"You’ve lost, N8! Or whatever you call yourself now. Neight, isn’t it? Ha! Who would’ve thought!" the girl shouted arrogantly, tightening her grip, leaving me no chance to escape. "And don’t try anything stupid, or I’ll shoot our precious sample!"

  Sample? What the... What is she talking about? Somebody save me!

  "You won’t do it," Neight replied, surprisingly calm, keeping M79 in his sights but making no sudden moves.

  Was he just trying to keep his composure in such a dire situation? Or was he so confident I wouldn’t be harmed? It couldn’t be that he didn’t care what happened to me… could it?

  "Ha!" the girl sneered, then shifted her tone to something more serious. "You know that without the sample, I’m as good as dead. So either I take it, or… well, you know how it ends."

  Oh my God, she’s insane! She’ll definitely kill me! Definitely!

  "How long do you think it would take for a bullet to reach your skull in that case?" Neight said menacingly, implying the pistol in his hand.

  AAAAAH, Neight! Are you trying to get me killed?! Why are you provoking her?! I screamed internally.

  However, it seemed Neight’s words rattled the girl, as I distinctly felt her flinch. She probably imagined the scenario he had described all too clearly.

  "You’re right. I do know who I’m dealing with," she said suddenly, her tone dropping into something almost sorrowful, as if her spirit had waned. "It’s astonishing you haven’t finished us off already, even though you could have, isn’t it?"

  "Listen, I don’t want to hurt you. Join us, M79. Together, we have a better chance," Neight said, his voice steady.

  "You know we have completely different goals, so I’m not going to be part of your plan!" she snapped, her grip on me tightening.

  I tensed up, shutting my eyes and holding my breath, terrified that in her rage, she’d make a desperate move. That would be the end of me...

  "I’ve adjusted the plan, and I think you might find it interesting," Neight said cautiously.

  Perhaps he knew trying to sway an enemy was a long shot, but it seemed he was determined to avoid bloodshed.

  "Ha! No, really, you’re full of surprises today!" M79 said, sounding almost amused. Meanwhile, I cracked my eyes open, praying for this ordeal to end. Then she gave me a slight shake, almost playful, and added, "It’s her, isn’t it? She’s changed you. Incredible! Truly incredible! You know, I’m honestly a little jealous."

  I felt like a helpless rag doll in her hands, and my nerves were stretched to their limit. Tears began welling up in my eyes despite my best efforts to hold them back. The pressure, the realization that any moment could be my last—it was unbearable. I must have looked utterly pathetic. What did Neight think of me in that moment? Why did it even matter to me so much? Perhaps clinging to these thoughts was the only thing keeping me sane.

  "M79, please let Emma go. Let’s put the weapons down and talk," Neight said slowly, still trying to de-escalate.

  "Everything’s gone wrong..." the girl muttered as if she hadn’t heard him. "You were supposed to be alone… You weren’t supposed to awaken the sample. The risks are too high, and the benefits are almost nonexistent. It’s irrational. Not like you at all. Because if something were to happen to her…"

  "M79!"

  "Yes, if something happened to her, she’d lose her value…"

  "M79, stop!"

  The girl flinched as if stung.

  "She’s fine, isn’t she? Please, tell me you didn’t change your plans because of her!" she suddenly shouted, pressing the gun harder against me. I let out a terrified squeak, then froze, forgetting how to breathe. Darkness began creeping into my vision.

  Someone help me! Anyone!

  "She’s fine! Please, calm down!" Neight pleaded.

  "Are you sure? I hope you’re not lying to me. It would be very bad if that turned out to be the case," she said in a low, threatening tone.

  "I’m telling the truth. Please, don’t put so much pressure on Emma. You might harm her yourself!"

  Fortunately, Neight’s words seemed to reach her. I felt her exhale, and her grip loosened slightly. Though the danger hadn’t passed, I could at least breathe again. The dizzying relief of air filling my lungs was overwhelming. I was still alive. Not free yet, but alive nonetheless.

  "All right. Yes, you’re right. You’re right," she murmured, her tone calming.

  Her sudden mood swings were unnerving. I felt like I was in the hands of a madwoman, utterly unpredictable. What would she do next? Unfortunately, I didn’t have to wait long to find out. She gave a derisive snort—a clear bad sign.

  "You’re right. I can’t harm her…" She abruptly aimed her gun at Neight, sending an indescribable terror coursing through me. "But that doesn’t apply to you!"

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Forgetting everything around me, as if driven by some external force, I instinctively lunged to the side and threw myself onto M79 in an attempt to stop her.

  A shot rang out, immediately followed by a piercing, gut-wrenching scream that made my chest tighten. However, the voice didn’t belong to Neight—it was that silent guy who hadn’t said a word until now.

  Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even immediately grasp what had occurred. In truth, before M79 could finish speaking, Neight had already sprung into action, letting go of the girl’s partner and leaping to the side. The guy lying on the ground simultaneously tried to roll in the opposite direction to get out of the line of fire. However, when I shoved M79, her arm jerked toward him instead. He was hit in the left leg, curling up in pain and clutching his thigh, where his suit had torn, exposing a vivid red stain.

  Neight got off much easier. Though the gun’s charge appeared to have grazed him, leaving a small trail of scarlet droplets, it was a minor injury compared to what he’d already endured. Seemingly unfazed, he kept running toward us.

  M79 cursed, and I felt her trembling, her legs starting to buckle. She was afraid of Neight, who was now upon us.

  "No! Stay back!" she screamed, her voice shrill and panicked. She tried to aim the gun at him again, but it was too late.

  Neight grabbed her arm and yanked it aside, forcing her to let go of me to resist him. Freed, I wasted no time, bolting away and diving behind some dense bushes. I fell onto all fours, gasping for breath. I could hear the sounds of their struggle, but nothing mattered to me at that moment as much as the intoxicating feeling of freedom. I was no longer a captive, and no one had a gun to my throat anymore.

  I’m alive, damn it! Alive! raced through my mind as I gripped the grass tightly, as if it were the only thing anchoring me to the surface of the planet, as if my safety depended solely on that connection. I breathed deeply, as though I’d been underwater for ages and had finally surfaced. It took a while to collect myself.

  “Neight! What about him?”

  I realized the battlefield had fallen silent. Too silent. Fearing the worst, I cautiously rose and peered out from behind the dense foliage to assess the situation.

  In the small clearing where the chaos had just unfolded, there were only Neight and the girl, who he had forced to the ground and was now tying her hands behind her back. Relief mixed with unease as I noticed the silent guy was nowhere in sight. A scarlet trail led to the opposite bushes, where our uninvited guests had recently appeared. Was he hiding nearby, or had he managed to escape to call for reinforcements? There was no way to know, and the uncertainty was unnerving.

  "Emma, you can come out. The danger has passed," Neight said calmly, as if he had noticed me watching him from my hiding spot.

  Still unwilling to believe it was over, I took a few tentative steps toward him but stopped short, keeping my distance. Who knew what M79 was still capable of? Regardless, I stayed vigilant.

  "Congratulations. You must be so proud of yourself," the girl muttered bitterly as Neight finished tying a tight knot around her wrists. "But what now, huh? You know they didn’t put much stock in us, and next time, they’ll send someone much worse! If you weren’t such a damn egotist and just surrendered, I might have had a chance to live… But now I’m just going to die here with you!"

  "You know, M79, for what it’s worth, I’m not planning to walk into the slaughterhouse voluntarily either. So forgive me, but surrendering isn’t an option," Neight replied, pulling her arms upward to make her stand.

  "Jerk..." she snapped through gritted teeth.

  "You should watch your language."

  "No one’s in charge of me anymore! I’ll say whatever I damn well please!" she flared up, her voice breaking as if she were shouting through tears. It was enough to make me feel a pang of pity for her.

  "I’d prefer it if you kept quiet," Neight said, irritation laced in his tone, though he kept his composure.

  "Let’s move," he ordered firmly, grabbing her shoulder and nudging her forward. Then, in a softer voice, he turned to me. "Emma, we’re heading back to the ship."

  Caught off guard, I hesitated for a moment before following him, still maintaining some distance.

  "B-but... What about that guy? Isn’t it dangerous to leave just like this when he might still be around?" I asked anxiously, glancing around.

  M79, trudging ahead, could be heard smirking.

  "Don’t worry about him," Neight replied calmly. "He’s injured and won’t attack us alone."

  "But what if he comes when we’re asleep?" I persisted.

  Unexpectedly, M79 burst into laughter, though I couldn’t understand what she found so amusing in my words. My concerns seemed entirely justified to me, and I didn’t see anything funny about them.

  "I kept wondering what you said to make the sample take your side. But it turns out it’s much simpler! You didn’t tell her anything at all, did you? Am I right?" she exclaimed, breaking into a fit of nervous laughter.

  Why does she keep calling me a sample?

  I felt incredibly uncomfortable hearing her statements and had no idea how to interpret them. It was clear Neight was hiding something. After all, he had promised to tell me everything once we dealt with the enemies. But why did I feel like some na?ve fool who had been tricked?

  Surely, Neight will explain everything when we’re back on the ship, and then everything will make sense, I thought, though an awful feeling lingered inside me.

  "M79, it would be better if you stayed calm. I’m asking nicely," Neight said, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge of threat that sent a chill down my spine. It immediately reminded me of the day I’d tried to run away from him.

  "Or what?" the girl retorted defiantly. "Ohhh, Emma, I can only imagine your surprise when you see my face..."

  Those were the last words M79 managed to get out before Neight abruptly disabled her helmet's speaker system with a sharp slap on the button on it, causing the poor girl to almost fall off her feet. She quickly caught herself, turning toward him. Even though her face was hidden behind the helmet, I could almost feel her seething anger. I’d bet she was cursing him with every word she knew.

  For a while, we walked in awkward silence, but M79’s words kept replaying in my mind. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore.

  "Neight, what did she mean? What’s with her face?" I asked cautiously.

  "Let’s get back to the ship first. Please, hold on a bit longer. I don’t want to discuss this in front of her."

  His voice sounded uncertain. I might even say there was a hint of fear in it.

  "Alright. I can wait," I replied, deciding to add, "I trust you, Neight."

  At my words, M79 shook her head, as if mocking us. But Neight didn’t seem to notice her.

  "Thank you for trusting me," he said quietly, with a hint of sadness.

  "We’ve been through so much together. How could I not?"

  Neight fell silent for a moment.

  "I haven’t said this yet, but you did well. Without your help, we wouldn’t have won."

  Hearing his praise was nice, even though I didn’t feel like my contribution had been that significant. Still, it made me feel a little lighter inside.

  But before long, thoughts of the upcoming conversation began to fill my mind again. The longer we walked, the more anxious I became. What awaited us ahead? What other trials would we have to endure? What terrible secret was Neight hiding from me, and how would I feel about him once it was revealed?