Justin crept out of the small shack he once called a secret hideout. Now it has become his home, along with Leo and Adam when they first met six years ago.

It was dark outside, only a little brighter than the inside of the shack because of the presence of the flickering lamp posts as well as the crescent moon. He looked sideways, making sure that there weren't any more members of the Blackjack before he took his first step on the destroyed pavement.

Nights are awfully quiet in Hebei. There aren't any crickets or any other animal besides those which are also doing what they can to survive.

Justin carefully brisk walked eastward, where his brother Theo decided to settle after finding a house empty upon arriving in Hebei. It was a decent house, to say the least, and they can still make use of the things the original owner had left behind. They were fortunate enough to have found a few yuans and some other sellable materials, which helped them get by for their first few years. However, it's already their sixth year in Hebei, and they're starting to run low on resources, especially now that Justin had been biting off more than he needs to help Adam and Leo survive.

He jumped over the fence encircling what had been a garden, and skipped over a few garbage before he reached the front door. He twisted the doorknob slowly, and was partly surprised to see Theo awake at that hour.

"You should've stayed at your hideout for a while more," Theo says upon seeing Justin by the doorway. "I have a feeling they'll come back in just a few more minutes."

Justin closed the door behind him and walked over to the window where Theo was observing the outside. "The Blackjack never made two rounds in an hour."

Theo heaved a deep breath and closed the curtain. He looked at Justin sternly. "I had a different feeling. They passed by so quickly, like they were driving much faster than the usual. There must be something going on," he bit his lower lip and glanced at the direction of the window. "Stay here for a bit before you go back there. Your friends will understand."

Justin nodded and sat down on the nearest chair he could find. He fiddled with his fingers for a few moments before he raised his head up again at Theo. "Adam's back, by the way."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He said he got lost after thinking he was being chased by the Blackjack," Justin explained.

Theo grabbed a chair and placed it across Justin and got comfortable on it before replying, "Why would he be chased by the Blackjack?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't even know how his brain works."

"You brat," Theo laughed. "You should be thankful Adam and Leo were able to put up with that attitude of yours for six years," he said. "If we weren't brothers, I would've left you a long time ago."

Justin placed his hands over his heart, acting as if he was hurt. "You monster!"

Theo stood up from his seat and ruffled Justin's hair. "I myself is thankful for those two. In today's world, it's very unlikely that you'll still find people who'll stick with you even when you got nothing to give. When you kids find a way to live a normal life, don't forget about older brother, okay?"

"You leech," Justin shook his head, but smiled at Theo anyway.

Theo slumped back on his chair and sighed, repeatedly glancing at the direction of the window. Then he looked at Justin, who was busy fidgeting with a loose button on his jacket. "You used to be so scared of the dark," he remarked.

"Wasn't that you?" Justin replied without looking at him. "You were the one who used to be so scared of the dark."

Theo rolled his eyes at him in defeat. He relaxed on his chair and focused his attention on the window.

Living there for the past six years, he has already grown used to the pitch black darkness enveloping them each night. Up until now, however, he couldn't help but compare the beauty of each evening in Zhejiang to the bitterness of Hebei. It was the complete opposite; even their lives underwent a complete turnaround.

He sighed, then stood up from his seat. "My gut must've been wrong," he chuckled, trying to stifle a yawn. "You can go back to your friends now. I'm going to sleep," he stretched out his arms, then left Justin in the living room by himself.

Justin stood up as soon as he heard Theo's bedroom door click. He wanted to go back to Adam and Leo, but he felt uneasy walking back. He knew -- even though Theo countered it -- that his older brother's instincts were never wrong. So he sat back down and fidgeted with his fingers, hoping that Adam and Leo weren't paranoid enough to go out and look for him.

He felt his lips become drier with every minute that passes by. His breath is also gradually becoming heavier, and soon enough, he felt the darkness choking him. He couldn't breathe, but he has no choice but to stay.

Right as he took one deep breath, he heard a series of crashes from the distance, accompanied by a number of shrill screams and helpless shouts.