Chapter 7
847words
Their target: the ever-burning lights of the human colony shimmering on the horizon.
"Ella." Lina hugged her fiercely, voice trembling with hope. "See you on the other side."
"Count on it." Ella squeezed back, feeling her friend's warmth against her.
She pulled the seed from its hiding place in her hair and pressed it into Lina's palm. "Take it. I'm not fully marked yet."
"God, no, I can't. You'll need this more than me."
"Listen to me," Ella insisted. "I came here for you. We're both getting out. Together."
Lina's fingers closed around the seed, tears spilling down her cheeks as she nodded.
One final look passed between them, burning each other's faces into memory. Then they turned away, heading in opposite directions toward whatever fate awaited.
Midnight struck in Ella's heart.
When the heavy alloy door clicked open at precisely the time Lina had specified, Ella's heart hammered against her ribs.
She burst from her hiding place and dove into the waste channel, gagging on the stench of oil and corroded metal. The passage forced her to crawl, scraping through blackness, guided only by memorized turns. Behind her, the door sealed shut, cutting off the artificial light of her prison and plunging her into darkness that promised either freedom or death.
A shrieking alarm tore through the compound. Red warning lights pulsed through cracks in the channel walls like watching demon eyes.
They'd been discovered! No matter—this was expected. Chaos would cover their escape.
Ella tumbled from the passage's mouth, cold night air flooding her lungs. She oriented herself and sprinted toward the distant ridge. Somewhere on the other side of the compound, Lina would be running too, heading for the same salvation.
They'd meet again in freedom.
The rough terrain sapped her strength with every step. Rocks sliced through her pants and into her skin, leaving bloody trails she couldn't feel. Behind her, howls and thundering footsteps closed in like death's own drumbeat.
Her lungs blazed, each breath copper-flavored. Her legs turned to lead, but stopping meant capture. Or worse.
She raised her head, squinting through sweat-stung eyes.
There—at the horizon's edge—a warm, steady glow.
The human colony!
That beacon hit her bloodstream like pure adrenaline. Fatigue vanished. Fear evaporated. The hunters at her heels ceased to matter. Only the light remained—civilization, law, freedom.
She could already picture it: bursting into the colony, screaming for help, exposing the Kaelen's crimes to the Interstellar Alliance. Carlos's arrogance and Xavier's false smile would crumble before human justice.
"Almost there… almost there…" she gasped, to herself and to Lina, wherever she was.
With one final, desperate surge, she crested the ridge.
Victory lay before her! A gentle slope led down to freedom. Just a few hundred yards more and she'd cross from Kaelen territory into human jurisdiction!
Joy exploded through her chest. She opened her mouth to scream triumph—for herself, for Lina.
Then a shadow materialized from the darkness, blocking her path.
Ella skidded to a stop, her blood turning to ice.
Carlos.
He stood relaxed, his black bodysuit pristine, not even breathing hard. He hadn't been chasing—he'd been waiting, as if out for an evening stroll.
A playful smile curved his lips as he tilted his head. Those golden eyes, gleaming in the darkness, watched with satisfaction as her face transformed from joy to horror.
"Such speed, my little wildcat." His pleasant voice carried the finality of a death sentence. "Enjoy your warm-up?"
……
Miles away, Lina stumbled from the ventilation duct, gasping for breath. Through tear-blurred eyes, she saw it—the silhouette of the colony she'd dreamed of for months.
A shadow fell across her path.
Xavier stood waiting, wearing that familiar gentle smile. In his hands, a soft cashmere cloak.
"The wind is harsh tonight, darling." He draped the cloak over her trembling shoulders. "Look at your hair, all tangled. Playtime's over. Let's go home."
……
Despair.
A despair colder than death, more crushing than captivity, swallowed Ella whole.
She saw the absolute control in Carlos's eyes, the pleasure he took in watching his prey's final moment of realization. A terrible truth detonated in her mind.
The security vulnerabilities, the guard patterns, her Oscar-worthy nightmare performance… all part of the game.
He'd known every move before she made it. Hope had been just another leash around her neck.
"You…" Her voice shattered, unable to form more words.
Carlos approached unhurried. Before she could speak again, he scooped her up effortlessly—like lifting an exhausted kitten—and tossed her over his shoulder.
The world inverted.
Everything Ella believed crumbled to dust.
He turned back toward the compound, each confident stride carrying her deeper into darkness.
From her upside-down view, she watched the colony lights—her last hope—grow distant. With each step, his towering form eclipsed more of that glow until nothing remained.
The final spark of light vanished.
