Reba finally reached the unconscious people lying on the ground. She went to the guy''s side and looked at him with hatred zing in her eyes.


    She drew her dagger about to stab the guy''s heart, but she heard a tiny voice whispering in her ears. ''Child, you promised me not to kill the guy!''


    ??


    Damn! That was Granny''s voice!


    She groaned, and the dagger disappeared from her hand.


    She released a deep sigh. She retraced her step and went back to the house. She went to Granny''s room and checked if she was already awake. Granny was still sleeping soundly in her bed. She exited the room and went to the kitchen to prepare food for Granny and the guests.


    Forty-five minutester.


    Outside the house.


    Zero opened his eyes, followed by Nini.


    They sit upright, looked at each other, and roamed their eyes around the area.


    Zero''s face erupted in happiness. "We''re free! We''re safe! We finally left that dreadful ce!" he told hispanion.


    Nini''s eyes stared at the flowers in amazement. "Wow! Are they called flowers? Nanny told me that in the outside world, there are nts, trees, animals, and beautiful flowers!"


    "Yeah, you are right. That is dandelion flowers indeed! Wee to the outside world Princess Nini!" Zero replied in glee.


    Nini rose to her feet. She walked towards the flowers and jumped up and down joyfully. "I''m free! I''m finally here in the outside world!" she shrieked in delight.


    Back in the house.


    Reba was resting in her bed when she heard amotion outside. She left the bed and looked at the window. She saw the visitors already awake! The girl was jumping up and down joyfully while looking at the flowers.


    Reba looked at the guy. He was busy watching the girl with amusement shing in his eyes.


    Good! He''s awake now!


    Time to kill him!


    She opened her palm, and her dagger appeared in her right hand. She gripped it hard with her fingers and exited the house going to the location of the guy.


    She was able toe closer to Zero undetected.


    She raised the dagger in the air, about to stab the guy in the head.


    But Nini saw Reba''s intention and screamed. "Watch out, on your back!" she shouted.


    Zero was able to avoid Reba''s dagger, and the weapon hit his back instead. He groaned in pain.


    "This is for my twins whom you are nning to kill! My sweet revenge!" Reba said, her eyes zing with fury. She pulled out the dagger, and fresh blood oozed from the wound on Zero''s back. She was about to stab him again, but Zero looked behind her... his eyes widened in shock.


    Reba halted and looked over her shoulder. She was frozen on the spot after seeing a terrifying snake, Anaconda size, behind her back! Its tongue was inches from her face. Damn! Where this snakee from? Of all creatures in this, she was afraid of snake because she was bitten by one when she''s still a young child. She has a phobia with snakes! She jumped behind the guy and hides behind his back.


    Zero looked at the snake. "Nini... don''t hurt the pregnant woman! She is not our enemy! I repeat, don''t hurt the woman!" he shouted.


    The snake went still, trying to ponder if Zero''s words are true.


    That was also the moment when Menedelia awakened from her slumber and rushed towards the door to investigate what''s going on outside. She was shocked to see a big snake in the front yard about to hurt Reba.


    "Nini! Don''t hurt her!" Menedelia shouted at the top of her lungs.


    The snake turned its head to the old woman''s location. "Hisssss..."


    "Nini, she is not your enemy! Do not hurt her! She is pregnant! She got two innocent babies inside her tummy! She is my granddaughter!" Menedelia shouted in panic.


    The snake turned its head back to Reba, but she was faced with Zero''s face instead. The woman was now hiding Zero''s back. "Hissss..."


    "Nini...listen to me. She is not an enemy! I repeat, she is not our enemy! Transform to your old self now!" he ordered aloud.


    The snake finally obeyed and slithered towards the flowers nearby and disappeared behind the Dandelion flowers.


    Menedelia rushed towards Zero and Reba. She was horrified to see the fresh blood oozing from the stab wound on his back. She looked at Reba and red at her. "Child get me the herbal leaves now!" she ordered.


    Reba obeyed and rushed to the back of the house to get the herbs. When she returned a momentter, she was already holding the whole nt and chewing some of the leaves in her mouth.


    Menedelia managed to remove the guy''s upper clothes soaked with blood. She looked at Reba. "Do it!"


    Reba spits the chewed leaves in her palm and puts them on the wound. She put more leaves in her mouth and began chewing again.


    Menedelia applied the herbal medicine to the wound. Reba spits the leaves and puts them on the wound. "Shall I continue, Granny?" she asked.


    Menedelia nodded her head. "Yeah, one more time. It should be enough," she said.


    Reba put more leaves on her mouth and start chewing them.


    When thest chewed leaves were applied to the injured area, the blood finally stopped flowing out of the wound.


    Reba rushed to the bushes nearby and vomited.


    Zero looked at the pregnant woman and then at the old woman tending to the wound on his back. "Granny, what happened to her?" he asked.


    "Try chewing the leaves, and you will know why..." Menedelia said.


    Zero reached for the nt, plucked several leaves, and put it in his mouth, then he started chewing. A minuteter, he spits the leaves into the ground and vomited. "Shiit! It was so bitter!"


    Menedelia sighed. "Now you know the length of her sacrifice just to help stop the blood from leaving your body. You threatened the innocent children in her womb! What can you expect? She will take revenge for sure! Both of you are even now!" she chastised him.


    "I''m sorry..." Zero said in a low voice, feeling guilty.


    "Tell that to Reba... not to me!" Menedelia said and stood up. "Stay where you are, don''t move. I''m going inside the house to get a piece of clothing to wrap the wound so that the herbal leaves will stay in ce. Don''t worry, your wound is not fatal. You will survive!" she said and moved towards the house.


    Reba already stopped vomiting and stood up. She walked towards the house and passed by the wounded guy. She red at him.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to hurt your babies inside your tummy. I apologized from the bottom of my heart," Zero said apologetically.


    Reba bit her lip. She doesn''t know if she can learn to forgive him. But right now, she doesn''t want to see his face anymore! She ignored him and continue walking towards the house.


    Zero released a deep sigh. He was getting weary. Then he remembered Nini... where is that girl? "Nini...Nini...Nini...where are you!? Come back here!" he shouted.


    "She''s probably confused. Let her be... she''s just hiding in the flowers..." Menedelia said. She lowered herself on the ground beside him. "Be still! I''m going to dress your wound," she ordered.


    "Thank you, Granny!" Zero said.


    "Don''t mention it," she replied and proceed to do her task. After finishing dressing the wound, she stood up. "I''m going to look for the girl, stay here," she said and walked towards the flowers.


    She found Nini lying on the ground in the center of the garden. "There you are, girl! Come with me," she said gently.


    Nini looked at the old woman. "Grandma, am I bad because I''m going to bite that pregnant woman? That woman is also bad because she hurt Zero!" she said, feeling upset.


    Menedelia sighed. The girl was imprisoned for a long time and had less interaction with a human. Therefore her emotional IQ is not well developed. It can be confusing how some adults behaved in the eyes of the child. "Nini... wee to the real world! This is how the real world works. Sometimes people hurt each other because of anger, hatred, revenge, greed, and many other reasons. You have to learn them all. And I hope there can be someone out there who is patient enough to guide you every step of the way," she said.


    Nini''s eyes were marred with confusion. "What do you mean, Grandma?"


    Menedelia breathed deeply. "Come with me. They''re no longer fighting," she said. "You want to eat?" she asked, trying to lure her with food.


    "Yes, please..." Nini smiled brightly.


    Menedelia smiled and extended her hand to the girl.


    Nini grabbed the old woman''s hand, and she followed her to the house.


    Reba was sulking inside her room, not in the mood to see the faces of the strangers who cause havoc in their peaceful life.


    Menedelia put one serving of broth in the bowl and served it to the girl. "Eat the homemade chicken broth while it''s still hot!" she said.


    Nini smiled and began eating the broth. "Wow! Delicious!" she said enthusiastically.


    After the girl finished eating the broth, Menedelia prepared another bowl and added a spoon to it. "Bring this bowl of broth to Zero and feed him!" she ordered.


    "Okay, Grandma," Nini replied and left the kitchen.


    Menedelia went to the window and watched Nini feeding the broth to Zero.


    She had deep sympathy for Nini, but that girl can''t be left in the open for long. She would bring disaster to her descendant sooner orter. But Nini also had the right to meet her parents, rtives and discover her real identity. She pitied the girl, but she was also aware that she has no right to meddle in her affairs. She will leave it to Zero and to her parents to decide her fate.


    Should she tell Zero what''s going to happen with Nini in the future? Or no need?


    Argh, she was confused about what to do right now!


    She pondered about her decision for a moment. Ah, she will decideter.


    After Zero finished eating the broth, Menedelia brought clothing to cover his body along with five herbal nts that she uprooted from her garden. She already has plenty of these medicinal nts growing at the back of the house. "Are you okay now? Feeling better?" she asked.


    "Yes, much better now. Thank you for your help, Granny!" he said.


    "Don''t mention it. Bring the herbal nts with you. It''s very effective in treating wounds and make your wound heal faster," Menedelia said. "What''s your n now?" she inquired.


    "I''ll go home now and bring Nini with me. I''ll be staying inside my ce to recover from my injury. I apologized for whatever unpleasant things I have brought to you and yourpanion. I already apologized to her earlier, but it looks like she can''t get over her hatred towards me. So, we must leave now to give Reba peace of mind," he said.


    "Okay. Do you need assistance? I can apany you to your home," she offered.


    "No need. My power is restored already. I can manage to go home this time," Zero said.


    "Okay, take care of yourself and the girl," Menedelia spoke.


    "You too!" Zero said. He called the girl. "Nini...e here! We''re going home!" he said.


    Nini went to Zero''s side.


    "Say goodbye to Grandma. We''re leaving this ce in a moment. I''ll bring you home with me," he said.


    Nini looked at the old woman. "Thank you for amodating us here in your house. I hope to see you again!" she said with a cheerful smile.


    Menedelia returned her smile. "You take care of yourself," she said and patted her arm lightly.


    Zero looked at the house and sighed. "We''re leaving now..." he said.


    "Okay, go now safely," Menedelia responded with a nod of her head.


    Zero grasped Nini''s hand securely, and they vanished from the ce in the blink of an eye.