The facility stood isolated in the middle of a wide clearing, its stark walls framed by the dense, damp forest that surrounded it. The trees loomed like sentinels, their branches spreading like dark umbrellas under the pale but bright moonlight, casting eerie shadows that stirred an unsettling sense of dread into the already gloomy night.
Inside the building, gunshots echoed down the hallways of the thirteen-floor building. The screams of fallen men and women reverberated through the walls. In a white, sterile control room on the fourth floor, two women crouched behind a large panel. A brunette and a raven haired woman. Both of them in black turtleneck spandex suits that clung to their bodies, allowing for their agile movement as they ducked for cover, bullets ricocheting around them.
The brunette winced as she reloaded her weapon, her hands trembling slightly.
"After this, I'm out," she muttered under her breath.
The raven-haired woman beside her, steady and focused, gave her a firm nod. "Then any chance you get, run for the forest. I'll cover you."
The brunette glanced through the transparent glass at the looming treeline beyond. The jump from the fourth floor would be brutal, but staying meant capture by Klein. Between the two, she'd take her chances with the fall.
"I've got about one and a half mags left," the raven-haired woman said, sliding her last full clip to the brunette.
The brunette readily accepted it, taking out a single bullet—a sleek, cylindrical object made of polished wood with a pointed silver tip. It glinted ominously in the light.
"Starlight and Violet?" she asked, her voice low.
"Put that thing away," the raven-haired woman ordered an edge to her tone. "Focus on yourself. We'll know who made it to the rendezvous point when we get there."
With a grim nod, the brunette tucked the bullet back and gripped her weapon tighter. The raven-haired woman checked her own ammo one last time, then met her partner's eyes.
"When I say 'go,' break that glass and run like hell. No stopping, no looking back. Not even for me. Got it?"
Another nod.
"Good. Wait for my signal."
The raven-haired woman aimed at the massive light fixture above a group of their attackers. As soon as the bulb exploded in a shower of sparks, she barked, "Now!"
Without hesitation, the brunette grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it through the glass. It shattered with a thunderous crash, alerting the enemies but leaving them no time to react. Without wasting another second she sprinted towards the edge and leaped into the air, the cold wind whipping her face as she fell.
Mid-air, she cast one last glance at her partner. The raven-haired woman stood tall behind the console, two new weapons pulled out, exchanging fire with their pursuers. Her golden eyes gleamed with fierce intensity, her features sharp and determined, she looked like their dream everyday they spent in the facility, an Amazon warrior. In her hands, the two powerful guns unleashed a relentless barrage of bullets.
The brunette hit the ground hard but landed in a crouch, one knee pressed into the dirt. Despite her petite frame, she absorbed the impact and delivered the stance with precision. She glanced briefly at the facility, her partner still standing amid the chaos, before turning and sprinting towards the dark forest.
"Godspeed, Lyra," she whispered to herself.
***
The forest loomed ahead, a maze of shadows and thick undergrowth. The howling seemed to echo in the distance, closer than before. She ran, her heart pounding as her hand clutched her weapon, instincts screaming at her not to slow down.
But she was losing control.
Pain shot through her side with every step, the wound between her ribs bleeding profusely. She could feel the bullet lodged deep within her, and with it, the slow creep of toxins spreading through her body. Her body would need more time to heal. The bastard had gotten her good.
The flames from the facility reflected faintly on the horizon, casting a dull glow against the violent night.
She pressed on, her vision growing blurrier, the forest spinning around her. Her breath came in shallow gasps, each intake more difficult, more labored than the last. The sounds around her were sharp, disorienting. Her legs felt weak, each step heavier than the one before.
Finally, her foot caught on a root, sending her tumbling to the ground. A root she would have seen and walked over had she not been in this state.
"Shit." She cursed under her breath, forcing herself to sit up and lean against the cocooned bark of a nearby tree. Blood soaked through her fingers as she pressed a hand to her abdomen, trying to stem the flow.
The howls grew closer, unmistakable now. They were so close. She was so close.
Maybe if she stayed out in the open, they'd find her faster. Or maybe she could just… close her eyes for a second. Just for a little while and she woke up she would find them.
As her vision darkened, a figure appeared in the line of her sight—a man, silhouetted against the moonlight. She blinked, struggling to keep her eyes open, to focus. He spoke to her but his voice couldn't reach her, muffled and indistinct, followed by a sharp whistle that pierced the air.
Maybe he wasn't her savior. Maybe he was just another part of her nightmare.
But at that moment, it didn't matter. She couldn't fight anymore.
All she wanted was to rest.
***
The old soldier had gone and come back, there was no one in sight,
If only he had listened, would he have been able to save them?
Maybe it was in his destiny to save the people, not his people,
And he could either die trying or die a coward, but either he was dying and unlike his people, he could choose the way he went.
"Lala-ladidi," the Shadow sang, staring at him through doe eyes. A girl child.