---
Kellie had maintained a frantic pace for nearly an hour, her breath ragged, her legs trembling with exertion. The bridge she had hoped for finally came into view, standing resolute in the distance. Determination etched across her face, she pushed forward, summoning the last of her energy to reach the structure.
When she arrived, Chase stood at the edge of the bridge, his gaze fixed downward at the river below, seemingly untouched by the chaos surrounding them. His stance was motionless, as if waiting for something—or someone.
Kellie paused to catch her breath before speaking, her voice tight with urgency. "We need your help. I know we've wronged you, and I don't expect your forgiveness. But right now, people are dying, and your involvement could make all the difference. You alone can stop this."
Chase turned his head slowly, his eyes cold and distant, his voice as measured as ever. "What is it that you want, Kellie?"
Her heart clenched at the lack of warmth in his tone, but she pressed on. "The lives of countless innocents are at stake, Chase. This world is on the brink, and you have the power to change its fate. Please, help us. Help me."
For a long moment, Chase said nothing. Then, with a slight shift in his posture, he gave a quiet reply. "Let's go."
Kellie blinked in surprise, but before she could respond, Chase added, "I'm only doing this because I must. Don't mistake it for anything else."
His words stung, but Kellie didn't falter. She nodded and followed him as they made their way toward the EVA organization, the urgency of their mission outweighing the tension between them.
---
Elsewhere, at the EVA Organization's Headquarters
Belinda and the others had arrived at the EVA organization's sanctuary, the security of the underground facility offering a stark contrast to the chaos above. Reunions were emotional, filled with tearful embraces and the recounting of their fruitless search for Chase.
"Where's Kellie?" Mr. Liam, Kellie's father, asked, his voice tight with concern.
"We tried to stop her, but she insisted on going after Chase alone," Kayla explained, a faint smirk curling her lips. If anything, she secretly hoped Kellie's mission would fail.
Mr. Liam's face grew pale, his fists clenched at his sides. "This is unbelievable! Get an elite team together and find my daughter!"
Henry, the organization's leader, remained unmoved. "No. The situation is critical, and we cannot divert our resources. If your daughter is truly on a mission, it's hers alone to complete."
The tension in the room thickened as Mr. Liam's frustration boiled over. "Are you saying that you wouldn't send a single soldier after her? If it were your child, I'm sure you'd act differently!"
Henry's calm, calculated voice silenced the room. "Enough. Security, detain Mr. Liam."
The room erupted into chaos as Mr. Liam's protests were ignored, and he was forcibly removed. The discussion shifted back to the more immediate threat—the decision to launch a nuclear strike to destroy the portal.
Dr. Albert, a scientist within the organization, raised a question. "What do we do now?"
Henry's voice was steady, resolute. "There's only one choice left: We destroy the portal with nuclear force."
The gravity of his words struck the room with the force of an explosion. The cost—innocent lives lost in the blast—was something that could not be ignored.
"Don't you understand?" one voice called out, their moral objections clear. "The damage to humanity will be incalculable. And what about Kellie?"
Henry's eyes hardened. "We have already secured the compliant. Those outside are irrelevant to our cause. Their lives, if lost, will pave the way for the salvation of the rest of us."
The room fell silent, and the cold ruthlessness of Henry's plan became clear. The others recoiled, some in disbelief, others in horror. But it was Belinda who flinched the hardest, her father's transformation into a figure of authoritarian control shaking her to her core.
Henry's expression remained unchanged as he lifted his phone and made the final call. "Launch the missile."
"Understood, sir."
As the order was given, the weight of the decision bore down on the group. The nuclear strike was imminent, and Kellie's fate hung in the balance. No one spoke. The haunting reality of the situation, coupled with the approaching disaster, settled over them like a suffocating cloud.
---
On the Road Again
Meanwhile, Kellie and Chase pressed onward, the distance from the EVA organization still great. The missile meant to destroy the portal soared overhead, a harbinger of the imminent destruction.
Kellie's face set in grim determination as she watched the missile's path. "They've launched it," she murmured. "Their resolve is unwavering. And yet, in their haste, they've left me behind, as if my life means nothing."
Chase's expression was unreadable, his eyes fixed ahead. "We all make choices, Kellie. Even in the face of destruction."
---