The numbness slowly left me.
My stomach churned.
A killing hunger.
Pain consumed my body.
My temples pounded.
Stress boiled in my blood.
But then…
Maia.
Her name lit up in my mind.
Warmth filled my chest.
The longing burned — but with a kind of warmth to it.
This other pain, though, was cold.
Cruel. Illogical.
The pain eased a little.
Maia… how were you so strong?
How did you endure it?
The longing pulsed.
I wanted to cry.
Wanted to ask for more stories about her.
Suddenly, the gate opened.
Krrrekk
Metal groaned.
Cold. Sharp.
"The mierdas are back."
Denden laughed, manic.
"Hey, chica, be strong.
Stay calm.
We're getting out of this."
The two soldiers entered, posture rigid, eyes empty.
They carried a nanodevice.
Lethal. Precise.
One of them pressed a nanochip against my forehead.
Ice pierced my skin.
Silence.
ZZZZAP
Shock.
Every cell ignited.
Sparks burst behind my eyes.
Thunder tore through my spine.
Veins tightened, twisted.
Impossible to breathe.
IMPOSS—
"Hey, chica.
Hold on."
Denden was laughing.
His delirious laughter echoed from far away.
Colors vanished.
The world unraveled into light and darkness.
And then…
Nothing.