Chapter 7

• "Julia, I'm coming in."
• Even though it was Julia's tent, Samuel still politely called out before parting the curtains and stepping inside. It took a while before he faintly heard Julia's response. He hesitated for a moment before lifting the curtain and entering, stooping down.
• "Thomas? Why are you still here?"
• The inside of the tent wasn't very bright, and Samuel frowned as he looked at Thomas, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with a stethoscope in his hand. Instinctively, as a soldier, his gaze briefly scanned Julia, who was wrapped tightly in a thin blanket.
• "Oh, Big Brother, I'm just worried about Julia. She's always had a weak constitution, and after falling into the sea this time, I have to monitor and observe her regularly."
• "Is that so? Thank you for your hard work."
• Julia, lying on the bed, still had some abnormal redness and swelling in her eyes. Thomas's smile at that moment, as seen through her eyes, was completely fake and couldn't be any more insincere. Fortunately... Samuel had arrived.
• "Samuel."
• Samuel, who was placing fruits on the table, turned around and smiled at Julia.
• "What's wrong, Julia?"
• "It's... nothing."
• Julia reluctantly pursed her lips as Samuel turned away once again. Meanwhile, Thomas, who was next to her, had put away his previous cold smirk and was now looking at her with a sharp and menacing gaze, seemingly threatening her.
• "Big Brother, we still have some matters to attend to with the medical team. I'll go handle it. If Julia feels uncomfortable, remember to notify me," Thomas said.
• Samuel placed an apple in Thomas's hand and patted his shoulder. He smiled slightly and said, "Alright, go take care of your business. I've already asked for time off and will stay with Julia."
• As Samuel was escorted out of the tent, the two brothers simultaneously turned around. The intense smile that had been on their faces just moments ago vanished, and their footsteps became heavy. One walked forward, and one walked backward.
• Julia noticed that Samuel, who was usually easygoing, seemed angry. Slowly, she put the grapes in her hand into her mouth and hesitated before asking, "Samuel, what happened??"
• Since Samuel had returned after seeing Thomas off, he had been sitting by the bedside, silently staring at the ground, lost in thought.
• "Hmm? I'm fine. I just suddenly remembered that there might be something I haven't taken care of yet. I need to go back and check."
• Avoiding Julia's clear gaze, Samuel abruptly stood up and walked away with large strides. Julia called after him, but he didn't even look back. As the curtain fell heavily, the grapes in Julia's hand fell to the ground.
• He knew...
• This thought made Julia extremely uneasy. Although Thomas hadn't done anything to her, she had a feeling that Samuel must have found out.
• Today was probably the unluckiest day for her, encountering a terrifying new species, being molested and dragged into the deep sea, narrowly escaping from Thomas, the perverted one. And what saddened her the most was that Samuel knew, yet chose to remain silent...
• Two days had passed, and Samuel hadn't come back. During this time, Thomas had come a few times with his medical kit, but he refrained from doing anything inappropriate due to Caroline and Evan's presence. This relieved Julia, who had been on guard against him at all times.
• The island nights were humid, and kicking off the thin blanket on her body, Julia tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. It was already midnight, and after indulging in sleep during the day, she felt no drowsiness at all during the night.
• As soon as she closed her eyes, her ears were filled with the croaking of frogs and the sounds of unfamiliar birds, making it impossible for her to sleep. Getting up, she picked up a jacket and put it on before gradually leaving the tent.
• From a distance, she could vaguely see the lights still on in her father's study. She paused for a moment and walked in that direction. Along the way, she encountered several patrol teams, and a few squad leaders reminded her to stay safe.
• "I know, thank you," she replied.
• The temporary research area was not far from the camp. It was visible from both sides, but there was a small forest between them, about ten meters wide with sparsely grown waterfir trees. Once she passed through there, she would arrive at the research area above.
• Julia walked with a flashlight, not in a hurry. The ground was uneven, and she was afraid of snakes, so she was extra cautious.
• "Whoosh~"
• "Who's there?"
• Startled, Julia looked behind her but found nothing. In the pitch-black night sky, she shone her flashlight around, and it seemed that only a patch of grass not far away was swaying slightly in the wind.
• "Phew, it seems like I misheard something."
• She didn't notice that at the moment she turned around, a dark figure slowly hung upside down from the tree behind her, lunging towards her...
• When Evan walked out of the study, it was already 2 a.m. Non-stop research for several days had left him exhausted. Holding some documents and a flashlight, he unexpectedly found a switched-off flashlight dropped in a grassy patch by the roadside in the forest.
• "Who left this here?"
• Picking up the standard-issue flashlight without much thought, he walked towards the campground.
• In the darkness, illuminated by the dappled moonlight, Julia saw clearly who had kidnapped her. Unfortunately, he covered her mouth with his hand, leaving her no chance to cry for help. He moved swiftly through the mountains, being extremely cautious yet showing no signs of panic. A perfect smile adorned his flawless face, and his excitement seemed to come from the depths of his heart. And the source of his excitement was Julia in his arms.
• "Hmm! Hmm!"
• Help! Help! Julia didn't know what he wanted to do. Where was he taking her? All she knew was that the humanoid snake's gaze mirrored Thomas's intense and perverted eyes, which sent shivers down her spine.
• After about fifteen minutes, it seemed like they had reached their destination. He lifted a tangle of vines and slid into a cave.
• Once inside, Julia couldn't see anything in the pitch-black darkness, but the humanoid snake could still see clearly. He guided her in a certain direction for a few minutes.
• Suddenly, a light appeared before Julia's eyes. The scattered lights seemed to emanate from some kind of stone on the cave wall. The deeper they went, the brighter it became. The humanoid snake led her to a beautiful pool next to the cave, placing her on a soft bed of grass.
• Julia looked in astonishment at everything before her, even forgetting to call for help. She stared at the massive cave, the walls covered in glowing stones that illuminated every dark corner. Not far from where she was, there was a wide pool, crystal clear and serene, with intertwined lotus flowers blooming.
• It felt like a fairyland...
• Suddenly, a loud splash startled Julia as the snake jumped into the pool. His long, thick, dark tail swayed gracefully in the water, displaying his agility.
• "Oh!"
• Julia hadn't seen the terrifying snake tail that day. Compared to the upper half of the humanoid snake, the undeveloped lower half was truly terrifying.
• Her scream caught the attention of the humanoid snake. He glanced at her, seemingly puzzled and concerned. He swiftly swam over, extending a hand with a graceful and godlike face, smiling.
• "Dominic..."
• Julia was so frightened by his actions that she instinctively stepped back, her fragile back against the wall, trembling slightly. She stared at the humanoid snake cautiously, observing his gradually dimming azure eyes.
• "...Julia?"
• Was he calling her name? Julia couldn't believe it.