98
(Warning: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, including descriptions of blood and combat that may be disturbing to some readers.)
SOFIA'S POV
My mind spun.
Just as he had said, immediately my foot crossed the demarcation, I dropped it downward just in time to avoid a harsh glare of light that suddenly shone down on us.
For the briefest of seconds, I was stunned. “Is that why Leon told us to drop our heads…” The thoughts rotated around my head, but I swiftly discarded them once the rushing of footsteps came from the side.
“It’s an ambush! Spearhead formation!” I heard a loud bellow ahead—it was Leon.
Before the attackers could reach us, his information did, and as I marched, aligning myself with my neighbor to form the body of the formation, I couldn’t help but glimpse Leon's face, regarding it with marvel. His stable tone spoke volumes to my subconscious; I knew that he was in control of the whole situation once he did that.
And it’s probably because of that, that the panic and restlessness of walking into an ambush and encircled feeling were suppressed to the bare minimum, if not snuffed out altogether.
By the time our attackers had reached us, I was completely calm enough to fight through the battle, my body light, not burdened by weights of worry.
The formation made it so that we could attack and defend against them no matter what angle they popped up from.
Sweat slid down my face. At first, I ignored it, but it kept dripping down like water, entering my eyes, which caused a sting, affecting my battle. I lifted up my arm and swiped it away, but instead, what replaced the sweat was a shocking red.
But I couldn’t care about it now. With my claws extended out and fangs bared, I swiped at the people who launched themselves at me.
Time passed, and I didn’t know how long I fought, but the authoritative growls filled with power, which occasionally rippled through the battleground just at the moment weariness seeped in, energized me. The second thought that kept me pushing forward despite my arms, which quaked in exhaustion, was the thought of my son, Alex.
Whenever I wanted to stumble, his face and hopeful eyes would flash through my mind, filling me with energy and vigor once again.
Taking down the last person, suddenly the space descended into silence. I heaved; weakness overtook me, falling from the flood of exhaustion that seemed to come so suddenly.
I landed into the arms of someone. “Sofia, are you alright?” a concerned voice asked above me. I chuckled. Splashes of red were on my body and clothes, but his was worse. As the leader of the group and Alpha, he received the brunt.
And it showed. His clothes were completely dyed red. I could smell the unique rust. Even in his arms, I wasn’t sure if it was his or his attackers’, and such a person instead asked after me.
Still reeling from the battle, I felt all the tension drain out of my body. With his help, I pushed myself, standing up.
We had won the battle. Overlooking the wide room, I only had one word—unsightly. I was a nurse. My response when I saw scenes like this was to help, but now I couldn’t.
I looked down at my bloodstained hands, dazed. I couldn’t believe I used these same hands to do the exact opposite of my profession.
It still felt weird. I rubbed my hands against my trousers, trying to clean them off, but its scent was just too strong, overpowering my senses. It was like I had entered a funnel, obsessively rubbing my hands until they were raw, but it still wasn’t enough.
“Sofia. Stop.” A hand grabbed mine. I snapped my head to the side.
Leon carried my hand over to him, caressing it, then gave it a light kiss. “It’s okay,” he spoke, reassuring me in his low tone.
“Alex is still waiting for us. We have to keep going. If you break down now, who’ll rescue Alex?”
His words dragged me out. “Alex…That’s right…He needs me.”
Leon patted me, then turned to the teammates, moving from one person to the other, checking everyone’s health and noting their injuries.
We took a rest, despite the unpleasant and vomit-worthy scene in the background.
But unlike me, no other person had an episode like I did. Unblinkingly regarding the scene, chatting with their teammates.
Their mental fortitude must be top-notch. Now following them and witnessing firsthand what they should be experiencing, my respect for all the members of the team went up. I gave them my metaphorical hat in my mind.
From how casual they were and obviously unbothered, I just had a feeling that this might not be the first time they have experienced it.
Just once, I had almost wrenched out my gut. I couldn’t imagine having to dance at the tip of a blade constantly.
I once again tilted my hat to them, of course, in my mind.
It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen corpses or gruesome cases that needed to be wheeled into the Emergency Room ASAP and operated on, but for some reason, this was just worse.
It might be because I had only been exposed to a single or a group of people carried in. I’d never been to the scene.
This was like a bloodbath. I swallowed, suppressing the bile that fought to come out.
I shut my eyes, but the images kept flashing through my mind. I willed the flashes to vanish, squeezing my eyelids tightly.
Taking in deep breaths, ignoring the nauseating smell that followed, I rested my mind and body.
I only had some minutes before we continued, embarking on the journey to the top of the lighthouse.
Time went by as fast as a speeding electromagnetic train. Before I knew it, Leon barked, “Up! We’re departing in a minute.
“Check your gears and equipment you’re holding. You won’t have the time to do that again.”
I shot up from the floor. The previous tiredness that seemed to match itself to my bones had retreated. While it was still there lingering in the recess of my mind, it wasn’t like before and shouldn’t affect my movement