, her eyes boring into James's with firm intensity. “Take us to that place, understand?” she demanded, her voice a chilling whisper.

Emma stood up, pulling the knife back with careful aim. With a swift and decisive motion, she flung the knife towards Helan, the blade whistling through the air almost hitting Helan before sticking itself into the sand with a soft thud.

Emma turned back to face the group, her expression unreadable yet filled with unspoken threats. “The next time, the knife won't miss,” she declared.

She looked each of them in the eyes, her gaze lingering on James, searching for any sign of defiance or deception. “Lead us there. Any small movements and your lives are over, understand?” Each of their heads bobbed up and down in fearful agreement. Emma's gaze then shifted to Yanzhen, the man who had been silent the whole time, his expression unreadable. Unlike Sawyer, Yanzhen had always demonstrated brains, often being the one to strategize when Helan proposed plans. It was only him and Helan that she had to be careful of.

Turning back, Emma walked toward the RV, Amy, still shaking from the shock of Emma's display of skills, followed closely behind her. “THAT WAS SO COOL!” Amy exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration and excitement. Like a devoted fan, she hurried to catch up to Emma's side, eager to engage in conversation. “How did you do that? That was so cool.”

On the outside, Xavier made a final mental note: Never, ever get on Emma’s bad side. He wasn’t alone in this realization; everyone who witnessed the scene shared his awe and fear. The knife had materialized out of thin air, showing another skill.

Emma’s capabilities were more vast and powerful than they had ever imagined. She didn’t just have a single supernatural power; she had multiple. In all their missions, they had never met anyone who had more than one yet. Emma was the first.

The group started again, continuing in the train formation, with the three vehicles following behind Helan as she drove. Coming from the Falming Base, they were used to the desert, so they quickly got back on track, leading the group. The headlights cut through the dark, barren landscape, casting eerie shadows on the dunes.

“Hey Emma,” Mila’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, “Cassidy said this is the same direction that we are supposed to go.” Hearing that, Emma raised her brows. Same direction. Interesting. She glanced at the compass.

Dean’s voice also came through, “What do you guys think caused the explosion noises they mentioned?” The memory of Helan’s description echoed in Emma's mind. She didn’t know the source, but she knew they needed to be ready for anything. “Not sure, but when we get there, make sure to be prepared. Good night, everyone.”

As she finished talking, Emma handed control of the wheel to Amy. Emma pulled a blanket over herself, feeling the gentle hum of the RV beneath her. The rhythmic sound was oddly soothing. She closed her eyes, but her senses remained alert, ready to react to any threat. In the silence, the only sound was the low murmur of the engine and the occasional crackle of the walkie-talkie.

A soft shaking woke Emma up again. “They stopped,” Amy said. Emma looked out the window, her eyes still half-asleep. The Flaming group's car had stopped in front of them, and the four had gotten out. Emma threw the blanket over Amy. “You go take a nap, I’ll deal with them.”

Opening the door and stepping out, the four automatically took a step back after seeing her. With the sun almost rising, its light casting long shadows across the desert, Emma stood before them, her arms crossed. The air was cool, and the sand stretched endlessly in every direction, creating an eerie silence.

“This is where it happened?” she asked, her eyes scanning the horizon. The desert looked well like a desert, with nothing but dunes in sight. As she spoke, a knife appeared in her hand, glinting in the early morning light.

James quickly took another step back, hiding behind Sawyer. “No, no, of course not,” he stammered, his voice trembling. He pointed to a building outcrop in the distance. “The place is right over there. We’re too scared to go, and we have already led you here.”

Emma’s eyes followed his finger to the building. It looked unreal in the dim light, shadows clinging to its edges like some dark omen. She let her mental power stretch out, confirming that the building was there. Satisfied, she turned back to the group, her gaze icy. With intended movements, she kicked each of them in the leg, forcing them to kneel in front of her.

“Don’t let me ever see you guys again, understand?” The four nodded quickly, fear showing in their eyes.

As Emma walked back to the RV, the four scrambled back to their car, fumbling with the doors in their desperation to leave. They sped off, kicking up a cloud of dust. Emma watched their car disappear in the rearview mirror, a slight frown creasing her brow. She couldn’t remember why she had joined them in her last life; there must have been something wrong with her mind.