The cabin reeked of damp wood and desperation. Joi sat slumped against the cold wall, her breaths shallow, her vision blurred. Hunger gnawed at her insides, and exhaustion blurred the edges of her thoughts. She could barely muster the strength to lift her head when the door burst open.
"Get up! Move!" a rough voice barked, jolting her out of her haze.
A man stormed in, his expression hardened with urgency. Before Joi could process what was happening, he yanked her to her feet by her arm, his grip bruising.
"What's… happening?" she whispered hoarsely, her throat dry and raw.
"Shut up and keep moving!" he snapped, dragging her toward the back exit of the cabin.
Her legs stumbled beneath her, the little strength she had draining rapidly. The forest outside loomed ominously, shadows stretching like dark fingers. A black vehicle was waiting a few steps ahead, its engine already rumbling.
"Boss's orders," the man muttered under his breath, his eyes darting to the treeline nervously.
Before they could make it outside, the ground trembled. A deafening explosion tore through the air, shaking the very foundation of the cabin. Joi's ears rang as a fiery plume erupted in the distance, the shockwave sending both her and the man flying backward.
Her body slammed against the wall with brutal force.
Time seemed to slow.
The back of her head struck the jagged edge of a wooden beam, the impact sending a sharp, unbearable pain shooting through her skull. Her vision fragmented, and blood poured from the wound, warm and unrelenting.
Joi collapsed onto the ground, her body crumpled like a discarded doll. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, pooling beneath her head and staining the dirt floor. Her chest heaved faintly, her breaths shallow and labored.
The subordinate staggered to his feet, clutching his side, but one look at her limp form made him hesitate. "Damn it!" he hissed, grabbing his radio. "She's down! We need a new plan—"
Before he could finish, the door was kicked open, and Adrian's men stormed in, their weapons raised and their movements precise. The subordinate barely had time to react before he was subdued, his radio knocked from his hand.
"Secure the area!" one of Adrian's men barked. "Find the girl!"
A pair of them rushed to Joi's side, their expressions grim as they assessed her injuries. "She's alive, but barely," one muttered. We need to get her out of here. Now."
Blood continued to pool beneath her as they worked quickly, lifting her carefully but urgently.
---
At the hospital, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air as doctors and nurses rushed her into surgery. Adrian's men stood outside the operating room, their stoic faces betraying the tension they felt.
When Alexander called Adrian to report, his voice was heavy with concern. "She's alive," he said. "But… it's bad. Head trauma, blood loss. She's in surgery now."
Adrian's breath hitched, his grip on the phone tightening. "And?"
"They don't know if she'll make it. Even if she does… they said she might not be the same."
---
When Joi finally opened her eyes weeks later, the bright overhead lights felt like knives stabbing into her skull. Her breath came fast and shallow as her surroundings swirled in a haze of white and shadow.
A face loomed over her—a nurse—but Joi shrank back, her eyes wide with terror.
"Joi, you're safe," the nurse said softly, her voice kind but distant.
But Joi couldn't hear her. The pounding in her head drowned out everything else. Her vision blurred again, and suddenly she wasn't in a hospital anymore.
She was back in that dark, suffocating place. Marcus's sneering face loomed over her, his voice a venomous hiss. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.
"Look at you," Marcus taunted, his grip on her hair tightening as he forced her head up.
Her body trembled violently as she clutched at the thin hospital sheet, her nails digging into the fabric. Shane's shadow seemed to loom in the distance, faceless yet menacing, the embodiment of all her fears.
The nurse tried again, her voice more urgent. "Joi, can you hear me? You're safe now."
Joi's gaze darted wildly around the room, unable to recognize the faces or the voices. Not the nurse, not Emily when she arrived sobbing at her bedside. No one was familiar—just fleeting fragments of her tortured past.
Her mind was locked in that hellish cycle, the lines between reality and memory blurred beyond recognition.
All she saw was Marcus. All she heard was his voice.
And the only thing she felt was fear.
The hospital room was oppressively quiet, the steady beeping of machines underscoring the fragility of life within. Joi lay motionless on the stark white bed, her face ghostly pale beneath the thick bandages wrapped around her head. Bruises marred her fragile arms, which rested limp at her sides. Her shallow breaths barely stirred the air, each one a faint reminder of her presence.
Adrian stood at the foot of the bed, his tall frame rigid, his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. Fury and despair warred on his face, a mask of anguish he rarely let anyone see. Yet Joi didn't see him. She didn't see anyone.
A broken whisper escaped her cracked lips. "Marcus… please, no." Her head twitched, and her eyes darted beneath closed lids as though she were trapped in a nightmare.
Adrian's breath hitched. The sound of that name—his enemy, her tormentor—cut through him like a blade. "Joi, it's me," he said, his voice soft yet thick with emotion. He took a cautious step closer, desperate to reach her.
Her eyes snapped open, wild and unfocused. The terror in them was immediate, visceral. "No! Stay away from me!" she screamed, her voice raw and cracking. Her frail body jerked back, pressing against the headboard in a feeble attempt to create distance.
Adrian froze, his heart shattering at the sight. Joi's arms, trembling from weakness, rose to shield her face, as though expecting a blow.
The room erupted into chaos. Nurses burst in, their voices a mix of urgency and calm as they moved to restrain her. Adrian stepped back, his face pale, his hands trembling as he struggled to contain the storm of emotions inside him.