We stumbled deeper into the woods, branches clawing at our clothes, the night air slicing cold against our burning skin.
Xavier's grip on my wrist faltered — once, twice — until finally, with a guttural sound torn from his throat, he collapsed onto one knee.
"Xavier!" I cried, dropping beside him. His face was ghost-pale, his lips trembling. Blood was still pouring from his arm, soaking his sleeve dark red.
I pressed my hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but my fingers were shaking too hard.
"We have to keep going—!" I whispered urgently.
He gave a ragged laugh, full of pain.
"You have to... not me."
"Don't say that," I choked, tears falling freely now. "Don't you dare say that, Xavier."
His body swayed, but his eyes locked onto mine, fierce even through the haze of agony.
"I promised him," he whispered. "I won't break it. Not now... not ever."
Somewhere far behind us, the crackle of burning debris still echoed. Shouts rang out — Varak soldiers, still hunting.
There wasn't time to waste.
I tore a strip from my shirt and tied it tightly around his upper arm, creating a makeshift tourniquet. He hissed through his teeth, but didn't complain.
Instead, he clamped his good hand on my shoulder.
"You have to lead now, Callista..." His voice cracked. "You have to survive."
"I won't leave you!" I snapped.
His bloody fingers gripped me harder, desperate. "I'm not asking you to leave. I'm asking you to fight."
For a second, we just stared at each other, breathing hard, surrounded by darkness and death and the smell of smoke.
The night felt endless, merciless. But I refused to let it claim him.
I helped him up, slinging his good arm over my shoulders, bearing as much of his weight as I could. He staggered, groaning under his breath, but stayed upright.
Step by step, we limped through the trees, each movement a battle against the pain, the fear, the exhaustion dragging us down.
The stars blurred overhead.
The forest closed in around us.
And behind us —
the life we had known was gone.
Phelia was gone.
Simon was gone.
LUMENN was in ruins.
But we were still breathing.
We were still moving.
We were survivors.
We just had to stay alive long enough to prove it.
The night pressed in around us, thick and suffocating. Every step we took was heavier than the last, the weight of the forest closing in, the urgency of the moment choking the air out of my lungs. I could feel Xavier's blood slowly seeping through the makeshift bandage I had tied around his arm, and his breathing was labored, ragged. His face was flushed, pale from blood loss and the strain of every painful step.
We couldn't keep running much longer.
After what felt like an eternity of stumbling through the woods, we came across a small clearing, the trees thinning out. A creek ran through it, its quiet rush of water almost comforting. But there was no time to stop and rest.
"Xavier," I panted, turning to him. "You need to sit down. We need to stop for a second."
He nodded weakly, collapsing onto the grass beside the creek. His eyes flickered with exhaustion, but there was something else there too — something like determination. I knew he wouldn't let himself give up, even if his body screamed for him to stop.
I took a deep breath and looked around, scanning the area for anything that could help. The night was cold, but the clearing was surprisingly calm. No soldiers in sight — not yet, at least.
I rushed to the creek, scooping up some of the cool water in my hands to wash the blood off Xavier's arm. He winced as I gently wiped away the blood, but he didn't make a sound.
Then I began searching the area. I knew there had to be something around here that could help.
I spotted a cluster of plants growing near the creek's edge. There were wild herbs, some I recognized from my mother's teachings — a mixture of medicinal plants and herbs I'd learned to use in times like this.
"Stay still," I ordered, my hands shaking as I knelt beside him. My voice was steady, but inside, my heart was racing.
I quickly gathered a handful of leaves and stems, using what I could identify. A few stalks of yarrow — known for its ability to staunch bleeding. Some plantain leaves for their anti-inflammatory properties. A few crushed mint leaves to help calm him and reduce any swelling.
"Xavier," I said, my voice soft but urgent. "I need you to focus, alright? You're going to be fine, but I need you to help me here."
He nodded again, his eyes clouded with pain but still filled with that same fierce determination.
I ground the herbs in my palms, mixing them into a paste, then pressed the concoction onto the gunshot wound. Xavier hissed, his hand tightening on his knee, but he didn't pull away. He trusted me — and I couldn't let him down.
I pressed more leaves around the wound to help keep it clean and reduce any chance of infection, wrapping the herbs as tightly as I could with strips of cloth torn from my own shirt. Then I bound his arm carefully, making sure it was as secure as possible without cutting off circulation.
"You're strong, Xavier. You're going to get through this," I whispered, more to myself than to him.
Xavier's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and for a split second, I feared he might pass out right here in front of me. But when his eyes opened again, there was that same fire in them.
"I've been through worse," he said quietly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm not going anywhere."
I gave him a tight smile, trying to reassure myself as much as him.
We didn't have much time. We couldn't afford to stay here, no matter how much we both needed rest. But Xavier was still alive. We were still breathing.
"Let's go," I urged, helping him stand. His steps were slower, but he was holding himself together. He wasn't going to break, not yet.
The night was still cold, but there was warmth in the way we looked out for each other. Even as the world we had known fell apart, we were still here. Still surviving.
The sound of distant shouts reached us through the trees, closer now. We had to keep moving, keep fighting. But I knew one thing — we weren't alone. Not yet.
"Stay close," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We'll make it. Together."
And we moved on, the weight of the world on our shoulders, but the fire of survival still burning brightly in our hearts.
End of chapter 30.