Chapter 225 Help Jack First

Chapter 225: Chapter 225 Help Jack First

Ling Xuan examined the narrow opening beneath the fallen slab while Stefan held the flashlight steady beside her. The largest piece of concrete rested at an angle against the wall, supported by several smaller stones that had become wedged together during the collapse. Removing them carelessly would disturb the weight above, and although Ling Xuan was confident she could force her way through the obstruction, she could not guarantee that the ceiling would remain intact if she did.

On the other side, Tina was still calling Jack’s name, her voice growing increasingly frightened whenever he failed to respond. Each time the child spoke, Laurel’s anxiety pressed harder against Ling Xuan’s concentration, making it difficult to ignore the image of Jack lying motionless in the darkness after using his body to shield Tina from the falling stones.

"Move the light a little higher," Ling Xuan instructed Stefan, leaning closer to study the space between the concrete slabs. "I want to see where the weight is resting."

Stefan adjusted his hand immediately, directing the beam towards the upper edge of the opening. A thin stream of dust fell as the light moved across the cracked concrete, and he instinctively drew back before forcing himself to remain still. "If we remove the stone underneath, will that bring the whole thing down?"

"It might," Ling Xuan answered, her eyes following the narrow gap until she noticed a section that extended farther through the blockage than she had initially realized. "But we may not need to remove it."

Stefan frowned and lowered himself beside her. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering immediately, Ling Xuan took the flashlight from him and angled it through the opening. The beam passed between two uneven slabs, illuminating a small section of the tunnel beyond the collapse. She shifted her wrist carefully, searching for enough visible ground to distinguish the opposite side from the interior of the rubble itself.

"Tina," Ling Xuan called, keeping her face close to the opening. "Can you see a light coming through the stones?"

There was a faint movement on the other side before Tina answered, her voice hoarse from crying. "Yes, Aunty Laurel. It’s near the wall."

"Good. Don’t come towards it." Ling Xuan adjusted the flashlight again, allowing the beam to travel farther along the exposed floor. "Tell me whether there are any large stones directly in front of the light."

Tina was quiet for several seconds, apparently trying to understand what she was being asked to look for. "There are some beside it, but the ground in front is empty. Jack is farther away."

Ling Xuan turned towards Stefan and handed the flashlight back to him. "Look through the gap. Can you see the ground beyond the collapse?"

Stefan lowered himself until his face was almost against the stone, adjusting the flashlight with one hand while shielding his eyes from the reflected light with the other. At first, he could see little except broken walls, but when Ling Xuan guided his wrist towards the narrowest part of the opening, the beam finally reached a patch of unobstructed floor.

His brows furrowed deeply. "I can see it," Stefan said, leaning closer as though he wanted to make absolutely certain. "There’s enough space on the other side for us to stand."

Ling Xuan studied him carefully. "You told me you couldn’t teleport somewhere you hadn’t seen. You’ve seen it now."

Stefan remained crouched beside the opening for a moment, considering the suggestion. His ability had always required him to know his destination, and although the place beyond the rubble was unfamiliar, the flashlight had given him a clear view of a specific point. He could not promise the jump would be easy in his exhausted condition, but it was no longer impossible for the same reason it had been earlier.

"I should be able to reach that spot," Stefan answered, slowly withdrawing from the opening. "But I need to concentrate, and after all those jumps getting here, I don’t know how much strength I have left."

Ling Xuan took his wrist before he could continue. "Then use what remains carefully. We only need to get through once."

Stefan nodded, though his gaze lingered on the rubble with obvious concern. "What about getting back out with the children?"

"We will deal with that after we examine them," Ling Xuan replied. "If Jack is seriously injured, moving him through these stones could make things worse. Teleporting may be our safest option, but first we need to reach him."

Inside the farming space, Laurel felt a rush of hope as she watched Stefan prepare himself. She wanted to ask whether he could truly manage another jump, but Ling Xuan had already considered the risk, and there was no better option while Jack remained unconscious beyond the collapse.

Stefan took a slow breath and tightened his grip around Ling Xuan’s wrist. His face was pale beneath the dust, and the strain of using his ability repeatedly had left his body trembling, but his gaze remained fixed on the narrow opening through which he had seen the opposite side. ℯ

A familiar distortion passed through the air around them. For an instant, the tunnel seemed to fold inward, and Stefan felt the familiar resistance of forcing his ability towards a place he had only just identified. He concentrated on the small patch of ground beyond the rubble, refusing to let his thoughts drift towards the children or the possibility of failure.

When the distortion disappeared, they were standing on the other side. Stefan stumbled immediately, his knees weakening beneath him, but Ling Xuan caught his arm before he could fall. The flashlight slipped from his hand and struck the ground, its beam sweeping across the tunnel before coming to rest against a nearby stone.

"Aunty Laurel?" Tina’s frightened voice came from several meters away.

Ling Xuan released Stefan once she was certain he could support himself and turned towards the sound. The flashlight illuminated a small figure sitting against the wall, her clothes covered in dust and dried blood, with one leg stretched awkwardly in front of her. Her face was pale, and a dark stain marked the side of her forehead, but the moment she recognized Ling Xuan, her expression crumpled.

"Aunty Laurel!" Tina cried, attempting to rise despite the pain in her knee.

"Stay there," Ling Xuan ordered, already moving towards her. She reached the child before Tina could put weight on her injured leg and crouched in front of her, taking hold of her shoulders to keep her from falling. "I told you not to move."

Tina’s lips trembled as she stared at her, apparently unable to believe that the person she had been calling for was finally within reach. Then she threw both arms around Ling Xuan’s neck and began crying against her shoulder, clinging so tightly that Ling Xuan had to shift her balance to support her.

"I thought you wouldn’t find us," Tina sobbed, her words muffled against Ling Xuan’s clothes. "The monsters kept chasing us, and Jack was carrying me because my knee hurt, but then the roof started falling, and I couldn’t see anything. I kept calling for you, Aunty Laurel, but nobody came."

Ling Xuan remained still for a moment before placing one hand against the back of Tina’s head, carefully avoiding the injured area. She could feel Laurel’s relief and sorrow mingling with her own unfamiliar discomfort, and although she had never known what to do when the child cried like this, she did not pull away.

"I found you," Ling Xuan told her quietly, allowing Tina another moment before easing her back enough to examine her face. "Now let me see where you’re hurt."

Tina tried to wipe her tears away, but her attention suddenly shifted towards the darkness beside them. "Jack," she whispered, gripping Ling Xuan’s sleeve. "Aunty Laurel, please help Jack first."

Ling Xuan followed her gaze.

Jack lay several feet away, partly on his side with one arm stretched towards the place where Tina had been sitting. His clothes were torn and covered in dust, and dark blood had dried across his back and shoulder. The butcher knife Ida had given him lay nearby, while Tina’s white-sheathed dagger had fallen farther away among the stones.