Chapter 316: Just end her.

The words left her mouth in a broken whisper.

“They were all dead, Ivy. By the time I got back, I had already lost them.”

Silence descended upon the room.

Aunt Clara could no longer hold back her emotions.

“But for real, Aunt Clara, why can’t everything you want to say wait until tomorrow? I know you have a lot to tell me,” Ivy said just before her aunt could begin speaking again. “I don’t want you to stress yourself tonight. Just take a shower, eat something, and get some sleep. You’re currently in my base, so you’re safe. Whatever it is you want to tell me, we can talk about it tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”

“No, Ivy. I’d rather tell you everything tonight so I can sleep peacefully, knowing I’ve finally lifted this heavy weight off my chest.” Aunt Clara shook her head firmly, refusing to be persuaded. “The only reason I’ve managed to stay alive until now is because of what I want to tell you. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t allow myself to die until I set my eyes on you and told you everything. And now, I’m glad I’ve finally found you.”

Tears rolled down Aunt Clara’s cheeks as she spoke, her fingers tightening around Ivy’s hand as though she were afraid that letting go might somehow make her lose her niece all over again.

“You’re not going to die, Aunt. Not now that I’ve found you.” Ivy swallowed hard, fighting back the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “You’re going to live a very long life, so stop talking as though you’re about to leave me. All right, I’m listening. What exactly is it you want to tell me?”

“You already know I was out of the country, as usual before the apocalypse,” Aunt Clara began, her tone growing serious despite the tears still streaming down her face.

“I know, Aunt. You love travelling. Everyone knows you’re always moving from one country to another, whether it’s for business or just for fun.” Ivy offered her a small, reassuring smile before raising her free hand to wipe the tears from her aunt’s cheeks. “And please, stop crying. No matter how heavy what you’re about to tell me is, I don’t want you breaking down like this. Just relax, okay? Take a deep breath and tell me everything at your own pace.”

Aunt Clara nodded in response, although the tears continued to gather in her eyes. She took a shaky breath, seemingly trying to gather the courage she needed to reveal the secret she had carried for so long.

“I discovered the monster virus while I was abroad,” she finally confessed, her voice growing even more solemn. “The moment I realized how dangerous it was and what it could mean for the world, I made arrangements to return to our country before the outbreak began. I wanted to find our family and warn everyone before it was too late.”

She paused briefly, lowering her gaze to their joined hands before continuing.

“As you already know, everyone in the family considers me the black sheep. They’ve always thought there was something wrong with me, so when I tried to contact them, nobody bothered to answer my calls. Even though I somehow managed to get the information across to a few of them, nobody believed me. They all thought I was crazy. I know you don’t answer calls from unknown numbers either. And even before your phone could ring, the number had already been blocked because I was using a new number.”

Aunt Clara let out a bitter laugh that held no trace of amusement.

“When I realized nobody was going to listen to me over the phone, I booked a flight back to the country immediately. I thought that if I could get everyone in one place and explain what I had discovered face-to-face, they would at least give me a chance to prove that I wasn’t making things up. But you should already know how difficult that would be with our family.” She shook her head, her expression filled with helplessness.

“I remember that,” Ivy replied quietly, her expression turning sombre as the memory resurfaced. “I remember Grandpa trying to tell me something about an unknown number. But the moment he heard your voice, he ended the call.”

She sighed, shaking her head slightly.

“And when I tried to get your contact from him so I could call you back, he refused to give it to me. You know how my grandparents are. Once they make up their minds about something, there’s practically nothing anyone can do to change it.”

“I know, Ivy, and I don’t blame you.” Aunt Clara sighed heavily, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to maintain her composure. “You weren’t the one who refused to listen to me. You didn’t even know what I was trying to tell everyone, so how could I possibly blame you for what happened?”

She fell silent for a moment, her lips trembling as she tried to force the next words out.

“When I finally returned from abroad, I discovered that your grandparents and your mother were all dead.”