Minutes ago...

"Children."

Ophelia’s gentle call caught everyone’s attention.

The room resembled a dormitory, with rows upon rows of bunk beds filling the cramped space. Inside were children ranging from as young as four to their early teens, all dressed in identical tracksuits.

Most of their heads had been shaved clean. Even the child with the longest hair had only a few inches left.

There were no smiles on their faces. Only wariness.

Not a single child looked at ease.

Their gazes quickly shifted toward the person standing behind Ophelia.

There, they saw a beautiful woman.

Ashley.

"Hello." Ashley waved at them with a bright smile.

None of the children smiled back or spoke.

Instead, they slowly rose to their feet as though waiting for orders.

"Children," Ophelia said, walking farther into the room. "It’s all right. The person with me is... someone who won’t harm you."

Still, none of them relaxed.

Ophelia let out a shallow breath before glancing at Ashley.

Ashley didn’t look back at her. Her attention remained on the children staring at her.

She had been here before.

She had once been one of them.

So, she didn’t have to imagine the horrors these children were going through.

Despite the smile on her face, her hands curled into tight fists.

"Children," she called as she approached them.

She stopped a few steps away before bending slightly, resting her hands on her knees to lower herself closer to their level.

Her gaze swept across their faces, and her smile faded ever so slightly.

"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked.

The children immediately shook their heads.

"Miss, we don’t want to leave at all!" one boy shouted.

He quickly stepped forward before dropping to the floor.

The boy bent until his forehead touched the ground, his legs stretched straight behind him while his hands remained fixed against his back.

The other children followed without hesitation.

They lined up and assumed the same position.

"Please don’t make us leave!" they shouted, their foreheads pressed hard against the floor.

Even most adults wouldn’t have been able to hold such a position without years of training.

But these children didn’t even tremble.

Some of them had visible bruises on their faces, yet they held themselves as effortlessly as if breathing.

Ashley’s jaw tightened as she stared at the boy in front.

He was probably around Primo’s age, and that made her tight chest clench more.

She glanced at Ophelia, who met her gaze with a defeated expression.

This was exactly what Ophelia had warned her about.

When Ashley had first explained her plan, the older woman had immediately expressed her concern.

Her exact words had been:

"I don’t think convincing the women will be difficult. We women, have learned to survive and grit our teeth, but that doesn’t mean we’ll ignore an opportunity, no matter how small it is. However, my concern is the children."

Now, Ashley understood what she meant more than anyone.

These children had been conditioned to remain here.

They had already learned at such a young age what would happen if they ever tried to leave the base.

Ashley straightened, keeping her eyes on them.

"Get up," she ordered.

None of them moved.

"I said, get up!"

Her voice rose so sharply that Ophelia flinched.

The older woman’s eyes widened as she instinctively glanced behind her, worried that Ashley’s shout might have echoed beyond the room.

However, the command worked.

The children immediately lifted their heads from the floor and stood in neat lines.

"Listen to me very carefully." Ashley stepped closer, looking each of them in the eye. "Tonight, you’re getting out of this place."

Her throat tightened, but her eyes burned with determination.

"Ophelia will take you out in batches. Listen to everything she says and follow her instructions. Do you understand?"

The children continued staring at her.

This time, subtle hesitation flickered across their faces.

"Children, listen to her, all right?" Ophelia stepped in, knowing Ashley’s words alone wouldn’t be enough to convince them. "The woman standing in front of you is..."

"A super... something," Ashley cut in.

Ophelia furrowed her brows.

Super... something?

Ashley smiled faintly.

"Do you know what a super something is?"

The children knitted their brows and exchanged quick glances.

Eventually, the first boy who had refused to leave spoke.

"A superhero?"

Ashley hesitated for a second. "You could say that."

"Superheroes don’t exist," a girl whispered before quickly covering her mouth.

However, the child beside her wasn’t as hesitant.

"There’s no such thing as superheroes."

"What makes you think they don’t exist?" Ashley tilted her head. "If they aren’t real, then how do you explain me being here?"

The children’s confusion deepened.

Many of them had been trapped here for a long time, but they were still children.

They knew about superheroes. Some had even idolized them. Others had probably prayed every night for one to come and save them.

How did Ashley know?

Because she had once lived in this place. She had once been a child too... and she once prayed to be saved by someone.

"If you’re really one..." another child began cautiously, "then what are your powers?"

For the first time in a long while, Ophelia found herself at a loss.

She had watched these children grow and had cared for them as much as she could. In her eyes, they had always seemed far more mature than children outside these walls.

She could hardly believe she was now listening to them ask about superheroes. It wasn’t that she didn’t know they still wished for one. She simply knew that most of them had already begun to doubt that heroes existed.

"My power?" Ashley looked up thoughtfully.

When she faced them again, she beamed.

"Right now, my power is... giving people nightmares."

"What kind of power is that?"

"You kids wouldn’t understand, but my enemies do." Ashley winked. "That’s why they call me Super... B."

"Super B?" the children repeated.

Then, almost in unison, they asked, "What does the B stand for?"

Ashley’s smile widened. "It’s a censored word. But do you want Super B to get you out of here?"

This time, the children didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, they looked at one another before turning toward the first boy who had approached Ashley.

The boy pursed his lips as he studied the calm, unworried smile on her face.

Perhaps the idea of being rescued by a superhero sounded comforting.

Or perhaps they had always wanted to escape but had been too afraid to even consider it.

It could also have been because this was the first time they had seen someone smile at them without even a trace of worry or fear.

Whatever the reason, the tension in their faces slowly eased.

The boy drew in a deep breath.

"Will you really get us out of here?" he asked.

Ashley nodded.

"Will you protect us if we get caught?"

"You won’t get caught as long as you listen to Ophelia." Ashley tilted her head slightly. "But even if you do..."

Her smile sharpened.

"That won’t be a problem. Super B has it handled."