The night was alive. Lanterns danced in the air, kids ran laughing with cotton candy, music played from different corners of the carnival. Jackson and Nuong strolled side by side, both smiling—her eyes full of wonder, his eyes full of warmth.
Pisal joined them shortly after, smiling when he saw Nuong clutching a teddy bear Jackson won for her at a dart game.
"You're spoiling her," Pisal teased.
"She deserves more than this," Jackson replied quietly.
When they reached the haunted house, Nuong pointed with excitement.
"Let's go in! Come on, Teacher Pisal! Dad, you too!"
Jackson gave a mock shiver. "You know I scare easy, right?"
"Liar," Pisal muttered. **"You're the least scared person I know."
"Shh, I'm roleplaying."
Inside the Haunted House: Underwater Tunnel Zone
The final zone was called The Drowned Abyss—a dim, eerie simulation of an underwater cave. The three of them climbed into a small boat to float through the dark, mist-filled tunnel.
Nuong laughed at the fake sea monsters popping out, while Pisal clung to the side of the boat.
"If something grabs my leg, I swear I'm swimming home," Pisal muttered.
"A doctor scared of plastic tentacles?" Nuong teased.
Jackson chuckled, eyes sharp despite his playful expression.
But then—something shifted in the water. A strange vibration. A presence.
Suddenly, the boat jerked violently.
"Hold on!" Jackson barked, grabbing Nuong's arm.
A massive splash exploded beside them—and out of the water rose a creature.
Half-human. Half-serpent. Gills. Luminous green eyes. Webbed claws.
"Voda…" Jackson hissed. His smile vanished.
Nuong's laughter turned to a scream. The boat rocked again.
The creature lunged—and in the chaos, Nuong lost her balance and fell into the water.
"NUONG!" Pisal cried.
Without hesitation, Jackson dived in after her.
Underwater – Darkness and Silence
The creature was fast, darting toward Nuong's sinking form.
But Jackson was faster.
He surged through the water like a bullet, his eyes glowing faintly crimson in the murky deep. With strength no normal man could possess, he grabbed Nuong and pushed off the cave wall, propelling them upward.
The creature swam after them—but Jackson turned in the water, baring sharp fangs, eyes now glowing red, and let out a feral underwater growl.
The Voda hesitated—recognizing him. One of their kind. Or worse.
The monster backed off.
Back on the Boat
Jackson burst from the water, holding Nuong in his arms. Pisal pulled them up, his face pale.
Nuong coughed violently, blinking in shock.
"W-What was that?" she gasped.
Jackson didn't answer. He only held her tighter, his jaw clenched.
"They found me," he whispered under his breath. "They're coming…"
Inside The Drowned Abyss
The fake haunted house was no longer a game. The boat groaned and shattered under the pressure of the creature's force. Water surged up, and the structure began to collapse.
"Pisal, hold on—!" Jackson shouted. But it was too late. The boat sank.
Underwater chaos swallowed them all.
Voda, the monstrous hybrid, slithered and twisted in the dark water with an eerie silence. Its eyes glowed like molten jade.
Jackson's voice echoed in the water, clear and commanding.
"Pisal!" he roared as he saw the young doctor flailing. "Ask for help!"
In that moment, Jackson used a burst of strength—his hand glowing faintly with unnatural power—and launched Pisal up toward the exit tunnel with a wave of energy.
Pisal was thrown across the water like a weightless doll, landing hard on the rocky edge of the exit platform.
Gasping, coughing, dazed, Pisal looked back in confusion, trying to make sense of the nightmare unfolding behind him.
"This haunted house has gone too far…" he muttered in disbelief.
He hadn't seen the monster clearly. He thought it was part of the show.
Underwater – Deeper Inside the Cave
Everything was blue. Dark. Silent.
Nuong's body drifted lifelessly through the cold, murky water, her long hair floating like black silk around her pale face. Her eyes were shut, lips slightly parted—airless. She had been under too long.
From the shadows, a creature swam closer—a Voda. Its eyes glowed faintly green, and its skin shimmered with scales over once-human flesh. Long claws reached toward her, wrapping around her waist.
It didn't kill her.
It carried her deeper.
Through a narrow tunnel of jagged rocks. Past a rusted metal gate. Into an ancient chamber carved from stone—a secret place even the Organization barely knew about.
It laid her down gently on the rocky floor, in the dim light of the cave. A place where the air was thick and damp. Moss crept up the walls, and the only sound was water dripping.
The Voda hovered, sniffing, its fangs bared. Blood.
It needed blood.
It leaned closer—its forked tongue flickering near her throat.
And then—
A burst of red light slashed through the darkness.
The creature hissed in pain and flew backward, crashing into the stone wall. Smoke rose from its body where the red magic had burned it.
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Tall. Cloaked in black. His long coat shimmered faintly as it dragged along the cave floor. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but two thin red slits glowed from beneath it—his eyes.
The man knelt beside Nuong. He didn't speak. He simply placed a hand gently on her forehead.
Her body trembled.
For a moment, there was no change—then her chest rose sharply, once. Then again. But she didn't wake. Her limbs were still limp.
The man's red energy pulsed from his palm, circling her body, crawling like mist into her veins.
He whispered words in a language that hadn't been spoken in centuries.
Then—she coughed. A violent choke. Water spilled from her lips.
She gasped for air.
Just then, Jackson burst through the water entrance, blood smeared across his cheek, cuts on his arms. He fought past three Vodas still chasing him—his fists blazing with raw, unnatural strength.
He saw her.
"Nuong!"
He sprinted toward her, stopping just short as his eyes locked with the cloaked man's.
"Who are you?" Jackson demanded.
The man stood slowly. For a heartbeat, the cave trembled as if it recognized his presence. He said nothing.
Then—
He vanished. In a blink.
Gone.
Jackson looked down at Nuong, still unconscious but breathing.
He picked her up with shaking arms. Behind him, the Vodas hissed one final time and vanished into the dark water, leaving only ripples in their wake.
The underground cave was silent again, save for the slow dripping of water echoing through the hollow walls. The torchlight that Jackson had ignited earlier flickered low, casting long shadows across the rocky floor.
Nuong lay in his lap, unconscious but breathing—her skin cold, damp, and pale. Jackson sat against the curved wall of the cave, holding her like a father holding the whole world in his arms.
He gazed into the dark. There was no way out.
Just stone, endless and cruel.
And time… slipping.
His heart raced, but his thoughts moved slowly. Memories played like broken film reels—her laughter, her stubbornness, the way she called him "Pa," her tiny hands gripping his sleeve when she was scared.
He exhaled.
Then choked.
Tears slipped silently from his eyes and fell onto her forehead.
He whispered, "Nuong… You're the best thing that ever happened to me. And yet… I brought danger with me."
He looked up into the blackness, as if trying to speak to fate itself.
"I'm sorry, Nuong… I can't fulfill my promise to see you grow. You're not safe with me…"
His arms wrapped tightly around her, trembling.
"I should have never… let you be part of this."
Jackson pressed his forehead against hers.
A long pause.
Then, with a shaking hand, he reached into the inner pocket of his torn coat and pulled out a delicate necklace—a small silver thread with a glass pendant shaped like a drop of water.
Inside it: a glowing blue liquid. Pure. Alive.
He had made it long ago, when the world still made sense.
He slipped it around her neck and kissed her hair. "This… will always protect you. Even if I can't."
Then, slowly, he laid her down beside him, pulled off his coat, and stood.
His fists clenched. Muscles tensed. Eyes glowing faintly.
He faced the tunnel wall.
And he roared.
With every punch, the stone cracked.
Dust fell.
Blood spattered.
But he didn't stop.
He punched again. And again. Until his fists were torn and raw, and his body trembled from exhaustion.
Morning light barely crept through the cracks.
Then—a burst. A sudden rush of wind.
The wall broke open.
Sunlight poured in like heaven cracking through the earth.
Nuong stirred.
Rescue teams, alerted by locals who heard the strange collapse in the mountainside, rushed in.
They found a battered, bleeding Jackson carrying Nuong in his arms, stumbling out from the rubble, eyes hollow but relieved.
He didn't speak.
He just looked down at her.
And for the first time in years, he felt… human.
Hospital Room
The room was quiet except for the soft rhythm of the heart monitor and the occasional rustle of curtains brushing against the window frame. Morning sunlight painted soft stripes across the white hospital bedsheets.
Nuong stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, blinking against the light. The ceiling above was unfamiliar.
"Nuong?" came a familiar voice, husky from fatigue.
She turned her head weakly.
There he was—Jackson. Her Pa. Sitting beside her bed with disheveled hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a deep worry etched into his face. He looked like he hadn't slept at all.
"…Pa?" Her voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and confused.
Jackson stood up instantly, rushing to her side. "Yes, I'm here, sweet girl," he said, gently taking her hand.
She looked at him, dazed. "What happened?"
Jackson hesitated.
"You passed out," he said softly. "The doctors said you inhaled a lot of water. You were found near a sunken ride in the theme park. Must have been faulty equipment."
Nuong blinked again, confused. "Theme park…?"
Jackson smiled gently, hiding the storm in his chest. "Yeah. Don't worry, it's over now. You're safe."
"I don't remember anything," she whispered, her brow furrowing. "Did something happen to me?"
He shook his head gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Nothing that you need to worry about now. You're going to be okay. That's all that matters."
She looked down at her hand, still holding the little necklace he had placed on her before the escape. The drop-shaped gem shimmered faintly.
"I feel strange," she murmured.
"You were unconscious for a while," he said. "You'll feel better after some rest."
There was a long pause.
Nuong slowly closed her eyes again. "Were you scared?"
Jackson's voice caught in his throat. "Terrified," he said softly. Then, after a pause, "But you're strong… and you came back to me."
He bent down and gently kissed her forehead, holding her hand tighter.
And as Nuong drifted back into sleep, Jackson sat silently beside her, guarding her like a shadow.
He didn't know who that man in the cave was.
He didn't know why he'd saved her.
But one thing was clear:
The Organization was close. Too close.
And next time… he might not be able to protect her.