Jason witnessed the sight of Eugene’s helicopter being blown into bits. He definitely saw something hurled over at the helicopter at breaking speed. Something even his eyes couldn’t catch.

He stood there in a daze as he never expected that to happen. The memories of Eugene flashed inside his head before something dropped over his cheeks.

Trail of tears rained down as he couldn’t believe what just happened. He fell on his knees as he couldn’t felt any energy on his lower limbs. His mind was distraught, he thought he did his best fighting for them, making sure they were safe. But in the end, he failed.

I’ve failed them.

The blown bits of the helicopter struck the tail of the helicopter rode by Maria and Gina. The helicopter was having a problem balancing itself and just when the soldier was about to regain his control over the aerial vehicle, something struck the helicopter blade.

Jason with tears in his eyes saw it from below. The blade of the blown-up helicopter twirled in the air before striking right at the spinning helicopter blade. His whole face contorted seeing these things happening. The thought of Maria flashed by and he soon got up on his two feet.

His feet slowly brought him over in the direction of the helicopter as the aerial vehicle started to spun around. Then the top of helicopter blown up as the whole thing started to dive down.

Inside the helicopter cabin, the whole situation was a mess. The helicopter was spinning around and Gina along with the son of the conglomerate was screaming for their lives. If it wasn’t for the belt strapping them down, they would have been thrown outside.

Maria was sitting there seeing the sight all around her becoming a blur. Everything was spinning around and she doesn’t know what to do about it. But as soon as she heard the explosion from on top, she knew the whole helicopter was going to crash.

What am I going to do? Thought Maria.

Then she saw someone that sat in front of her opening up the helicopter door. She barely recognized him as everything was spinning.

It was Simon.

She saw him jumping out of the helicopter without hesitation. If she wasn’t wrong, did she just saw him having a bag behind him?

The thought of parachute came through. At this altitude, she doesn’t know whether it will work or not but it was better than nothing. She tried to find a parachute bag but she couldn’t find it. Seconds ticked by and the chopper was close to crashing.

She was out of ideas. The only thing left was to just jump. But jumping at this altitude was suicidal even if she did manage to get on the roof, her whole bone frame will be broken into pieces.

But then she remembered something. She opened her status and saw the energy guard. An ability she obtained besides from the useless identify.

Can this protect me from the fall? A thought of hers.

Nonetheless, that’s the only chance she got in surviving this situation.

It’s now or never.

Then the thought of Gina came in mind. She looked back and saw the screaming lady already fainted out of fear. She didn’t want to leave her but in this situation what the hell can she do? Even her own safety was not reassured.

Then she glanced at the man screaming like a girl. For a man-child indulging in his father’s wealth, there wasn’t a tint of courage inside of him. She thought about pulling a trigger on him, but that wasn’t within her code of justice.

Nevertheless, he won’t survive this.

She unbuckled herself and as soon as she did. Her whole body turned weightless and ramming over the whole cabin like a pinball. She didn’t know what just hit her. By some luck, she was thrown out through the open door and her body was falling in free fall.

Her mind was blurry as she was hit by the head. She didn’t even know she was falling. Everything happened so fast that she didn’t know what happened after unbuckling herself.

Is this my death?

She had given up. There was no way she could escape this. But then she heard a voice calling her name.

“Maria…”

A familiar voice, one that once etched inside her heart. Then something yanked her over. She screamed out of the pain. A pain that she never had experienced before. Her eyes opened wide and saw her whole arm above her.

Something was grabbing her as she could feel her feet were dangling in the air. As her vision cleared she saw the one who made her yell in pain.

It was Jason.

“Jason,” she didn’t want it to be a dream.

But Jason didn’t respond like she wanted. Then her sight saw for what it was. Jason was holding on to her by the hand. Yet Jason’s situation wasn’t looking good.

Both of them were over the ledge of the rooftop. Jason's other hand was hanging by the ledge of the building while his other hand was holding on to Maria. If it was any normal man, they wouldn’t last a second in this position before falling to their death.

Now she knew why he didn’t respond. He was trying his best not to slip. Jason’s face reddened as every vein bulged as he tried to pull themselves up.

He groaned as he slowly pulled himself up through one hand. Maria who had her whole arm dislocated was trying her best to endure the pain. She knew she was just being a burden right now, the only thing she could do was to just endure.

Soon, a man appeared from over the ledge of the roof. After pulling most of his body on the roof, she pulled Maria up.

Fatigue was catching up to Jason as his mind and body were getting weary once more. He was getting tired more easily even after taking a nap during daylight.

I should have put some points into stamina.

A thought that he should remember. Maria's whole body was on the roof as she immediately lay on the roof huffing for her breath. Jason did the same laying beside her staring at the night sky. He was out of breath and his mind was about to fade away.

“Argh,” yet the sound of pain from Maria woke him up.

It wasn’t time to sleep yet. He spun his body around towards Maria as he was too tired to even drag himself.

He bumped into her and Maria glanced to her side. Jason’s hand reached out to her shoulder and glowing green light enveloped her whole upper body. The light faded and Maria was healed. The whitish glow that surrounded Maria had vanished telling him that something might had happened inside the helicopter.

But that didn’t matter as long as she’s alive.

Maria propped her body up and she saw Jason laying there on the floor with his eyes closed. She brought him closer to her as she hugged his upper body. She cried, letting out all those tears flowing out. She thought she’s going to die but again this man came to save the day. He saved her no matter what. It pained her seeing him like this.

“Why are you crying?” whispered Jason.

He was too tired that even his voice turned hoarse.

She was deep in her thoughts as they were too many things she was crying about. Then Gina came to mind.

“I’m sorry Jason. I left Gina,” she barely finished her sentence as she was crying with tears and snot raining down on the unfortunate man.

He knew what she meant.

Gina’s dead.

The memories he had about this particular cousin of his was numerous. From young until old, he recalled those memories. Then a memory of a single night resurfaced. A mistake from both of them but nonetheless, it was still memories.

Tears fell once again. Too many had died. Eugene and her parents, Gina and everyone else at the banquet hall. Then the thought of his parents surfaced. He hoped nothing happen to them in this time of turmoil. He missed them. He missed his parents, he missed his siblings.

He hoped everything that happened to him would never happen to them. It was painful, too painful to bear.

Yet in this moment of solemn, a horrendous noise broke everything apart. A noise that spread throughout the whole city, a noise that made people trembled. Jason tried his best to propped his body up and Maria helped him up.

They turned their attention to the source of that hellish roar and both couldn’t help but be surprised.

In the direction of the crack on the sky. A monstrous head just emerged at a scale that went beyond their wildest dream.