The last door slammed behind us—
and for the first time in hours, real light hit my eyes.
Faint, red, emergency light—but light.
We'd reached the upper maintenance levels.
The air was cold, sharp, and clearer than the mechanical depths.
The walls were lined with rusted lockers, emergency ladders, half-broken supply carts.
Alarms pulsed faintly in the distance—
WEE-OO…
WEE-OO…
BREACH DETECTED.
SUB-LEVEL FAILURE.
Chandler almost crumpled with Rowan in his arms.
"Oh my god—Rowan—breathe—"
He set Rowan gently against the wall, cupping his face with both hands.
Rowan's eyes rolled, panic sparking violently.
"It's—too loud—too bright—Chandler—Chandler—my chest—"
His breaths were sharp, erratic, spiraling into hyperventilation.
Chandler trembled, trying to hold him steady.
"Hey—look at me. LOOK at me—Rowan, sweetheart—please—"
Rowan clutched at Chandler's shirt, shaking uncontrollably.
"Chandler—I can't—I can't breathe—please—please—stop the noise—"
Chandler dragged him close, pressing Rowan's face into his shoulder.
"Block it out—just focus on my voice—my heartbeat—just me—"
Rowan cried, fingers fisting in Chandler's clothes.
Lucian checked the hallway quickly, scanning for any sign of movement.
"We have to keep going. The Prototype's right behind us—"
Horace coughed weakly in my arms.
My heart stopped.
"Horace—?"
His head rested against my shoulder, his skin too cold.
His breath was thin—like it was slipping away again.
His hand twitched faintly.
"El… lea…"
I pressed my forehead to his.
"I'm here. I'm not leaving you. I swear."
Lucian approached, glancing between us.
"Elleanore—how's his pulse?"
I placed trembling fingers against Horace's neck.
My breath caught.
Weak.
Faint.
Slower than before.
"He's fading again."
Lucian's jaw clenched hard.
"We're too far from the medbay. We need another stabilizer burst."
"No," I whispered.
"I can't—my body nearly broke last time—"
"But if you don't, he will," Lucian said quietly.
My throat tightened.
A trembling sound escaped me.
Chandler whispered to Rowan, voice cracking:
"Just breathe. Sweetheart—look at me. Keep your eyes on mine."
Rowan forced himself to look up—
eyes watery, wide, terrified.
"I—I'm scared…"
Chandler pulled him close, pressing gentle kisses into his hair.
"I am too," Chandler whispered.
"But I'm not leaving you. Ever."
Rowan sobbed into his chest.
Lucian grabbed my shoulder gently.
"Elleanore—look at me."
I looked.
Barely breathing.
Barely standing.
He said softly:
"You can do this.
Not because you're a Prime.
But because you care about him."
My vision blurred.
"He's everything," I whispered.
Lucian nodded.
"Then bring him back."
THE SECOND TRANSFER
Lucian pulled out the cracked regulator unit again.
"It's barely functioning," he said.
"One more use. That's it."
"Good," I said.
"That's all I need."
He clipped the unit to my wrist.
A faint spark stung my skin.
I braced myself.
Lucian touched Horace's cheek, checking for reaction.
"He's fading fast.
Elleanore—when you feel the pull—
don't fight it. Guide it."
Guide it.
Last time felt like my heart was being ripped out.
But for Horace—
I'd do it again.
Lucian nodded at me.
"Ready?"
I nodded.
He activated the unit.
Instantly—
my scent was pulled outward again.
Not violently this time—
sharper, more focused.
Still painful.
I gasped, doubling over slightly.
Lucian steadied me.
"Good—GOOD—keep going—"
Horace's breath stuttered.
Then—
a faint spark of warmth.
His heartbeat gained a fraction of strength.
Just a fraction.
But enough.
My vision pulsed with static.
Lucian tore the unit off my wrist before I collapsed.
I fell against Horace, panting.
He opened his eyes—
barely.
But he opened them.
"...El… lea…"
A sob escaped me.
"Horace—! Horace you're here—"
His fingers brushed my cheek weakly.
"I told you… I'm not leaving you…"
My chest shook with relief.
Lucian exhaled, shaken.
"That's it.
That's all he can take.
Now we RUN."
THE BREACH CONTINUES
A sudden metallic screech echoed down the hall.
Rowan jumped violently.
"It's here—!!"
Lucian grabbed my arm.
"Go, go, GO—!!"
Chandler lifted Rowan again.
Rowan hid his face in Chandler's neck, shaking so hard his teeth chattered.
"Chandler—please—please don't let go—"
"I won't," Chandler growled.
"I swear it. Hold onto me."
We moved fast—
limping
dragging
barely able to breathe.
The alarms screamed louder.
BREACH DETECTED.
LEVEL 3 UNDERGROUND HAS FAILED.
Lucian cursed sharply.
"It's breached the floors. It knows where we are."
"Then run faster," I said.
Horace's voice trembled against my collarbone.
"Elleanore… don't… look… back…"
"I won't."
I held him tighter.
Lucian led us around a sharp corner—
toward a rusted ladder and a half-open hatch leading upward.
"There!" Lucian shouted.
"Emergency shaft! It leads to the east wing!"
He climbed first.
Chandler waited until I reached the ladder, then climbed with Rowan clinging to him like a terrified kitten.
Rowan's breath shook.
"Chandler—it's getting closer—Chandler—!!"
"I'm here—I'm right behind you—keep climbing—"
We reached the top—
Lucian shoved open the hatch—
And the moment we entered the next hallway—
the entire floor below us collapsed.
A massive metal claw burst through the rubble.
Rowan screamed.
Chandler nearly dropped to his knees.
The Prototype's voice echoed upward—
"…Elleanore…"
Lucian grabbed the hatch and slammed it shut.
"RUN—RUN NOW—!!"
THE SURFACE LEVEL
The hallway ahead was bright compared to everything we'd seen so far.
Working lights.
Clean metal walls.
Glass emergency panels.
And…
voices.
Human voices.
Guards shouting.
Alarms blaring.
Footsteps echoing through the halls.
Rowan froze in terror.
Chandler cupped his face.
"It's okay. They're people. You're safe. I've got you."
Rowan nodded shakily, tears streaming.
"Chandler… don't… let go…"
"I won't. Never."
Horace stirred in my arms.
"Elleanore…"
"Yes—?"
"We're almost… out…"
My breath trembled.
"Yes. Just a little more."
Lucian pointed toward the end of the hall.
"Medbay is through that door. GO."
We rushed forward.
I could hear the Prototype tearing through the vents behind us—
metal screaming
walls cracking
pipes bursting—
It was getting closer.
Too close.
Rowan sobbed.
"Chandler—!!!"
"I know—I know—hold on—"
Lucian sprinted ahead and slammed his hand on the medbay scanner.
"OPEN—!!"
The doors slid wide.
White light flooded toward us.
Safe light.
Heavily guarded light.
Medical teams turned our direction in alarm.
"What happened—?! Who—"
Then they saw Horace.
"PRINCE HORACE—!! SOMEBODY GET A TRAUMA TEAM—!!"
Lucian shoved them aside.
"Elleanore—lay him on the bed—now—!!"
I rushed inside, heart cracking.
I laid Horace on the medical bed gently—
so gently.
His eyes fluttered.
"El… lea…"
My tears fell onto his cheek.
"I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
He barely breathed.
"Thank… you…"
Then his eyes closed.
His hand went slack again.
The machines screamed with warnings.
"PATIENT IN CRITICAL STAGE—!!"
And I screamed for him—
"HORACE—!!"
Hold On to Me
The medbay erupted into chaos the moment Horace's eyes slipped shut.
Machines screamed.
Nurses rushed in.
Guards shouted orders.
Lucian cursed loudly as he grabbed an oxygen mask.
Chandler pulled Rowan back against his chest, shielding his eyes from the flashing red lights.
But I didn't hear any of them.
Not clearly.
Because the moment Horace's hand fell from mine—
his heart stopped.
A long, hollow tone cut through the room.
BEEEEEEEEEEEP—
One single, devastating note.
Flatline.
My heart shattered in my chest.
"No—NO—HORACE—!!"
My scream tore through my throat like something ripping open.
I grabbed the edge of the bed with shaking hands.
His skin was getting colder.
Colder.
Lucian slammed a defibrillator onto his chest.
"CLEAR—!!"
THUMP—!!
His body jerked.
The line didn't.
Rowan gasped in horror and buried his face in Chandler's neck, trembling violently.
Chandler tightened his grip on him, breathing shakily into Rowan's hair.
"Elleanore—look at me—look at me—" Lucian shouted.
But I couldn't.
I couldn't look at anything except him.
Horace.
My stabilizer.
My bond.
My everything.
"Don't go—don't go—DON'T LEAVE ME—!!"
I sobbed, grabbing his limp hand.
My scent detonated around me—
exploding like a wildfire in a closed room.
Nurses stumbled back.
Guards flinched.
Rowan whimpered in pain from the overwhelm.
Chandler shielded him immediately.
"I know—I know—don't look—just breathe—just breathe for me—"
Rowan sobbed.
"Elleanore's going to die—she's going to die too—!"
Chandler whispered fiercely:
"No, baby—no—she's fighting—she's still fighting—"
Lucian grabbed my shoulders, shaking me.
"Elleanore—LISTEN—YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN OR YOU'LL SEND YOURSELF INTO STAGE FOUR—"
"I DON'T CARE—!!"
I screamed.
"I CAN'T LOSE HIM—I CAN'T—!!"
"Elleanore—if you spike, YOU WILL DIE TOO—YOU KNOW THIS—!!" Lucian shouted back.
I slammed my fists into the bed.
"THEN LET ME—IF HE'S NOT HERE—THEN LET ME—!!"
My voice broke.
Completely.
Lucian froze.
Chandler stared with wide eyes, Rowan trembling violently in his arms.
The room shook.
My scent crashed over everything—
thick, suffocating, desperate.
The machines flickered violently.
The bond inside me snapped.
Not broken—
unleashed.
Lucian's eyes widened with horror.
"Elleanore—NO—STOP—YOU'RE COLLAPSING—!!"
But it was too late.
My scent spiraled toward Stage Four—
wild
feral
instinct-driven.
Everything blurred.
I couldn't hear.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Only one thing echoed in my mind—
Horace.
Horace.
Horace.
HORACE—
And then—
through the noise—
through the panic—
a voice broke through.
Not Lucian's.
Not Chandler's.
Not the nurses'.
Horace's.
But not with sound.
With our bond.
One soft whisper in my chest—
"…don't let go…"
My breath stopped.
My instincts froze.
Everything snapped into sharp clarity.
Because he wasn't gone.
Not completely.
His heartbeat was faint—
fainter than a whisper—
but it was still there.
I reached out with trembling hands and framed his face.
"Come back to me. Hear me.
Please… come back."
Lucian grabbed the defibrillator again.
"CLEAR!"
THUMP—!!
The line flickered——
barely——
then dropped again.
Lucian cursed.
Nurses rushed injectors to the bed.
One nurse cried:
"HE'S CRASHING—!!"
Rowan sobbed louder, clutching Chandler's shirt so hard it twisted.
"I can't—I can't watch—Chandler—!!"
Chandler held him tighter, pressing a hand to Rowan's back.
"Don't look. Don't look. Listen to me. Just me."
Lucian leaned close to me, his voice trembling.
"Elleanore… if you want to save him—
you have to speak to him through the bond."
I stared at him.
Horrified.
"I don't know how—"
"You already did," Lucian whispered.
"Just now."
My breath shook.
I grabbed Horace's hand—
cold, limp, heavy—
and pressed it to my cheek.
"Horace…?
Please hear me."
The machines screamed again.
Lucian whispered urgently:
"He needs to feel you.
Feel your choice.
Feel what anchors you."
Chandler's voice broke in the corner as he held a shaking Rowan:
"She can do it… come on, Ellie… please…"
Rowan lifted his head weakly, tear-streaked.
"Elleanore… bring him back… please… don't die…"
I inhaled shakily.
I closed my eyes.
I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to Horace's.
And whispered—
gently
honestly
completely:
"I choose you.
I only choose you.
So don't you dare leave me."
For a moment—
silence.
Lucian whispered:
"Again. Say it again."
My tears fell onto Horace's unmoving face.
"I choose you.
I NEED you.
Come back.
Come back to me."
The bond flared—
like a spark in darkness.
Horace's fingers twitched.
My breath caught.
Lucian moved with lightning speed.
"NOW—CLEAR—!!"
THUMP—!!
The machine beeped—
once—
twice—
Then the line flickered.
Lucian froze.
Chandler held Rowan tighter.
I held my breath—
until it hurt—
until my vision blurred—
And then—
beep…
…beep…
...beep…
My knees gave out.
"He's—
he's back—"
Lucian sagged with relief.
Chandler let out a shaky laugh, hugging Rowan against his chest.
Rowan cried openly, half-sobbing:
"He's alive—Chandler—he's alive—!"
Chandler kissed the side of Rowan's head.
"Yeah… he is. You're safe now. He's safe."
I collapsed over Horace, sobbing into his chest.
His heartbeat was faint.
Weak.
Fragile.
But real.
Alive.
Horace whispered—barely audible:
"…knew… you'd pull me… back…"
I cried harder.
THE LOCKDOWN
But before relief could settle—
a deafening ALARM screamed through the medbay.
WARNING:
MAJOR BREACH ON LEVEL 3.
LOCKDOWN ACTIVATED.
Lucian's head snapped toward the hallway.
"Oh god—"
Guards rushed to the entrance, slamming the reinforced doors shut.
Nurses froze in terror.
Chandler stood, pulling Rowan behind him protectively.
"Elleanore—get away from the door—NOW—!!"
I stepped closer to Horace's bed instinctively.
"What's happening—?!"
Lucian swallowed hard.
"It's here."
Rowan whimpered.
"T-the Prototype—?"
Lucian nodded once.
"It's reached the surface."
Chandler cursed.
"Of course it did."
Rowan trembled violently, gripping Chandler's sleeve.
"It's coming for her…"
Lucian backed away slowly.
"No.
Not just her."
He looked at the doors—
at the reinforced glass trembling in its frame—
and whispered:
"It's coming for ALL of you."
The hallway lights flickered.
A metal screech tore through the door.
Then a voice—
distorted
broken
inhuman—
"…Elleanore…"
Rowan screamed.
Horace's pulse spiked.
My heart froze.
Lucian whispered, horrified:
"It followed the bond."