Chapter 15: Aftermath
1046 Words
The forest was silent.
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Too silent.
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The kind of silence that came after something broke.
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Nyx didn’t stop running.
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She couldn’t.
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Not yet.
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Marcus stumbled beside her, blood trailing down his side, his breathing uneven. She tightened her grip on him, forcing him forward.
“Stay with me,” she said.
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Behind them—
Akira moved like a shadow.
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One arm gripping Lena.
The other holding Julian.
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Neither of them could keep up on their own.
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So she didn’t give them a choice.
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She carried them.
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Not gently.
Not kindly.
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But fast.
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Very fast.
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“Don’t—look back,” Akira said coldly.
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But Lena already had.
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Her eyes were wide.
Shaking.
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“Elian…” she whispered.
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No one answered.
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Because they all knew.
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He was gone.
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They didn’t stop until the forest disappeared behind them.
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Until the air changed.
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Until the world felt… normal again.
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Even though nothing was.
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The safehouse door slammed shut.
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Locks clicked.
Barriers sealed.
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Only then—
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Did Nyx let Marcus go.
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He collapsed immediately.
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“Marcus!” Lena rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside him.
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“I’m fine,” he grunted.
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He wasn’t.
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Blood soaked through his shirt.
His arm trembled from the impact he took from Mike.
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Julian leaned against the wall, breathing hard.
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“Fine isn’t the word I’d use,” he muttered.
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Akira stood in the center of the room.
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Still.
Unmoving.
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Like she hadn’t just dragged three injured people out of hell.
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Nyx turned sharply.
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“We need to go back.”
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The words came fast.
Immediate.
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Desperate.
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“No,” Akira said.
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One word.
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Final.
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Nyx stepped forward.
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“They took him. We don’t even know where—”
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“And you’ll die before you find out,” Akira cut in.
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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“You saw what that was,” she continued. “That wasn’t a fight. That was control.”
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Nyx’s jaw tightened.
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“We can’t just leave him there.”
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Akira’s eyes flicked to her.
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“You think he’s dead?”
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That stopped her.
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“He’s not,” Akira said. “If Vesper wanted him dead, he’d already be gone.”
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A pause.
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“He’s more valuable alive.”
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Lena’s voice broke through.
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“Valuable for what?”
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Akira didn’t answer immediately.
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But they all knew.
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“Experimentation,” Julian said quietly.
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The word settled like poison.
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Marcus pushed himself up slightly, wincing.
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“…She’s been trying to recreate it,” he said.
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All eyes turned to him.
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“The Dawnblood,” he continued. “Elian isn’t just rare… he’s a blueprint.”
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Nyx shook her head.
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“No. He’s not a test subject.”
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“Not to us,” Marcus said.
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“But to her?”
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He didn’t finish.
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He didn’t need to.
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Silence stretched across the room.
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Broken only by breathing.
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Pain.
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And the weight of what just happened.
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Lena sat back slowly.
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“He was right there…” she said, her voice trembling. “We were right there and we couldn’t—”
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Julian placed a hand on her shoulder.
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“We weren’t ready.”
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“That’s not good enough!” she snapped.
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Her eyes filled with anger.
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“With everything we’ve learned—everything we’ve seen—we still couldn’t stop them!”
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Akira stepped forward.
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“You’re alive,” she said.
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Lena looked up at her.
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“That’s not enough.”
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Akira’s expression didn’t change.
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“It is for now.”
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Nyx turned away.
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Running a hand through her hair.
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Her mind was racing.
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Elian.
Captured.
Alone.
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She closed her eyes.
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“…He’s not going to break,” she said quietly.
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Marcus let out a slow breath.
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“No,” he agreed.
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“But that doesn’t mean he won’t suffer.”
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That hit harder than anything.
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Julian straightened slightly.
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“So what’s the plan?” he asked.
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Akira crossed her arms.
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“Recovery first.”
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Nyx snapped her head toward her.
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“We don’t have time—”
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“We don’t have a choice,” Akira cut in.
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She stepped closer.
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“You go in like this—injured, emotional, unprepared—you don’t save him.”
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A pause.
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“You join him.”
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Silence.
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No one argued.
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Because she was right.
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Marcus leaned back against the wall.
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“…We need information,” he said.
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Nyx nodded slowly.
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“Where they took him. How they’re holding him. What they’re doing to him.”
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Julian added—
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“And what this ‘Architect’ really is.”
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That word again.
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It lingered.
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Dark.
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Unfinished.
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Lena wiped her eyes quickly.
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Then stood.
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“I’m not sitting around,” she said.
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“Good,” Akira replied.
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“Because you won’t be.”
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She looked at all of them.
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Sharp.
Focused.
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“We train. We heal. We plan.”
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A beat.
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“And then we go to war.”
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Nyx exhaled slowly.
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Her fists clenched at her sides.
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“…We’re bringing him back.”
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Marcus gave a small nod.
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“No matter what.”
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The room fell quiet again.
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But this time—
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It wasn’t empty.
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It was building.
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Something stronger.
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Something sharper.
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Far away—
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In a place none of them could see—
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Elian sat in chains.
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Unbroken.
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Waiting.
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And the war had only just begun.
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End of Chapter 15
- Writer
