Nineteen

POV Fiora

We had walked for miles, crossing endless rocky terrain, leaving everything behind. The sound of Brynmor's vehicle engine rumbled monotonously, breaking the suffocating silence. I sat beside him, silent, letting my thoughts drift to everything that had happened.

Brynmor, the man who had chosen me—whether by chance or out of hatred—looked like a shadow of himself. His gaze was sharp as always, but there was weariness on his face, a subtle wrinkle at the corner of his eyes that I had never seen before. He hadn't spoken a word since we left our last hideout.

I turned my face toward the window, staring at the gray sky that covered the barren landscape outside. "What are we looking for here?" I asked, breaking the silence that felt like a weight on my chest.

Brynmor glanced at me briefly before refocusing on the road ahead. "A safe place," he answered shortly.

I bit my lip, holding back the comment I wanted to make. A safe place? There is no safety anymore. My whole life has been destroyed, and it all started from Brynmor's choice that night. A choice that turned me from an ordinary girl into a pawn in his game of vengeance.

"A safe place," I muttered softly, repeating his words with a cynical tone. "Does that really exist?"

He didn't answer.

I turned my face back to the outside, trying to suppress the frustration that was starting to overwhelm me. But the more I thought about it, the harder it became to hold myself back. "Why did you choose me, Brynmor?" I finally asked, a small voice in my head pleading for him to give an honest answer.

Brynmor sighed quietly but still didn’t look at me. "I’ve answered that before."

"No," I cut him off, my voice trembling slightly. "You just gave me empty reasons. I want the truth."

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel but remained silent.

"Is it because of my father?" I pressed. "Did you choose me to take revenge on him?"

Our vehicle slowed before coming to a stop. Brynmor turned off the engine, then looked at me for the first time during this journey. His gaze was cold, but there was something behind it that made me feel like he was more open than before.

"Your father ruined my life," he said flatly. "He created the virus that killed my mother and thousands of others. I chose you because I wanted to destroy him."

His words stabbed like a dagger. I felt my chest tighten, as if the air had suddenly disappeared. So it’s true. All of this wasn’t a coincidence.

"But you’re wrong," he continued before I could respond. "You’re not your father, Fiora. You... are different."

I stared at him, confused by that statement. "What do you mean?"

Brynmor turned his face away, as if he didn’t want me to see what he was really feeling. "I don’t know anymore," he murmured quietly.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in our own thoughts. I tried to understand everything he had said, but it only made me more confused.

"We need to go," he said finally, starting the vehicle again.

I nodded without saying anything.

***

When we arrived at a small valley surrounded by tall hills, Brynmor stopped the vehicle and got out. He checked the surroundings before opening the door for me.

"This is the place," he said, pointing to a small cave on the side of the hill.

I followed him inside, feeling a little relieved to finally stop after the long journey. The cave was small but spacious enough for two people. Brynmor quickly set up the security system and ensured everything was under control.

"Rest," he said without looking at me.

I sat in the corner of the cave, hugging my knees while trying to calm my thoughts. But Brynmor's words kept echoing in my mind. He chose me to take revenge on my father, but now he says I’m different. What does that mean?

"Why did you change your mind?" I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Brynmor, who had been checking his holographic screen, paused for a moment before answering. "Because I started seeing you for who you are."

"What does that mean?"

He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before—honesty.

"It means I was wrong about you," he replied. "I thought you were just a tool, but I was wrong."

His words made me feel strange. How should I respond to that?

"I just want to know one thing," I said quietly.

"What’s that?"

"If you could do it all over again, would you still choose me?"

He paused for a while before answering, "Yes."

I didn’t know how to respond to his words. "Yes." A simple answer, but there was a strange warmth in it, something I had never felt from him before.

"Why?" I asked softly, almost like a whisper.

Brynmor lowered his head, as if searching for the right words. "Because I can’t imagine another choice," he finally said.

I could only stare at him. This man, who had destroyed my life with one decision, was now speaking in a way that was almost... sincere. I didn’t know if I should trust him, but there was something in his voice that made me want to try.

He turned his gaze away from me and back to his holographic screen. I knew he was checking the surrounding area, making sure we were really safe. But I could feel that his mind wasn’t fully there.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

Brynmor didn’t answer right away. He tapped the screen a few times before finally turning to look at me. "I’m thinking about what comes next."

"And what’s that?"

He sighed deeply, his gaze darkening. "Jacob Starfire won’t stop until he gets what he wants."

My father. That name always felt heavy in my ears. I knew he wasn’t a perfect man, but I never imagined he would be a threat to my own life.

"So, what will we do?" I asked, trying to hide my fear.

"We survive," Brynmor answered shortly. "And if necessary, we fight."

I wanted to believe him, but his words sounded like a promise too heavy to keep. How could we fight someone like Jacob, who had power and resources beyond measure?

But before I could say anything, Brynmor spoke again. "I won’t let them touch you, Fiora."

There was sincerity in his voice that made me silent.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. The cave felt too quiet, only filled with the sound of my breath and the small machines working to maintain our security system. I lay in the corner with a thin blanket over my body, my eyes still staring at Brynmor, who was still sitting in front of his holographic screen.

He looked tired, but he didn’t stop working. I wondered what was on his mind. Did he really care about me? Or did he just feel responsible because I was his choice?

I don’t know when I finally fell asleep, but when I opened my eyes, I saw Brynmor sitting near me. He was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t read, but there was something different in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if it was true. "And you?"

He nodded too, but didn’t say anything else.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I decided to speak. "Brynmor, I want to know something."

"What’s that?"

"If I weren’t Jacob Starfire’s daughter, would you still choose me?"

My question made him silent. He stared at me with a deep gaze, as if searching for an answer on my face.

"Yes," he finally answered. "Because you are you."

His answer made my heart race. I didn’t know if that was good or bad, but for the first time, I felt that he saw me as an individual, not just as part of his plan.

***

The next morning, we began preparing a plan to move farther. Brynmor said this place wouldn’t be safe for long. "They’ll find us," he said, his voice firm.

I just nodded. I didn’t know where we would go, but I trusted his instincts.

We packed our things and got ready to leave. But before we could leave the cave, a loud voice came from outside.

"Brynmor!"

I felt my body freeze. It was a voice I recognized, but I hoped never to hear again.

Jacob Starfire.

Brynmor immediately stood up, aiming his weapon at the entrance. "Stay here," he told me.

"No," I replied, my voice trembling. "I’ll be with you."

He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw something like respect in his eyes. He nodded slightly before leading the way out of the cave.

Outside, I saw my father standing in the middle of his troops. His usually calm face was now filled with anger.

"Fiora," he said, his voice full of emotional pressure. "Come back to me. You know your place is not here."

I swallowed, trying to gather the courage to speak.

"My place is nowhere you say, Father."

His face changed. "Don’t be foolish, my child. You don’t know what you’re doing."

"She knows," said Brynmor, standing in front of me. "And she won’t come back to you."

My father looked at Brynmor with a cold stare. "You think you can protect her from me?"

"I know I can," Brynmor answered.