Page 46 of Alien Healer's Touch

I sensed the situation deteriorating rapidly. Calculations flashed through my mind—how quickly I could disable their weapons, whether I could protect Selene from energy discharges in this confined space, escape routes through the water.

Before anyone could act, a violent tremor shook the cavern. Water levels rose instantly as cracks formed along the ceiling, debris raining down between us and the security team. The underground river surged with new intensity, washing several guards off their feet.

"Fall back!" Phillips shouted as a section of ceiling collapsed, separating us from them. "Jenkins, get that medicine to camp!"

The sudden rush of water swept Selene against me. I caught her, stabilizing us against a stone column as the current strengthened.

"We need to move!" I shouted over the roar of water and falling stone. "The cavern is collapsing!"

The surge carried us away from the security team, down a sloping passage where the river descended deeper into Arenix's underground network. Behind us, Phillips and his remaining men scrambled toward their entry point, Jenkins clutching the medicine containers as he fled. The roar of the water filled my ears, the icy torrent spinning us helplessly in the crushing darkness. My grip tightened on Selene's hand, a desperate anchor, until a violent crosscurrent slammed us against the tunnel wall, tearing her grasp from mine.

SELENE

The torrent finally flung us, bruised and gasping, onto a muddy bank in the crushing darkness of an unfamiliar cavern. Before I could even get my bearings or call out to Kavan, the unstable earth gave another violent heave. Stone groaned overhead. This time, the ceiling directly above gave way.

Dust tickled my nostrils as I pushed myself up from the cave floor where the impact had thrown me. The collapse's thunder still echoed in my ears, but immediate danger seemed to have passed. My eyes adjusted to the black nothingness, searching....

"Kavan?" My voice bounced oddly against stone walls. "Are you all right?"

"Here." His voice came from my right. "A few meters away."

I turned toward the sound and stopped cold. I could see him. Not clearly, not as in daylight, but his outline stood distinct against the darkness - tall frame, broad shoulders, the subtle movement of his tail. My brain raced through possibilities: no light source, total darkness, yet visual processing occurring.

"I can see you," I whispered.

It wasn’t just his outline my eyes found—it was his presence, steady and unwavering. In the dark, stripped of everything else, it felt like I was seeing Kavan clearly for the first time. Not as a protector. Not as a mystery. But as someone who had become a constant in a life full of chaos.

"As I can see you." He moved closer, and his face emerged from shadow - sharp cheekbones, the concerned set of his mouth. "Your markings."

I looked down at my arms. The silver patterns emitted a soft radiance, not enough to light the cave, but sufficient to outline my form. "They've never done this before," I said, turning my hands over to examine the delicate whorls across my palms.

"More than knowledge transfer or communication," Kavan traced one shimmering line along my forearm. "Adaptation to environment." The touch sent electricity through my spine. Since our connection in the facility, every contact between us resonated deeper.

"Another ability the markings unlocked? Hammond would love that confirmation." My laugh echoed bitter and hollow.

"You see differently now?" he asked.

"Not like daylight. More like... thermal imaging with depth perception." I stretched my hand forward, noting how objects registered as distinct shapes. "I can make out forms, contours."

"The Nyxari adapted to hunt in darkness long ago." Kavan surveyed our surroundings. "Our vision perceives heat signatures and movement patterns."

I focused beyond us. The cavern branched in multiple directions, jagged formations hanging from the ceiling. The ground sloped downward, and a steady trickling sound caught my attention.

"Water," I pointed toward the sound. "Underground river system?"

Kavan nodded. "Rivers typically lead outward. Toward daylight."

I stood, brushing dust from my clothes. "Then that's our path."

At the water's edge, I noted its flow speed - too fast for wading, but the direction seemed promising. "We follow alongside," Kavan motioned to a narrow path hugging the cavern wall. "Water seeks the path of least resistance. It may lead us to an exit."

The riverbank proved treacherous - slick with minerals and uneven. My medical brain cataloged risks: fall hazard, possible fractures, hypothermia if submerged. I pushed away Hammond's voice in my head:This is what happens when you trust aliens.

After twenty minutes of careful progress, Kavan halted. His tail stiffened, one hand raised. I stopped instantly.

"What?" I whispered.

"Movement. Not water." He pointed ahead where the path widened into a small chamber. "Many lifeforms."

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