The memory of the cell haunted them more than the bruises ever could. Days of silence, days of enduring pain, humiliation and the enemy's probing questions. And then escape. Lucia had freed them all, Orion by her side, precise, controlled, untouchable… until now.
The forest of Velmor sprawled before them, black and damp beneath a clouded sky. Rain had soaked the ground, melted the snow and turning it into mud that clung to boots, weighed down limbs, slowed the heartbeat just enough for the enemy to close the gap. Yet even in exhaustion, she moved with the efficiency of a predator. Calculated steps, eyes scanning every shadow, ears straining for the faintest whisper.
Orion ran slightly ahead, rifle cradled in his arms, silver hair plastered to his forehead. His movements were fluid but fatigue pressed into the edges of his motion. She noticed the shallow rise and fall of his chest, the twitch in his fingers as they grazed the gun's barrel. Even a powerhouse could break.
Thomas and the other two soldiers sat on a fallen tree, trying to catch their breaths. Thomas's weary eyes shifted between Lucia and Orion, who stood among the privates, his presence like that of an older brother watching over them.
"Fifteen minutes," she whispered, lips barely moving. "The others will reach the clearing by then."
"Then we better make it count," Thomas muttered back, voice hoarse.
She allowed herself a fraction of a nod. They ran, skirting fallen logs, leaping over brambles, the cold rain slicking their uniforms and plastering her golden hair to her scalp. Every sense strained; every muscle remembered drills, combat lessons, instincts honed over years. And yet, the forest had its own rhythm, and tonight it was alive with menace.
A sudden snap echoed behind them. A twig, probably, but the sound sent a jolt of alert through her. She dropped into a crouch, hand waving others down.
"Hold," she hissed.
They obeyed instantly. Orion's rifle aimed, scanning the trees. The forest around them breathed in silence. She could feel it, the enemy had found them. The smell of wet mud, smoke and distant fires mingled with the faint metallic tang of fear and adrenaline.
"They're closing," she murmured, teeth clenched. "We can't outrun them."
Orion crouched beside her, green eyes scanning the darkness. "Then we hold. You tell me when."
Lucia's jaw tightened. Holding meant they wouldn't survive. But they had to buy time. Thomas Ward and the other two soldiers had to get to safety. And she could not fail them.
"Ward, take the boys. Keep moving!" she shouted, pointing toward a narrow clearing ahead. Mud flew from boots as Ward and the two soldiers scrambled forward, stumbling over roots, helping each other up. Their faces were pale with fear and determination.
Ward glanced back, hesitating. "Lieutenant—"
"Go! Now!" she snapped, voice sharper than rain. "I'll hold them. Rossi, with me."
Orion nodded, jaw tight. "Don't make me drag you out of this alive, Castella."
"You'd better make it," she muttered, the thought pounding in her mind: They have to get out. They must.
The first pair of enemy soldiers emerged from the shadows, rifles raised. Rain slid off their helmets in rivulets, weapons glinting faintly in the dim light. Lucia ducked behind a tree, wrench gripped tightly in one hand. Orion rolled to cover beside her, rifle ready.
She struck first, wrench biting into bone and cartilage with a sickening crunch. The soldier crumpled, groaning. Orion fired twice, bringing down another.
"Move!" she hissed. "Keep them away from the others!"
They sprinted deeper into the forest, weaving through thick undergrowth. Her boots sank in mud; her muscles screamed but adrenaline drowned the fatigue. She stole a glance at Orion. Every motion was precise, lethal and every motion was a statement.
"You should've stayed in the rear!" she snapped, voice cutting over the rain and chaos.
"And let you do all the fun?" he shot back, almost smiling. "Never."
Lucia exhaled sharply, realizing her heartbeat had picked up. It wasn't just fear. It was fury, frustration and guilt. But there was no time to dwell. They were trapped, the enemy's numbers closing in.
A sudden volley of bullets slammed into the earth before them, dirt and mud spraying. The forest seemed to explode into chaos. One soldier fell across her path; she spun, wrench swinging, catching him across the ribs. Pain shot through her arms but she kept moving. Orion ducked a lunge, elbowing a soldier in the stomach and pulling the trigger twice more. He patted the fallen enemy's body, hoping to find more ammo.
"Better than nothing," he mumbled under his breath while pocketing a magazine.
She glanced toward the clearing. Ward and the others were moving fast, heading toward the extraction point she had memorized, slipping between trees like shadows. Every second we hold them is a second Ward and the others gain. I can't fail them now.
Another wave hit them from the left. She caught a flash of movement, ducked and felt metal bite into her side, a glancing blow. Pain screamed but adrenaline roared louder. Orion's voice cut through the haze:
"Castella! Left! Watch left!"
She spun, wrench ready, striking a soldier before he could fire. Orion fired over her shoulder, taking down two more. Their eyes met for a split second, breath ragged, bodies slick with rain and sweat.
"You're lucky I'm here!" he yelled, a grin cutting through tension.
"And you're lucky I haven't broken your face yet," she shot back.
They moved again, retreating toward a narrow ravine. Their final defensive point. The enemy surged, numbers overwhelming. She struck, blocked, twisted and ducked but exhaustion was crushing her, limbs refusing commands. Orion's face was streaked with dirt and rain, teeth gritted, eyes fierce, unwavering and still she felt the pull of something beneath the chaos, unspoken, almost forbidden.
A soldier lunged at her from the right. She struck. Too slow. Pain exploded in her ribs as he slammed into her, sending her staggering. Orion grabbed her arm, pulling her upright, rifle swinging. She struck again with the wrench but the enemy's momentum was relentless.
Ward's voice carried faintly through the trees. Keep going! he shouted to the others. You're almost clear!
Lucia felt her chest tighten. She wasn't sure if she had really heard them or if her mind was conjuring the sounds out of desperation. Desperation to believe they were safe, that she had bought them enough time. She could not let them down.
One by one, they were surrounded. Bullets bit the ground around them, boots slammed into the wet earth, yells pierced the night. Orion's breath came in harsh bursts beside her.
"We can't… stop… them," he gasped, even as he swung at a soldier with his rifle butt.
"Then we make them pay for every second," she snapped back.
The fight became desperate, each movement fluid but tired, each strike precise but weakening. Wrench, rifle, fists… Their weapons were extensions of themselves but every advantage slipped through their fingers.
The final wave descended upon them. A flurry of blows; too fast, too many. A soldier slammed into her from behind; she hit the ground hard, wrench skidding away. Orion's rifle was knocked from his hands. They were surrounded, pressed against each other in a defensive stance, bloodied, mud-streaked, exhausted.
Boots pressed into her shoulders, hands twisting her arms, pinning her. Orion gritted his teeth, struggling but helpless.
"You did well," a voice hissed through rain and fury, not the commander but one of his officers. "Too well, perhaps."
Lucia bit back a scream of frustration. Orion's teeth were clenched, jaw tight, but his eyes flicked to hers, a silent acknowledgment. We did what we had to do.
The soldiers dragged them through mud and rain, back toward the compound. Their bodies screamed, ribs aching, muscles screaming but their mind remained razor-sharp.
Lucia's eyes flicked to the point where Ward and the other two soldiers disappeared into the forest ahead, safe. A moment of bitter relief surged: At least they're alive.
Orion's hand brushed hers as they were pulled apart to be restrained. He whispered, "We'll get another chance."
Her golden eyes softened for a heartbeat. "We'd better."
They stumbled behind guards, soaked, battered but unbroken in spirit. Even in chains, even in defeat, she felt the spark that always ignited between them. The quiet certainty that survival was not just about breathing but about keeping the ones you cared for alive.
The forest receded behind them, swallowed in darkness and rain. Ahead, the compound loomed, Walls of stone, shadows and imprisonment. And yet, in the quiet between shouted orders and trudging boots, two soldiers breathed, panting, defiant, alive.
The world had taken the battle from their hands but not the war.
For a moment, the rain muted the cries of the forest. Their chests rose and fell in heavy rhythm. Mud, blood, and exhaustion coated them like armor. The enemy had captured them again but they had done what was necessary: The others were safe. That was victory, no matter how fleeting.
Lucia's thoughts flickered briefly to the escape they had pulled off just hours ago. To the paperclip, the handcuffs, her team's steady presence beside her, the trust in their eyes... We will find a way again, she vowed silently. We always do.
Orion leaned slightly toward her, eyes scanning the forested compound. "Not dead yet, Castella."
"No," she whispered, shoulders aching, mind burning. "Not dead yet."
The rain continued, washing over bruises and blood, the forest around them returning to quiet except for the distant cries of pursuit. In that quiet, two soldiers in chains clung to the one truth they had left: They were still alive.
And that, for now, was enough.