Finn Lennoy - October 2120
I keep my hands steady, shoulders aligned over my wrists as I drive each compression into Kai's chest with controlled force. The rhythm is automatic now, something drilled so deeply into me that even with everything slipping around us, my body doesn't falter.
The heart monitor beside me is a flat, merciless line, stretching on without interruption. No rhythm, no resistance, nothing to fight against. Just silence where there should be something.
I can't let Kai die here...
There is no outcome where I let this end like this, not after everything it took to get him back, not when Noah has finally found him.
"Come on, Kai" I say, my voice low but firm, forcing each word out as I press down again. "You're stronger than this. Don't stop now."
The strain is starting to build in my arms, a slow burn working its way through muscle and bone, but I push through it without hesitation.
Somewhere beside me, Ethan's voice breaks apart.
"Noah, it's not working!"
For a brief second, I glance up, catching the sight of him unraveling, tears falling freely, his hands shaking like he doesn't know what to do with himself. Then my gaze shifts to Noah, and the breath in my chest feels heavier.
He looks destroyed.
Not just exhausted or injured, though he's both, but hollow in a way that feels wrong. Bruises mark his skin, blood stains his clothes, and yet his mind is still moving, still trying, still searching for something he might have missed.
"I…" Noah's voice falters, quieter than I've ever heard it. "It should have worked."
He takes a step back, unsteady, like the ground has shifted beneath him.
Instinct pulls me toward him, sharp and immediate, but I force it down and keep going. I can't stop now.
So I press harder, faster, forcing more strength into each movement.
"Stay with us" I mutter under my breath, my focus narrowing completely. "Don't make him lose you again."
My arms begin to shake despite myself, the effort catching up as the seconds stretch too long.
Then a sharp beep cuts through the room and everything stills.
Another follows, then another, each one louder than the last, filling the space with something that had been missing.
A rhythm.
I stop, my hands hovering for a moment as I look up at the monitor, watching the line flicker back to life.
He's back.
Before anyone can say anything, Ethan moves, collapsing over Kai and wrapping himself around him as if letting go might undo it all.
"Kai," he sobs, his voice breaking completely. "Thank God… thank God…"
I lean back against the wall, dragging in a breath that feels rough in my chest, my arms heavy and unsteady from the strain. For a moment, I just watch them, letting it settle in.
It worked.
Noah was right... He's always right.
"You did it" Thomas says, clapping a hand against Noah's back. "You actually did it."
Edmund follows, pulling him into a brief, firm hug. "You're brilliant" he says, the relief clear in his voice.
But Noah doesn't respond. His eyes stay fixed on Kai, unblinking, like he doesn't trust the moment enough to look away. He doesn't pull away from them either, just stands there, caught somewhere distant.
Thomas and Edmund move back to Kai, gently pulling Ethan away despite his initial resistance. They get to work quickly, placing an oxygen mask over Kai's face and cutting through his clothes to reach the injuries beneath, their movements efficient and focused.
Ethan stumbles back, then turns immediately to Noah, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Thank you," he says, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."
Noah hesitates before slowly lifting an arm, returning the hug in a way that feels uncertain, like he's not fully present.
When Ethan pulls back, he grips Noah's shoulders. "You did amazing."
Noah's gaze shifts between Kai and Ethan before he gives a small, distant nod, as though the weight of everything hasn't quite reached him yet.
After a moment, Ethan lets go and moves over to Katie, lowering his voice as he starts speaking to her.
That's when I move.
Kai is stable now and being taken care of. The urgency that had anchored me there shifts, pulling my focus elsewhere.
I push myself off the wall, ignoring the lingering ache in my arms, and walk toward Noah with steady, deliberate steps.
Now that Kai is breathing again, my attention isn't on the one who almost died.
It's on the one who looks like he might still fall apart.
I close the distance and let my hand brush across his face, gentle and grounding. My thumb moves lightly over his cheek, careful around the bruises, and I feel the faint tremor beneath my fingers.
When his eyes meet mine, tired and heavy, I pull him into me without hesitation, one arm wrapped around the back of his head while my face rests against his hair. It's damp and smells faintly of blood, but I don't care. None of that matters right now.
He is here, he is alive, and he did it. Pride coils in my chest, sharp and heavy, layered with the ache of knowing what it cost him. Slowly, he wraps both arms around me and buries his face in my chest. His body shivers slightly, each quiet movement a release, and I feel the silent tears leaking through. I do not let go.
"I knew you could do it" I murmur, keeping my voice low and calm, letting him hear the certainty I feel.
"But-" his voice cracks, weak against the word, and I cut him off gently.
"No buts, Noah. You did it. You saved Kai" I say, firm and steady. The grip he has on me tightens in response, and a small smile pulls at my lips despite the ache in my chest. I ease back just enough to reach up and brush the tears from his face, careful that no one else sees him like this.
"You did great. As always." I tell him, letting the words sink in. His head dips at that, but his hand shifts to the bottom of my shirt, resting there softly. The touch sends a shiver up my spine, but I hold myself still, focusing on him.
"Are you okay?" he asks quietly, voice rough around the edges. "My father had you shot. I thought… I thought you might be dead."
I take his hand in mine, lifting it gently. "You're worried about me right now?" I ask, letting a small scoff escape.
"I always worry about you, Finn," he says quietly, and the words strike through me. My chest tightens, and my cheeks warm in a way I try to hide.
"I'm fine," I answer evenly, keeping my voice steady. "I made it to Trinity and Sophie patched me up." His gaze flickers toward where Sophie lies on a makeshift bed of coats, unconscious from using too much power.
"I'll have to thank her properly later" he murmurs, voice soft.
"You can," I reply, tilting his chin up slightly. "But right now, let's focus on you."
He seems confused at first, then his eyes drop to his hand, lingering on the missing finger. My jaw tightens. I gently lift his wrist, careful not to hurt him.
"I'm going to kill that bastard" I say quietly, voice low but cold. How dare anyone lay a finger on him, never mind beat him and cut off part of him.
"It's fine," he says, adjusting the fingers he still has. "It's just a finger."
I blink at him, incredulous, ready to argue, but then I notice him sway slightly. His focus is slipping, exhaustion beginning to take over. "I'm just happy you and Kai are safe" he adds.
Before I can respond, his body gives way, collapsing forward into me. I catch him instinctively, holding him close and steady, murmuring his name as I adjust him in my arms. His breathing is deep and steady, and panic rises in me, but I push it down when I see he is simply exhausted.
"What happened?" Ethan calls, rushing to us with worry still etched in his expression.
"He's just passed out from exhaustion" I reply, lifting Noah fully into my arms, his head resting on my shoulder. Every muscle in him slack, finally allowing the rest he has been denied for hours.
Edmund joins us a moment later, voice soft and heavy with relief. "You've all done brilliantly tonight. I'm truly grateful."
I take a slow glance around the room, taking in the aftermath.
Thomas and Edmund both look drained, the kind of fatigue that comes from staying awake all night, waiting, watching, worrying.
Katie sits curled in the corner, rocking slightly, distant and small.
Sophie remains unconscious, her body spent keeping the rest of us alive.
Ethan is slumped, eyes red, blood matted through his hair, one arm bandaged roughly but still bleeding slightly.
Kai lies on the floor, stable for now but battered, chest rising and falling under the oxygen mask, every wound a reminder of how close we came to losing him.
And Noah. Noah rests entirely in my arms, unconscious, bruised and swollen, streaked with drying blood. His hair is damp and darkened, his missing finger still faintly bleeding. I tighten my hold slightly, careful but firm, letting my body be the anchor he no longer has the strength to be.
We made it out. We escaped the facility. We escaped GeneX. But the cost is written across every face in this room.
None of us walked away untouched and none of us will forget.