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Jack gently rested his hand on Becky's head, his fingers sinking lightly into her soft hair. For a brief moment, the chaos around them—ice, monsters, death—felt distant. He looked down at her, a rare flicker of warmth crossing his eyes.
"Clever daughter," Jack said casually, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. "Your father will be fine. Come here."
He squatted down in front of her, lowering himself until they were eye to eye. The frozen wind cut across the open ice field, carrying the distant echoes of collapsing structures and monstrous roars. Becky giggled and leaned back slightly, pushing against his chest with both hands.
"Father doesn't want that," she said with a playful smile, half refusing, half teasing.
Jack laughed softly and ignored her protest, pulling her into a brief embrace. He pressed a quick kiss against her cheek and then released her as if nothing unusual had happened.
Becky immediately wiped her face with her sleeve, scrunching her nose in exaggerated disgust. "Father is annoying."
Nearby, White Queen muttered under her breath, low enough that only Jack could hear, "Perverted strange uncle…"
Jill and Teri stood a short distance away, staring at the scene with expressions that mixed disbelief, confusion, and a growing sense of unease.
"Daughter?" Jill repeated, her voice sharp. "Since when do you have a daughter?"
Becky turned toward them, tilting her head. Her eyes were bright and curious, unclouded by suspicion. "I'm Father's daughter. You two are… aunts, right?" She paused, frowning slightly. "Why are you asking such strange questions?"
Teri blinked. "Aunts…?"
Jack straightened up, brushing imaginary dust from his clothes. "Look at you two," he said lazily. "You're scaring the child."
Jill crossed her arms. "Then who's her mother?"
Without hesitation, Becky pointed directly at Alice. "She is."
For a split second, the frozen world seemed to fall silent.
Teri's eyes widened. "Alice?" She turned sharply toward Alice. "When did you and Jack—? And she's already this old?"
Alice pressed her fingers to her forehead, feeling a headache forming. "This isn't something that can be explained in one sentence," she said flatly. "We'll talk later."
Ada glanced around, her instincts screaming. "We're wasting time. We need to move."
Leon nodded, scanning the surroundings. "The route we came from is no longer safe."
Ada jumped down into the subway tunnel entrance ahead. "Follow me. This tunnel leads to an elevator. From there, we can reach the submarine shipyard."
Jack lifted Becky into his arms with ease and took White Queen's hand with the other. "Alright," he said lightly. "Let's go."
They moved quickly through the tunnel, boots splashing through shallow water. The air was damp, heavy with rust and old oil. Emergency lights flickered overhead, casting long, distorted shadows along the walls. Somewhere far above, something massive shifted beneath the ice.
Jack's gaze lingered briefly on Leon's back. Too many people. Too many variables. In the end, only his people mattered.
The tunnel finally opened into a vast circular chamber. At its center stood a massive elevator platform, cables disappearing upward into darkness.
"We're here," Ada said, relief briefly softening her expression.
For the first time in a long while, hope flickered across the group's faces.
They stepped onto the platform.
Leon pulled out a controller. "This should activate it."
The elevator began to rise, metal groaning under the strain.
Halfway up—
Bang.
Hōng hōng—
A violent explosion rocked the platform. Everyone staggered as the structure shook violently.
Above them, reinforced glass cracked, then shattered. Torrents of seawater poured downward, flooding the simulated cities below. Entire streets vanished beneath black, churning water.
The sea surged beneath the elevator but stopped just short of overtaking it.
The platform continued rising.
With a thunderous crack, the ice above split apart. Light poured in as the elevator broke through the surface.
They emerged into a frozen wasteland—endless white snowfields beneath a bleak gray sky.
Becky shivered and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. "Father… it's cold."
Jack tightened his hold. "It's alright," he said quietly. "I'll keep you warm."
Eight people stood on the platform: Alice, Jill, Ada, Teri, Jack, Leon, White Queen, and Becky.
Jack's gaze swept over them. Soon, it might be fewer.
Leon looked up sharply. "A helicopter."
The sound of rotors cut through the icy wind. A black helicopter descended slowly, snow whipping violently around it.
Jack handed Becky to Alice. "Take her first. Women first. Get on."
Ada smirked as she moved past him. "You're surprisingly polite."
"You'll discover my good points soon enough," Jack replied, a crooked smile tugging at his lips.
Leon glanced uneasily between Jack and Ada. "Ada, get in. Now."
The helicopter lifted slightly, hovering a few meters above the ice.
Suddenly—
Crack!
The ice shattered violently beneath them. A massive tentacle burst upward, tearing through the frozen surface.
The helicopter lurched.
"Move! Lift off!" Jack shouted.
The pilot pulled up hard as ice fragments exploded skyward like shrapnel. The helicopter climbed, barely avoiding the debris.
"Alice and Jill, go!" Jack yelled from below. "I'll cover you!"
Inside the helicopter, Alice watched through the open door. "Listen to him," she said steadily. "He'll be fine."
Jill nodded. "He always is."
Becky clutched Alice's sleeve. "Mother… what about Father?"
"He'll come back," Alice said softly. "Believe him."
Below, Jack hovered just above the ice, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "So this is Red Queen's move," he muttered. "Interesting."
Another tentacle erupted—this time beneath Ada and Leon.
"Ada!" Leon shouted as they were flung into the air.
The tentacle surged upward, its tip splitting open into a grotesque, tooth-lined maw.
Ada's eyes widened.
Space distorted.
Jack appeared beside her in an instant, gripping her waist and pulling her away.
"You're safe," he said calmly.
Ada stared at him, stunned. "Jack…"
A scream echoed behind them.
Ada twisted around. "Leon! Put me down!"
Jack didn't move. "It's too late."
The tentacle wrapped around Leon, dragging him toward the opening maw.
"Save him!" Ada screamed.
Jack shook his head slowly. "I'm not close enough to care."
Ada stared at him in fury.
Leon's screams cut off abruptly as he vanished into the creature's depths.
The ice field erupted in chaos. Massive slabs of ice launched skyward as the creature roared, its true size still hidden beneath the frozen sea.
Ada stared, breathless. "What… is that?"
Jack's smile widened, cold and satisfied.
"That," he said quietly, "is just the beginning."