Embrace the wild

Well That Didn't Go As Planned

Rayne stayed up all night, huddled over maps and scribbled notes, her fingers tracing paths as if moving them physically might make them safer. Her chest was tight, a mix of nerves and anticipation, but she tried to laugh at herself. “First mission, Rayne. You’re either going to die gloriously or horrifically. Let’s aim for the first, shall we?” Her voice was barely a whisper, swallowed by the shadows of her small room.

Her heart thudded in her ears. Every creak of the floorboards, every faint echo from the compound made her flinch, her skin prickling with the awareness of being watched. She knew they’d be scrutinizing her. Probably too closely. She thought about waiting for another mission, when they might trust her more. But no, she couldn’t be part of the deaths this one would bring. That thought alone made her stomach twist, like she’d swallowed a live wire.

Rayne leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes, feeling both exhausted and impossibly alive. The adrenaline was a strange comfort, like a fire burning in her veins. “Okay, genius, think. You’ve got one shot to save a family without them knowing you’re on their side. Telepathy isn’t exactly subtle, but it’s the only chance you’ve got.” She chewed her lip, trying to ignore the tremor in her hands.

Her mind wandered to Cain. He scared her, and not in the normal way. There was a stillness to him, a darkness she couldn’t read. She felt a chill just thinking about those black, unrelenting eyes. He had arrived at the compound as a seven-year-old orphan, silent for five years, and somehow emerged whole, though whatever he had endured was hidden behind his stare. She shivered, despite herself. Great, Rayne. First mission, and you get a human shadow to stare at you. Fantastic.

The flight to Montana was long. Rayne’s heart beat unevenly as Cain handed out burner phones and briefed the team on the base’s layout. She listened, nodding, but inside she was calculating and re-calculating. Every detail mattered. She could feel her chest tightening, the weight of her responsibility pressing down. Every second that ticked by reminded her of the lives hanging in the balance.

When Cain’s gaze finally landed on her, she froze. His eyes, black and searching, seemed to pierce right through her. Her stomach churned, a mixture of fear and irritation. Why is it always the scary ones? Seriously, why me? She forced herself to look away, pretending to absorb the mission’s grim details: the cabin would be burned, the family executed, their bodies erased like they’d never existed. She swallowed hard, a tight laugh escaping. “Lovely. Nothing like a little apocalyptic job to start your morning.”

Arriving at the base, the cold Montana air stung her skin, and the bright sunlight felt sharp, almost mocking. Exhaustion pressed into her bones as she was shown to her room. She slumped onto the bed, feeling the tension in her shoulders and the tight knot in her stomach. Her chest felt heavy with fear, but beneath it all, a spark of defiance burned. She could do this. She had to.

Her mind wandered. Alone. No one to mourn her if she failed. The thought made her throat tighten and a pang of sorrow ripple through her chest. But then she straightened her spine, lifting her chin. “Stop it,” she muttered, shaking her head. “You’ve got one life. One. And I’ll live it my way, even if it kills me. Literally.” Her dark humor felt like armor, shielding her from the panic threatening to seep in.

Rayne drifted into a deep sleep, dreamless, yet every fiber of her body braced for what was coming. When the vibration of her phone woke her, she sat up, her chest tight but her mind sharp, the adrenaline now mingling with determination. Her fingers brushed over the phone, and she whispered with a smirk, “Alright, Rayne. Showtime. Don’t die.”