Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 197

Chapter 197: My Well Wishers
The sound of his laughter echoed endlessly across the isolated shore, a haunting melody carried by the salty wind. It was the kind of laughter that didn’t belong to a man—no, it was something unhinged, something monstrous. He lay on his back, his chest rising and falling with each manic breath, and I stood over him, my fists clenched.

His eyes—burning red like embers—locked onto me, and yet, he didn’t stop laughing.

Something was wrong.

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. A gut feeling. An instinct buried deep in my bones. Like the whisper of a god, warning me that this wasn’t over. My breath hitched as I stepped back, the sand shifting beneath my feet.

His laughter continued.

I turned, scanning the shore. The bodies of his men lay motionless across the ground, their black suits dirtied with sand and blood. I had taken them all down. There was no one left. No backup coming. So why was he still laughing?

His eyes flickered, the red glow intensifying.

“Oh… shit.” The words slipped past my lips as the realization sank in.

Without another thought, I turned and bolted, the world around me becoming a blur as I pushed my speed to its limit. My instincts screamed at me to move. To leave. To—

A blinding flash erupted behind me.

Then came the explosion.

*BOOM!*

The force of it sent shockwaves through the ground, heat licking at my back as I darted between the buildings. A thick cloud of smoke and dust flew into the sky, curling above the shore.

People on the street stopped in their tracks, heads snapping toward the source of the blast.

“What the hell was that?!” a man shouted, his voice laced with panic.

A woman gripped her partner’s hand tightly, pointing at the dark smoke rising in the distance. “Is that smoke? Something’s on fire over there!”

“Shit… was that an explosion?” Another man squinted toward the shore, shielding his eyes.

“Call the authorities! That looked serious!” a vendor yelled, already reaching for his phone.

“I swear I felt the ground shake just now,” someone murmured, looking around in confusion.

Traffic slowed as drivers peered toward the commotion, some rolling down their windows to get a better look. Pedestrians whispered in hushed, anxious tones, their eyes darting between each other and the rising smoke.

I didn’t stop to listen. Didn’t stop to explain.

My feet carried me away from the scene, my pulse thundering in my ears. The bastard had planned this all along. That laughter—it wasn’t defeat. It was the calling to destruction.

And I had nearly been caught in it.

I stood atop the building, my breath still heavy, chest rising and falling in the aftermath of my escape. The night air was thick with the lingering scent of smoke, and from my high point, I could see the aftermath of the explosion. The shore was barely visible through the dense black haze curling into the sky, the water reflecting the eerie glow of the wreckage.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. “*Phew…*” My voice came out in a half-scoff, half-laugh. “Dude really went full self-nuke mode.” I muttered, shaking my head.

But why?

The question clawed at my mind, refusing to let go. He had been defeated, completely overpowered, yet instead of retreating or begging for mercy, he had chosen to blow everything to hell. There had to be more to it—something I wasn’t seeing.

Below, people had begun gathering near the shore, curiosity drawing them toward the destruction. Some hesitated, whispering amongst themselves, while others rushed forward, their phones out, recording the scene.

Then came the authorities.

A fleet of police vehicles weaved through the streets, red and blue sirens flashing in rapid pulses. Among them, men in dark combat armor moved with swift efficiency, their firearms ready.

My gaze flicked toward the ruined shoreline, my thoughts lingering on the one thing I hadn’t gotten to see.

That door…

I wanted to go inside. Something about it had called to me. And now, whatever secrets it held might be buried beneath the wreckage.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “This island is filled with weird mysteries…” I muttered under my breath.

With one last glance at the chaos unfolding below, I bent my knees and pushed off the edge, letting gravity take over as I fall down.

The night wasn’t over yet.

The streets were alive with the buzz of conversation. The explosion had shaken the island, sending ripples of confusion and speculation through the crowd. People stood in groups, murmuring in hushed voices, pointing toward the faint glow of smoke still rising in the distance.

Near a small plaza, just outside a lively café, my friends stood together under the warm glow of a streetlamp. A faint smell of coffee and grilled food lingered in the air, but none of them were focused on that.

John stood with his arms crossed, his usual confident stance betrayed by the way his fingers tapped anxiously against his bicep. Mia, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, kept glancing at her phone, as if expecting a message that wasn’t coming. Lisa had her hands behind her, lips pressed into a tight line, while Tasha, usually the most relaxed of them all, chewed at her thumbnail absentmindedly.

“You guys hear that?” a passerby muttered, walking by with a friend.

“Yeah, sounded like a bomb or something,” the other responded.

Mia’s brows furrowed. “An explosion… that’s insane.” She hugged herself slightly, then glanced at her friends. “Austin also went off with someone, somewhere earlier. I hope he’s okay.”

John forced a chuckle, though it sounded a little too strained to be convincing. “Come on, Mia. You know Austin—he’s built different. He’ll be fine.”

Lisa, however, didn’t look convinced. “Still… it’s weird that he just vanished like that. Where did they took him?”

Tasha nodded, biting her lip. “Yeah, and now this happens? It’s not crazy to be worried.”

John exhaled through his nose and gave them a tense smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I get it, but let’s not overthink things. Maybe it was just some accident or—”

Before they could respond, I stepped up behind them, hands in my pockets, a smirk tugging at my lips.

“Hello, guys. What’s up?”

The reaction was instant.

Mia let out a sharp gasp before spinning around, eyes wide with disbelief. Lisa and Tasha both audibly squeaked, while John nearly flinched, his shoulders jerking slightly before he recovered.

“Austin?!” Mia blurted.

In the next second, the girls were rushing toward me, their expressions shifting from shock to pure relief.

Lisa gave me a solid shove against my shoulder. “Where the hell have you been?”

Tasha crossed her arms, shaking her head. “You better have a damn good excuse, mister.”

Mia, however, skipped the dramatics, her voice softer but no less urgent. “Are you okay?”

John, still standing back slightly, let out an exaggerated sigh. “Dude… do you even realize how much you just freaked us out?”

I held up my hands in mock surrender. “Relax, relax. I just got caught up in something weird.”

Lisa raised a brow. “Weird how?”

I smirked, deciding to mess with them a little. “Some guys tried to get me to do a waiter job.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then—

“What?” Mia blinked.

Lisa and Tasha exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

“What even were they thinking?!” Lisa doubled over slightly.

Tasha wiped at her eye dramatically. “Austin? As a waiter? Oh, man. I would pay to see that.”

Mia giggled. “I mean, did they seriously think you’d say yes?”

John, though clearly relieved, rolled his eyes. “You just had to be dramatic about it, huh?”

I smirked. “What can I say? Gotta keep life interesting.”

Lisa scoffed. “You’re impossible.”

Before I could react, Mia stepped forward, placing her hands lightly on my shoulders before leaning in. Her lips pressed against mine, soft and full of warmth, lingering just long enough for my heart to do a quick flip. Before I could even register it, Lisa followed, giving me a playful kiss, and then Tasha, who did the same with a teasing grin.

I blinked, taking a second to process. “Well… not that I’m complaining.”

John groaned loudly. “Oh, come on! Are we seriously doing this in front of me?”

Tasha smirked at him. “Aww, John. Jealous?”

Lisa giggled. “Maybe he wants a kiss too?”

Mia gave him a teasing look. “You were really worried about Austin. Maybe you do want some love.”

John let out a nervous laugh, rubbing his temples. “Alright, alright. We’re done here.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Man, you almost lost yourself, huh?”

Lisa snorted. “Nah, he was all chill pill, weren’t you, John?”

Tasha nudged him playfully. “Yeah, Mr. ‘He’ll Be Fine’ was totally panicking inside.”

John groaned, exasperated. “I hate you guys.”

I laughed, the sound genuine and light. Despite the chaos, the danger, and the unanswered questions lingering in the back of my mind, this moment—right here, with them—felt grounding.

They were the kind of people who made everything feel normal, no matter how insane the world got.

And damn, I was lucky to have them.