Chapter 55 - The news from Ellen and Noelle's side

Ellen was staring intently at something floating in front of her. Her eyes widened, unable to react to the situation unfolding before her. More precisely, to the message that had just appeared in the air.

[ATTENTION: The new plan is in its final phase and will be announced soon. The theme of the next mission will be (Race Against Time) Only 6 days left until the start of the next mission]

Ellen was completely speechless as she looked at the floating screen in front of her. She was filled with extreme fear, not for what could happen to her, but for what could happen to the little girl sitting in front of her, with an anxious look.

"S-Sister" called Noelle, turning her gaze to Ellen.

Ellen could only bite her lip, unsure of what to say to calm her sister. Could she really reassure her when she herself wasn't calm? Like Noelle, Ellen also felt insecure. Could she survive? More importantly, could she ensure her sister returned alive? Ellen had no answers to these questions.

"Ellen, Noelle, is something wrong? You both look pale"

As Ellen and Noelle focused on the screen in front of them, a third person entered the room. The two turned at the sound of footsteps and saw a woman about 37 years old, with a youthful appearance, wearing an apron. She approached the sisters, breaking the tense silence.

"Mom..." began Ellen, but soon fell silent, unable to continue.

Ellen was torn whether to tell her mother about this. When they reunited after a week, she chose to only say that something strange had happened. She explained that she and everyone on the bus were transported to a strange place, something out of a nightmare. Ellen didn't go into details about what happened there, just mentioned that it was tough.

Ellen also reported to her mother about the translucent screen that appeared whenever she thought of the word "status." To prove she wasn't lying, Ellen summoned her bow in front of her mother.

She also shared with her mother about Noah, describing him as an amazing person who helped her. While Ellen was worried about saving her younger sister, he appeared like a true knight in shining armor. Even without going into detail, Ellen's mother, though not entirely aware of what was happening, picked up some signs that gave her an idea of what was going on.

"Did something related to the nightmare you and your sister faced for a week happen?" Ellen's mother asked, gracefully sitting between Ellen and Noelle.

Hearing her mother's words, Ellen simply nodded. She feared deeply disappointing her parents. If, for some reason, Noelle couldn't come back with her from that place, Ellen preferred not to return either.

"...I have no idea what you went through in that place, and I think you don't want to tell me because you know I wouldn't be able to fully calm myself knowing the danger you're in. Right now, I'm trembling not knowing if I'll see you again. I may be a terrible mother for this, but I truly thank you for not telling me everything" said Ellen's mother, with a sad smile on her lips.

Of course, Ellen couldn't blame her mother for thinking that way, she really couldn't. Ellen realized her mother had been anxious and trembling since she and Noelle returned. Her mother knew they would disappear again. Ellen didn't want to worry her more than she already was. That's why Ellen didn't tell everything, neither to her mother nor to her father.

"It's okay, Mom, remember I told you? I met an amazing person there. With him by our side, I'm sure Noelle and I will be fine" Ellen replied, forcing a smile on her face.

It was clear Ellen's mother had heard about Noah before; after all, her two daughters couldn't stop mentioning him. Even her husband was curious about this man, as their daughters had never shown so much interest in a guy before.

"But you said you don't know where he lives, right? How do you plan to get in touch with him?" Noelle's mother asked.

Understanding her mother's words, Ellen nodded. However, she had already pondered about this. Furthermore, it's not like she was completely in the dark about Noah. Although he didn't reveal much about himself while they were in that hellish place, Ellen had some clues to follow in the search for his whereabouts.

"I really don't know. When we returned, he wasn't inside the bus, but he lives in the city. Considering he's my age and probably a college student, I believe we can locate him by searching from college to college" Ellen replied confidently.

"Sister" called Noelle with a radiant smile on her face beside Ellen. "Are we going to see brother again?"

For Noelle, Noah was the most reliable person she had ever met, right after her older sister. Anticipation filled her as she imagined they could meet again.

***

"Ah-choo!!"

For some mysterious reason, I suddenly felt a strong urge to sneeze. Ruby, who was in front of me, looked at me with a surprised look. Well, I would be surprised too in this occasion; after all, I was about to tell her something super important, and suddenly, I sneezed.

"Brother, are you okay?" my sister inquired in front of me, with a concerned expression. "Are you feeling unwell or something?"

Honestly, I didn't feel sick. I wondered if I could still get sick, considering the amount of distributed points I've accumulated. Moreover, I doubted that a knife could be used as a weapon against me. Not that I had tested to be completely sure of that, but it was what I believed.

"Well, actually, no, I'm feeling perfectly fine. My body is much more resilient than before; I doubt I could catch something as simple as a cold now" I replied, to which Ruby simply nodded in confirmation.

"I see... so, what were you wanting to tell me before?" Ruby asked, her face showing anticipation for my next words.