Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

The young guy walked up to Connor, crouched down slowly, and fixed his gaze on Connor's hand holding Eula's. He watched for a couple of heartbeats, then out of nowhere, whipped out a knife and lunged for Connor's eyes!

Flora, caught off guard, sprang into action, aiming a swift palm strike at the young man! Connor, reacting on pure instinct, dodged to the side. In that brief moment, the young man took advantage, grabbing Connor's wrist and flinging it away with all his might. Then, in a flash, he grabbed Eula's hand again, stopping him from severing the connection.

Flora's strike landed squarely on his back. Blood trickled from the young man's lips, but with his face already a crimson mess, it hardly made a difference. Flora pulled back her slightly numb hand, trembling a little, while Connor, with a mix of emotions, understood the young man's intention.

"Big sis, I'm sixteen now, and in a couple of months, I'll hit seventeen. I wanted us to celebrate our birthdays together."

The young man's eye was gone, still bleeding, his face an unrecognizable mask of blood. Yet, his lips curled into a half-smile. He kept his back to Flora, never turning around.

"I know you can't stand me, and I don't blame you. After today, that's one less person you'll have to deal with."

"I brought you to this island, so it's on me to get you out safely. You've got two minutes. Go. Now."

"Thank you."

Connor hesitated for a moment, then took Flora's hand. "Flora, we've got to go."

No matter what, Flora had to make it out alive. In this dire situation, someone had to stay behind. With just two minutes on the clock, even if they managed to get Eula out, the lab's exit would still trigger an explosion. That would put even more lives at risk.

Flora looked at the young man's slim figure fading away. She couldn't see his face or feel his emotions, but her heart ached with a strange mix of tingling and pain, emotions she couldn't quite pin down. Call it selfish or cold-hearted, but among the three of them, if it came down to who deserved to survive, she'd always choose Connor, and Connor would choose her. Outside, Crimson, Jules, and all her friends were waiting. The bomb couldn't be taken with them.

The young man was destined to be the one left behind.

Flora took a deep breath, clutching Connor's hand tighter.

"Let's go!"

The two of them bolted out of there!

One minute left.

The young man didn't turn around, sensing Flora and the others getting further away, the smile on his lips widening.

Eula was fuming. If someone had to

be sacrificed, it should have been Flora and Connor. After all, hadn't

the young man been like a son to him?

"You're ready to die, but do you really think it'll move them?" Eula rasped with his dying breath, roaring, "You fool! When Connor was here, Flora was ready to die alongside him Would they do the same for you?"

"You turned your back on me for them. Was it worth it?"

The young man stayed silent. Slowly, he pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket. Flora had given it to him. He'd never had the heart to eat it, knowing she'd never give him another.

He unwrapped it and popped the candy into his mouth. Ten seconds left.

"Big sis, I wish you peace and joy, surrounded by loved ones, and may all your dreams come true." Don't be like me.

The one who's always left behind.

And with that-

Boom.

His soft words were swallowed by the deafening explosion and a blaze of fire.