Xiaoyu's knees pressed against the cold ground, her body trembling as the doctor's refusal echoed in her ears.
"No money, no treatment."
The words wouldn't leave.
They circled her mind like a curse.
Her hands slowly clenched into fists.
"Please…" she whispered again, weaker this time.
But the doctor had already turned away.
That was it.
Hope—gone.
Numb.
That was the only thing she felt as she stood up.
Her legs moved on their own, carrying her back toward home, but her mind felt distant… disconnected.
"…Mama…"
The thought alone made her chest ache.
She couldn't lose her.
Not like this.
Not after losing her brother.
When she finally reached the house, the door was slightly open.
That wasn't right.
Her heart skipped.
"Father?"
No answer.
She pushed the door open quickly.
Inside—
Her father sat beside her mother, holding her hand tightly.
"She's breathing," he said immediately, as if afraid Xiaoyu would collapse.
Relief hit her so hard her legs almost gave out.
Xiaoyu rushed to her mother's side.
Her breathing was still weak… but steady.
For now.
Then—
Something caught her eye.
On the floor.
Near the bed.
A small folded paper.
Her heart stopped.
"…What is that?"
She slowly reached for it, her fingers trembling as she picked it up.
It wasn't there before.
She was sure of it.
"Did you drop this?" she asked her father.
He shook his head.
"No."
The air in the room changed.
Quiet.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
Xiaoyu slowly unfolded the paper.
Her breath caught instantly.
The handwriting—
She recognized it.
Lin Wei.
Her hands began to shake violently as she read:
"If you find this… it means things have already gone too far."
"Don't look for me."
"I didn't leave because I wanted to."
"They gave me a choice."
"Stay and watch all of you die slowly…"
"Or come with them."
Xiaoyu's vision blurred.
"No…" she whispered.
Her grip tightened as she continued reading.
"I chose this path so you wouldn't have to suffer."
"But once I step in… I can't come back."
"If anything happens—leave the village."
"There's nothing here for you anymore."
Her breathing became uneven.
Each word felt heavier than the last.
Then—
The final line.
"Xiaoyu… don't trust anyone who comes looking for me."
Silence.
Complete silence.
The paper slipped slightly in her hands.
"…They forced him…"
Her voice trembled.
"He didn't leave us…"
Her father looked up sharply.
"What do you mean?"
Xiaoyu handed him the note, her fingers still shaking.
As he read it—
His expression changed.
Shock.
Then anger.
Then something darker.
"…Those people…" he muttered.
But Xiaoyu—
She stood there, frozen.
Because her mind was racing.
They gave me a choice…
Don't trust anyone who comes looking for me…
That meant—
This wasn't over.
A cold chill ran down her spine.
Because if those people could take her brother…
If they could force him into that world…
Then what was stopping them…
From coming back?
Her eyes slowly lifted toward the door.
The slightly open door.
The empty space beyond it.
For the first time—
Fear wasn't just about losing someone.
It was about something coming.
Something dangerous.
And suddenly—
Leaving the village wasn't just a choice anymore.
It was survival.