Page 45 of Beast in the Badlands
I can’t help but grin under heavy fire; adrenaline courses through my veins like wildfire.
“Saving us,” I reply.
The words spill out before I can stop them, filled with unshakeable belief. Ava's got this—she always does.
Gunfire erupts from all directions; enemies press closer, each blast ringing in my ears like a war drum pounding out a frantic rhythm. But all I can think about is Ava’s fierce determination—the way she charges into danger without hesitation or fear.
Suddenly, an explosion rocks the ground nearby; I stumble back against a wall as debris rains down. The civilians cower beneath makeshift cover while our fighters hold their ground as best they can—but it isn’t enough.
I catch sight of Nyra barking orders, fighting like a whirlwind against our foes, but it’s clear we’re losing ground fast.
Emry grips her rifle tightly; she shifts nervously beside me as more enemies surge forward like wolves after prey.
“Renn!” Her voice cuts through my focus on Ava’s retreating figure. “What do we do?”
“Stay with me,” I say sharply, heart hammering in my chest. “Don't you dare leave my side.”
I grip my rifle tightly, scanning the battlefield as chaos unfolds. The remnants of our team push back against the tide of enemies, but it feels like we’re holding back a flood with just our hands. Gunfire and screams pierce the air, but something about this moment feels different.
A flash catches my eye. I turn to see Ava barreling through the haze, something glimmering in her arms. The energy radiates from her like a beacon—no, more like a comet streaking through a storm.
“Renn!” Emry’s voice snaps me back into focus as she points at Ava. “What is that?” Her wide eyes reflect awe and confusion.
I just grin. The metallic cube pulses with an eerie glow, humming with power that sends chills down my spine.
Ava skids to a stop beside us, breathless yet determined. “Stand back!”
I barely have time to process before she activates the cube. A low thrumming fills the air, building into something primal. My heart races as I sense the shift around us; it’s almost alive.
Then it happens—a shockwave bursts outward in an explosive ripple, tearing through enemy lines like a predator pouncing on its prey.
I watch in disbelief as enemy weapons short out, mechs crash to the ground in sparks and smoke, drones drop from the sky like fallen stars. Panic spreads among their ranks; they scatter like leaves in a storm.
In seconds, our battlefield transforms from chaos to an eerie stillness—the silence after a thunderclap where nothing can be heard except for the echo of our breaths.
The reality sinks in. They’re gone.
Emry stands frozen beside me, eyes wide as she processes what just happened. She looks at me, bewildered.
“Why didn’t we do that from the beginning?”
I shrug, trying to mask how impressed I am beneath layers of sarcasm. “Because she likes being dramatic."
A laugh escapes her lips—pure and bright against the backdrop of destruction—and it sends an unexpected wave of warmth flooding through me, as if the sun had suddenly broken through the oppressive clouds of chaos that surrounded us. For a fleeting moment, all of this—the war, the chaos, the endless struggle for survival—fades away, and it’s just us standing here, amidst the remnants of violence and despair, suspended in a bubble of shared understanding and connection.
Then, to my utter surprise, she throws her arms around my neck, pulling me down into a kiss that feels like a lifeline thrown into turbulent waters. I can’t think; everything outside ceases to exist. The sounds of the battlefield, the distant echoes of gunfire,the acrid smell of smoke—they all vanish as I get lost in this moment, in her warmth against my skin, which pulls me deeper into this unexpected bond that has formed between us, stronger than the turmoil that rages just beyond our little sanctuary.
When we finally break apart, her breath is warm against my cheek, a soft reminder of the intimacy we just shared. “Thank you for staying,” she murmurs, her eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and something more profound—a connection forged in the fires of chaos.
"I was never going to be able to leave," I tell her, my voice low and steady as I tuck her frazzled hair back behind her ear, the gesture instinctive and tender. "You're too important." The weight of my words lingers in the air, heavy with meaning, even as I try to sound casual.
She blushes, a delicate hue creeping across her freckled cheeks as she bites her lip, a shy yet playful gesture that makes my heart race. In this moment, amidst the wreckage of what was once a battlefield, a flicker of hope ignites between us, a promise that maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to navigate through the darkness together.
My fingers brush against her skin instinctively; I want to cradle her face in my hands forever—to shield her from all that surrounds us—but instead I let out a chuckle tinged with relief. “Can we get out of here now?”
She shakes her head softly—a hesitant smile flickering across her lips as if she knows something I don’t.
“Not yet.”
