Twenty Three

Fiora POV

When we finally found a safe place outside the facility, Brynmor collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged. I knelt beside him, trying to check his wounds.

“You’re stupid,” I said, tears beginning to flow. “Why do you always put yourself in danger like this?”

He chuckled softly, despite the pain on his face. “Because you’re more important than I am.”

I fell silent, his words cutting deeper than I expected.

“Don’t ever say that again,” I whispered. “We’re both important. I won’t let you die for me.”

Brynmor looked at me with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, Fiora. You’ve become someone far stronger than I ever imagined.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I just gripped his hand tightly.

That night, as Brynmor slept beside me, I looked up at the starry sky and thought about everything we had been through. Devlin might still be alive, but at least for now, we had stopped him.

But I knew this wasn’t over. The battle was still ahead, and we had to be more prepared than ever.

I looked at Brynmor again, silently promising myself that I would protect him, just as he had protected me.

The morning came with a biting cold. The air in our hideout felt thin, making every breath feel like a struggle. Brynmor was still lying there with his wounds, while I checked the remaining medical supplies. There wasn’t much I could use, but I had to do something to ensure he survived.

I cleaned the wound on his arm, even though the blood had dried, and the flesh appeared blackened in some areas. The wound wasn’t just from plasma, but also from the augmentation that had been pushed beyond its limits.

“This will hurt,” I whispered, although Brynmor seemed too weak to hear it.

He only grunted softly as I applied the last regenerative serum I had. The liquid absorbed quickly, causing the surrounding skin to pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw small improvements beginning to take place.

“Fiora,” his raspy voice called me, almost like a whisper.

I turned to face him, leaning closer to hear more clearly. “What?”

“If… I don’t make it… make sure you—”

“No!” I cut him off quickly. “You’re going to make it. I don’t want to hear anything about giving up.”

He smiled faintly, his eyes looking at me with a strange sense of relief. “You’re stubborn.”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I gripped his hand tightly, making sure he knew I would do anything to make sure we both got out of this alive.

A few hours later, the sound of machinery in the distance caught my attention. I stepped out of our hiding spot, squinting to see the source of the noise. An air vehicle was approaching, its silhouette stark against the gray sky.

My heart sank. They found us again.

I quickly returned inside and shook Brynmor gently. “Wake up! They’re coming.”

He slowly opened his eyes, looking at me in confusion before realizing the situation. With great effort, he tried to sit up.

“We can’t keep running,” he finally said. “We have to fight.”

I nodded, even though my body was trembling. We didn’t have many options.

I helped Brynmor to walk outside, where we could take cover behind a large rock. The vehicle landed a few meters away, and I saw a group of people exit—smaller than before, only four of them. But their presence was still intimidating.

One of them stepped forward, their face covered by a skull-shaped helmet. I recognized the style—Devlin.

“Fiora, Brynmor!” his voice echoed, dripping with mockery. “You two are persistent. But this game is over.”

I saw Brynmor tighten his grip on his weapon. But I knew we weren’t in any condition for a frontal battle. I had to find another way.

“Fiora,” he whispered. “I’ll distract them. You run.”

I turned sharply to him. “No! I won’t leave you.”

“You have to,” he answered firmly. “They only want you. If you go, I can hold them off longer.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I knew he wouldn’t change his mind. Reluctantly, I nodded.

However, before I could run, Devlin spoke again.

“Don’t waste time. I know you’re there, Fiora. And I know you’re carrying something very important to me.”

I froze. What did he mean?

“The baby,” he continued. “The key to everything. I can feel it even from here.”

I felt my blood run cold. The baby? Could it be…?

I turned to Brynmor, who looked just as shocked as I was. But the look in his eyes shifted to something darker—anger.

“You won’t touch it!” he shouted, jumping out from our hiding spot and firing plasma at Devlin.

The shot missed its mark, but it was enough to make Devlin’s group hesitate for a moment. I used the opportunity to step out and help Brynmor.

“We can’t fight them here,” I whispered. “We have to go!”

But Brynmor wasn’t listening. He was too focused on Devlin, his anger consuming him. I knew that if he kept this up, he would lose his life.

I made a quick decision. With firm steps, I moved forward, standing between Brynmor and Devlin.

“Fiora, don’t!” Brynmor shouted, but I didn’t care.

“If what you want is me, let Brynmor go,” I said loudly, making sure Devlin could hear me.

He chuckled softly, walking closer. “You’re truly something, Fiora. But unfortunately, I can’t let either of you live.”

I felt Brynmor pull me back, but I stopped him. “We have to act together,” I whispered, our eyes meeting for a brief moment.

With courage I didn’t know I had, I attacked one of Devlin’s guards, grabbing their weapon and firing plasma at their vehicle’s engine. A huge explosion rocked the ground, creating chaos.

“Now!” I shouted, pulling Brynmor to flee while Devlin’s group scrambled to put out the fire.

We ran as far as we could, until we finally found another place to hide. Brynmor collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, but still alive.

I knelt beside him, holding his hand tightly. “We made it,” I said, my voice trembling.

He looked at me. “You’re amazing, Fiora. I knew I didn’t make the wrong choice.”