Inside The Black Mist

"Mom, it's me; I'm Tianyang!"

Nanfei's eyelids twitched. They were so heavy that even the slightest movement required all her strength. Nonetheless, she managed to open just a tiny slit, and even in that tiny gap, her eyes seemed devoid of vitality.

Nanfei's view was filled with blurry images, and she faintly saw someone standing in front of her. She struggled to focus on the figure, but it was like trying to see through a hazy morning mist.

This reminded her of a distant morning when, in a similar mist, she saw him.

He had walked over from the garden, holding freshly picked flowers with dew-kissed petals.

He handed her the flowers. "For you, Nanfei, you're as beautiful as a flower."

Ah, that smooth talker.

Her vision seemed to clear a bit, and she saw a familiar face, marked with concern. It resembled him but was notably younger, with a touch of innocence in his features. But what did it matter?

Nanfei struggled to lift her hand and gently cradled the young face. "You're here, Lie... I've been waiting for you. I thought you had forgotten."

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Nanfei couldn't hear his words.

Her parched lips curved into a relieved smile. "I can't hear you. Let me rest for a while. I'm... tired."

She closed her eyes again; they felt so heavy, and she had no strength left.

With her eyes closed, she felt an incredible sense of peace. It was as if all the pain had receded into the distance. She couldn't feel the physical discomfort anymore.

And then...

She seemed to see Tianyang, her beloved son. The boy's face was etched with worry and fear, and he was desperately shouting something, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Tianyang, what's wrong?

Why are you crying?

Don't be sad; Mom is here, and Mom will protect you.

She wanted to reach out to embrace the young boy when she heard a voice behind her. "Nanfei."

She turned to find a radiant light behind her. In the light, a man was biting a blade of grass, smiling playfully. "What are you doing? Let's go together. I know of a fun place, and we'll be very happy there."

"Lie..." She looked back at the weeping young boy. "But Tianyang is very sad."

The man walked closer and embraced her. "Don't worry; he'll get through it. Do you not trust our child?"

After a moment's thought, she nodded with a smile. "Yes, I trust him."

The man took her hand, just like he did seventeen years ago on that golden beach. He whispered, "Let's go; we'll never be apart again."

She looked back one more time.

I have to go, my child. Don't cry; Mom is very happy now.

A golden, warm light gently enveloped her, and the boy's figure gradually faded away.

In the worker's dormitory of the Number 3 mining area, Tianyang stared in disbelief at his mother in his arms, who had just passed away.

Hot tears fell like raindrops onto her face, streaked with dirt. She laid there with her eyes closed, her expression peaceful, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips.

As if she had fallen asleep.

But her gradually cooling body revealed the harsh reality.

She would never wake up again.

Tianyang clutched his chest, feeling as if a thousand knives were cutting into his flesh and scraping his bones.

"Ah!" He let out a heart-wrenching cry, and his eyes, red with tears, turned toward the male supervisor standing nearby. He reached for a combat rifle within his reach.

The icy barrel pointed at the man's head.

Kill him!

Kill him!

Kill him!

His trembling hand held the rifle, and the flames of anger within him searched for an outlet. All it took was pulling the trigger to release the pent-up fury.

But at that moment, in his teary and blurred vision, he saw his mother's stern face.

So, he slowly lowered the gun.

Gently placing his mother on the ground, Tianyang stood up and walked toward the supervisor.

"You should thank the woman you insulted a moment ago; she asked me never to let hatred rule me. Don't take out your anger on innocent people. Obviously, she has nothing to do with you. So, you've been given a second chance at life."

The supervisor sighed with relief, looking at Nanfei's lifeless body.

"But..." Tianyang continued, "the injuries on her back, were they caused by you?"

The supervisor stammered, unable to deny, "Yes... it was me. Please forgive me, sir; I didn't mean it. I just... I just..."

"Which hand did you use to whip her?"

The supervisor hesitated but finally raised his right hand.

The combat rifle was raised, and a beam of light shot through his shoulder, creating a hole that pierced through.

The man screamed in agony and fell to the ground. Tianyang, with a swift kick to the man's face, left him with a broken nose.

Tianyang then turned to the person in charge.

"You are responsible for the minefield. You should know who sent her to the minefield, right?"

Yingqi, sweating profusely, said, "Listen to me, Lieutenant. I'm only in charge of managing the minefield, and as for who brought the people here, I..."

A beam of light pierced through his shoulder.

Tianyang aimed the rifle at the man's heart. "I need answers. Think carefully before you speak next time."

Yingqi clutched his shoulder, wanting to argue, but the rifle's menacing presence discouraged him.

Suddenly, Tianyang's communicator rang, and a voice came through, "This is Ling Feng. Listen to me, Tianyang, put down your gun."

At that moment, in the Lighthouse Base office, Ling Feng held the communicator, looking at the holographic screen. On the screen was the pale face of Yingqi.

Tianyang's voice came through the communicator, sounding agitated, "This is my own business, General."

Ling Feng spoke firmly, "As long as you're a Night Walker, this is not just your business."

Tianyang's voice suddenly turned urgent. "They killed my mother!"

Ling Feng nodded. "I already know. In front of you, it's just a minor player. Even if you kill him, he won't know who sent your mother to the minefield. Now, put down your gun. If you don't object, hand your mother's body over to me. I will have a medical examination done to determine the cause of her death and establish responsibility."

"At the same time, I will have an investigation conducted. Within three days, I will tell you who did this. And I promise you, no matter who is responsible, the Night Walkers will get to the bottom of it."

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the communicator.

After a few seconds, the muzzle of the combat rifle aimed at Yingqi was finally lowered.

"Can I trust you, General Ling?" Tianyang asked.

Ling Feng picked up the communicator and said, "You can trust me."

"Alright."

After setting down the communicator, Ling Feng took off his glasses and banged his fist on the desk.

The desk shattered into pieces.

He raised his head, his gaze like a blade, and looked at Linyang. "Investigate and find out who's behind this. I suspect I already know who did it, but we need concrete evidence."

The deputy officer nodded and saluted. "Understood!"

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