Liam crouched low, hastily scratching a coded message onto the marble floor , directions for Margaret, instructions for their next move once the chaos settled. While he wrote, Lucius stood nearby, pacing restlessly. His eyes kept drifting toward the distant glow of the force shield, worry twisting through him.
Nai was out there. Harriet and Yu Xuan were out there.
And he had no idea if any of them were still alive.
"Calm down, Lucius," Liam muttered without looking up. "I'm sure your friends are fine."
Lucius didn't answer. His silence was thick , too thick. Liam felt a prickle at the back of his neck but kept writing. Then he heard it.
A low, guttural sound.
Not anxious breathing.
Not fear.
Grunting.
"Lucius, I told you to calm down..can't you just- "
He turned.
And froze.
Lucius was crouched over a corpse, tearing into flesh with feral hunger, his hands stained dark. He wasn't anxious about his friends at all.
He was starving.
Outside, reinforcements finally reached the palace grounds, surrounding the perimeter with practiced precision.
"Margaret! You can stop now!" General Rook shouted through the chaos.
Nai and Margaret were beyond their limits , breathing hard, arms trembling, sweat mixing with dust and blood. At the sound of Rook's voice, a flicker of relief washed over them. Margaret released the force barrier, letting it dissolve with a soft boom of displaced air.
Soldiers surged forward , executing the remaining infected still standing and securing those few survivors who hadn't yet lost themselves to the plague. Anyone bitten or showing early signs of infection was dealt with swiftly , no second chances, no hesitation.
Order was being restored, but only through brutality.
General Rook activated the support device strapped to his forearm, thin lines of light pulsing along it. At once, his Force Form responded, his veins extending like living whips, slicing through the remaining infected with unerring precision.
Though blind, his movements were flawless, sharp, controlled, and devastatingly fast. Blood splattered across the stone with every strike.
When the last creature fell, he turned toward Margaret. She had already collapsed to her knees, exhausted. Rook knelt beside her, a rare softness in his voice as he placed a steady hand on her back.
"Margaret… are you alright?"
A beat. Then, quieter, meant only for her..."Love?"
Before she could answer, he sensed another presence, alive, human, trembling. His head lifted slightly, scent and sound guiding him.
Nai.
"You're one of the prisoners who escaped, aren't you?" Rook said coldly.
Nai stiffened. Her arms were scorched red from overusing her flame form, and the entire area was surrounded. Running wasn't an option...not anymore.
"Secure them," Rook ordered, his tone shifting back to command.
He turned toward one of the soldiers at his side. "Captain. Inspect the inside of the palace."
The soldier saluted sharply and moved out while others approached Nai and Margaret to detain them, the air thick with tension and the lingering scent of ash and blood.
To be continued.