Chapter 6 – Six Hours Later
The six hours weren't peaceful.
The rift never dimmed. Every half hour another wave of wounded was carried into the medical area, and every half hour the healers moved faster, their faces tighter, their hands shaking from exhaustion. The smell of blood and antiseptic had become the air we breathed.
I woke when a healer shook my shoulder. Ilin was already awake, sitting up on her cot, her eyes clearer than they'd been, though the dark circles underneath them were deeper.
"You slept," she said, smiling faintly.
"Only a little," I said. I sat up, rolling my shoulders. The ache in my shoulder was duller now; the cut on my forearm was closed, just a pink line where Ilin's healing had knitted the skin back together.
The healer checked Ilin's arm, pressed her fingers along the wound, and nodded. "You're good to use light healing. Nothing heavy. If you push yourself again you'll pass out, and then you'll be no use to anyone."
Ilin exhaled. "Thank you."
The healer looked at me. "Squad 9, report to the north checkpoint in ten minutes."
"Yes, sir," I said.
Ilin swung her legs off the cot. I stood and offered her my hand. She took it, stood, and swayed for a second before catching herself.
"You good?" I asked, keeping my hand on her elbow.
"I'm good," she said, and squeezed my hand before letting go.
We found Garrick, Mara, and Finn near the supply table. Garrick's side was bandaged tight, the white cloth stained pink. Mara had a fresh bruise on her cheek and a split lip. Finn looked less shaky than before, his rifle cleaned and reloaded, but his eyes were tired.
"Ready?" Garrick asked, his voice rough.
"As ready as we're going to be," I said.
We walked to the north checkpoint. The commander there, a woman with a scar across her jaw and ash in her hair, looked us over with quick, professional eyes.
"Squad 9. The north sector is losing ground. Creatures are coming through the old rail yard. You'll hold the yard until the last train clears with civilians."
"How many creatures?" I asked.
"Too many to count," she said. "You'll have support from two soldiers with rifles. That's it. Hold the line."
We nodded.
The rail yard was a graveyard of train cars, twisted metal, and spilled cargo. The air smelled of oil, burning wood, and something sour I couldn't name. The violet light from the rift made everything look sick, as if the whole place were bruised.
Our two support soldiers, a man and a woman, were already in position behind a freight car, rifles raised, eyes scanning the darkness.
Mara took the left side, pipe resting on her shoulder. Garrick took the right, axe gripped in his good hand. Finn climbed onto a low car for a better angle. Ilin stayed near me, staff in hand, crystal dim.
They came from the far end of the yard, moving in a pack of seven, low to the ground, fast.
The soldiers opened fire. Two creatures dropped, yelping as bullets hit.
I ran forward, blade ready. A creature lunged. I ducked under its claw, sliced across its throat, and kept moving without looking back.
Mara smashed her pipe into another's head with a crack. Garrick's axe cleaved a third creature from shoulder to rib.
Ilin stayed back, as she'd promised, but when a creature broke past me toward her, she swung her staff and cracked it across the side of the head. It stumbled, dazed, and I finished it with a thrust to the eye.
We were working as a unit now. No wasted movement, no shouting — just covering each other, knowing where the others would be.
Halfway through the fight, a creature knocked Finn off the car. He hit the ground hard, rifle skidding away across the gravel.
I was too far to reach him.
Ilin was closer.
"Finn!" she shouted, and ran toward him.
The creature turned on her.
Ilin raised her staff, but I could see her arm trembling. She wasn't supposed to use heavy energy.
"Don't—" I started, my voice sharp.
She slammed the staff into the creature's face. The crystal flared bright white, and the creature was thrown back into a pile of cargo with a crunch.
Ilin dropped to her knees, breathing hard, her face pale as paper.
"I told you not to," I said, running to her, kneeling beside her.
"I couldn't let him die," she said, her voice shaky.
I helped her to her feet, keeping my arm around her waist. "You'll burn out."
"I know," she said.
Finn grabbed his rifle, his hands trembling. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Ilin said, but her voice was thin.
She wasn't. I could see it in the way her shoulders sagged, in the sweat on her upper lip.
We finished the last two creatures. The yard was silent except for our breathing, heavy and ragged.
The soldier woman came over, wiping blood from her rifle. "Train is clear. You can fall back."
We started back toward the checkpoint.
Ilin was walking slower, leaning slightly on her staff, each step careful.
"You need to rest," I said quietly.
"I will," she said. "After we get back."
"You said that last time," I said.
"I know," she said.
When we reached the medical area, the healer took one look at Ilin and said, "Cot. Now."
Ilin nodded and went to a cot. I sat on the edge of it.
"You overdid it," I said.
"I had to," she said.
"You matter more than one soldier," I said.
"You matter more than my exhaustion," she said, echoing what I'd told her earlier.
I sighed. "You're stubborn."
"You love it," she said, and smiled, a small tired smile.
I took her hand.
The healer came back, checked Ilin's pulse, pressed two fingers to her wrist, and shook her head. "You're at your limit. No more healing until you've rested. At least six hours."
Ilin nodded. "I understand."
The healer left.
Ilin leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," I said. "I'm just glad you're okay."
She was quiet for a moment. "When this is over, I want to learn how to use a blade. So I don't have to rely only on the staff."
I smiled. "I'll teach you."
"I'd like that," she said.
We sat in silence, listening to the distant fighting. Somewhere beyond the tent, guns fired in short bursts, followed by the guttural cries of the creatures.
After a while, Ilin said, "I'm scared that one day I won't have enough energy left."
I turned to her, meeting her eyes. "Then I'll be the one protecting you."
She looked at me. "And I'll be the one keeping you alive."
"That's the deal," I said.
She smiled, tired but genuine.
I leaned in and kissed her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin.
"You rest," I said. "I'll be right here."
"I know," she said.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep, her hand still in mine.
I stayed, watching her, listening to the rumble of the fight beyond the tent.
Garrick was asleep on his cot, breathing slow. Mara was cleaning her pipe with a rag. Finn was sitting on the floor, eating a ration bar, his eyes on the tent entrance.
I thought about what Ilin had said — about being scared of not having enough energy left. I understood that fear. I was scared too. Scared that I wouldn't be fast enough, that my blade would miss, that one of them would die and it would be my fault.
The rift was still there, the city was still burning, and we still had more fighting ahead.
But for now, Ilin was safe, breathing evenly, her hand in mine.
And that was enough.
A while later Ilin stirred, her fingers tightening around mine.
"You're still here," she murmured, eyes still closed.
"Yeah," I said.
She opened her eyes and looked at me. "You didn't leave."
"I told you I wouldn't," I said.
She smiled. "You keep your promises."
"I try to," I said.
She shifted, moving closer so her head rested on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her, careful not to press on her injured arm.
"You should sleep more," she said.
"I will," I said. "After you're asleep."
She laughed softly. "You're impossible."
"You love it," I said.
"I do," she said.
We stayed like that, the noise of the camp fading into the background, the two of us existing in a small quiet pocket while the world burned around us.
Ilin's breathing slowed again. I could feel the rise and fall of her chest against me.
"I'm glad it's you," she whispered.
"Me too," I said.
She lifted her head just enough to kiss me, a gentle, careful kiss. I kissed her back, my hand coming up to cradle the back of her head.
When we pulled apart, our foreheads rested together.
"I'm scared," she admitted quietly.
"Me too," I said.
"But I'm glad it's you," she said.
"Me too," I said again.
We stayed like that, foreheads touching, breathing the same air.
A noise outside the tent made us both look up. The sounds of fighting were getting louder, closer.
The soldier who'd assigned us earlier appeared at the entrance.
"Squad 9," he said. "We're moving out in five minutes."
Ilin sat up, her expression changing from soft to determined.
"I can go," she said.
"No," I said. "You need rest."
"I can use the staff, even if I can't heal," she said. "I can fight."
I looked at her — her tired face, the way she was swaying slightly.
"You'll collapse," I said.
"I'll be careful," she said.
I sighed. "Fine. But if you feel dizzy, you tell me immediately."
"I promise," she said.
I helped her to her feet. She was unsteady, but she was standing.
We stepped out of the tent.
The night air was cool and smelled of smoke. The violet light from the rift painted everything in an eerie glow. Fires burned in the distance, and the sounds of combat echoed through the streets.
Our squad was gathering near the checkpoint — Garrick, his arm bandaged; Mara, wiping blood off her pipe; Finn, looking pale but alert.
The soldier nodded when he saw us.
"Squad 9, you're going to Sector 7, south side. The creatures are pushing hard there. Hold the line until the evacuation is complete."
"Yes, sir," I said.
We moved out.
The streets of Sector 7 were chaos. Buildings were burning, debris blocked the road, and creatures were everywhere.
We fought.
Garrick swung his axe, cleaving through a creature's arm. Mara smashed her pipe into a creature's head. Finn fired his rifle, his shots more steady now.
Ilin stayed back, using her staff as a weapon, striking creatures when they got too close. She didn't use her healing — I could see her conserving her energy.
I fought at the front, my blade moving fast, cutting, slashing, killing.
At one point a creature got past me and lunged at Ilin. She swung her staff, hitting it in the side, but the blow wasn't enough to stop it.
I spun and drove my blade into the creature's eye. It collapsed at Ilin's feet.
She looked at me, her eyes wide. "Thank you."
"Stay behind me," I said.
I positioned myself between her and the next wave of creatures.
We fought our way down the street, inch by inch, pushing the creatures back.
I was tiring, my muscles aching, my shoulder throbbing even after Ilin's healing.
Ilin was also tiring. I could see it in her movements, the way she was slowing down.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
"I'm okay," she said, but her voice was strained.
A creature lunged at her. She tried to swing her staff, but she was too slow. The creature's claw raked her arm.
Ilin cried out.
I killed the creature instantly, then turned to her. Blood was running down her arm.
"Let me see," I said.
"It's not deep," she said.
"Let me see," I repeated.
She showed me her arm. The claw had cut a shallow gash.
I pulled a strip of cloth from my pocket and wrapped it around her arm, tying it tight.
"You need to rest," I said.
"I can keep going," she said.
"No," I said. "You're done."
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded.
"Go back to the tent," I said.
"I'm not leaving you," she said.
"You are," I said. "You'll be more help alive than if you collapse out here."
She hesitated, then nodded.
"Be careful," she said.
"Always," I said.
She turned and began making her way back toward the medical tent.
I turned back to the fight.
Garrick, Mara, Finn, and I held the line.
We fought for what felt like hours.
Finally, the soldier came running up to us.
"The evacuation is complete," he said. "Squad 9, fall back to the bridge."
We retreated, fighting off the creatures as we went.
When we reached the bridge, we crossed it and entered the staging area on the other side.
I looked around for Ilin and saw her sitting on a cot in the medical tent.
I went to her.
"You made it," she said, smiling.
"Yeah," I said. "You okay?"
"My arm hurts, but I'll be fine," she said.
I sat on the cot next to her.
"We did it," I said.
"We did," she said.
She leaned her head on my shoulder.
I put my arm around her.
We sat there, tired and bloody, but alive.
The night was far from over, but for this moment, we were together, and that was enough.