Page 67 of Alien Guardian's Vow
The upward sloping passage groaned around us, ancient metal shrieking protest against forces it was never meant to endure. Dust filled my nostrils, thick and acrid. Each step required careful placement, testing unstable debris before committing our weight. Claire remained limp between us, a dead weight Rivera struggled to support with her slighter frame. I shifted more of Claire's weight onto my own shoulders, ignoring the way the movement sent fresh agony through my injuries.
Rivera moved ahead slightly, her silver markings pulsing faintly in the oppressive darkness. "Careful here," she warned, pointing to a section where the floor plating had buckled. "Feels thin."
Her senses, enhanced by the markings, proved invaluable. Where my warrior training assessed visible threats, her connection detected structural weaknesses, hidden dangers. We moved as a unit, her perception guiding our path, my strength clearing obstacles. She moved beside me like we were wired to the same command—fluid, instinctive. My breath matched hers, and for a moment, we weren’t running. We were resonating. It shouldn't have felt like beauty. But it did. Teamwork born of necessity, solidified by the bond that resonated between us—a low hum beneath the surface of the immediate crisis.
Thoughts of Hammond, of his guards, flickered through my mind. Had they survived the lab's collapse? My instincts urged me to confirm their fate, to ensure the threat was truly neutralized. But the structural instability, the need to get Claire and Rivera to safety—these took precedence. Leaving potential enemies behind chafed against my training, yet logic dictated retreat. Zara's fate also weighed on me—another unknown, another potential loss in this conflict Hammond had manufactured. Guilt warred with duty.
We navigated another collapsed section, forcing our way through a narrow gap between fallen support beams. The air grew marginally clearer here, carrying the scent of damp earth and rain—a promise of the surface.
"Almost there," Rivera breathed, hope flickering in her voice.
The passage opened abruptly onto a scene of devastation, but one blessedly open to the night sky. Rain lashed down, washing dust from our faces but chilling us instantly. We stood on a precipice overlooking a section of the compound that had partially collapsed into the earth, revealing older ruins beneath—structures similar to those near the Nyxari settlement.
And standing amidst the wreckage, illuminated by the intermittent flashes of lightning, were figures I recognized instantly.
Lazrin. Kavan. Selene.
Relief surged through me, so potent it nearly buckled my knees. They must have been alerted by the explosion, drawn by the seismic disturbances. Lazrin moved toward us immediately, his powerful form radiating concern. Kavan and Selene followed, their healer's focus already assessing Claire's condition.
"Varek? Rivera?" Lazrin's voice cut through the storm's noise. "By the ancestors, we feared..."
"We made it," Rivera managed, sagging against me as the adrenaline began to fade.
Selene reached us, her experienced eyes immediately taking in Claire's state. "Get her under shelter," she ordered, her tone shifting instantly to professional command. Kavan was already removing his outer cloak to shield Claire from the rain.
"What happened?" Lazrin demanded, his gaze sweeping over our injuries, the destruction behind us.
"Hammond's experiments overloaded," Rivera explained quickly. "Triggered a feedback loop. The lab collapsed."
Selene and Kavan were already examining Claire, their hands moving with practiced efficiency. "Unresponsive, pulse weak but steady," Selene reported. "Severe energy trauma. Her markings are completely dark." She looked up, meeting my eyes. "We need to get her to the healing chambers immediately."
I nodded, understanding the necessity, yet a pang of reluctance struck me. Claire had been my responsibility. Handing her over, even to capable healers, felt like a failure.
"I will take her," Kavan stated, lifting Claire into his arms with surprising ease despite her limp weight. His lifelines pulsed with healing energy as he stabilized her.
"Go," Lazrin instructed them. "We will follow."
Selene gave me a brief, reassuring nod before turning to follow Kavan, disappearing into the rain toward the direction of the settlement. Watching them carry Claire away left an unexpected hollow ache in my chest.
"Hammond?" Lazrin asked, turning back to me.
"Caught in the collapse," I replied. "His fate, and that of his guards, is unknown." I hesitated, then added, "Zara Graydon was also unaccounted for."
Lazrin surveyed the unstable ruins, rain plastering his copper braids to his skin. "Searching now would be suicide. The structure continues to collapse."
He was right. The ground beneath us trembled again. Entering those ruins meant risking ourselves for uncertain gain, potentially leaving the settlement vulnerable. The decision, though strategically sound, felt like a betrayal. We were leaving them—Hammond, Zara, anyone else trapped inside—to their fate.
"We return to the settlement," Lazrin decided, his voice heavy with the weight of command. "Assess our own damages. Ensure our people are safe."
He placed a hand briefly on my uninjured shoulder. "You did well, Varek. You brought them out."
The praise felt hollow against the backdrop of destruction and loss. Rivera leaned against me, shivering from cold and exhaustion. I drew her closer, offering what little warmth and support I could.
"Let's go home," I said. "Our home." The words tasted unfamiliar yet right. We turned away from the ruins, leaving the ghosts of Hammond's ambition behind us, and began the difficult journey back through the storm-lashed landscape.
RIVERA
The journey back felt surreal. Rain plastered my hair to my face, mud sucked at my boots, and the wind tore at my clothes, but the physical discomfort barely registered. My mind replayed the chaos—the explosion, the desperate scramble through collapsing tunnels, the impossible weight of Claire's unconscious body. We had survived. We had rescued Claire. We had stopped Hammond, at least for now. It should have felt like a victory. It didn't.
