Commander Asher stood rigid, his eyes locked on the chaos unfolding before him. He didn't want to shatter the moment, yet his mind raced. There was no cure for the situation, no guiding instinct to pull him through this storm. He was a soldier with a mission. Nothing more. And that mission needed to be completed without fail.
His thoughts churned, dark and frantic. *This matter with the Voidwalker... it's impossible! How did they find this planet? It's supposed to be impossible unless—* He didn't want to finish the thought. *Earth has less time than we thought.* Without hesitation, Commander Asher's fist crashed through the transparent glass of the emergency button panel.
The sharp, shrill blare of the alarms filled the room, their piercing wail echoing through every corner of the facility. The lights overhead flickered violently, turning blood red, casting the space in an eerie, unsettling glow.
"We need to evacuate the entire facility!" Asher shouted, his voice barely carrying over the deafening sirens. His hands trembled, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Rika Zero is lost. We have to get the mission done now—ready the ships and—"
His words were swallowed in an instant.
Andre appeared before him like a shadow, his hand tightening around Asher's throat with terrifying precision, his face a mask of disgust. There was no hesitation, no second thought.
"If we do as you say, we might die physically," Andre hissed, his voice low and venomous. "But here's something you should know. Most of this group? They're already dead inside. And if you push this, I won't hesitate to kill you long before the Voidwalker gets the chance. So shut your damn mouth."
Asher's body went rigid, the pressure of Andre's hand forcing compliance. He struggled for air but nodded weakly, his mind spinning with the weight of his failure.
Across the room, Williams watched the confrontation with cold satisfaction. His lips twitched into a smile, though it was devoid of joy. This moment, this chaos, felt like long-overdue justice. *Finally, the tide is turning in my favor...*
But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a movement that caught his eye—Sarah. She was edging towards Axel, her face pale and determined. Panic surged through Williams. He ran towards her, his hand catching her wrist, yanking her back with a brutal force.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Williams hissed, his voice barely a whisper but laced with fury.
"Tch!" she winced, her entire body convulsing with the effort.
Haze, watching from the sidelines, rushed forward, panic flashing in her eyes. "Sarah! You're pushing yourself too far! You'll die if you keep this up!"
She reached out, grabbing Sarah by the shoulder, trying to pull her away from Axel. But Sarah shook her head violently, refusing to be moved.
"No!" Sarah gasped, her voice strained and hoarse. "I can't. I won't abandon him again!" Tears welled in her eyes, her heart clenching with the weight of her guilt. "I let him down once... back then... but not now. I *won't* let him die!"
But her resolve, no matter how strong, couldn't overcome the limitations of her body. Her vision blurred, her muscles gave out, and with a choked gasp, Sarah collapsed. Haze caught her before she could hit the ground, gently laying her down.
"Sarah, stop! You've done enough!" Haze cried, but Sarah was already unconscious, her body spent.
Trisha, her voice raw with emotion, kept calling out. "Axel... Axel, please, wake up. Please." Her voice cracked, but she didn't stop. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook him gently, willing him to respond.
Axel's eyelids fluttered, but he remained eerily still. His body, though partially healed, bore scars and wounds that ran deep, far deeper than flesh.
"Axel..." Trisha whispered again, her voice soft and broken. She leaned closer, her lips almost brushing his ear. "Axel, don't leave me..."
"Ax... Mark..."
Mark? Why would she saw that name? Axel asked himself as he slowly lost consciousness. It's not possible?