The night sky above them was a swirling mess of smoke and fire, a cruel reminder of everything the world had become. Selene felt the heat of the burning horizon against her skin, felt the weight of the decision that loomed over her like a shadow. They had to move fast Cassian was right about that but every part of her wanted to freeze, to just stop and breathe for a moment.
But that was a luxury no one had anymore.
"Are you ready?" Cassian's voice cut through her thoughts, low and clipped, like a razor dragging across steel. She glanced up, meeting his eyes for just a second. They were sharp—too sharp—and yet there was a flicker of something softer behind them. She couldn't tell if it was pity or worry or something else entirely, but it made her stomach tighten.
"I've been ready for this since the moment I picked up a weapon," she replied, her voice steadier than she felt. The truth was, she wasn't sure what she was ready for anymore. Was she ready to face Viktor Kael again? To survive whatever nightmare was coming next? Or was she ready to confront whatever she and Cassian had become this dangerous dance they were trapped in, where the lines between enemy and ally, between loyalty and love, blurred beyond recognition?
Cassian's lips curled into a thin, humorless smile. "You don't get to choose when you're ready. Not in this world."
She felt that in her bones. He was right. No one got to choose. The world had already made its choices for them.
"Let's go," he said, his tone clipped. There was no time to waste.
The air was thick with tension as they moved, the night alive with the sounds of distant gunfire and the crackling of flames. The others were already ahead of them, securing the perimeter, but Selene couldn't help but feel the weight of Cassian's presence behind her like a constant reminder of everything that could go wrong.
Her thoughts kept drifting to Viktor. To the way his eyes had burned into her earlier, full of malice and something worse something personal. And that look he had given Cassian. It wasn't just the look of an enemy. It was the look of someone who knew a deep, raw pain someone who had been betrayed in the worst way.
Selene wasn't naive enough to think she understood everything between them, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Cassian and Viktor's history than either of them was willing to admit. She didn't know how she felt about that. Didn't know if she should even care.
But her heart kept betraying her, a constant thud in her chest whenever Cassian was near. She could feel it now the way his presence seemed to fill the air around her, pulling her in like a magnet. She could feel the heat of his body, the quiet strength in every movement he made.
It was like being caught in a storm that she couldn't escape.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked, trying to break the silence between them. Trying to bring her thoughts back to something concrete.
Cassian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pushed a hand through his disheveled hair, eyes scanning the horizon as if he was looking for something or someone. "The plan is simple: we get to the safe zone, we regroup, and we make sure Viktor doesn't get the upper hand."
"And if he does?" she asked, feeling a sharp twist in her gut at the thought.
Cassian's gaze snapped to hers, his jaw tightening as if the very thought of it caused him pain. "Then we end it. No more games."
She studied him for a moment, wondering just how far he would go to end this. How far he would go to survive. And what it meant for her. Was she just a piece in his battle, a pawn he'd use to get to the end? Or was she something more?
Cassian must have sensed her hesitation because his eyes softened, just slightly. Enough to make her question everything. "You're not just a piece, Selene. You never were."
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a second, she felt like she couldn't breathe.
She wasn't sure if it was the firelight or something else that made her heart race, but suddenly, the space between them felt too small. Too charged. Like the tension in the air was so thick that it could snap at any moment.
And before she could even process what was happening, Cassian was right there, his hand brushing against hers. It was a fleeting touch nothing more than a breath of contact but it felt like everything. Her skin tingled where he had touched her, and her heart began to pound in her chest, faster and harder than before.
This was dangerous.
"Cassian…" she breathed, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to stay steady.
His eyes were locked on hers, his lips parted slightly as if he was struggling with the same pull she was. Then, just as quickly, he stepped back, his expression hardening again. "We don't have time for this."
But it was too late. The moment had already passed, leaving behind a crack in the armor they had built around themselves. And now, neither of them could ignore it.
They continued their trek through the desolate landscape, the ruins of the world stretching out before them like a nightmare made flesh. Selene kept her focus ahead, but she could feel Cassian's presence at her side, the quiet, unspoken understanding between them heavier than any words could convey.
The further they went, the closer they came to the heart of the danger. They could feel it in the air something was wrong. The world seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for the storm to break.
And then, just when Selene thought she couldn't take the silence anymore, a shout rang out from the front. The others were ready for battle, their weapons drawn, their faces grim.
Cassian turned to her, his voice low but urgent. "Stay close to me. We don't know what we're walking into."
She nodded, but deep inside, something was telling her that what was coming wasn't just a battle. It was the endgame.
And she had no idea if either of them would survive it.
The first gunshot echoed across the wasteland like a thunderclap, and everything went to hell in a heartbeat.
Selene's instincts kicked in immediately. She dropped to the ground, pulling her weapon from its holster and scanning the area. But it wasn't just the sound of gunfire that made her blood run cold it was the way the sky seemed to darken in response, like the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the final judgment.
Viktor Kael had arrived.
And this time, there would be no escape.