Angelia had noticed Callie’s departure from the corner of her eye.Curiosity and jealousy gnawed at her, and she couldn’t resist the urge to pry.She asked Wendy, who was engrossed in her romance novels and munching on cookies, where Callie was going.Wendy looked up, her eyes flickering with amusement. ‘Oh, Callie? She’s probably just going for a walk or something. You know how she enjoys stargazing.’But Angelia was not convinced.She had a hunch that there was more to Callie’s sudden departure.***In Elias’s private quarters, Lemuel, his loyal aide and friend, urged him to join a small group of officers for a birthday celebration, but Elias said no.‘Come on, sir! It’s your birthday, and we’re all going to have a good time. You can’t stay cooped up here,’ Lemuel insisted, giving his superior a playful nudge.‘Thanks, Lem, but I have other plans.’Before Lemuel could inquire further, Elias’s phone buzzed with an incoming call.He glanced at the screen and saw that it was General He

‘Thank you.’ Callie glanced at Elias, who seemed unaffected by the cold despite wearing just his uniform. ‘Aren’t you cold?’Elias shrugged. ‘We’ve trained here multiple times. I’m used to tougher challenges than a bit of cold.’Then he smirked. ‘But if you insist…’He scooted over and lifted an edge of the blanket, burrowing inside.Their bodies pressed together under the shared blanket.Callie’s cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and warmth, but she couldn’t deny the soothing sensation of being held by Elias.She leaned into him, finding solace in his strong and protective presence.As they cuddled together, their eyes turned towards the night sky, which was now illuminated by a shower of shooting stars.Callie pointed excitedly. ‘Look! The meteor shower’s here!’She gazed up in awe, mesmerised by the magnificent display above them.‘It’s so beautiful,’ she whispered, captivated by the celestial spectacle.Then an idea struck her. ‘Quick, make a wish!’She put her palms

‘All right, here’s what we’re going to do,’ Callie asserted, her voice filled with a sense of urgency. ‘Wendy, go talk to the soldiers who brought the patient in. See if they have any idea about what bit him. Jeanette, keep monitoring his condition and call us immediately if anything changes.’Callie then assigned Angelia to conduct a PCR test, a sophisticated diagnostic tool that could detect specific spider venom components in the patient’s blood or tissue samples.Turning to Craig, Callie said, ‘Let’s hit the medical records room. We’ll comb through the computerised database for any patients with similar symptoms in the past.’The team dispersed, each focused on their assigned tasks.Angelia hurried to the laboratory to begin the Polymerase Chain Reaction test, while Callie and Craig headed to the medical records room.Seconds ticked away, and no one dared to slow down even one bit.As they scrolled through the database, Craig’s sharp eyes honed in on a promising entry. ‘I think th

The ground seemed to tremble beneath her, and her instincts screamed at her to freeze in place.Callie’s gaze darted downward, and her eyes widened in horror as she saw what she had stepped on—an old landmine, its ominous presence now exposed.The device was a lethal relic of the past, waiting silently to be triggered by any unsuspecting weight applied to its pressure plate.The landmine was small but deadly, consisting of a dull metallic body with rusted edges.Its surface bore the scars of time, evidence of years spent buried beneath the earth.Callie could see the pressure plate, a slightly raised section in the centre of the mine, surrounded by an array of wires and an arming mechanism.She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady herself as panic threatened to overtake her.The danger was real, and she knew one wrong move could cost her life.Her heart raced, and her mind raced even faster, searching for a way out of this perilous situation.The pressure plate stared back at h

Angelia headed upstairs into a lab to process the herb with the help of Craig.She worked swiftly and skilfully, extracting the precious antivenom from the Qilin Spiderbane.She then prepared the antidote and carefully administered it to the patient’s bloodstream.She monitored his vital signs closely, and her heart soared with relief as she saw his condition gradually improving.The patient’s breathing became steadier, and his previously erratic pulse started to stabilize.He would survive, thanks to the lifesaving antivenom.As she tended to the soldier, Wendy hurried into the examination room, her eyes filled with concern. ‘Angelia, you have to come see Callie. She’s in the other ward. She passed out after she came back.’Angelia rose reluctantly.Following Wendy to the other ward, Angelia approached Callie’s sleeping form.She examined her carefully, noting the scrapes and superficial injuries on her hands and legs.‘She’s just exhausted,’ Angelia said. ‘The injuries are mostly mi