Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Lyra did a quick sweep of the office, but came up empty. She brushed the dust off her hands.

“Let’s go, she said.

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They stepped out of the building and climbed into the military jeep. Lyra rested her arms on the window frame, watching the scenery slide backward, then turned to Lana.

“Lana,” Lyra called out.

“Yeah?” Lana replied, still focused on her tablet.

“I want to go check out those pitch-black areas,” Lyra said.

Lana’s hand froze. “What dark places are you talking about?”

“You know, the Wraith invasion zones marked on your map,” Lyra said, pointing at the tablet in Lana’s hands.

The jeep went quiet for a couple of seconds.

Lana set the tablet aside. “Why do you want to go there?”

“I’m just curious,” Lyra said, leaning back in her seat. “I’ve played through three rounds of the game, but I’ve never actually seen what those Wraiths look like in real life.”

She held up two fingers. “In the game, the Red Cloaks use weapons, and the ice trees lash out at people.”

“I just really want to know if the real-life Wraiths are anything like the ones in the game,” Lyra added.

“And I’m also curious-why does the game give us fifteen minutes to evacuate before a Wraith invasion? If everyone’s already gone, what exactly are the Wraiths invading?” Lyra asked.

Lana didn’t answer right away. Lyra’s safety was the highest priority for the entire country-there was no room for even the slightest mistake.

“Besides, if I don’t go see for myself”-Lyra’s voice softened-“how am I supposed to know how to fight them?”

That hit Lana hard. After forty-six rounds of the game, Draconia had already lost more than twenty districts.

Those lost territories were swallowed by the mist. Any troops sent in would vanish without a trace, and no one outside had any idea what was happening inside.

Lana looked at Lyra, whose eyes were sparkling with clarity-there wasn’t a hint of fear in them.

“Alright.” Lana nodded.

The guard in the passenger seat got nervous. “Chief Advisor…”

“Don’t say another word,” Lana cut him off.

She glanced out the window at the darkening sky.

“But it’s too late today,” Lana said, turning back. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go with you.”

Lyra clapped her hands. “Yay! So, what’s for dinner tonight?”

Lana thought, ‘Lyra really switches gears fast.

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Chapter 58

Lana rubbed her temples. “Whatever you want, we’ll have the cafeteria make it when we get back to base

“Barbecue! And make it the biggest skewers ever!” Lyra cheered.

The jeep sped into the Command Center.

Zoe took Lyra straight to the cafeteria, while Lana strode into the monitoring room.

Ms. Reed and Garrett were both there.

Lana laid out her plan for tomorrow, and Garrett shot to his feet.

“No way!” Garrett slammed his hand on the table.

“She’s the only player who’s ever gotten S Tier three times, and you want to send her to the border?”

“What if there’s heavy contamination over there?”

“What if a Wraith surge suddenly breaks out at the border?”

“Are you really willing to gamble with our only hope?”

Garrett shot out a barrage of questions, his words coming so fast they almost blurred together.

Lana stood in front of the console and slammed her hand down on the table.

“I know!” she snapped.

Garrett froze.

“But how many times have we fallen back already?” Lana shot back, locking eyes with him. “Our defenses keep shrinking. again and again.”

“Lyra can earn S Tier in the game, and she can see through its rules,” Lana said.

“If she doesn’t see it for herself, how are we ever going to figure out how to handle the real Wraiths?”

Lana tapped the table. “We can’t just keep hiding here and taking hits forever.”

Ms. Reed nodded from the side. “Garrett, let her go. That girl’s got real skills. She’s just going to check out the border, not actually cross it. Nothing’s going to happen.”

Garrett gritted his teeth and slumped back into his chair. “I’ll have the 7th Assault Squad shadow her every step.

The 7th Assault Squad was the unit with the highest average Vital Flame value in the whole country.

“Alright, Lana agreed.

The next morning, after breakfast, they gathered downstairs at the Command Center.

Four heavy armored vehicles stood side by side.

Each one was decked out in camouflage, with heavy machine guns mounted up top. Twelve members of the 7th Assault Squad, locked and loaded, waited by the vehicles.

Lyra hopped into the second ride, Lana and Garrett got in right after her.

“Let’s go,” Lana called out.

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Chapter 38

The armored vehicles rolled out, and the city buildings slid past the windows.

After about an hour, the buildings on either side of the road grew sparser. The once-smooth asphalt was now cracked and uneven. The sky was a dull gray, and even with the sun shining, the gloom just wouldn’t lift

Lyra pressed her face to the glass, staring out at the scene.

“Is this the place that got swallowed up?” Lyra asked.

“This is the buffer zone,” Lana explained. “Mistvale was swallowed by the mist three years ago. We built a defense line abou thirty miles back from the edge. The real Wraith zone is beyond that.”

The armored vehicles climbed a steep hill and slowed down. Up ahead, a long fortified wall cut across the landscape, with dozens of tall watchtowers looming behind it.

A squad of soldiers, rifles at the ready, patrolled along the base of the wall.

The armored vehicles pulled up to a massive iron gate. After a quick ID check, the gate swung open, and the convoy rolled inside.

This was a frontline military base. The barracks were lined up in perfect rows, and soldiers were running drills out on the parade ground, their shouts echoing through the wide-open camp.

They all got out of the vehicles.

Commander Lawson, who was running the defense line, was already waiting for them.

Commander Lawson walked over and saluted Lana.-

Lana returned the salute. “How’s it looking?”

“Same as always,” Commander Lawson said. “The mist’s still hanging around-hasn’t moved back, but hasn’t crossed the line either. But at night, we hear some weird noises coming from the other side.”

“Take us up so we can check it out,” Lana said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Commander Lawson replied.

Commander Lawson led the way, and everyone headed up the stone steps to the tallest observation tower.

At the top, there was a partially open platform, with high-powered telescopes set up all around.

“It’s right out there,” Commander Lawson said, pointing beyond the railing.

Lyra walked over to the railing and rested her hands on the iron bars.

She looked down, then out, her eyes sweeping past the wall. Outside was a barren wasteland-no grass, no trees, just dry, scorched ground, cracked and blackened.

About a mile and a quarter away, a thick layer of gray mist was just sitting there.

The mist looked like a huge, cushiony wall, reaching all the way from the ground to the sky, sealing off whatever was behind

No buildings, no streets-just emptiness.

“Does anything ever come out from in there?” Garrett asked Commander Lawson.

“Nope.” Commander Lawson shook his head. “As long as we don’t go in, the mist just sits there. It’s like we’re staring each

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