Chapter 9: The Beginning of a Partnership
A short while after Harun left, one of his group members came to escort Kaelen. He walked him through the shelter's corridors, which were now quieter, though still filled with tense survivors who looked at Kaelen with a mix of awe and suspicion. Kaelen felt the weight of their gazes, aware that every step he took was being judged. The situation wasn't easy, but it was part of the plan he had formulated in his mind.
Kaelen was led into another small room. Unlike the previous one, it was cleaner and more organized. There were metal beds lined along the wall, and some basic medical equipment. Emily was lying on one of the beds, pale-faced but looking calm. Layla, the nurse, sat beside her, examining Emily's arm, which was wrapped in a white bandage.
When she saw them, Emily's body trembled for a moment. Her eyes were open, and she seemed to be trying to remember what had happened. She looked at Kaelen, then at her arm, and then back at him with eyes full of fear.
"You're okay; that's what matters," Kaelen said in a calm voice, trying to reassure her.
"What... what happened?" Emily asked in a weak voice, as if she were afraid of the answer.
"You were saved," Kaelen replied, then looked at Layla. "Can we talk alone for a moment?"
Layla looked at Kaelen with a suspicious gaze but remembered that Harun had asked her to leave once he arrived. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Kaelen approached Emily's bed and sat on the chair beside it. His hands were still trembling, but he controlled himself.
"Listen to me carefully, Emily," Kaelen said in a serious tone. "What happened in the corridor was dangerous, but it was also... an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Emily asked, her expression changing to surprise. "What do you mean?"
"The monster that attacked you was from the Third Wave," Kaelen answered. "It had a power greater than anything we'd seen before. But it didn't kill you. Something else happened."
Kaelen explained to her how the System he saw had detected her ability, and how her scream, "I want to live," was not just a scream, but a command for a dormant power to emerge. He didn't tell her anything about the details of his own System, but he explained that her body now possessed the ability to regenerate and heal, and that this power would be essential for her survival in this world.
"You're not just an ordinary survivor anymore, Emily. You possess something unique. This makes you a target, but it also makes you strong."
Emily looked at him in shock, then looked at her arm covered in the bandage. She could still feel a slight ache, but she knew that something had irreversibly changed within her. She felt a strange mix of terror and awe, as if she were waking from a nightmare that was still ongoing.
"I... I don't understand. Am I... like you?" she asked with fear, but this time there was a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"No, you're not like me," Kaelen replied. "But we are now linked. This isn't because of fate, but because of logic. I can help you understand and control your abilities, and you... you can help us both survive. We can be a partnership, if you wish."
Kaelen finished speaking and left the choice to her. This was all he could offer for now. He didn't want to force her; he wanted to build trust between them.
After he finished speaking, Kaelen looked at her pale face, and in that moment, he felt a strange jolt. It was as if he had seen that face before. He remembered the crowded university cafe, where he used to watch the crowds from a distant corner, analyzing people's movements. He used to see Emily there often, laughing with her friends, making her a part of the backdrop of his old world, a part of the daily routine he observed. Was it her? He wasn't sure, but the feeling of relief he felt was real. In this world where everything had collapsed, he found a familiar face that represented a link to the past, and at the same time, a key to his future.