"What are you going to do now?" Olivia asked.
"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill General Constantino."
"Kai..."
"But I promised to take you home, so that's what I'm going to do first."
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Starlit night. The earth glowed purple as far as the eyes could see. They wouldn't be taking the Rifts route this time.
He walked alone in the ghostly haze, far ahead of her.
Olivia ran, trying to catch up with him.
"Kai."
She grabbed his hand, but his fingers didn't twitch.
Kai didn't even seem to notice her either, walking alone in the purple haze of the wastelands.
After a while, in silence, they set up camp with some supplies left behind by Constantino's army.
Olivia hugged her legs as the fire cracked, hot orange tongues rising before her.
Could she turn him away from revenge? That'd be end of him.
She glanced at him over the campfire.
Kai stared at the flames with unblinking, sleepy eyes.
No.What do I know? A couple days ago I wasn't different from any of Constantino's soldiers.
She hugged herself tighter for comfort, remembering their conversation in the Rift.
"I don't have all answers myself, Olivia. Who do you think started this?"
"You did. With your warrior obsession, your hunger to conquer. We're just trying to live our lives..."
Olivia looked at him and saw the perfect body for war, and the most unfit soul for it, all merged in one.
You didn't start anything, Kai. With your gentle ways, your tender heart.
She laid back and turned on her side, preparing herself to sleep.
"Good night..." she said, unanswered, as her eyelids hugged the sight of him.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
The next day they had to cross a swamp to avoid Viker territory. Twisted trees. Steam fog hovering above the water surface. There was an old canoe with paddles at the shore, surrounded by fireflies.
"Let me help you," Kai said, taking her waist.
That was unnecessary, but Olivia smiled; it was good to hear his voice again.
"Thank you."
He lifted her to the canoe, and entered afterwards, kneeling in front of her.
They paddled, the muscles on his back drawing on his skin as he pulled water.
"Kai."
"Yes?"
"Are you... alright?"
He glanced over his shoulder at her.
She stopped paddling when he turned, making the canoe sway slightly. There was something wrong with him.
Without warning, Kai closed the distance between them and pulled her by the shirt to him.
Olivia's head flew back on its own when he kissed her neck. She squeezed his bare shoulders like her life depended on it.
"Kai, wait..." She murmured between gasps, then bit her lip, forcing herself to continue. "Wait... you're not yourself."
Her voice didn't seem to reach him, and she was beyond speaking point now. Olivia stomped her feet, pushed and pulled him, her mind fighting her body, her body fighting her mind, between sighs and wild kisses. She gave up despite her better judgment. He was too much.
Olivia was dizzy when Kai stopped without warning again. He pulled back slowly, looking her in the eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Olivia shook her head without a word, her heart pounding like a war drum.
Kai returned to his side of the canoe and reclaimed his paddle.
She fixed her clothes, wishing she hadn't stopped him, while thankful that she had strength to do so.
They continued as if nothing had happened, on the surface, at least. But his paddling became increasingly heavy.
The vegetation had grown thicker now, as tangled roots emerged from the water to breathe, branches and vines, slowing them down considerably.
Kai shifted in front of her, growing annoyed like she hadn't seen him before. He grabbed his paddle, bringing them to a complete stop, then poked at the root that clung to the side of the canoe.
"Kai, let's just keep going..."
He clicked his tongue, fighting harder against the root.
"This cursed swamp..." he said, ignoring her.
"Kai..."
Olivia latched to the swaying canoe for safety as he sprung to his feet.
He swung the paddle wildly at the vines, the misty air, smashed it against the water.
The paddle snapped in half.
Kai stopped, staring down at it.
"Come here," she said, tears mounting under her eyes. "Let me hold you."
He ignored her, hurling the broken paddle into the fog, then shouted at the top of his lungs, as the swamp echoed back his voice.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Dark clouds swelled in the sky. They found a cave to avoid the incoming rain and spend the night. Olivia did her best to make the interior of that damp cave habitable for them.
She dropped the hard ration they found into some boiling water. It smelled like used socks, like the HQ's coffee.
Home came to mind, her friends, and those under her care as well.
She might never look at Paris the same way after everything that happened, and when it came to Marcus it was even more complicated...
"Our enemies are cunning mimics, that's for sure. They imitate human behavior to trick us."
Her words. Old ones, but still hers. Now it was hard to pinpoint who was the mimic and who was the human.
Could true humanity even be found in this world?
She glanced at Kai, pouring the stew on a dented bowl.
Perhaps not in heaps, but some here and there, buried under a hardened shell, hard enough to survive the world.
He prepared makeshift Viker traps and alarms at entrance in silence, true to his word despite everything.
Olivia was thankful for every second he was with her, as that meant he wouldn't be seeking revenge for a little while.
Kai finished setting up the defenses and came back.
Food was ready.
They ate by the fire as rain poured outside. No words spoken, just glances.
"Thank you," he said, wiping his mouth. "Good night."
Kai lowered the bowl and stood up, turning towards his sleep spot.
Olivia took his arm.
"I'm sorry, Olivia. I didn't mean to—"
"No." She shook her head. "Come here."
She reached for his head, pulling it gently to her chest.
Kai gasped as if he'd been holding his breath for a long time, then broke into tears as if he'd never cried before, soaking her clothes.
Olivia hugged him tighter as he did the same.
Inside a damp cave that smelled like old ration and moss, in the middle of the land of beasts, true humanity could be found.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
It seemed Kai had already extinguished the fire when she woke up. Their camp was mostly packed up as well.
She rose to a sitting with a wide stretch of her arms, then saw him standing at the sunlit entrance.
He was busy disassembling the traps and alarms when his hands stopped.
Kai turned to face her, his eyes and voice soft once again.
"Good morning, Olivia."
Olivia smiled.
"Good morning, Kai."
She stood up and went to help him, as there was still a long way to go.