Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 677: Raised wrong.

Even though she had long given up on her uncle, something in Sunshine’s heart still broke. It was just like it had always been. Moon could do no wrong in the eyes of her father. Even if she did, a simple tap on the wrist would solve the problem.

Her on the other hand, everything she did was wrong. When she made a small mistake, it was a belt or a night with no food. What had she been expecting?

Sunshine shook her head. "Of course you would. You covered so much of her wrong doings, and it was because of that, she became spoilt."

Dustin closed his eyes briefly; he knew Sunshine was right. If only they had been a little strict with Moon, perhaps she would have turned out like Sunshine. But still, he had only one child.

Ever since they went their separate ways, he had been filled with regret and guilt. He had promised Rowena to protect their child and broken that promise in a moment’s anger. He would save her life now, if that was the last thing he did.

Maybe Moon would come to her senses finally.

"You are right, but we must look forward to the future. You still must help your sister; she has suffered enough. I am sure she has changed." He moved closer to her. "Listen, the boy we came with, Emmet... he knows things. He could be knowing where Moon is. I’m begging you, Sunshine. Find her before the Stewards do. Keep her safe from them."

Before Sunshine could respond, a violent thundering erupted from the front door. It wasn’t a polite knock; it was the sound of someone trying to break down the world.

Sunshine didn’t look surprised. She adjusted her vest, took a deep, stabilizing breath, and walked to the door. When she swung it open, the Stewards were standing there like twin avatars of vengeance.

Leah Steward was panting, her hair disheveled and her eyes glowing with a terrifying light.

"Where is he? We were told he came here straight from the hospital." She trembled out the words that were coated with fury. They had gone to check on Ala and reassure her that they were in the base. After changing and returning, they found Dustin gone.

Leah didn’t even look at Sunshine. Her gaze locked onto Dustin, and with a flick of her wrist, the oxygen in the room seemed to vanish. A localized vortex of pressurized air slammed into Dustin’s throat, pinning him against the wall and lifting him six inches off the floor.

"You curse!" Leah screamed, her voice thick with years of repressed agony. "You’re the curse that fathered the thing that ruined my family! Where is she? Where is Moon? Where are you hiding her!"

Dustin clawed at his throat, his face turning a deep, sickly purple. He tried to speak, but he was busy suffocating on the very air Leah commanded.

He stretched his hand, summoning a fire to burn Leah to ashes but it never came. He had grown so accustomed to having powers that until now, his brain had not fully processed the fact they were gone.

"Leah, let him go," Dominic said calmly. He stepped into the room, his boots clicking rhythmically on the floor. He didn’t look angry; he looked hollow, which was much scarier.

Sunshine didn’t intervene. She leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest, watching the scene with a detached, chilling exhaustion. It was like watching a play she had already seen a thousand times_ she always knew this day would come.

Leah’s shoulders shook. The air pressure suddenly dissipated, and Dustin slumped to the floor, gasping and clutching his neck.

"Sa...save me..." he gasped for breath.

Leah turned toward Sunshine, the rage draining out of her and leaving only raw, jagged grief behind. She walked to her friend and fell into Sunshine’s arms, sobbing into her shoulder. Sunshine held her, stroking her hair, but her eyes remained fixed on the men in the room.

Dominic didn’t waste words. He walked over to Dustin, who was still wheezing on the rug. Dominic reached down, gripped Dustin’s chin, and forced his head up.

Dominic’s ability was subtle but devastating. He didn’t just look at Dustin; he looked into him.

It was a psychic flaying, a search through the deepest, darkest corners of a man’s mind where lies couldn’t survive. Dustin’s eyes rolled back, his body twitching as Dominic stripped away every secret, every memory of the past year.

After a long minute, Dominic released him. Dustin fell back like a discarded rag doll. "He’s clueless," Dominic said, his voice flat. He wiped his hands on a handkerchief as if he’d touched something oily. "He doesn’t really know where she is, he was on his way here to ask you for help when he was captured.

They seem to have parted ways sometime during the long winter. Moon said she was going to Cross town; I will send some men to check it out, but we have all heard the rumors that Crosstown is a dead place. She never struck me as the kind of person to live in a wasted town." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Leah pulled away from Sunshine, wiping her eyes. "Then we’ve lost her again."

"Not necessarily," Sunshine said, her voice regaining its steady, commanding tone. "I may know who does. Or at least, who knows how to find the person who does."

She looked down at her father, who was shivering on the floor, looking small and broken.

Sunshine tapped a button on the wall comms. "Guards?"

Two men in exo-suits appeared at the door almost instantly.

"Take Mr. Raine to the prison medic bay," Sunshine ordered, her voice as hard as a glacier. "He’s to be treated for the throat trauma, and then he is off to the prison. High-security wing. No visitors."

The guards were confused wondering why Sunshine would imprison her relative, but they just carried out their orders.

"Sunshine, please!" Dustin croaked as the guards hoisted him up by his armpits.

"Goodbye, Dustin," she said, turning her back on him. "You made a mistake coming here."

As they dragged him out, the room felt suddenly much larger and much colder. Sunshine turned to Dominic and Leah. "I need to talk to Emmet Jotter. He could be knowing where Moon is."

Dominic nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sidearm. "I will come with just in case you want me to look inside his head."

Sunshine nodded, but first she had to talk to Hades about what Emmet had screamed while being carted off. Suddenly, it seemed to be important.