American homeless people, surviving in the city

When he realized this terrifying possibility, Lin Qi felt a chill run through his body, as if his body temperature had dropped several degrees.

This assumption may not be 100% correct, but if the cultists really come to confirm his and Sylvia's life or death as he imagined, then the consequences would be unimaginable if they found out!

Lynch stiffly turned his neck to look at Sylvia.

Sylvia's face was pale. She stared at the burning wreckage of the car in front of her, her eyes unblinking. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she slowly turned her head to look at Lynch.

Her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Lynch suddenly felt a pressing need for time. He hurriedly raised his torch to illuminate the surroundings, and after confirming that there was nothing suspicious around for the time being, he quickly knelt down in front of Sylvia.

As he began to recount his terrifying conjecture, he tried his best to keep his voice steady:

"Listen, I've recently uncovered a lot more information about the group that's been following you. There's no time to go into details now, but what I want to say is that you may already be aware of their methods, but their influence in Seattle is actually far more terrifying than you've seen."

"So, I think our situation is probably more dangerous than we previously imagined... If it's really as I think, they might send someone to check if we're alive or dead!"

"We can't stay here waiting for rescue when it might never arrive! We have to get out of here!"

When Sylvia heard Lynch's assessment that "those people are very likely to continue chasing after us," she shuddered violently. In the firelight, her already pale face, covered in blood, turned even paler.

She looked down at her severed left arm, then raised her right hand to touch the scar that ran across her face, saying nothing. But Lin Qi seemed to see that her body, already slightly curled up in pain, became even more hunched, and her eyes, reflecting the firelight, were filled with despair.

Sylvia gasped for breath, her voice trembling as she spoke, her tone choked with sobs:

"I don't know... I don't know... Yes... They're coming... I should have known... I didn't heed your warnings, ever since that day... I knew..."

"But I never expected things to develop so quickly... They're coming... They're... coming!"

Sylvia's voice suddenly stopped, and then her right hand slowly caressed the edge of the wound on her face.

When she spoke again, her voice had almost completely lost its emotion, leaving only a deep numbness:

"I have no other choice."

"Even if I manage to escape, they'll definitely be waiting for me somewhere. My face... my face is ruined... I don't even know why they targeted me... why..."

Her eyes widened, and she tilted her head like a broken doll, staring into Lin Qi's eyes, muttering to herself:

"Mr. Lynch...is this all a nightmare?"

"I don't want to have this dream... wake me up... wake up!"

Looking at the girl before him, Lin Qi's heart tightened. He knew that Sylvia's fluctuating emotions and delirious talk were signs that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

This was unavoidable. From Lynch's perspective, it was easy to imagine that Sylvia, a wealthy heiress from a well-to-do family, would suddenly encounter a stalker with mysterious and brutal methods within a few days, and then be hit by a deliberately staged car accident, falling off a cliff, losing an arm, and being disfigured. It was only natural that she would be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

But now is not the time for Sylvia to calm down and release her emotions. If this continues, the cultists might really come looking for her!

Lynch gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and forced himself to remain calm. He knelt down in front of Sylvia and spoke in a gentle yet firm voice:

"Listen, Sylvia, there's no need to think about these things now. I understand how you feel, but the most important thing right now is to survive!"

"As long as you survive, there's still hope! Medical technology is so advanced now, and you're still so young. You can have your facial injuries treated by a doctor later; you won't be disfigured. Those who are stalking you are only at large for now. Once you get out, they can take their revenge!"

"So, let's pull ourselves together and get up! Let's escape from here together, then we can talk about anything else!"

Upon hearing this, Sylvia simply shook her head slowly. Lin Qi noticed tears glistening in her eyes—he was quite surprised that a young girl of her age was only now starting to cry; she was already very strong.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably, and in the end, she could only manage a bitter smile:

"It's no use... There's nothing I can do... Mr. Lynch, I know my physical condition very well. I'm not good at sports, and even when I'm at my best, it's impossible for me to walk out of a forest."

"Not to mention now, my arm is broken, and I'm extremely weak. I can feel that every breath is a struggle, and I can't even stand up..."

"I can't escape now."

Sylvia took a deep breath, then gritted her teeth and tried to speak clearly to Lynch:

"So, Mr. Lynch... you can go now. You've done enough for me, and I'm very grateful... but there's nothing more I can do."

"I can feel that they won't let me go... I can't escape anymore... But you might still survive!"

Her voice grew softer and softer, carrying a sense of helplessness and exhaustion, as if she had given up on everything.

Lin Qi looked at her and felt as if something was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He recalled the first time he saw Sylvia in front of the relief food truck, her gentle smiling face, the umbrella she handed him downstairs at the lakeside residence, and the boxed lunch she had asked the food truck lady to prepare especially for him.

Most importantly, she never showed even the slightest discrimination against herself for being a homeless person.

Lin Qi remained silent, gazing at the flickering firelight before him.

...Although the situation is urgent now, and although I am also in very poor condition.

But perhaps the most urgent situation hasn't arrived yet, he thought.

I can't abandon her.

Lynch took a deep breath, switched the torch to his left hand, and then knelt down in front of Sylvia:

"Come on, get on my back."

"I won't abandon you. Come on, let's find a way out together. This valley isn't that deep. If we walk slowly, we'll eventually find a way out. When we do, we can borrow a phone from someone to call the police, contact the hospital and your father, and we'll be saved."

"It's a simple thing, isn't it? Hang in there."

Sylvia was taken aback. She looked at Lynch and her speech suddenly quickened:

"Really?"

But this glimmer of hope for survival was quickly swallowed up by the despair and self-reproach in her heart. Her voice immediately became low and somber again:

"But you're injured too... I can see you're not doing well either... Carrying me through this dark forest must be too much for you, right? Besides, I'm their target, and if you take me with you, you might get caught up in it too..."

Sylvia murmured uneasy words, but Lynch merely raised his voice slightly and interrupted her self-pity with a single word:

"Shut up."

Sylvia's eyes widened suddenly, not because she was angry, but because no one had ever dared to speak to her like that before. The shock of being reprimanded like this for the first time temporarily suppressed all the negative emotions in her heart.

Lynch didn't offer any further explanation, but simply bent down in front of Sylvia:

"Use your strong arm to hold me tight."

"I'll take you away."