A sword sliced the glob demon in half from behind. The demon’s torso gurgled bubbles across its stomach, then slid off like a tree axed at the center. Slim and ooze spread like tar over the grass until it hardened into a shell and crumbled away.

Ava quickly stepped back into the door.

Wind tossed Marc’s black hair away from his face, curled in the breeze. They stood there, gazing at the other. He wore the UFE military uniform, clad black, mixing well with his lean physique and sword. It’s been a week since they last saw one another, since they last spoke, but it felt like forever.

Her heart raced at the mere sight of him.

More glob demons came towards them in packs. He drew a finger across the air, blue lines hovered. The character for ice sealed at the tip of the spell. Marc rammed his hand through it and into the dirt. The ground froze, whipping across the entire field until every single glob demon turned into an ice sculpture. Gio knocked one over with the swing of his sword, it broke into shards like glass.

Marc never touched the short sword on his waist, as expected of a prince.

A low chuckle appeared behind Ava. “Well, what do we have here? Looks like you guys found yourself in some deep shit,” Josh said this with the best intentions.

Lieutenant General Joshua Dubois. His dirty blonde mohawk was exceptionally tall today, razor sharp like the blade of his ax, glinting under the afternoon sun. The smile on his face just proved this secret mission would hurt Ava and Gio in the long run. Because Josh was their personal trainer, he sought for any excuse to push them over the edge.

Marc took Ava’s arm and pulled her close. She felt safe, though his words were full of anger. “You’re lucky my GPS finder could track you. If it didn’t, you’d be dead right now. Do you understand that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop being such a drama queen. I had it under control.”

“That doesn't look like you had it under control.” He pointed at the sculptures.

The ice cracked.

A howl broke out.

Wolf demons stood on top of the skyscraper, serpent tongue out, anticipating the taste of their flesh. The ice chipped away across the field. Glob demons rose through the ice, making Gio hurry back to Ava’s side.

Josh swung the battle ax off his broad shoulders, flexing his muscles with the pop of his neck. “You take the Pipsqueak home. I’m gonna stay and have some fun.”

“And this is why they thought it was okay to come out here.” Marc pushed his specs up by the bridge. “This is dangerous. This isn’t supposed to be fun. They could have—”

“Whoa, lighten up. If you’re that worried about the Commander reprimanding me, then dock it as a last-minute training session.” Josh waved off.

The ground shook beneath Ava’s boots. A tall glob demon headed their way, moving faster than its round size should allow. Josh’s hickory eyes gleamed at the new challenge. He cracked his knuckles and prepared for a good fight.

“Gio will regret coming out here soon enough. Right after I run his ass around the Capitol building and into the ground,” he said, louder for everyone to hear, including the demons nearby.

Josh gripped the back of Gio’s neck. Ava didn’t have time to help Gio out before Marc used his teleportation. They left the lab in an instant. When they arrived, salt lingered in the air from the Ligurian Sea. She took a deep breath, welcoming herself back home to these colossal sized windows.

The windows expanded to each side, creating what looked like a giant cluster of flower bulbs reflecting the forest surrounding them. Each outer pod housed a unit for the high-ranking officers and their families—Ava’s team included—with a second energized barrier protecting them in case the pesky demons made it past the city barrier.

The Capitol City was one of ten City Bases left on Earth. Thirteen cities have fallen so far since the Interstellar War began against their alien foe—Primordial.

It’s been eighty years since they destroyed the Pacific Ocean. Since Earth had its last war and a new democracy was born under the United Federation of Earth, the UFE for short. And with this new democracy came the next human evolution.

Teleportation, healing powers, the ability to harness nature and countless more—were now possible. All thanks to Primordial being genetically similar to humans. But like all new things, they came with a price. Across the universe, other planets said Earth had lost their minds—their humanity—and they might be right.

Because not only have they evolved, they found immortality.

Marc’s grip relaxed on Ava’s shoulder. The longer he held on, the further his warmth seeped into her uniform, enchanting her with his richness. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but he let go before she could make a move.

Late afternoon shadows danced across the damp grass and the aging yellow leaves. This small meadow hid them from the active gardeners, who worked diligently with their duties today—unusual for them.

Ava stood, refusing to meet Marc’s smoldering eyes. She knew they showed disappointment. She knew he was angry with her, but she thought they could avoid this. He wasn’t supposed to be back for another three days.

“What were you thinking?” Marc said, desperation clear in his tone. “Do you know how dangerous that was? What if you were seriously injured?”

“Like I said, I had it under control.”

“You almost had your head swatted off. There's no healing from that!”

“I would have dodged it.” He looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It made her furious. “You know I’m great at avoiding attacks. So don’t you dare stand here and tell me I'm not.”

“That still doesn't excuse you for leaving the Capitol without permission. For chasing after information that’s not there.” Marc took a steady breath. “You need to stop taking chances when you fight. What if you lost your footing? What if you—”

Of course he worried about that. Ava brushed him off and walked away, further into the trees, back towards their rooms. This meadow was their special place where they came to relax and reminisce, tell tales of what the other missed, and yet, here they were fighting in it.

“What if, what? I sensed them, Marc. I could see them with my own two eyes. And what I saw wasn’t normal. The glob demons were fighting in packs. They never team up.”

He followed her footsteps, catching up to her in no time with his long legs. “What are you saying? They gained some kind of intelligence?”

“Yes… no… I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe they’re evolving.”

Marc shook his head. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” She met his gaze but Marc didn’t respond. He always hated confrontation, yet that never stopped him from starting a fight. They shouldn’t be arguing at all. He didn’t have much time left. The closer the war got, the less time they had together.

Instead, like Marc fashion, he didn’t back down. “You need to stop putting yourself in so much danger. You need to think before you act.”

“You act like I’m not using my brain at all.”

“I’m only saying instincts can take you so far,” he said. She walked faster. “Ava, wait…”

Marc’s words died as soon as the side door slid open. And here Ava thought the gardeners were busy, the hallways were worse. Everyone bustled about: cleaning the halls, painting fresh coats in light gray, and weeding out the gardens in the far off center atrium. The cracked marble flooring had never shined so brilliantly before.

She glanced back. Marc was far behind, blocked between groups of workers. Barely anyone noticed Ava as she weaved around people, back towards her home with only a few stopping to salute. For once, her presence was being overlooked and she was thankful. Ava wasn’t in the mood to put on a happy act today.

Soldiers ran past, popping up here and there at random through teleportation. Ava stepped aside to let them pass. More were being commanded to attend stations. They were tightening the security protocol. What is going on?

Ava finally neared the hallway to their doors when Marc popped up. She crashed into him and he didn't hesitate to pull her into the utility closet.

With a click of the lock, the automatic light came on overhead, displaying shadows across stray cleaning gadgets and cluttered shelves and Marc’s face as he leaned in.

He pressed his palms on either side of her, making sure she’s trapped against the door, so she had nowhere left to run. But Ava was always running.

Being this close, her heart sped up. He’s been gone for so long she forgot what it felt like to be this close. She couldn’t help but gaze into his eyes, mesmerized by how lifelike the bark coloring was and by the beauty he hid beneath those red-rimmed specs. His hair was shaggy and almost too long. Any longer and he’d be mistaken for a woman.

“We’re not done talking yet,” he said. It was hard not to be captured by his intense gaze and by his alluring scent of wildflowers.

Ava held herself together. She wouldn’t let him have the upper hand. “I shouldn’t be sneaking out. I need to stop using my instincts. Noted.”

Marc let out a long, exasperated sigh before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The act was so intimate, her cheeks warmed. “It’s okay to use your instincts. You just need to stop being so reckless. At this rate, you will get yourself killed. And I can't do anything about it. I can't always be there to help you. You know this.”

She prodded his chest, hoping to move him back without pushing him away. He stepped closer, a smile tugging at the corner of his tight lips. “You say you can't help me, but that doesn't mean you won't,” Ava said.

“Hmm… maybe you’re right.” His fingers grazed the skin on her neck, over the plaster.

“Afraid someone will find what you’ve done?” she whispered.

“I’m more afraid of you getting hurt.”

He took her hand and it felt like the world stopped for them. She brushed her fingers over his, intertwined. His hand was rough, the end of a childhood scar pressed on her thumb. His breath brushed over her lips. She could taste the lingering caramel he so loved to snack on. Ava was always jealous of that caramel.

Her phone went off.

Marc swiped it from his back pocket, the glow illuminated his sun-kissed face before he answered the call and waited.

“Yes, I brought her home safe and sound. We’re just outside our housing unit.” There was a long pause before he continued. “I’ll bring her over right now.”

As swiftly as he took out the phone, and cool as the growing temperature in this closet, he slid it back into his pocket, ending this entire moment. And as perfect as he was, he fixed his perfectly messy hair and perfectly well-kept uniform. It was sometimes annoying how perfect he could be.

“The Council has summoned you.”