My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 167

They harbored this thought that if there was no mole in their midst, none of their brothers would have died tragically like that, and if that was the case, by now, they might have been silently building up their base up the mountains where they could start farming and growing the livestock while hoping for a better future from there.

But, there was no ’What Ifs’ in this world as much as there was no medicine for regret. Sparrow and Vulture assumed their roles as the night watch with solemn determination. Though a torrent of thoughts flooded their minds, they silently acknowledged the need to steady their emotions, ensuring that their duties remained unaffected by the weight of their contemplations.

During this quiet interlude, Sparrow and Vulture found themselves reflecting on Kisha’s unspoken sacrifices and steadfast support throughout their mission to locate Duke’s family. They recognized that their safety and success were owed in no small part to her efforts, deepening their appreciation for her and reinforcing their unwavering faith in her abilities.

Just as they had always trusted Duke implicitly, they now stood ready to risk everything to ensure Kisha’s well-being.

As Kisha slumbered, unaware of the development, she unknowingly acquired two steadfast allies. Sparrow and Vulture, like loyal hounds, pledged their unwavering allegiance. They were poised to heed her every command without hesitation, ready to stand by her side, even in potential conflicts with Duke.

After precisely four hours had elapsed, Aston and his team began to rouse one by one, emerging from their slumber as if they had enjoyed a long and restorative rest. Stretching their limbs and blinking with sleepy eyes, they surveyed the room with mild confusion. They couldn’t fathom how they had ended up asleep on the floor without seeking out a more comfortable spot.

Many among them seemed oblivious to the fact that they had been drugged and were dangerously close to meeting their demise.

Aston alone seemed attuned to the abnormality of the situation, his senses sharpened with suspicion as he scanned the room. "What’s going on?" he inquired, his voice raspy with wariness. His gaze settled on Duke, who held Kisha in a protective embrace in one corner. Casting a quick count of the room’s occupants, he noted three missing figures.

Though he entertained the possibility that they might have taken the night watch, a disquieting feeling lingered, telling him that all was not as it should be.

Duke wasted no time in recounting the events that unfolded while they were unconscious, divulging the unsettling truth. "We had an unwelcome visitor—a traitor from your team—who saw fit to drug us all," he revealed candidly.

Aston grappled with disbelief as Duke’s words sank in. The idea that someone from his trusted team could betray them felt unfathomable. He wrestled with denial, unable to accept the notion that a member he relied on could orchestrate such a betrayal. Suspicion gnawed at him, prompting him to question Duke’s account and contemplate ulterior motives.

Accepting the truth seemed inconceivable in the face of such betrayal.

"That’s impossible!!!" Aston’s disbelief erupted into a roar of denial, his eyes ablaze with anger. In a frantic search for answers, he scanned the room, realizing that one of his team members was conspicuously absent. "Where have you taken my team?!" he demanded, rising abruptly from the floor.

The sudden shift in Aston’s demeanor startled those around him, who were already reeling from the shocking revelation.

Aston’s typically composed demeanor had vanished, replaced by an unsteady stance and a wild look in his eyes. He lurched toward Duke, driven by a sudden surge of aggression. But his swift advance and the palpable aura of hostility he exuded jolted Kisha awake, and in a swift, fluid motion, she intercepted him, pinning him to the ground with surprising ease.

With a dagger poised dangerously close to his face, the gravity of the situation hung thick in the air.