Gone
Morning came in thin streaks of light through the cracked window of the storage room.
Sophie’s eyes snapped open first. Her hands went straight to the cloth she’d tied around Talia’s chest. The wound still bled faintly, but the pressure she’d kept all night had slowed it.
Talia stirred with a soft groan.
“Mira… you’ve been staring at me all night,” she murmured, her voice rough from sleep. “Didn’t think you’d get a wink.”
“I couldn’t dare to sleep,” Sophie admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Not when you’re hurt because of me. I needed to make sure you were okay.”
Talia tried to sit up, wincing, but managed a small smile. She placed her hands on Sophie’s shoulders.
“Thanks for watching me,” she said quietly. “But that doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself of rest. We have to get back today at all costs. We’ve got less than twenty-four hours before everything’s handed to someone else.”
Sophie pushed herself to her feet, determination flickering through exhaustion.
“Then let’s go take back what’s mine. A soldier doesn’t sleep on the battlefield.”
She almost staggered, but Talia caught her before she fell.
“No,” Talia said firmly, helping her balance. “You’re not a soldier. You’re a princess. I’m the soldier who’s supposed to fight for you so you can live like one again. Not a stranded princess.”
She crawled toward the exit, slow but steady. Sophie stood for a moment, letting the words sink in.
“Aren’t you coming?” Talia called from outside, waving and winking.
“I am,” Sophie said, crawling out after her. And just like that, they set off, heading for Sophie’s home, the place about to be taken from her.
The city was awake, noisy and chaotic. They moved fast through narrow alleys, avoiding crowded roads and suspicious stares.
A delivery truck blocked one lane. Sophie hissed, “Alternate route, now!”
They darted into a side street, hopping over loose bricks and broken glass.
“Careful,” Talia warned, gripping Sophie’s shoulder. The faintly stained cloth at her chest strained with every step.
Sophie led the way, confidence replaced fear. Every turn, every decision felt sharper, as if she were learning to survive beside Talia instead of behind her. She wanted to protect Talia too, so Talia would never have to take another knife for her again.
A white van slowed beside them, its windows tinted too dark. Sophie’s heart skipped. She yanked Talia back, crouching low behind a metal dumpster. The van lingered for a few seconds, then turned the corner.
“Too close,” Sophie muttered. “And too suspicious.”
Talia’s eyes flicked to a man standing across the street, watching. The moment she met his gaze, he turned away and melted into the crowd.
“Someone’s tracking us,” she whispered.
“What?” Sophie said, too loudly.
Talia clamped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t panic. Stay calm. Just move normally like you didn’t notice anything.”
Still holding her close, Talia guided them out of the area, their pace quickening as they headed toward LBH.
Hours passed, walking, dodging, weaving through streets like ghosts. Then finally, in the distance, they saw it. LBH. The high gates, the hum of security lights, the promise of safety.
Relief hit them both at once.
“Almost there,” Sophie breathed, a shaky laugh escaping. “I’m sure we’ll make it. I have you.”
Talia grinned, leaning against her. “Let’s get there and make the world see Sophie Langford is alive and not dead.”
Sophie brushed a lock of hair from Talia’s face. “Thank you. I only made it this far because I’ve got you.”
They stepped onto the final stretch of road leading to LBH. The gate was just ahead. Freedom felt so close she could touch it.
Then everything changed.
A van screeched to a halt beside them. Before Sophie could react, the sliding door flew open and a rough hand stretched out of the open door and grabbed her. She screamed, twisting and kicking, but the grip was too strong. They pulled her in.
Talia reacted instantly. Pain shot through her chest as she rushed forward, but she didn’t care. She shoved one attacker into the van’s frame and grabbed Sophie’s wrist, pulling with everything she had.
One of the men kicked her hard in the chest. The impact sent her crashing to the ground, and blood seeped through the fresh bandage.
Still, she forced herself up, breath ragged, and lunged for the van again.
She barely reached the door when another kick slammed into her stomach. This time she fell harder.
The van door slammed shut. The tires screamed.
Sophie was gone.
Talia hit the ground coughing, blood streaking her lips. Her trembling hand reached toward the empty air where Sophie had been seconds before.
“Mira…” she screamed, voice breaking.
The van disappeared around the corner, leaving only the sound of spinning tires and the distant echo of Sophie’s scream. Passersby kept walking, eyes down, too early, too busy, or too afraid to get involved.
Talia forced herself up, breath trembling, blood soaking the cloth at her chest. She stumbled after the van, legs shaking, managing only a few steps before collapsing, palms scraping the asphalt. Her chest burned, each breath felt like fire, but she refused to stop. She dragged herself forward, one hand clutching the wound, the other pressing against the ground.
“Sophie!” she screamed again. There was no answer. Only silence.
For a few seconds the world blurred, the pain, the dizziness, the blood. Her body wanted to give up. Her heart would not.
“Mira… I promised I’d protect you,” she murmured, low and fierce. “And I will. I will do whatever it takes to get you back and keep you safe.”
She wiped the blood from her lips and forced herself upright. Her vision swayed, but she fixed it on the direction the van had taken.