Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 304 Time to Turn Around

That night, no one in Greenfield Village slept.

After the major earthquake, rescue teams and supplies quickly arrived from surrounding areas. Greenfield Village had suffered extensively-many old houses had collapsed, landslides blocked roads near the mountains, and the once-clear river now ran red with mud.

The peaceful village had transformed into a scene of devastation. No one knew how many lives lay buried beneath the rubble.

When the house collapsed, Lacey was struck and knocked unconscious. When she finally opened her eyes, her eyelashes felt heavy with dust, and she couldn't move at all.

Remembering Jason, she frantically looked around, but could see nothing in the pitch darkness surrounding her.

"Jason," she called out, her voice hoarse from either weakness or fear.

"Jason!" she called again, her voice trembling now.

"I'm here!" came Jason's faint reply from somewhere in the darkness.

She strained her eyes toward the sound. His voice was weak, and though worried about him, she could see nothing. She reached out blindly, her hands searching. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

A large hand grasped hers in the darkness.

"I'm okay. How about you?"

"I'm fine too."

In truth, Lacey was far from fine. Her legs were pinned under a concrete slab, and she had no idea if she would ever walk again.

Unable to see each other, they clung to their joined hands, the only tangible proof of each other's existence. They had no way of knowing if it was day or night outside, or whether anyone would come to rescue them. Death felt just a breath away.

"I'm sorry," Lacey whispered. "I should have listened to you. I was foolish to think the aftershock wouldn't come so quickly, or that the house would withstand it. Now we're trapped, and it's my fault for dragging you into this."

After a moment, Jason sighed softly and tightened his grip on her hand. "It's not your fault."

Lacey's lips curved in a bitter smile. "Natural disasters like earthquakes are merciless. They don't care who you are they destroy everything in their path. That's how my dad died, you know."

"I've always been terrified of earthquakes. They're so merciless-they don't care if you're good or bad. They just take lives without warning. That's how Benjamin died, you know."

"Save your strength," Jason cautioned. "Someone will come for us."

Tears welled in Lacey's eyes. "I just want to talk while I still can. I'm afraid we might not have another chance."

"We will," Jason insisted.

"Do you think it's day or night right now?" Lacey asked.

After a pause, Jason replied, "Probably night. If it were daytime, some light would filter through, no matter how deep we're buried."

"So we haven't been trapped that long?"

"That's why you need to keep hoping. Don't give up."

When morning came, faint light seeped through the cracks between stones-just

enough for them to see each other. They were both filthy and disheveled.

When the concrete slab had fallen, Lacey had pushed Jason aside. He had landed in a triangular pocket of safety, while she was pinned beneath the concrete.

Lacey had been quiet for some time, feeling numb as her strength ebbed away.

Jason cleared away some rubble to move closer to her. Seeing her legs trapped and her lips blue with cold, he removed his jacket and draped it over her. "Hold on, Lacey."

After a night on the freezing floor, Lacey had developed a chill, her voice raspy. "I'm okay. I'll keep hoping, just like you said."

and brightened

water, Lacey's lips were

as if winter had

beside her, holding her close, sharing his body

many collapsed buildings.

against his shoulder, barely able to lift her eyelids. "I won't

dragged on and darkness fell again, hope seemed increasingly

had emphasized conserving strength. They had barely spoken for hours, just waiting in

she grew anxious. Slowly, she raised her hand

she whispered,

her hand in

on. She boldly wrapped her arms around

might be their last, she couldn't bear to

water... just one bottle, and we could

days."

her desperation, her reluctance

answer, but his

endure this-all of it had come through him. Now they were both trapped, and as a man, he desperately wanted to spare her this suffering,

Jason bent down, cradled Lacey's face, and kissed her

widened slowly, as if in an

hers, the softness

the kiss wasn't

help but lose herself in this moment of intimacy. Both were nearly spent. Though they spoke of not giving up,

away sand and smoothing her

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remorse for all the physical and emotional hardship he'd caused

given silently to him, though he had rarely

love you," Lacey said,

and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. If we make it out alive, I'll

spilled down Lacey's cheeks as she felt the sincerity

she had

on her face in the darkness and gently wiped it away. "Don't

Lacey couldn't

you crying? Aren't you happy?"

with sadness. "I am happy, but

moment, declared firmly,

Jason's chest,

thing anyone had ever said to

we'll get that chance,"

her tightly, sharing

of warmth.

dawn approached, they

rescuers had come

barely keep her

Jason urged, trying

murmured weakly,

were removed one by one,

closed, but tears streamed down her

knew they were

carried out, Lacey still clutched the photograph

rushed over, looking frantically between

handed him the photograph. "I finally returned

to you."

and burst into tears. "Hang in

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