The firelight flickered, casting shadows that stretched like demons across the war-torn battlefield. Selene's pulse hammered in her ears as Viktor Kael's cold eyes locked onto hers. Every muscle in her body screamed for her to move, but her feet felt rooted to the ground, as if the very air between them was suffocating her.
Cassian stood beside her, his jaw clenched, his fingers tight around the handle of his rifle. His face was grim, but there was something else there a flicker of something darker, something more desperate.
"Cassian," Selene whispered, barely able to keep her voice steady. "Who is he?"
Cassian's eyes never left Viktor, but the words that followed were slow, heavy with years of pain. "Viktor Kael… He was my partner once. Back before everything went to hell. Before the world turned to ash."
The bitterness in his voice made her stomach twist. The man standing in front of them now was nothing like the soldier Cassian had once known. Viktor was a monster. And monsters didn't care about the past. They only cared about the hunt.
Viktor's lips curled into a cruel smile, a scar stretching across his face as he tilted his head slightly. "So this is how it ends, then?" His voice was smooth, mocking, the kind that made your skin crawl. "Cassian Hawke, still pretending to be the hero. I should've known you'd be here, hiding like a rat."
Cassian's eyes narrowed, his hand never leaving the rifle, but his voice was calm, too calm. "I'm not hiding, Viktor. And I'm not your partner anymore. I'm the one who's going to end you."
Viktor laughed, low and rumbling. "You think you can stop me? You think you've got what it takes?" His eyes shifted to Selene, scanning her like she was prey. "And you? what, you're his savior now? What's the plan, sweetheart? Hide behind your hero while he does all the hard work?"
Selene's blood boiled. She clenched her fists, but before she could respond, Viktor took a step forward, his boots crunching the dirt beneath him. "I've waited a long time for this, Cassian. You should've died that night. But now, I'm going to make sure it's slow. I'm going to make you watch everything burn."
Everything inside her snapped. This was no longer about survival. This was about something deeper. Viktor wasn't just a threat. He was the ghost that haunted Cassian's every step. And if she didn't do something now, he would consume them both.
Selene didn't hesitate.
She reached into her jacket, her fingers brushing the cool metal of her hidden weapon. Without thinking, she launched herself at Viktor, the sharp steel of her knife gleaming in the firelight. It was a blur of movement her body pressing forward with all the desperation, all the fury that had been building inside her.
Viktor's laughter died instantly as her blade found its mark.
For a split second, the world went still. Time stretched out like a cruel game. But then, Viktor roared, the sound shaking the ground beneath her feet, and he spun, throwing Selene off him with an animal's strength. She crashed into the dirt, pain shooting up her back, but before she could react, he was on her his hand closing around her throat, lifting her off the ground.
Cassian was there in an instant, a gunshot echoing through the night as Viktor's grip loosened, but it was too late.
Selene's world went black.
When Selene came to, the first thing she noticed was the pain. A sharp, searing ache in her throat that made every breath feel like it was being dragged through sandpaper. She blinked, trying to focus through the dizziness, but everything was spinning. Her vision was blurred, her body heavy.
Then she felt it Cassian's hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently upright. His face was etched with tension, eyes darting to the edge of the camp where Viktor had disappeared, but the look on his face… it was something else entirely.
He wasn't angry. He wasn't even afraid.
He was terrified.
"Selene…" His voice was hoarse, as if he was struggling to keep his composure. "Are you okay? Please…. please say something."
She blinked again, the fog in her head slowly lifting. "I'm fine." Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she pushed past it. "What happened? Where is he?"
Cassian's jaw tightened. He didn't answer at first, just helped her to her feet, steadying her against him. She could feel the tremor in his hands, the way his muscles were wound too tight, like he was holding everything together with sheer force of will.
"He's gone," Cassian said finally, his voice barely a whisper. "For now."
"For now?" she repeated, her heart racing. "He's coming back, isn't he?"
Cassian's silence answered her question.
"You should have told me," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "All of it. You should have warned me."
Cassian looked away. "I thought I could protect you from it. I thought if you didn't know—"
"You thought I'd be safe if I didn't know," she finished for him. "You thought I wouldn't fight. But I'm not some helpless kid, Cassian. And I'm not going to hide behind you."
"I know." His voice cracked, the emotion in it raw and real. "I know you're not. But I couldn't let you get caught in the middle of this. Not again."
"Too late for that," she shot back, her pulse quickening. "I'm already in the middle of it."
Cassian's eyes softened, but only for a moment, before hardening once again with the weight of what was to come. He stepped back, pulling his gear back on, his gaze sweeping the camp, his expression hardening like a wall going up.
"We need to move out. Now."
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"Because the worst is coming."
The hours bled into each other as they prepared. The camp was abuzz with frantic energy, men and women loading weapons, securing supplies, fortifying the defenses. Cassian was everywhere at once, a blur of motion and authority, barking orders, making sure everything was ready for what he knew was coming.
But all Selene could do was watch him.
She was drawn to him, in a way she couldn't quite explain. But it wasn't just attraction. It was something deeper. Something dangerous.
When he caught her looking, his gaze didn't soften. It never did anymore.
He only hardened.
And it terrified her.