Chapter 748: Chapter 748: Aftereffects

Evelyn Ford had witnessed the terror of wildfires. A few years ago, they had encountered a volcanic eruption. Wherever the lava and flames spread, all the trees were burned to ashes. On their way from Frelia to Eldoria as refugees, they had also run into a massive fire in Varden that destroyed thousands of acres of forest. The scene of everyone surrounding the mountain to extinguish the flames was still vivid in Evelyn’s mind.

She squatted down and scooped up a handful of ash. After a few seconds, she dejectedly brushed it from her palm.

"Ronan Kendrick, let’s make a mark here."

Evelyn went to the vehicle and retrieved some pre-mixed white paint and a brush. Ronan had already planted a wooden post in a hole. He brushed the paint evenly onto the wood, and the marker was complete. The two of them stared at the scorched forest for a long time before silently walking back to the RV.

"If only it would rain."

If the gray, polluted smog in the air could just be washed away, the sun hidden behind it would be revealed. As long as the soil was nourished by water and bathed in sunlight, then perhaps in ten years, or a hundred, even this wasteland would teem with life again.

Evelyn had been recording the temperature changes over the past few days. After waking up that day, she had noticed the air had become incredibly stuffy and hot. It was probably the residual heat from the fire that hadn’t dissipated yet. Even the soil and rocks on the ground were warm. The temperature from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next morning was around fifteen degrees Celsius, while the daytime temperature was relatively high, staying at twenty-eight degrees. Yesterday, it had even reached thirty degrees.

At these temperatures, hoping for rain was harder than reaching for the sky.

The RV drove around the burnt forest. Ten kilometers later, they found a dried-up river. In the riverbed were fish that had been burned to charcoal. Evelyn guessed the water in the river had evaporated when the fire spread. But for such a large river to not have a single drop of water left, Evelyn couldn’t help but wonder just how long the fire had burned after the fireballs fell.

The injuries on her and Ronan’s bodies gave her the false impression that the fire had only burned for a few days, because when Evelyn woke up, her wounds were still bleeding.

But looking at this land, which had been burned beyond all recognition, Evelyn felt that things weren’t so simple. In just a few days, even a lava flow couldn’t have scorched the earth to this extent.

Thinking about these questions now was meaningless. For the time being, they could only take things one step at a time. If they couldn’t find the way back to the base and couldn’t reunite with the others, she and Ronan would still have to do everything they could to survive.

Her space wasn’t short on supplies, water, or seeds. Finding a place to build a new home wouldn’t be difficult for the two of them.

But they really were just taking it one step at a time now. Evelyn had her moments of despair, too. ’So what if we rebuild our home again? If another disaster strikes, can I bear it?’

’But as long as a person is still breathing, they have to keep trying to live. You can’t just lose all hope for life because of one setback.’

Ronan drove the RV into the dry riverbed, following it upstream. They decided to try heading north. Perhaps at the river’s end, they would find a completely different scene.

At 6:30 p.m., the RV came to a stop. Evelyn took several light bulbs from her space and tied them to the roof. After connecting the wires, she flipped the switch, and a three-kilometer radius was instantly lit up as bright as day.

Ronan stared at the bulbs for a few seconds. "We can keep these things on the roof. They don’t use much power anyway. This brightness is very conspicuous. If anyone sees the light, they’ll definitely come looking for us."

"Okay, I’ll listen to you. We can also keep the taillights on. We’ll need to refuel the RV tomorrow morning. We’re moving slowly, so it’s not guzzling gas."

After setting up the lights, Evelyn grabbed a flashlight and walked a short distance away. When she saw Ronan following her, she was both amused and exasperated.

"You’re all better now, so why can’t you kick this habit of watching me go to the bathroom?"

Ronan had a completely innocent look on his face. "I just feel more at ease watching over you. I can turn my back if I have to."

"It’s safe here. There’s absolutely no danger. Besides, I have an alarm. If there’s any trouble, you’ll know immediately. Ronan, I need the freedom to go to the bathroom by myself."

"Then I’ll stand a little farther away. If you run into any danger, you have to shout for me."

"I know, I know. I’m not an idiot."

A minute later, Ronan started calling out to her.

"Evelyn, are you done? You haven’t run into any trouble, have you?"

Evelyn was seriously starting to suspect Ronan was treating her like an idiot. Although his body had recovered, his mind seemed to have become abnormal. She had noticed that at night, he would reach out to feel if she was still beside him, even checking to see if she was breathing.

"I’m perfectly safe! Unless some aliens show up, I’m not in any danger."

Ronan was speechless.

Back in the RV, Evelyn pulled Ronan by the hand and sat him down on the sofa. She stared at him worriedly, but seeing nothing outwardly wrong, she checked his pulse, examined his head, and even took out a syringe to draw a tube of his blood for testing.

"Evelyn, what are you doing?"

"I suspect your PTSD hasn’t just not been cured, it’s gotten worse."

"COUGH, COUGH... It should be cured."

"But your behavior recently has been very worrying. You’re being overly cautious and anxious, which isn’t like you."

Ronan took Evelyn’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’m just a little scared. I’m afraid another disaster will happen and we’ll be separated when I’m not with you."

"But even if we get separated, you’ll find me, won’t you? Ronan, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Trust me, and trust yourself. We’ve been through so much worse. This little difficulty is nothing."

Evelyn hugged his waist tightly. "Just try to relax. Don’t overthink things, and don’t put any pressure on yourself, okay?"

"Mm, okay."

To help Ronan relax completely, Evelyn decorated the RV a bit. She placed fresh flowers on the bedside table and the dining table. After dinner, she put on some rock music, playing it through the speakers. A deafening sound filled the air as she opened a beer, foam instantly fizzing out.

"Cheers! Let’s leave all our worries, fears, anxieties, and tensions behind today. Starting tomorrow, we’re going to live life to the fullest."

The crisp clink of bottles rang out over the music. Although Evelyn was uncoordinated, she held up her beer bottle and started dancing wildly to cheer Ronan up.

"Are you happy?"

"Happy."

"Good, as long as you’re happy. That was exhausting. It’s my first time dancing for someone. Give me a review."

Ronan was silent for a few seconds. "Was that a zombie dance? Very original."

Evelyn wrapped her hands around his neck. "Ronan, you dare say my dancing looks like a zombie dance? I’m going to strangle you."

Seeing him begging for mercy while roaring with laughter, Evelyn collapsed onto him, laughing as well.

"How about now? Even happier?"

The look in Ronan’s eyes was so tender it could melt hearts. "Very, very happy."

"That’s good. In life, the most important thing is to be happy."

Ronan couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing again. "Hahaha..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.