Chapter 10 – River District
The river district smelled like wet stone, diesel, and something rotten that I couldn't name. The river itself was low, its water dark and slow, reflecting the violet pulse of the rift overhead. The bridge we were supposed to defend was half-blocked by a toppled truck, and the road on the far side was choked with abandoned cars.
Squad 9 took position on the near side of the bridge. Garrick leaned against the truck, breathing a little harder than usual, his bandage dark with fresh blood. Mara stood beside him, rolling her shoulder, the pipe in her hand slightly bent from the breacher. Finn crouched behind a car, checking his rifle magazine, his fingers steadier now but his eyes tired. Ilin stayed close to me, staff in hand, crystal dim.
The commander had been brief: "Hold the bridge until the last convoy crosses. No one crosses from the other side."
"No one crosses."
I looked at Ilin. "Stay behind me."
"I will," she said, but her voice was thin.
We didn't have to wait long.
They came from the far side of the bridge — first two, then four, then a dozen, moving in that low, jerky run they all used. Their eyes caught the lantern light and glowed yellow.
The soldiers with us opened fire. Finn fired, his shots controlled, each round finding a target. Garrick swung his axe, cleaving the first creature that reached the truck. Mara swung her pipe, smashing a creature's knee and then its skull.
I met the next one at the edge of the truck, ducked its claw, and drove my blade into its throat.
Ilin stayed back, using her staff to knock creatures off balance so I could finish them. She wasn't healing; the crystal stayed dim, just as the healer had ordered.
We fell into the rhythm. Fight, push them back, hold the line.
Then the larger ones came.
Two breachers, side by side, pushing through the smaller creatures like they weren't there.
Garrick swore. "Great."
Mara gripped her pipe tighter. Finn chambered a round.
I stepped forward, blade ready.
The first breacher lunged at Garrick. He swung his axe, the blade biting into the creature's arm. It roared and backhanded him. Garrick flew into the truck, hit the metal, and slid to the ground.
Mara ran to him. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Garrick growled, pushing himself up, blood on his lip.
The second breacher went for Finn.
Finn fired, hitting it in the chest. The creature barely slowed and swung a claw at him.
I moved.
I slid between Finn and the breacher, raised my blade, and blocked the claw with the flat of the blade. The impact jarred my arm, but I held.
Ilin stepped to my side and swung her staff into the breacher's knee. The crystal flashed, and the creature staggered.
I drove my blade into its side, twisted, and pulled it out. The breacher roared and swung again.
I ducked, came up, and cut across its throat.
It fell.
The first breacher was already on Garrick.
Mara swung her pipe at its head. The pipe bent. The breacher hit her, sending her sprawling.
I ran, jumped onto the breacher's back, and drove my blade into the base of its skull.
It collapsed on top of Garrick.
Garrick pushed it off, breathing hard, his face pale.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he said, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
Ilin was swaying.
"Ilin," I said.
"I'm okay," she said.
"You're not," 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 into the truck," I said. "Stay inside."
"I'm not leaving you out here," she said.
"You are," I said. "You'll be more help alive than if you collapse out here."
She hesitated, then nodded and climbed into the back of the overturned truck.
I turned back to the fight.
The smaller creatures kept coming.
I fought at the front, blade moving — cut, thrust, sidestep, cut.
Finn fired until his rifle clicked empty, then drew his sidearm.
Mara got to her feet, pipe bent, and kept swinging.
Garrick fought with his axe one-handed, his side bleeding more.
We pushed the creatures back to the middle of the bridge.
Then the ground shook.
A really big one was coming.
It was taller than the breachers, its skin like cracked stone, its eyes both yellow, its claws longer.
Garrick saw it and said, "That's a crusher."
Mara said, "We can't take that."
Finn said, "We have to."
I looked at the truck where Ilin was.
The crusher charged.
Garrick swung his axe. The blade chipped on the creature's arm.
Mara swung her pipe. It bent further.
Finn fired, emptying his sidearm into the creature's chest. The bullets sparked on its skin.
The crusher swung at me.
I dodged, rolled, and slashed at its leg. The blade cut, but not deep.
The crusher roared and swung again.
I rolled the other way, came up, and drove my blade into its knee.
The crusher stumbled.
Ilin was out of the truck.
"Ilin, get back in!" I shouted.
"I can help," she said.
"You can't," I said.
"I can stun it," she said.
"Ilin—"
She slammed the staff into the crusher's leg. The crystal flared bright white.
The crusher stopped, its leg buckling.
I ran and drove my blade into its throat.
The crusher dropped to its knees, then fell forward onto the bridge with a heavy thud.
Ilin dropped to her knees.
"Ilin!" I shouted, running to her.
I reached her as she fell forward.
I caught her.
"You used healing," I said.
"Only a little," she said, her voice weak.
"You said you wouldn't," I said.
"I couldn't let it kill you," she said.
I lifted her and carried her back to the truck, laying her on the floor of the cargo bed.
"You're done," I said.
"I can keep going," she said.
"You can't," I said. "You're done."
She nodded, her eyes closing.
Garrick, Mara, and Finn were breathing hard, covered in sweat and blood.
The street was quiet again, the bodies of creatures littering the bridge.
The commander ran up to us. "Good work. The last convoy is across. You can fall back to the staging area."
We started moving back.
Ilin was in my arms, her head on my shoulder, her breathing shallow.
"You need to rest," I said quietly.
"I will," she said.
"You said that last time," I said.
"I know," she said.
When we reached the staging area, the healer was waiting. She took one look at Ilin and said, "Cot. Now."
I carried Ilin to a cot inside the aid tent and laid her down.
"You overdid it," I said.
"I had to," she said.
"You matter more than one creature," I said.
"You matter more than my exhaustion," she said, echoing my words.
I sighed. "You're stubborn."
"You love it," she said, and smiled weakly.
I took her hand.
The healer checked Ilin's pulse, pressed her fingers to her wrist, and shook her head. "You're at your limit. No more healing until you've rested."
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'll teach you," I said.
"I'd like that," she said.
We sat in silence, listening to the distant fighting.
After a while, Ilin said, "I'm scared that one day I won't have enough energy left."
I turned to her. "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.
"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 on a cot across the aisle, his eyes closed, his side bandaged again. Mara was sitting on her cot, trying to straighten her bent pipe. Finn was sitting on the floor, cleaning his sidearm.
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 pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'm glad it's you," she whispered.
"Me too," I said.
After a while, Ilin said, "When this is over, I want to find a quiet place. No fighting. No rift. Just… a quiet place."
"I want that too," I said.
"And I want to actually eat something that isn't a ration bar," she added, and I laughed.
"Me too," I said.
She squeezed my hand. "And I want to see you smile without blood on your face."
I smiled. "You'll see it."
She smiled back.
A healer walked past our cots, checking on the other wounded. I could hear her murmuring reassurances, adjusting bandages, handing out cups of water.
Ilin watched her for a moment. "Do you think the city can be saved?"
"I don't know," I said honestly. "But I think we can save the people we can reach."
She nodded. "That's enough for me."
She was quiet again, then said, "You know, the first time I saw you, I thought you were just another soldier who didn't care."
"What changed your mind?" I asked.
"You came back for me," she said. "Most people wouldn't have."
"I couldn't leave you," I said.
She smiled. "I'm glad you didn't."
I squeezed her hand.
A while later, the healer came back and checked Ilin's pulse again. "You're stable. Get another hour of sleep if you can."
Ilin nodded. "I will."
The healer looked at me. "You should rest too."
"I will," I said.
The healer moved on.
Ilin closed her eyes, but after a minute she opened her eyes again. "Tell me about the water tower."
I smiled. "It was old, rusted, the ladder was shaky. I used to climb it after my shift. From the top you could see the river, the market, the old park. On clear nights you could see the stars."
"What did the stars look like?" she asked.
"Bright," I said. "Like someone scattered salt across black velvet."
She smiled. "I've never seen stars like that. The city lights always drown them out."
"You'll see them," I said.
She closed her eyes again. "I'm holding you to that."
"You can," I said.
We were quiet for a while.
Ilin's breathing slowed, deepened.
I watched her face, the way her eyelashes rested on her cheeks, the faint line of the scar on her chin.
I thought about the night — the rift, the creatures, the way Ilin had thrown herself in front of that man to heal him even though it cost her. The way she'd saved me on the bridge, again in the rail yard, again on the train, again in Sector 9, and again on the river bridge.
I'd never felt this kind of closeness with anyone. Not in the factory, not with coworkers, not with anyone I'd known before tonight.
It scared me, a little.
But it also steadied me.
Ilin shifted in her sleep, her hand tightening around mine.
I adjusted the blanket over her, tucking it around her shoulders.
I was exhausted, my muscles sore, my shoulder and forearm aching even after Ilin's healing. But I couldn't sleep yet.
I kept watch.
A while later, Ilin murmured in her sleep, "I love you."
My chest tightened.
"I love you too," I said, even though she was asleep.
She smiled in her sleep.
I stayed there, holding her hand, listening to her breathe, watching the lantern light flicker on her face.
Outside, the rift pulsed, the city burned, and the war continued.
But inside this small corner of the aid tent, it was quiet, and Ilin was safe, and I was with her.
That was enough.
When the six hours were up, a soldier came to wake us.
"Squad 9, time to move."
Ilin opened her eyes, blinked, and sat up slowly.
"You slept," I said.
"I did," she said, smiling a little. "I feel better."
"You look better," I said.
She stood, steadier this time. I stood with her.
Garrick was already on his feet, rolling his shoulder. Mara was packing her pipe. Finn was checking his rifle.
The commander appeared at the entrance. "Squad 9, you're being sent to the power station. The creatures are massing there. Hold the line until the technicians shut the grid down."
"Yes, sir," I said.
We gathered our gear and moved out.
As we left the aid tent, Ilin slipped her hand into mine.
I squeezed it.
We walked out into the night, the violet light of the rift overhead, the sounds of battle growing louder ahead.
Ilin stayed close to me.
I kept my arm near her, ready if she needed support.
We were tired, we were hurt, and the night was far from over.
But we were together.
And that was enough.