Snowkes swirled as the wind howled around him. Without a car, Hans was a solitary figure trudging through the vast, white emptiness.


    His mind reeled with images: Evadne, in mortal danger, her fate unknown; Thaddeus, his head drenched in blood and a bullet in his body, yet still staggering off to find her with unwavering resolve.


    His calloused hand trembled as he clutched at his chest, where his heart was thundering against his ribs for reasons he couldn''t exin.


    "Agh-!"


    A strangled cry escaped his lips as a splitting pain shot through his temples. Darkness clouded his vision, and his legs gave out, sending him kneeling into the


    snow.


    The agony was searing, as if drilling straight through him. His eyes bulged, the pressure behind them so intense he feared they would burst from their sockets.


    He gasped for air, his trembling hand fumbling for the ne he wore the one with the hidden pillbox.


    Sir had told him the pills inside would calm him, end the pain, save his life.


    But his grip failed. The pill slipped from his fingers, vanishing instantly into the white snow.


    A roar filled Hans''s head. With a terror he had never known, his trembling hands scrabbled frantically through the snow.


    The headache intensified, growing unbearable. Desperate for relief, he tore off his shirt and plunged his scarred torso into a snowdrift, hoping the biting cold would numb the pain.


    To his surprise, the shock of it worked.


    Slowly, Hans opened his bloodshot eyes. His gut was still clenched and a dull ache throbbed in his head, but it was a vast improvement from the blinding agony moments before.


    His face was deathly pale. He had just pulled his shirt back on when his phone rang.


    Seeing Alexia''s name on the screen, Hans''s expression soured with annoyance and a hint of hesitation.


    He let it ring for a long moment before finally answering, slowly bringing the phone to his ear.


    "Hans. I heard you called for backup. Is there a problem?" Alexia''s voice was cold, devoid of warmth-a purely routine inquiry.


    Hans''s gaze shifted. "Yeah," he said, his voice low. "Lost my vehicle. I need a ride back."


    "Lost your vehicle?" Alexia''s tone sharpened with suspicion. "Where did it go?"


    "Thaddeus took it."


    "What?!" Her voice dripped with disbelief. "You didn''t stop him? You failed the mission?!"


    A knot tightened in Hans''s chest. Then, on an impulse he didn''t understand, he lied for the first time in his life.


    "Sir didn''t order me to kill him. I wrecked his car, we fought, and he got my gun. Shot me and took off."


    There was a pause on the other end. Alexia seemed to buy it. After all, Thaddeus had been the top cadet at the academy withbat skills that were off the charts. It was usible that Hans would lose a fight against him.


    "A team is already on its way to pick you up," she said finally. "But this failure will have serious consequences. Think long and hard on the drive back about how you''re going to exin this to Sir."


    With that, she hung up.


    Hans stared up at the silent, dark sky and took a deep breath of the freezing air. After a moment of deliberation, he slowly raised his own gun, aimed at his left shoulder, and fired.


    Drops of crimson spattered across the pristine white snow.


    A cold sweat broke out on his forehead from the searing pain, but his expression


    was calm, resolute. A grim smile even touched his lips.


    "This," he muttered to the empty night, "is my exnation for Sir."


    ***


    Meanwhile, Thaddeus was dragging his own injured body deep into the mountain forest, nked by Captain Sean and a rescue team.


    "Mr. Thaddeus, you look terrible. Are you sure you''re okay?" Captain Sean asked, his voiceced with concern Thaddeus''s face was so drenched in sweat looked like he''d been dunked underwater. "We can handle the search for Ms. Evadne. Mr. Jason has already notified her


    family, so we have more than


    enough people. You should go back down the mountain and wait for


    news."


    "No. I have to find her." Thaddeus''s vision blurred in and out of focus as he mechanically pushed forward. "I owe her this."<fn49c5> The rightful source is Find★Novel</fn49c5>


    The captain sighed. "You two... I remember when you were the golden couple of Elmsworth. It''s a damn shame it''se to this."


    Thaddeus''s pale lips pressed into a thin line. He lowered his head, each deep footprint he left in the snow feeling like another heavy brand seared onto his heart.


    A lifetime of unspoken, tangled emotions seemed to detonate silently inside him,


    the st so powerful it made his organs ache.


    And though he hated to admit it, he couldn''t deny the truth any longer: he regretted it all.


    Finding Paloma was important, yes. But if the cost was Evadne''s life...


    "Captain Sean! We''ve found a hiker''s tracks over here!" someone shouted.


    Thaddeus''s weary expression sharpened instantly. He rushed forward, his eyes locking onto the footprints. He recognized them at a nce—they were a woman''s. It had to be Evadne.


    "We''re on the right track. She came through here. The crushing weight on his chest eased just a fraction. "With this blizzard judging by th stride length and pace... she can''t be far." His voice trembled with a sliver of hope.