16

The roar of Torrak soldiers and the piercing whine of their weapons reverberated through the cavern, shaking the ground beneath Zara’s feet. Each blast of energy illuminated the space in flashes of blue and red, painting chaos across the broken walls. Sweat dampened her brow, her grip tightening on her rifle as she fired into the wave of enemies.

Her pulse was frantic, the tension in her chest threatening to shatter her. But her eyes never left him.

Atlas.

He moved like a storm—precise, unstoppable, but worn. His broad, powerful form wove between Torrak soldiers, his massive fists breaking through steel and flesh alike with brutal efficiency. Sparks cascaded from the torn seams of his synthetic skin, small bursts of light tracing the damage that marred him. His left arm was a ruin now, barely holding together, yet he fought as if the damage meant nothing.

Zara could see it, though. The slight hesitation in his movements, the way he faltered for half a second before delivering his next strike. He was slowing down. He was breaking.

Her stomach twisted with a visceral kind of panic. “Atlas!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

He turned for the briefest moment, his silver-blue eyes locking onto hers across the battlefield. Even with his frame battered and sparking, his gaze was unshaken—burning with determination and something deeper, something raw.

“I’m fine!” he called, though the strain in his voice betrayed him.

She clenched her jaw, refusing to believe the lie. “You’re not fine! There’s too many of them—fall back!”

“I can’t,” he said firmly. Another Torrak lunged at him from behind, and he spun, his fist driving into its chest. The alien crumpled, its weapon clattering to the ground. Atlas straightened, his gaze snapping back to her. “You need to get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving you!” she screamed, her voice breaking.

Zara’s pulse rifle hissed as she fired, the weapon overheating with each successive shot. The tunnel ahead of her was choked with Torrak soldiers, their glowing red eyes cutting through the darkness like demonic stars. Every time she felled one, another seemed to take its place.

The air stank of ozone and burnt metal, thick and heavy in her lungs, but she kept firing. Kept moving. Atlas’s words echoed in her head, cutting through the chaos.

“You matter. More than anything.”

Her chest ached as she watched him fight, a fury she couldn’t explain rising inside her. How could he keep throwing himself into danger like this? How could he fight so hard, take so much damage, and still have the strength to look back at her with such—what was it? Concern? Loyalty? No, it was something deeper than that.

And it terrified her.

The fight seemed endless. A Torrak soldier broke through their line, rushing toward her with a snarl. Zara stumbled back, panic tightening around her ribs. She fired once, twice, but the alien kept coming.

She braced for the impact—

But it never came.

Atlas appeared like a shadow, slamming into the Torrak with enough force to send it sprawling. The impact shook the ground, a sharp crack of metal-on-metal ringing through the cavern. The alien twitched once before going still.

Atlas turned toward her, his chest rising and falling in a way that almost mimicked breath, though she knew better. His silver-blue eyes burned brighter now, their light casting soft illumination across his face.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice low, gentle despite the chaos around them.

Zara shook her head, breathless. “I—I’m fine.”

“You’re trembling,” he said, his gaze flickering to the rifle clutched in her hands.

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a shaky breath. “Of course I’m trembling,” she snapped, though her voice trembled too. “I’m scared. Aren’t you?”

His expression softened. “I don’t have the luxury of fear,” he said quietly. “Not when it comes to you.”

The words hit her harder than they should have. She stared at him, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. He was close now, so close that she could see every detail of him: the faint cracks running along his cheekbone where his synthetic skin had split, the deep gash across his jaw, the tiny flecks of metal and wiring peeking through.

And yet he was beautiful.

Her throat tightened, emotion choking her as she whispered, “You’re breaking, Atlas.”

He lifted his hand, hesitating for the briefest of moments before brushing his knuckles across her cheek. The touch was impossibly gentle, a contradiction to the destruction surrounding them. “If I break, it will be worth it.”

“Don’t say that,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“Why not?” His gaze burned into hers, searching, unrelenting. “If keeping you safe is the last thing I do, then it will be enough.”

Her chest felt like it might cave in. “Stop talking like that. You’re not allowed to give up.”

“I’m not giving up,” he said softly. “I’m choosing you.”

Her breath hitched, the weight of his words settling over her like a heavy blanket. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. All she could do was stare into those glowing eyes—eyes that shouldn’t have held emotion, shouldn’t have been capable of feeling, yet were filled with so much something that it threatened to undo her.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she admitted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

“You won’t,” he said, his voice soft, steady.

The sound of Torrak engines roaring closer shattered the moment. Atlas turned sharply, his body tensing as the echoes grew louder.

“They’re regrouping,” he said, his tone sharper now. “We need to move.”

“Where?” she asked, her voice still trembling.

“There’s a path beyond this cavern,” he said, motioning to a narrow tunnel on the far wall. “If we can make it through, we’ll gain distance.”

Zara nodded, forcing herself to focus. “Then let’s go.”

They ran.

The tunnel was tight and winding, water dripping from unseen cracks overhead. Zara’s legs ached with every step, but she pushed forward, matching Atlas’s pace as best she could. He moved beside her, his damaged frame silent but powerful, his glowing eyes lighting the way.

When they reached a narrow junction, Atlas stopped abruptly, holding up a hand. Zara skidded to a halt beside him, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.

“What is it?” she asked.

He turned to her, his expression unreadable. “They’re blocking the exit.”

Her heart sank. “Then what do we do?”

Atlas was quiet for a moment before answering. “I’ll clear the way.”

“No,” she said instantly, shaking her head. “Not again. You can’t keep throwing yourself into this.”

He stepped closer, his towering frame filling the narrow space. “Zara,” he said softly, his glowing eyes meeting hers. “Trust me.”

Her chest tightened, tears burning at the corners of her eyes. “I do trust you,” she whispered. “That’s the problem.”

His hand lifted to her face again, his touch gentle as he brushed a tear from her cheek. “Then let me keep you safe,” he said, his voice barely audible.

Before she could respond, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving her standing there with her heart in her throat.