Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 369

The world suddenly fell silent.

In the live streaming room, viewers from all around were reacting.

Domestic audience:

—[?]

International audience:

—[??]

Eileen stood there, speechless.

A young boy, wide-eyed with terror, suddenly hurled the gun he was holding into Eileen's arms. He recoiled backward, collapsing onto the ground in fear, trembling as he blurted out, "What... what have I done?"

Eileen clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowing. She stood up abruptly, gripping the gun in one hand and a grenade in the other. She advanced toward the boy, her shadow looming large and dark, enveloping him completely.

The boy's eyes welled up with tears, and he broke into a sob. "I... I killed someone... I killed someone..."

Eileen raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. She chambered a round, pointing the barrel directly at the boy's forehead.

The boy froze, his head tilting back slightly under the pressure of the gun. His eyes, dark and tearful, squinted as he peered up at her, barely able to make out her shape.

"It wasn't me..." he cried out, suddenly wailing.

Eileen rolled her eyes. Annoyed by the noise, she lifted the gun slightly and fired a warning shot.

"Bang!"

A bullet struck the ground behind him, sending bits of gravel flying. The modified gun, though not lethal, still packed enough punch to leave a small crater.

Eileen pressed the warm barrel against his forehead again, her voice cold and steady. "Who are you, really?"

The boy hugged his knees, picking at the laces of his sneakers nervously. He looked up at Eileen with a pitiful expression, muttering, "It's really not me..."

Eileen's patience was wearing thin. "My patience is running out!"

"It was my brother!" the boy stammered.

Eileen squinted. "What kind of nonsense is this?"

The boy glanced at her nervously, swallowing hard. "I told you... my brother was supposed to be here... but he got injured, so I came instead..."

Eileen's brows furrowed. "And?"

The boy pointed shakily at his nose, shrinking back. "Have you ever heard of a split personality?"

Eileen crouched down, using her rifle as support. She grabbed a handful of the boy's hair, pulling him closer as she gritted her teeth. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

He shook his head vigorously, nearly dislodging it from his neck. "My brother's name is Cerit. We communicate, we're really brothers, we've been together since forever, in this one body... It's not a disease, really, it's not... Mom said he just lost his body by accident... My brother is amazing, way better than me! He was supposed to compete this time, but he got hurt..."

Eileen snorted. "Hurt? How exactly?"

The boy lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers. "Dad switched my medicine, and that medicine makes him disappear. I didn’t know; I took it for two weeks, and then he started having trouble... showing up."

Eileen sighed. "Trouble showing up?"

"Yeah, like, sometimes he's there, sometimes he's not, kind of flickering," the boy explained.

Eileen slapped her palm to her forehead. She was dealing with a lunatic!

She stood up, slinging her gear over her shoulder, and turned to leave.

—[She's doomed. The snowstorm's coming.]

—[Do you guys really believe in split personalities?]

—[But if it’s not a split personality, how do you explain what happened? One bullet, three kills? Only a madman could do that!]

—[I'm intrigued by that kid. I'm switching to his perspective! As for this girl, well, she's not gonna last much longer. I've lost interest.]

—[She may not die, you know? She could abandon her gear and still cross the river.]

—[And then get killed on the other side because she has no weapons? What's the difference in the end?]

—[I do admit, this girl is skilled. She's got a knack for weapons and explosives, but crossing that river? That's a tall order.]

"Remember last season, when Julian found himself in that tight spot? You guys recall Julian, right? He was the head of the President's Secret Service. He got cornered by twenty men at the bridge, with no way across and no boats in sight. And what did Julian do? In just ten minutes, he built a makeshift raft using timber from a nearby lumber yard! I was absolutely floored!"

"Yeah, that was Jane's highlight of the season for sure. Who would've thought he could whip up a raft with his bare hands? And not just any raft! Julian didn’t just save his own skin; he saved the lovely Alice too. She even kissed him afterward! Oh man, that moment was just pure magic."

"Now look at this girl over here. Can she even make a raft—whoa, hold up!"

"Holy cow, did you see that?!"

On the wide river, littered with debris and remnants of the past, Eileen paused briefly, her eyes scanning the floating wreckage. With her backpack slung securely over her shoulder, she took a step back, then sprinted forward. In a heartbeat, she leapt onto the nearest wooden plank.

Boards, scraps, bits of plaster, chunks of stone…

Dressed in her rugged gear, her ponytail swaying, Eileen moved with the grace of a sparrow. She didn’t need a bridge.

Or a raft.

Like a nimble bird, she danced across the countless floating pieces. One by one, she touched down lightly, using each as a stepping stone. With the buoyant support beneath her feet, she seamlessly made her way across to the other side of the river!