Looking around, Joanna finally found her phone nearby, only to realize that it was broken. She couldn't turn it on at all.
"Agh, that useless Ace Moran! I knew he was bad luck!" Joanna cursed as she scanned her surroundings. It was pitch black, with no one remotely near.
Joanna immediately felt scared. "Is there anyone out there?! Somebody, please help!" She screamed, her voice echoing alongside the caws of crows.
The pain in her head and leg was overwhelming, and she was finding it difficult to even scream for help at this point.
"I won't die here, right?! That'd be too unfair…"
In the old Moran manor, the family had gathered around the dining table to have a nice dinner together, but the atmosphere felt rather odd for some reason.
Susan was trying to ask Ace over and over again if he had contacted Joanna. She had just found out that Joanna, who'd disappeared for four whole years, had returned to the City all of a sudden.
The woman felt conflicted when it came to Joanna. She couldn't help but hate Joanna's guts for murdering Alice's child, and had even hired some people to find the woman so that she could pay for her crimes. However, in those four years of her absence, she watched as her poor son lived in misery… It had been a very long time since he smiled.
She knew that Ace still loved Joanna very much, and that Joanna was the only person who could return Ace's smile. Hence, as time passed, her resentment faded, as she only wished for her son to follow his heart and find true happiness.
"Ace, there's no pressure, alright? As your family, we will support all of your decisions no matter what. We should let bygones be bygones… The most important thing now is to live life to the fullest!" Susan said enthusiastically.
"I have my plans." Ace continued eating, clearly hoping for this conversation to end.
Everyone noticed how annoyed he was, and decided to keep their mouths shut, focusing on their meals as well.
Suddenly, Susan remembered something and said, "Ace, have you been visiting that cemetery a lot recently? I already told you how off-putting that place is – you should go less often. A few days ago, I saw on the news that a few influencers went adventuring there, and all of them died because they fell off a cliff! You-"
"Fell off a cliff?" Ace's expression shifted instantly.
"Yes. The area is very confusing, and it's always surrounded by fog! It'd be dangerous if you ever got lost in there. Ugh, this is all because of that shaman… Why did he have to choose that secluded cemetery of all places?"
Timothy chimed in as well. "It was an untimely death, so he had to choose a secluded place to bury it. Ace just needs to go there less often."
"Ace doesn't even want to go, it's all because of Alice…"
Just as the conversation was getting heated, Ace stood up abruptly and said, "I need to head out for a bit."
The man then got into his car and sped towards the forest as fast as he could. Susan's casual chit- chat during dinner had reminded him that the cemetery indeed had complex terrains, with smog all around it. He was worried that something might've happened to Joanna.
Although the possibility was extremely low, he still had to personally investigate the area to ease his anxiety.
The car continued racing through the night, with its headlights being the only light source.
Ace was gripping the steering wheel tightly, scanning the area with his sharp gaze, all while loudly calling out to the woman.
'Joanna!"
Night time in the forest was exceedingly quiet. Any sudden sounds would echo through it loudly, startling the birds nearby.
Soon, he had reached the area where he had kicked Joanna out, and he got out of the car right away.
"Where are you, Joanna Pierce?! Answer me!" Ace yelled louder than before, his voice turning hoarse.
However, all he received in response was either crows cawing or endless silence.
As he continued to shout, Ace found the whole thing rather foolish. He thought to himself, 'Pierce is probably at home, sleeping soundly in bed right now. However, I'm here acting like an idiot, just because of that small possibility that she might be stranded here. Look at me, yelling over and over again in this eerie place… If someone saw me right now, they'd think I'm possessed!'
Ace balled his fists up slowly, telling himself that he had to stop this silly behavior if no one answered after three more attempts.
"Pierce, if you don't respond, I'm leaving!" Ace shouted dejectedly.
Joanna, who was still at the bottom of the cliff, was semi-conscious at that point. Fatigued and in pain, she was almost out of energy. More importantly, she was starving, to the point she felt like she was going to faint.
Suddenly, she could somewhat hear someone shouting her name, and realized that the voice belonged to Ace.
At first, she was rather excited, thinking that she was finally going to be saved. However, she realized that it'd be embarrassing to be saved by that man, and she would be owing him a favor if he did.
Hence, she purposefully refused to answer. It was only until she heard Ace saying that he'd be leaving, that she felt alarmed enough to let out a soft cough.
She coughed so softly that it was barely any louder than the rustling of leaves, and she didn't expect the man to hear her at all. However, Ace seemed to have extraordinary hearing, and was able to catch her coughing immediately.
'Is that you, Pierce? Where are you?"
In the pitch black darkness, along with the complicated pathways and dense forest, he wasn't able to pinpoint the woman's location at all.
Joanna let out another two coughs, still refusing to respond properly. However, this time, she made sure to cough much louder than before.
Ace was quick to catch on, his body tensed up and his face filled with worry. "Stay where you are! Don't be scared, I'm coming to save you!"
He then rushed over in the direction of the sound without any hesitation. Joanna was alarmed and immediately tried to stop him. ' Hey, don't come over just yet! Be careful-"
Before she could finish her sentence, a loud thud echoed through the forest as Ace slipped and fell down the cliff.
If Joanna hadn't moved aside, enduring the pain in her leg, she would've likely been crushed under the weight of this 'fallen object'.
"Phew, that was close!" Joanna patted her chest, calming her rapidly beating heart, her expression terrified.
She sarcastically thought to herself, 'Many thanks, dear savior!'
After that, she turned to where Ace had fallen, unable to assess his current situation. 'Moran, how are you? Have you fainted?"
"…I'm not that weak."