Kael had collapsed like a toppled titan.
Blood trailed behind him, painting the ground in violent strokes. His breathing was ragged, chest heaving with every ounce of grit that hadn't already bled out. Ravager stood smoking in the background—its battered frame scarred by claws, talons, and trauma. One of its arms hung limp, the plating stripped, internal hydraulics spewing sparks.
Ryssa's heart thundered in her chest as she rushed toward him.
He was slipping away—faster than anyone could prepare for.
"Kael!" she yelled, dropping to her knees beside his crumpled form. His eyes were glassy, not registering her face, only staring through her like she was a memory.
Tyren sprinted over seconds later, limping, his entire frame trembling from battle and horror. "Don't you dare die on me, you bastard!"
Kael's lips twitched. A half-smile. Then, darkness.
---
The Medbay Silence
Kael lay unconscious on a mobile bed inside the camp's collapsible medbay. A soft beep tracked his pulse. His chest rose and fell beneath gauze and bandages, ribs taped tightly, nanofibers working overtime to repair torn muscle. His left leg was suspended, twisted at a grotesque angle when they found him.
Ryssa sat beside him. She hadn't moved for hours.
Outside the curtain, the medics moved with professionalism and urgency. Inside the veil, Ryssa was just a girl watching the strongest person she'd ever known being reduced to breath and bone.
She dabbed his forehead with a cool cloth, whispering under her breath, "You're not allowed to die… not until you've yelled at me again."
She paused.
"Not until I've earned the right to stand next to you."
---
Siren Squad Reflections
Outside, the camp was quiet—not because it was peaceful, but because no one had anything to say.
Misha sat by a rusted container, staring at her trembling hands.
"I should've fired faster," she muttered. "I should've intercepted that bat-thing."
Ziya leaned against her mecha's leg, helmet off, tears drying on her cheeks. "I didn't even know where the second Kaiju came from… Kael did."
Rynn had her head down, her mecha visor still cracked from the impact that flung her into the trees. "I've never felt this… useless," she whispered.
There had been screaming. Explosions. The gorilla-like Kaiju had pounded the earth with fists like meteor strikes. The bat's sonic shrieks had shattered glass and equilibrium. Siren Squad had scattered like children while Kael alone held the line—and nearly died for it.
"We watched him bleed," Ziya said through clenched teeth. "Watched him fall. And none of us could even distract the monsters long enough for him to recover."
Rynn shook her head slowly. "We don't deserve to be soldiers."
They sat in a triangle of silence.
Misha finally spoke. "You think he hates us now?"
Ziya looked up toward the medbay.
"No," she replied. "But I think he's stopped expecting anything from us. That's worse."
---
Tyren's Rage and Reflection
Tyren stood near the fire pit, arms crossed. The flames danced across his bloodied face, shadows dragging under his eyes.
He hadn't spoken in over an hour.
Ryssa approached. "You alright?"
He chuckled bitterly. "No."
"Do you blame us?" she asked gently.
Tyren looked up at her, cold but calm. "You tried. You fought. But you weren't ready. You didn't know what it means to fight like him. What it takes."
He pointed toward Ravager.
"That machine—it's not just metal. It's pain. It's betrayal. Kael doesn't pilot it because it's strong. He pilots it because it never lied to him."
Ryssa said nothing. He was right.
---
Inside the Dream
Kael floated in a world between consciousness and memory.
There were no walls here, no sky—just endless battles on loop. Mecha shattering under pressure. Betrayals behind courtroom doors. Vireya's face twisted in cold guilt. His cousin's sneer as Kael was stripped of command.
"Traitor," a voice had said once.
But then…
A whisper.
"You're still here because you're stronger than all of them."
He opened his eyes slightly—just for a second—and saw Ryssa slumped over beside his bed.
Then everything faded again.
---
Nightfall
Night fell, but no one slept.
The jungle of R22 crackled with distant growls. The Kaiju may have retreated, but the scent of blood called stronger beasts.
The Siren Squad remained awake near the entrance of the camp, weapons ready—not out of duty, but guilt.
Misha cleaned her gear obsessively. Ziya stared at the sky, wide-eyed. Rynn watched Ravager, her heart twisting every time she imagined Kael crushed beneath it instead of crawling out of it.
Rynn finally broke the silence.
"Did you hear Ryssa crying earlier?"
The other two didn't answer.
"I did," Rynn whispered. "I think she's really falling for him."
"Who wouldn't?" Misha muttered bitterly. "He walked through hell to protect us."
---
The Morning After
Kael stirred.
His eyes fluttered open, just barely. Pain registered instantly. Every breath stabbed his lungs, but he didn't groan. He didn't blink.
He just stared at the ceiling.
Ryssa jolted awake.
"Kael!"
He looked at her blankly.
"You're awake. Thank the stars—"
He sat up slowly, wincing. "How long was I out?"
"Almost a day."
He didn't ask about the injuries.
He didn't ask who survived.
Just one
question:
"Is Ravager standing?"
Ryssa hesitated. "…Yes. Barely. But yes."
He closed his eyes, laid back down, and whispered, "Then I'm still alive."