Chapter 353: The Approaching Dark Shadow of Haibara's Secret 4
Haibara glanced over her shoulder, noticing that little Qiqi was falling a step behind. Without hesitating, the former scientist slowed her pace, reached back, and firmly grasped the zombie girl's icy hand. Together, they sprinted after the panicked trio of Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta.
Suddenly, a gentle tug on her arm made Haibara pause. She turned back to see Qiqi staring at her with wide, unblinking magenta eyes.
"There is only one bad guy," Qiqi murmured, her voice soft and eerily calm amidst the chaos. "It would be better... if we split up."
Haibara's mind raced, quickly analyzing the tactical advantage. The little girl was absolutely right. A single pursuer couldn't chase two groups at once. If she acted as the bait, the other children would have a clear window to escape back to the safety of the campsite.
Leaning in close, Haibara kept her voice to an urgent whisper. "Listen to me, Qiqi. Follow Ayumi and the boys. I'm going to draw his attention. You all need to hurry back to the camp and find the adults to come save me, understand?"
Before Qiqi could protest, Haibara released her frigid hand. She intentionally dragged her feet, snapping a dry twig beneath her shoe to ensure the heavy-breathing culprit locked his sights on her. Then, she veered sharply off the main trail, plunging deeper into the dense thicket.
Through the gaps in the foliage, the hulking figure of their pursuer skidded to a halt, watching his prey scatter. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before his greedy gaze settled on the closest target—Haibara. I'll grab this one first, then hunt down the rest, he decided, his heavy, ragged breathing echoing through the woods as he lunged after her.
Hearing the heavy thud of boots crashing through the underbrush right on her tail, Haibara let out a tense breath of relief. Good. He took the bait. She pushed her small, child-sized body to its absolute limits, dodging low-hanging branches.
But a moment later, the soft, rhythmic patter of much lighter footsteps caught her attention. She glanced back, her eyes widening in shock. Qiqi had completely ignored her instructions. The little zombie had altered her course and was right on her heels.
"We stay... together," Qiqi stated, her tone flat and utterly devoid of fear as she reached out and firmly locked her cold fingers around Haibara's wrist.
Haibara let out a frustrated, breathless sigh. There was no time to argue, and absolutely no way to force the stubborn girl to turn back now. Tightening her grip on Qiqi's hand, Haibara gritted her teeth and forced her burning leg muscles to run even faster.
They sprinted blindly through the labyrinth of trees until Haibara's lungs felt like they were filled with shattered glass. She finally stumbled to a halt behind a massive oak, bending over with her hands braced on her knees, gasping desperately for air. Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, she glanced sideways at her companion.
To her sheer disbelief, Qiqi wasn't even panting. The little girl's pale cheeks lacked any flush of exertion, and her breathing was as slow and steady as if she had just taken a leisurely stroll.
How is she doing that? Haibara marveled silently. If it weren't for Qiqi's icy skin and notoriously fragmented memory, nobody would ever suspect she had any health issues. In fact, her physical stamina completely dwarfed Haibara's.
The sharp crack of a breaking branch echoed from the woods behind them. The heavy, rustling footsteps were closing in. They were far from safe. Haibara bit her lip, her mind frantically calculating their odds. Running aimlessly won't work. We're just kids. An adult will eventually outlast us in a marathon.
"Ai..." Qiqi suddenly spoke up, raising a small, talisman-draped arm to point through the dense thicket. "Look. A mountain cabin... over there."
Haibara followed the girl's finger. Sure enough, nestled in a small, overgrown clearing just ahead, stood a weathered wooden cabin.
"Good eye," Haibara whispered, a spark of hope igniting in her chest. "Let's get inside and hide. We just have to hold out and pray that Mitsuhiko and the others make it back to the campsite in time to get help."
What Haibara didn't realize was that the trio she had pinned her survival hopes on was currently in a state of absolute, blind panic. Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi had been sprinting wildly, paying zero attention to the winding forest trails. They only skidded to a halt when Ayumi's foot caught on an exposed root, sending her tumbling into the dirt.
Exhausted and trembling, the boys helped her up, finally taking a moment to survey their surroundings. The terrifying man chasing them was nowhere in sight—but neither was the familiar path back to the campsite. Towering pines loomed over them from every angle, each mossy trunk looking identical to the last. The crushing realization hit them all at once: they were completely lost.
"Let's just keep!" Genta declared, his voice wavering between bravado and fear. He aggressively wiped dirt from his shorts. "That bad guy went after Haibara and Qiqi! We have to find the adults fast so they can go back and save them!"
Losing his patience with trying to handle, the burly boy simply picked a random direction and started marching. Mitsuhiko frantically checked his phone, groaning as he saw the dreaded 'No Signal' icon glaring back at him. With no compass, no map, and no connection to the outside world, he and Ayumi had no choice but to swallow their fear and follow Genta deeper into the unknown woods.
Several minutes after the trembling silhouettes of the three children vanished into the undergrowth, a tall, elegant figure stepped out from behind a massive cedar tree—a place where absolutely no one should have been hiding.
Baizhu adjusted his round spectacles, his golden, snake-like eyes calmly tracking the direction the Detective Boys had taken. He let out a soft, satisfied hum. The path they were on was completely devoid of danger, though it would force them to take a long, winding detour before they ever reached the campsite.
Shifting his gaze to the surrounding flora, Baizhu admired his handiwork. He had subtly manipulated the growth of the vines and bushes using the Dendro element, effectively shifting the terrain to herd the children away from the real threat without them ever realizing it. Satisfied that his elemental traces had already dissipated into the natural ambient energy of the forest, the enigmatic doctor turned on his heel and silently glided back toward the camp.
Meanwhile, back at the bustling campsite, the supply team had finally returned from their grocery run, arms laden with fresh ingredients and bento boxes. However, their group had picked up an unexpected straggler along the way: Masumi Sera, the tomboyish high school detective who had practically invited herself to join their little outing with her usual brazen charm.
Conan efficiently helped sort the groceries into the coolers. As he dusted off his hands, his sharp eyes scanned the perimeter of the tents. A frown tugged at his lips. The area was far too quiet.
"Hey, Baizhu-niisan," Conan called out, adopting his innocent, child-like pitch. "Where did Genta, Haibara, and the others go?"
Baizhu's expression immediately shifted into a mask of mild concern. He furrowed his brow, casting a worried glance toward the darkening tree line. "They went into the woods with Qiqi to gather some dry firewood," he replied, his tone laced with just the right amount of parental anxiety. "Now that you mention it, they have been gone for quite a long time. Do you think something might have happened to them?"
Standing a few feet away, Masumi observed the unfamiliar, green-haired man with keen interest. She crouched down, flashing a friendly, snaggle-toothed grin at the little girl in red standing nearby.
"Hey there, Klee, right? Who's the guy with the snake?" she whispered.
Klee happily chirped out an explanation, prompting Masumi to nod in sudden realization. "Oh~ I get it! He's the older brother of one of Conan's classmates."
She stood back up, her sharp gaze lingering on Baizhu's eccentric attire and the literal white snake draped over his shoulders. He certainly stands out, Masumi mused silently, a smirk playing on her lips. Then again, Conan always seems to attract the most bizarre and distinctive people.
After several failed attempts to reach the kids' cell phones, the atmosphere at the camp grew tense. Out of genuine concern, the group quickly decided to split up and comb the forest. To prevent any more disappearances, the adults laid down a strict rule: the remaining children were to stay glued to an adult's side at all times. Conan stuck closely to Dr. Agasa, while Klee happily trotted along behind a stoic, ever-vigilant Diluc.
The search parties fanned out, their voices echoing through the dense canopy as they called out the missing children's names. It didn't take long for Conan and the Professor to stumble upon a rusted, ominous warning sign planted near a fork in the trail—the exact same sign Genta's group had encountered earlier.
Conan paused, his detective instincts flaring. He scanned the trampled dirt and snapped twigs around the base of the sign. Suddenly, a glint of metal caught his eye. He knelt down, brushing away the pine needles to reveal a very specific, carefully designed piece of jewelry.
It was a Bell Tree Express access ring, undoubtedly dropped by Ayumi during their frantic escape.
Conan's fingers tightened around the cold metal ring. A heavy, suffocating sense of dread pooled in his stomach, warning him that the Black Organization's shadow was creeping dangerously close once again.
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