The mere thought of her bound to another male, not of her choosing, tore me asunder. And now, the knowledge that she was willing to give up her freedom for mine was a weight too heavy to bear.
I closed my eyes, memories of our time together flooding back. The way her mental voice danced in my mind, the shimmer in her eyes when she looked at me, the warmth of her skin.
Every moment was etched into my very soul. And with each memory, my resolve solidified.
I would not—could not—let this stand. The universe be damned, I swore upon the Stars themselves that I would come back for her. I’d tear apart galaxies, challenge any foe, and defy our leaders if it meant saving her from a life she didn’t choose—to save her from the gilded cage she’d been imprisoned in.
Isla deserved more than a life bound by expectations and politics. She deserved freedom, love, passion—the kind of love I was desperate to give her.
And one day, I vowed, I would return and whisk her away from it all. I would save her—once again—just as she had once saved me.
A life for a life—because a life without her wasn’t worth living.
The world erupted around me.
A cacophony of deafening destruction, followed by explosions and the groan of metal being contorted.
Thunderous booms echoed through the base, causing the walls to shake violently. As I surfaced from the water’s depths, my eyes were met with a scene of utter chaos.
Dust clouded the air, choking my senses, the sharp scent of smoke and burnt metal biting into my nostrils. The overhead lights flickered, hesitating for a moment in their dim, ghostly glow before plunging the base into complete darkness.
The eerie quiet that followed was broken only by the sound of glass shattering. Then a torrent of water gushed in from every direction, submerging everything in its path.
Instincts kicked in as I navigated through the wreckage, agile and swift despite the treacherous surroundings. Massive pillars crumbled around me, metallic structures gave way, sending shards of glass and metal flying in every direction. Dodging falling debris and chunks of metal, I made my way through the rapidly flooding base. With every second, the pressure increased, threatening to crush the facility and everyone inside.
In the distance, an alarm wailed its mournful lament, a dirge for the dying facility.
The swirling currents tugged at me, pulling me toward safety, toward freedom.
Confusion clouded my mind. What was causing this destruction? Was this part of a plan or an unfortunate side effect?
And the most distressing question: Would Isla truly sanction something like this?
The woman who had shown me such kindness, such warmth, could she be part of this chaos? My heart refused to believe it.
Despite my instincts telling me she wouldn’t willingly partake in such a calamitous scheme, doubt gnawed at me. I struggled to piece everything together.
Voices reached out to me through the murky water. They were familiar, filled with joy and relief.“Commander Ky’rn!”they cried.“You’re free! Come, brother, rejoin us!”
They beckoned me, urging me to join them and return to Atlantis for a flight home. But their words, their jubilation, meant nothing to me. Not when the only voice I yearned to hear was absent. Freedom meant nothing if she wasn’t part of it.
My hearts tightened, each thud echoing my growing dread.
Instead of heading toward safety, I ignored their calls, and turned around, facing the imploding structure of the base.
Isla.
Was she safe?
The thought of her trapped within that disintegrating tomb, surrounded by collapsing walls and rising waters, consumed me. The idea that she might be hurt—or worse—clawed at my chest, causing my dual hearts to race in frantic desperation.
“Isla,”I called out into the dark waters.“Where are you?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
ISLA
Chaos was everywhere.
