Emryn returned to the camp defeated and drained. Steps were heavy as she walked back through the undergrowth. The Seth she knew was gone. She had cried enough tears. It was time to move on.

“Emryn,” Zaiden greeted, relieved. “Where have you been? When did you leave the tent?”

Her arms captured him in a hug and she pulled him close. The warmth from him was enough to calm her racing heart. It didn’t take long for his arms to hold her in response. So close to him, she could feel the tension in his shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she said calmly. “I needed to clear my head.”

She nuzzled her face into the side of his neck. The pain may never go away but at least she had Zaiden.

“Emryn,” he started, a sentence she knew would end in reprimands. Her grip around his shoulders got tighter. She didn’t want to hear him tell her what she already knew. Emryn shouldn’t have gone off on her own. She shouldn't've chased after Mallax, especially if she ended up empty handed. She should be more useful to him– to Abrax.

“Sorry,” she mumbled again.

“I was worried something happened to you,” Zaiden whispered against her hair. “The others too,” he added. “Simone was frantic when she realized you weren’t in the tent. She could’ve crushed Alex’s hand with how hard she was gripping it.” She could tell he added that last part to make her laugh.

“Sorry,” Emryn said once again, less serious. The corners of her lips lifted into a small grin.

Zaiden held her at arms length. “Don’t go off on your own again,” he pleaded. “Especially not here.” His eyes bore an intense stare that was both commanding and panicked.

“Okay,” Emryn mumbled. At least he had believed her lie.

“We need to make it back to the others.” He pulled away. The two were situated on the outskirts of camp, with very few soldiers in sight. “Alex is trying to create another bomb, says he needs time and even I can tell he’s rushing it. He thought you got captured by Mallax bandits and thinks you’re dangling over a wolf-spider’s mouth or something.” Zaiden went on but Emryn started blocking out his ramblings. She held his hand tight as they walked. They were almost completely alone but the further they walked into camp the more people would watch them.

If she didn’t do it now she wouldn’t get a chance anytime soon.

“Wait,” she demanded and Zaiden turned to her confused.

“Something wrong?” Zaiden didn’t have a chance to fully finish before Emryn’s lips were on his. It was short and sweet but when she pulled away his brown cheeks were tinted red.

“Sorry,” she said before trailing away. But she wasn’t sorry at all.

The Commander’s tent was in even more shambles than when Emryn left. Overly crowded and air thick with tension. People were yelling and arguing. Their voices already gave Emryn a headache.

Zaiden’s hand squeezed her shoulder, letting her know he was with her. A few men noticed his return but once they saw Emryn they redirected their attention back to their work. It didn’t bother her. At this point she was used to it.

Pushing lightly on her shoulders, Zaiden guided her to Simone and Alex. Malcolm stood off to the side, eyeing them as they worked. Alex was kneeling on the floor surrounded by broken weaponry and papers scribbled on with designs.

Simone laid at his side, helping in any way she could. While his hands were busy disassembling a gun, the glasses on his face started to fall down the bridge of his nose. Simone adjusted them like it was second nature.

“You’re never gonna find the right parts,” Malcolm quipped. “We should be spending our time coming up with a new plan.”

“You have fun with that Malcolm,” Simone glared.

The general rolled his eyes which then landed on Zaiden and Emryn. “You’re back.”

Zaiden nodded to him. “Have we made any progress?”

Alex paused, his heartbeat steadily going up. Simone’s hand covered his. “No, not since you left,” she said to Zaiden. “We’re still missing a lot of parts.”

Zaiden clenched his jaw, eyes a little distant. “Then Malcolm’s right.” He sounded dissatisfied. “We need a different plan.”

“I can do it,” Emryn announced. This is what she needed. An opportunity to prove herself and make up for her mistake.

All eyes turned to her. Alex and Simone looked relieved, Zaiden seemed surprised almost. But Malcolm’s stare was hard to read, more soulless than usual.

“Are you sure?” Zaiden whispered to her. He was close enough that their shoulders brushed.

“I can do it,” she said, grateful for how sure she sounded. “That’s why I’m here, right?”

A lingering look passed between them before Zaiden nodded. “It’s settled then,” he announced to everyone in the tent. “Emryn will destroy the bridge.”

————-//——//\——\————

The bridge stood at the end of a cliff, who’s height exceeded even the chasm Emryn left the labs in. A broken and old road led them right to it. Abrax soldiers guarded its entrance.

The actual bridge itself was larger than Emryn thought it was going to be. Its rusted beams and cables lined the edges, and it stretched on far into the horizon. Below she could hear the sound of rushing water, but just faintly.

The canyon didn’t have an end in sight. Looking left and right, she could see the remains of other bridges but none stretched out as far as the one in front of her.

Zaiden called the soldiers to his side. They received their new orders and went to protrole the surrounding area.

Her nerves were spiking. What if she couldn’t do it?

Zaiden lightly touched the small of her back.

I’m here.

Emryn released a tight breath and stepped forward. She walked partially down the bridge, its shadows casting over her face.

The jacket she had worn earlier was long discarded, leaving her shoulders bare to feel the chill of the howling winds. A new determination clouded her senses. Her mind was only filled with the thoughts of destroying what was right in front of her.

Lifting her arms, calling the wretched power, the familiar glow of strength came. It lit up the bridge with her light and the concrete shook, already cracking under her will. Cables snapped. The echo sounded through the canyon beneath her. A few soldiers gasped. Jaws dropping as they took in the scene.

Emryn picked her center point and the aged concrete and rust material was pulled towards it. The scraping of metal and cries of force made their ways to the ears of everyone close enough to hear. The bridge’s path narrowed until it was only a pile of rubble.

It still wasn’t enough.

Pulling harder, ignoring the pain seeping through her skin, Emryn reached for more. More power and destruction. She held her hand out for the rest of the bridge to bend and twist. The sounds hurt her ears, so she focused her hearing elsewhere. Tuned into her own heartbeat, she could no longer hear the shrieking bridge or the awestruck soldiers.

Her back was straining. Failing her when she needed to stand tall. She just needed a little more power to widen her range. Emryn called to it and its answer came with more pain. But pain was just another reminder she was still alive.

The blue and gold mist traveled down the remainder of the bridge, into the horizon, giving light to the dark. The beauty of it couldn’t hide the chaos that followed the mist, twisting and pulling more of the material towards her.

Her arms ached and blood dripped through the bandages. She had a feeling her back was in a similar shape but it had gone numb moments before.

Loose cables fell to her side, scraping the ground until they hung over the edge she created. She let the gathered metal and concrete out of her grip. It fell down to the rapids below with a slash. The vibrations of impact could be felt even where she stood.

Emryn was lightheaded. An understatement, really, for what she was experiencing. She took a shaky step back, colliding with someone’s chest. Arms wrapped around her middle, helping her stand. Emryn tipped her head back, looking at a familiar set of warm brown eyes.

Zaiden gently held her, eyes trailing over the bloody bandages. No doubt he could feel the blood soaking her back as well.

Tilting her head back more, Emryn watched him with hooded eyes. Tired and heavy. She reached her arm up, fingers barely grazing his cheek but it was enough to get his attention.

She tried to speak but the words were caught in her throat. Her body was shaking from the pain.

“It’s okay,” Zaiden whispered. He lowered them to the ground so she was leaning against him without the extra strain of standing. “It’s over.”

He sounded so relieved.

Emryn finally closed her eyes. She felt herself being moved but was too tired to care. It had been so long since she last got to rest.

Time passed, she didn’t know how much, but she knew the shouting and gunshots that awoke her were the echoing sounds of battle. She was laying in an empty tent. Shadows danced outside, beckoning her to go out.

Pushing off the mat with newly wrapped arms, she stumbled to her feet. The jacket draped over her shoulders fell to the floor. That was the first time she noticed the oversized shirt covering her. On a nearby table she spotted her old shirt, which was now bled through with a mix of gold and red, and her gray armored vest. Emryn strapped it on, pushed through the pain, and left the solace of the tent.

The ground was ripped apart, tents full of holes, smoke decorated the grass and a few mangled corpses were scattered throughout. The aftermath of a fight. The only thing that was missing were people.

“Emryn, what are you doing out here?” She’d know that judgemental tone anywhere. Emryn glanced at Malcolm and continued walking.

“Where’s Zaiden?” she asked. He needed to be okay. She hasn’t been there for him but he needed to be okay.

“Gathered with the others. Mallax attacked but they just retreated not too long ago.”

“Take me to him.” She heard Malcolm groan, most likely annoyed by being ordered around.

But he listened anyway.

Emryn followed him until she heard voices. Zaiden had a gun strapped around his shoulders and Abrax soldiers surrounded him. Most looked injured. Simone was close by but she didn’t see Alex.

Zaiden was the first to see her. He swallowed roughly but waved her closer. Malcolm was unmoved and only watched from afar.

There was someone on the ground, holding her bleeding shoulder and glaring up at Zaiden. Emryn recognized her as the woman Seth had asked her not to kill. Emryn had almost crushed her before he intervened. If she died here it’d probably hurt him. Emryn shouldn’t care.

Zaiden was holding his gun, now pointing it at the Mallax bandit. “She’s one of O’Connors’ lackeys,” Zaiden informed. His gun clicked.

“Don’t kill her yet,” Malcolm voiced firmly. The general calmly walked up and eyed the Mallax woman. “O’Connor cares for his soldiers. He wouldn’t just leave her behind. We could use her as bait.” Emryn almost laughed. Seth had left people behind before.

Malcolm turned his sights on Zaiden. “It’s the best way to catch him.”

Zaiden thought it over, mind turning as he considered Malcolm’s idea. Slowly, he lowered her gun. Mom at the woman with a cold stare, he handed his weapon to Simone. “You'll be in charge of her,” he said to Malcolm.

He got a stiff nod in response.

“Have fun with the Mallax trash,” a soldier sneered, roughly pushing her towards Malcolm. Her dark braids fell over her shoulder as she looked at him, a wicked smile on her face.

“Kiarra,” she corrected, voice surprisingly leveled. “If you're gonna kill me, at least put the right name on the headstone.” She laughed, bits of blood coming out when she coughed.

Malcolm helped her stand, surprisingly docile around her, but his grip on her arm would surely leave marks.

A hand slipped around Emryn’s back. Zaiden looked exhausted. “We’re heading back. Gather up everything. Let’s get back on the road.” His jaw tensed. “No point fighting now,” he mumbled, scanning his injured men.

Kiarra was staring at Zaiden and Emryn, looking more amused despite her upcoming fate. Emryn had a feeling it would be an interesting ride back to Abrax.