Chapter 29: More blood
Chapter 29
"I’ll be sure to inform Nathaniel about this when we get back... or not. I’ll just head straight to HQ," Commander Eland muttered, then walked off, his boots thudding down the ramp as the aircraft door hissed open.
The rest of Squad Four remained seated for a moment, like corpses propped up in their gear. Even the rush of cool evening air outside couldn’t stir them.
The flight back had been silent.
Utterly, eerily silent.
Jace was unconscious, a blood-soaked IV attached to his arm, keeping him stable. Ronan hadn’t moved a muscle since whatever the hell that was. His body lay still, but around him... something hung in the air. A presence. Like standing too close to an active reactor.
Siena sat across from him, arms crossed over her cracked and blood-streaked uniform, jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might snap. Karla’s head leaned back, a dried smear of blood beneath one nostril. Mila was cleaning her blades like it was the only thing anchoring her to reality. Hugo hadn’t blinked in what felt like hours.
They were all breathing.
But none of them felt alive.
When the aircraft finally touched down, medical teams swarmed the entry platform.
"Vitals unstable on Subject Vale—prepare a stabilizer just in case," one of the medics whispered, eyeing Ronan like he was a ticking bomb.