My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 571

At last, they reached their destination. Just a few meters from the edge of the forest, the rice stalks stood untouched, swaying gently in the breeze as if no one had passed through.

There were no signs of a struggle, no footprints or disturbances—nothing to suggest anyone had ventured this way.

The air hung thick with stillness, an eerie calm that felt almost unnatural. For a brief, unsettling moment, it was as if the world itself had paused, holding its breath in anticipation.

When Kisha, Duke, and Vulture laid eyes on the object on the ground, a collective sigh of relief escaped their lips. It was as if the weight of a boulder pressing down on their hearts had suddenly lifted, and the suffocating tension that had held them captive melted away—at least, for a fleeting moment.

But as they crouched down to inspect the item, their relief shattered like glass. Their hearts sank, and their minds spun into chaos as they realized what they were staring at: there was no sign of Sparrow’s body. Instead, only a bloodied radio lay discarded on the ground.

A crushing silence filled the air, and for a moment, they were frozen. But then, a small thread of hope flickered. The absence of his body could also mean one thing—he might still be alive. They clung to that fragile hope, unwilling to let go.

Sparrow had been one of their core members, a true part of their family. Kisha, Duke, and Vulture all felt the same—losing him was unimaginable. The thought was too heavy to bear. Duke’s voice cracked, hoarse with emotion as he spoke, "He might be around."

It was unclear whether he meant they should search for him, or if he was unwilling to accept the possibility that Sparrow was no longer alive.

Kisha nodded absently, her mind racing. But as if trying to deny the truth, Vulture pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to contact Sparrow’s, hoping for a response.

Instead, it was the crackle of the walkie-talkie on Duke’s hand that filled the air, followed by a tense silence as the connection went through. Vulture’s words faltered, stuck in his throat.

The oppressive stillness hung around them like a shroud. They didn’t need to say anything more. The truth had settled in—there was no denying that the bloodied radio on the ground belonged to Sparrow. Any hope of it being someone else, or clinging to excuses, had vanished.

With a heavy heart and his mind in turmoil, Vulture’s hand dropped limply to his side. His radio slipped from his grasp, landing softly among the dry leaves of the golden rice stalks, the faint rustling sound amplifying the silence that followed. A sob escaped his lips, raw and unrestrained.

"We need to find him," he whispered, his voice trembling with a desperate plea. The words were filled with anguish, but no one could fault him; they were just as consumed with worry for Sparrow. _{freeweɓnovēl.coɱ}

As if jolted back to reality, Kisha suddenly spoke up, her voice cutting through the tension.

"Wait," Kisha said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "If the blood trail led to this spot, where Sparrow was supposed to be, but he’s nowhere around... doesn’t that seem a bit off?"

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but a nagging feeling settled in her gut. Something didn’t add up, and she couldn’t shake the sense that they were overlooking something important.

"What do you mean?" Duke asked, his gaze drawn to Kisha’s face, her features now marred by a frown.

Though the night vision goggles obscured much of her expression, casting a shadow over her face as they hung loosely atop her head, the furrow in her brow was unmistakable.