Chapter 35

Sophia hurried outside, standing at the cave entrance and gazing out. Finnian and Lucian, also awakened, followed her.

"What should we do? The wind's picking up. Do you think the water will flood in soon?" Finnian asked calmly, lowering his voice.

Lucian's face darkened. He turned to Sophia. "Did Kenny call and tell us to move to Group B?"

Sophia replied disdainfully, "Yes, but we're all hiding in the cave, right? Odalys is safe over there, so why wouldn't I be safe here?"

Her words silenced everyone. A moment later, a white mist appeared, spreading across the sky.

"What is that? The water's flooding in!" Lucian shouted, staggering back and bumping into Sophia. Fear filled his eyes.

Finnian and Atlas retreated into the cave as snakes and rats scattered. Several snakes were heading toward the cave.

"Snakes! It's snakes!" Sophia cried, staring at the approaching snakes. She stepped back, holding her flashlight.

When the beam illuminated the snakes, they lunged. Sophia screamed and ran backward.

"Why are there so many snakes and rats?" Atlas exclaimed, clearly frightened. He grabbed a shovel, swung it, and killed a snake with one blow.

But the rats were quick. Several scurried into their tent. Terrified, Sophia collapsed, her skirt shifting. A black rat headed toward her skirt. Sophia screamed, "Get away! Get away!" swatting at it.

Lucian quickly reached down, grabbing the rat from under her skirt. His fingers brushed against her thigh as he gripped it tightly.

Sophia felt a tingling sensation spread through her. But seeing Lucian fling the rat away and crush it, she was momentarily stunned.

"It's okay, Lucian got it," Atlas said quickly, trying to comfort her.

After Finnian dealt with two rats, he saw two snakes slithering inside. They disappeared instantly.

"Two snakes came in, but they're gone now. Everyone, be careful," Finnian said quietly.

They had seen such scenes in movies, but never in reality. Standing in the cave, they felt helpless and unsure what to do.

(The following bracketed sections are viewer comments and should be handled differently depending on the context of the work. They've been retained here but should likely be styled distinctly from the narrative.)

[Damn! Sophia's on an island, and she's still wearing a skirt! No wonder rats are crawling everywhere.] [Did you see the look between Lucian and Sophia earlier? It was like he touched something of hers. Their expressions were really strange.] [Hey I zoomed in! Sophia wasn't wearing any underwear! When she collapsed, she looked like she exposed herself.] [Is it really that intense? Who recorded the video earlier? I want to see it.]

19:04 Mon, Jan 6 GG.

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[Odalys was right again—She's really eerie and always accurate. She predicts better than the weather bureau! I want to get my fortune read by her one day, not sure if I'll get that chance.] [And Sophia's really stubborn. The director told her to go over, but she still refused. Now the snakes are coming in, and if she gets bitten, it'll be a disaster.] [What kind of show is this? They can't even guarantee the safety of the celebrities. They should call the police immediately.]

Some fans immediately defended Sophia, while fans of Freya and Stellan watched the chaos unfold.

It was midnight, and only about 200,000 viewers were online. However, as the situation worsened, viewers rallied their friends, and the viewership soared into the millions.

[What's going on? Is the water really flooding in!] [In Group A, the snakes have already gotten inside, and they're still not running! What idiots.] [Sophia is just stirring things up. The crew went to Group B, and she's still acting all high and mighty.] [Finnian, run! Don't follow Sophia! She is stupid.]

Finnian's fans panicked, watching as they backed away, the water rising around them. Everyone held their breath, fearing the worst: being washed away.

Sophia was terrified. She tried to call Kenny, but their phones could only receive calls.

At this moment, saying she didn't regret it would have been a lie. Had she known, she would have gone to Group B immediately.

"Atlas, is there any way to contact Odalys? We need her to figure something out. I don't want to die," Sophia's voice cracked.

As she finished speaking, the water surged in. The deafening sound of debris and trash being swept inside knocked everyone down.

Sophia's hand landed on something slippery. To her horror, a snake was wrapped around her wrist. Her eyes rolled back.

"Ah! A snake! A snake!" Sophia screamed, thrashing. The snake was thrown off and landed on Finnian's head. He saw the snake's head inches from his face and held his breath.

Finnian grabbed the snake and threw it away with force. It hit a rock near the cave entrance, blood splattering, before being carried away by the water.

The water was now up to their ankles. Finnian gritted his teeth. "Waiting for rescue is unrealistic."

"We need to move to them immediately. It's safer in numbers," Finnian added. He didn't want to die here without Odalys's help. He had to leave, regardless of Sophia's or others' opinions.

Saying this, Finnian abandoned their luggage and ran out of the cave.

"I'm coming too," Lucian said, following quickly.

19:04 Mon, Jan 6

Chapter 35 66%

Sophia, shaken, couldn't believe Finnian would leave her. She looked at Atlas, who was holding her wrist.

"We have to go, or we'll die," Atlas said quietly. The flood was just beginning, and he dared not think further.

"Can't they come get us? Does Odalys think we should beg her?" Sophia sobbed, her legs shaking. She almost collapsed but held herself upright.

She had never been so humiliated. Going to Odalys meant admitting defeat. She couldn't lose to Odalys, not when she was the true Bennett family heiress.

"Sophia, what's wrong with you? This isn't the time to be stubborn. If we keep waiting, we're going to die!" Atlas shouted, losing his patience.

SEND GIFT