The armored car sped like an arrow through the ice, while "The Organization's" helicopters pursued them like black crows in the grey sky. The silence inside the car was no longer cold; it was charged with a suffocating kind of sorrow. Lu Ming held the steering wheel with one hand, while the other gripped Ari's seatbelt tight, as if trying to protect her from fate and from himself at the same time.
(Ari internally, wiping her tears with her sleeve: Look at him.. still protecting me even though he thinks my blood is tainted by my family's crimes. "The Monster Makers".. is it possible my father is the one who turned this handsome man into a tormented creature? My heart is breaking, not out of fear of the missiles, but because I've become the cause of his old and new pain!)
Suddenly, an explosion shook the mountains. A thermal missile struck the rear of the car, causing it to swerve violently. Fang shouted: "Master! The engine is damaged, and the defense system has collapsed! The next missile will blow us to pieces!"
Lu Ming gave Ari one last look—a look filled with regret and farewell. His skin began to glow with a golden hue, and his veins bulged terrifyingly.
"Ari.. I'm going to jump out to distract them. My scales can withstand the explosion, but you must escape with Fang. Run to the old lab in Munich; there, you will find the truth."
(Ari internally, screaming in terror: Jump? Has he lost his mind? He wants to sacrifice himself while thinking I'm a traitor! No, Lu Ming.. I won't let you leave with that hatred in your heart. If I am the daughter of the "Monster Makers," then today, I'll be the "Maker of Miracles"!)
Ari pushed Lu Ming's hand with unexpected strength, stood in the middle of the speeding car, and opened the sunroof amidst the raging winds. The three incoming missiles were heading toward them like arrows of fire.
(Ari internally, closing her eyes and focusing every atom of energy in her heart: You cursed genes.. you blood of the Lee family.. if you truly exist, give me strength now! I don't want a simple spark.. I want a storm that eclipses the sun!)
Ari's black hair began to flutter wildly, and the color of her eyes shifted from a calm blue to a radiant, lightning-white. She raised her hands toward the sky, and a massive electromagnetic "dome" erupted from them, enveloping the car completely. When the missiles hit the dome, they didn't explode; instead, their metallic shells "melted," turning into ash that scattered in the air due to the intense electric heat.
The helicopters in the sky began to falter; their electronic systems were completely fried by the wave Ari released. One of them crashed in the distance, while the rest retreated, struggling to maintain balance.
Ari collapsed inside the car, completely unconscious, her body trembling from the massive energy depletion. Lu Ming caught her before she hit the floor, pulling her to his chest with a grip so tight it could break ribs.
(Lu Ming internally, looking at her pale face: She protected me.. she used the power I feared to save my life. Ari.. what kind of human are you? Are you my curse or my salvation? I will burn them, I will destroy them—not because they attacked me, but because they made these innocent eyes cry and suffer because of me.)
Fang spoke in a calm voice amidst the wreckage: "Master.. we have survived for now. But her power.. it sent an electromagnetic signal that the Organization's satellites picked up. Now, the whole world knows that the 'Last Heiress' of the Lee family has awakened."