Twenty Four

POV Brynmor

I felt the pain spreading from the wound on my arm to my chest, but that wasn't what weighed most heavily on my mind this morning. Fiora's steady breathing beside me served as a reminder that, even though death kept chasing us, she was still here.

I shifted my gaze to the brightening sky, thinking about Devlin's words from last night. The baby. I didn’t know if it was true or just another tactic to crush our spirits. But if it was true, Fiora was carrying new life amid all this destruction.

I didn’t know how I could protect them.

When Fiora finally woke up, she seemed calmer than the night before. She pulled her hair back and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Did you sleep?" she asked quietly, glancing at the dark circles under my eyes.

I just shook my head, trying to get up despite feeling weak. "Sleep doesn’t help much right now."

She looked at me with doubt but didn’t say anything.

I walked outside the cave, surveying the terrain around us. This place was safe for now, but I knew it wouldn't last long. Devlin's forces always found a way to track us.

Fiora appeared behind me, wrapping herself in a light jacket. "We can't stay here too long."

I nodded. "I know."

She came closer, gently touching my arm. "You're still hurting. You need to recover first before we move again."

I sighed. Fiora was always like that—putting others before herself. I turned to look at her, trying to find the right words to express how much I appreciated her presence, but my tongue felt heavy.

She just waited, her soft eyes making me feel like the biggest fool in the universe.

"You've done more than enough," I finally said, my hoarse voice barely a whisper. "But this is my responsibility, Fiora. I dragged you into this."

She shook her head, gripping my hand tightly. "I chose to stay here, Brynmor. Don't forget that."

A few hours later, I opened the small holographic map that was left in our supplies. The remaining routes were getting narrower. We couldn’t just move aimlessly; we needed a plan.

Fiora sat beside me, helping me evaluate potential paths. I was amazed at how quickly she had learned to read coordinates and strategize. She was no longer the girl I first met in the Neutral Dome—she was now a partner who could match my mind.

"We can go through this valley," she said, pointing to a spot on the holograph. "It's far enough from their patrol routes, and we might be able to find more cover there."

I nodded, trying to absorb the details she pointed out. But something inside me told me we couldn’t keep running forever. Sooner or later, we had to face Devlin.

"Fiora," I called.

She looked up, an eyebrow raised slightly. "What is it?"

"We can't keep running."

She frowned, clearly not liking the direction of this conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Devlin won’t stop. As long as he has resources and troops, he will keep hunting us." I stared at her intently. "If we want to survive, we have to stop him."

She went silent, thinking about my words. Then she nodded slowly. "Then we need a better plan. Something he won’t expect."

I felt relieved that she didn’t oppose me. We continued our discussion, exploring possible strategies to take down Devlin.

"I know Devlin," I said. "He tends to underestimate people. We can use that to our advantage."

Fiora nodded, adding her ideas on how we could infiltrate Devlin’s main facility without being detected. I saw her face shine with enthusiasm and determination.

I realized that Fiora was my strength, though I had never admitted it in words.

Night fell, and we decided to rest before starting our journey toward Devlin’s location. Fiora lit a small fire to warm us while I sat beside her, trying to enjoy the rare moment of peace.

She stared at the fire with an expression I couldn’t read. I knew there was something she wanted to say, but she hesitated to start.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked.

She looked up, meeting my gaze with eyes full of emotion. "Do you think what Devlin said about the baby... is true?"

Her question left me speechless. I didn’t know how to answer.

"I don’t know," I said softly. "But if it’s true, we have to do whatever it takes to protect it."

She nodded, but I could see the worry on her face. "I don’t want to burden you any further, Brynmor."

I reached for her hand, holding it gently. "You're not a burden, Fiora. You’re the reason I’m still here."

She gave me a faint smile, but tears began to well in her eyes. I wanted to say more, but I knew words wouldn’t be enough to express how I felt.

I could only hope my actions would be enough to show her how much she meant to me.

Morning came faster than I expected. The sound of wind blowing the cold air woke me up. Fiora was still sitting by the almost extinguished fire, her eyes gazing off into the distance. She looked calm, but I knew she was thinking about something.

"Didn't you sleep?" I asked, breaking the silence.

She turned slowly, giving me a faint smile. "Couldn't."

I nodded, understanding her feelings. The tension didn’t leave us much room to feel relaxed.

"We’ll leave when the sun’s high enough," I said. "We need light to make sure the path is safe."

She nodded. "I’ve prepared everything. We can leave whenever."

I watched Fiora, who now looked more determined and ready than before. I felt proud but also scared—proud that she had grown into someone strong, but scared that this strength came from all the bad things we had been through.

A few hours later, we began moving through the valley Fiora had pointed out the night before. The path was narrow, surrounded by steep cliffs that offered cover from Devlin's aerial patrols.

"We're almost there," she said, her voice sounding optimistic.

But my instincts told me otherwise. I scanned the surroundings carefully, sensing that something wasn’t right.

"Stop," I whispered, pulling Fiora behind a large rock.

She looked at me confused, but I motioned for her to be quiet. A few seconds later, the heavy footsteps echoed from ahead. I peeked out slightly and saw two armed patrolmen walking along the path.

"Did they find us?" Fiora whispered, her face going pale.

"No," I replied. "They might just be on guard. But we can’t take any risks."

I drew the plasma weapon from my belt, ensuring Fiora was safe before stepping forward.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Stopping them before they realize we’re here," I said firmly.

She grabbed my hand, stopping me. "No. We can get past this without confrontation. I know another route."

I looked at her uncertainly, but seeing the confidence in her eyes made me relent. I nodded and let her lead.

We took the alternative, steeper route. Every step felt like a new challenge, but Fiora kept moving forward without hesitation.

"How do you know about this path?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the treacherous terrain.

She gave a small smile. "I overheard some guards talking about it at Devlin’s facility before. They said the path is too dangerous to use."

I was impressed by her attention to detail. Fiora had truly become someone far braver and smarter than I ever imagined.

After a few hours of walking, we finally reached a safer place—a high plateau offering a clear view of Devlin's main facility.

"We need to make a plan here," I said, setting down our equipment.

Fiora sat beside me, staring at the facility with a serious expression. "Do you think we can do it?"

I nodded, though doubt still crept into my mind. "We have to."

She looked at me with an unreadable gaze. "We’re going to make it out of this together, Brynmor. I don’t care what happens."

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe in myself. But the truth was, I knew there were no guarantees.

Night came quickly, and we decided to rest before starting our movements. Fiora slept soundly under a thin blanket while I sat guarding near her.

I thought about her words earlier—about how she wanted us to make it out of this together. She believed in me, maybe more than I deserved.

I lowered my head, staring at the hands that had held weapons longer than I could remember. How many things had I done in the name of revenge? And was it all worth it?

When I looked at Fiora again, I knew the answer to that question. No revenge was worth losing her.