Chapter 12: Wounded
The night was drenched in smoke and sparks. Screams of twisted metal echoed across the silent trees. The second prototype had arrived faster than expected—sleeker, more intelligent, designed not to fight but to hunt.
Yumiko met it head-on in the shadow of the broken farmhouse, her hair lashing like blades, slicing through branches and air alike. The creature dodged with terrifying speed, its body adapting in real time to her strikes. It didn't speak. It didn't bleed. But it learned.
Suraj had tried to stay close, but Yumiko shoved him away with her hair. "This one's different," she had said, her voice trembling. "I can't protect you if you're near."
He had retreated, watching from the tree line, helpless and horrified.
The battle raged for minutes that felt like hours. The ground trembled with each impact. Sparks lit the sky as metal met alien flesh. For every strike Yumiko landed, the prototype adapted. Her attacks became less effective, her timing strained.
And then it got her.
A blade—thin as air and sharp as vengeance—pierced her shoulder. Her scream ripped through the woods, and Suraj almost ran to her. But she turned her face toward him and shook her head.
Blood, dark and iridescent, dripped down her arm.
"This ends now," she whispered.
She wrapped her hair around the creature's legs and flung it into a nearby cliffside, smashing the stone. Before it could recover, she dove in, her hair wrapping around its throat, chest, limbs—everything. With a scream that shook the air, she unleashed a burst of energy so violent, the earth beneath them cracked.
When the light faded, the prototype was no more.
Yumiko stood there, trembling, smoke curling off her body. Then, without a word, she staggered toward the forest.
Suraj ran to her, but she raised a hand. "No. I... I have to find cover. They're watching."
She didn't make it far. After a few minutes, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed near an old stone ruin hidden by vines.
She dragged herself into its shadow, heart pounding, pain screaming in every nerve. Her vision blurred. The wound was deeper than she'd realized. Her body—enhanced, evolved—was breaking.
As darkness consumed her, she whispered one name: "Suraj."
Then everything went still.
---
Far away, satellites recorded the destruction. The scorched earth. The energy pulse.
"She took out the second prototype," a technician reported. "Alone."
"Casualties?"
"None. But the prototype was obliterated. We have no telemetry after the energy spike."
General Desai stared at the screen, jaw clenched. "And the boy?"
"Still unaccounted for. Presumed nearby."
"Double the surveillance teams. Increase the tracker drones. And tell R&D I want a third prototype ready within 48 hours. This one... won't make mistakes."
The room fell silent for a moment. Then Desai added, "Bring in psychological warfare units. If she can feel, she can break."
---
Meanwhile, Suraj sprinted through the trees, his chest heaving, eyes wild. He didn't care if he bled. He didn't care if they caught him. He just wanted her.
He followed the trail of her blood, glistening on leaves, smeared across bark. Every step felt heavier. Every second felt like failure.
He found her body collapsed at the ruin. Pale. Cold. But breathing.
"Yumiko!" he cried, falling to his knees beside her. He gathered her in his arms, tears falling freely. "I got you. I got you. Please don't leave me."
Her eyelids fluttered. "Suraj..."
He kissed her forehead, holding her close. "I'm here. You're safe now. You're not alone."
He didn't know how to save her.
But he knew he would.
Whatever it took.
---
The forest was silent around them, yet charged with tension. Suraj leaned her gently against the ruin wall, tearing his shirt into strips to slow the bleeding. His hands trembled, but his mind was focused. Yumiko winced with every touch.
"Stay awake," he whispered. "Talk to me. Anything. Just keep talking."
She gave a weak smile. "Do you remember the garden we found? The one with the white flowers?"
He nodded. "You said they reminded you of stars."
"I wanted to show you the ones on my planet... they're blue, glowing... breathing."
Her voice faded. He shook her gently.
"Tell me more," he begged.
She blinked slowly. "They grow only once in a century. I was born under them... that's why my hair is dark like this. That's what the elders said. That I was a child of death and protection."
"You're not death," he whispered. "You're my life."
---
In the surveillance base, they zoomed in on thermal footage.
"We've found her," one operative said.
"The boy's with her," another confirmed.
"Should we engage?"
Desai stared at the screen. "No. Not yet. Let her bleed. Let her fear. Fear is a weapon we haven't tried."
But another official stepped forward. "Sir, what if this delay gives her time to recover?"
Desai narrowed his eyes. "Then we unleash the third. The one that feels nothing."
---
That night, Suraj stayed by her side, whispering stories of their memories, their future, his dreams. He built a small fire, warmed her hands, held her through her shivering.
He looked at the stars and whispered, "If there's anyone listening... gods, aliens, fate... save her. Not for me. For her."
Yumiko stirred. "Suraj... don't cry."
He hadn't realized he was.
"You matter more than anything," he said. "And if I could trade my life for yours... I would."
Her hand reached for his. "Don't say that. I need you to live. So I can heal."
And under the cold stars, with blood on her lips and pain in every breath, she smiled. Because in that moment, they had each other.
And that was enough.
For now.
Above them, clouds drifted apart, unveiling a full moon. A faint breeze whispered through the trees, and Yumiko stirred again.
"Suraj," she whispered faintly, her voice barely audible. "Promise me something."
"Anything."
"If they come for me... don't try to save me. Save yourself first."
He clenched her hand tighter. "I can't do that. I'm not leaving you. Ever."
She closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "Then... just stay beside me. Even if it hurts."
And so he did. As the night deepened and the shadows watched from afar, Suraj remained by her side. Unmoving. Unwavering. Bound not by strength, but by love that defied reason.