Her hair turned white. Her wounds sealed instantly.
Then—
A pulse erupted from her.
A shockwave blasted outward, ripping through the air. In the blink of an eye, Shuxeta appeared in front of Sern. He turned, unaware—until her hand clamped onto his shoulder.
A sickening crack.
His clavicle shattered like brittle glass. Pain twisted his face, but before he could react, streaks of blinding light seared his vision. His irises burned, leaving him in darkness.
Then—impact.
Shuxeta's fist slammed into his jaw, dislocating it. Sern swung blindly, a desperate right hook. She ducked. He tried again—she answered with another burst of searing light. He reeled, disoriented, as the assault continued. Blow after blow, light after light, until he had no choice.
He tried to escape.
The moment he lifted off the ground, her grip latched onto his leg. With a single motion, she swung him like a ragdoll. His body tore through concrete walls, crashing outside in a heap of dust and rubble.
Shuxeta pursued without hesitation.
Sern, kneeling, inhaled sharply—then blew. A massive dust cloud swallowed the space between them. But it didn't slow her.
She grabbed him.
Then—an iron grip closed around her wrist.
Ugo.
His fist rocketed toward her face. She met it with her forehead. The impact sent tremors through the air. Undeterred, she hurled Sern at him. Ugo caught the broken man, but the sheer force sent him stumbling back.
Shuxeta didn't stop.
She ran through Ugo—and he came apart on impact.
Shuxeta grabbed Adam by the throat. Her grip tightened.
Before she could strike, he spoke.
Whatever he said made her pause.
Her fingers trembled—then released him.
From the gaping hole in the wall, Sern watched in disbelief. "What is she doing? Kill me."
Shuxeta ignored him. In an instant, she appeared before Adam and lightly tapped his shoulder.
The world around them blurred.
A heartbeat later, they stood on a different planet.
Shuxeta's hair faded back to its original color. Her body swayed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I… I couldn't do it."
Then she collapsed.
They were in the middle of a busy street, but no one stopped to help. Vehicles honked. Pedestrians hurried past, barely sparing them a glance.
Adam shouted for help. No one came.
He gritted his teeth, then lifted Shuxeta into his arms and carried her out of the road.
Minutes later, an ambulance arrived. Paramedics rushed out, loading Shuxeta onto a stretcher. One of them turned to Adam. "You need treatment too."
"No," he said. "Take care of her first."
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and metal. Bright, sterile lights buzzed overhead as Adam sat in the waiting area, hands clasped together, leg bouncing anxiously.
They had taken Shuxeta into a room immediately. He had refused treatment, but he could feel the sting of his injuries—scratches, bruises, the dull ache in his ribs. None of it mattered.
He replayed the moment over and over in his mind.
Shuxeta could've killed him.
She was supposed to.
But she didn't.
She had taken him here instead—far from the battle, far from Sern, far from whatever had driven her to such violence. Why?
Adam clenched his fists. "What did I even say to her?" he muttered. He barely remembered. The words had come out in desperation. But something in them had reached her.
Across the room, a nurse approached. "Are you sure you don't want treatment?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Adam said, barely glancing at her. "Is she okay?"
The nurse hesitated. "She's stable, but… the doctors don't know what's wrong with her. She's not waking up."
A pit formed in Adam's stomach.
"What do you mean?"
The nurse folded her arms. "Her body isn't responding the way a normal person's should. Her vitals are strange, and we're not sure what species she is. We don't know how to help her."
Adam stood up. "Can I see her?"
The nurse hesitated again but nodded. "Follow me."
She led him down a hallway, past rows of hospital rooms, until they reached one near the end. Inside, Shuxeta lay on a bed, covered in a thin white sheet. Wires and monitors surrounded her, beeping steadily.
She looked peaceful. Too peaceful.
Adam swallowed hard. "Why won't she wake up?"
The nurse looked at him carefully. "You brought her in, right? What happened before she collapsed?"
Adam exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "She… changed. She was different—stronger, faster. Then, after she brought me here, it all just… faded. Like something drained out of her."
The nurse frowned. "Whatever happened to her, her body's in some kind of stasis."
Adam pulled up a chair and sat beside Shuxeta's bed. He barely heard the nurse leave. His eyes stayed fixed on her, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.
She had saved him.
But what had it cost her?
And why had no one else cared?
The people on this planet had just walked past. The cars had honked. No one had stopped.
Adam was being treated when a group of military officers stormed in, sealing every entrance. He watched them march past, heading straight for Shuxeta's room.
Later, they came to him.
"Are you the one who brought her?" a man in a military uniform asked. Adam, still wincing from his injuries, nodded as the doctor wrapped his arm.
"I am Lieutenant Lutron of the Thunderbolt Brigade," the man said. "Shuxeta was my captain years ago. We thought she was dead. Can you tell us what happened?"
"We were held captive," Adam said. "I met her there, and we became friends. We escaped—but not without casualties."
"Was it the Zenonites?" the Lieutenant asked.
"Zenonites? No, the Bekanna. Specifically, Sern."
Lutron's expression changed. "Did you say Sern?"
Adam nodded. The Lieutenant turned, whispered something into the ear of one of his soldiers, then looked back at Adam with a measured smile.
"How about you come with us and tell us more?"
Two soldiers flanked Adam, while two more fell in behind as they stepped into the hallway.
Adam's pulse quickened. Something wasn't right.
He glanced around—doors sealed, guards positioned at every exit. He had no weapon, and his body ached from the treatment. But if he went with them, he might not get another chance.
The moment they turned a corner, he bolted.
The soldiers shouted as Adam sprinted down the corridor. His body protested with every step, but adrenaline pushed him forward.
"Stop him!" Lutron barked.
Footsteps thundered behind him. Adam ducked into a side passage, slipping between medical staff and patients. A soldier lunged, fingers grazing his arm, but he twisted away, knocking over a tray of instruments.
Alarms blared. Doors slammed shut.
Adam didn't stop. He found an open maintenance shaft and dove in, disappearing into the maze of tunnels beneath the hospital.
By the time the soldiers reached the access point, he was gone.
Lutron exhaled sharply, frustration flashing across his face. Then he turned to his men.
"Find something with his DNA on it."
Back inside the hospital room, they bagged a bloodstained bandage from Adam's treatment.
"This will do," one of them muttered.
Lutron nodded, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Let's move."