Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Nagative
The green light on the infection tester blinked steadily, and I let out a shaky breath.
Clean. I was nagative. I am not infected.
The group lowered their weapons, although reluctantly.
A heavy silence hung in the air, the tension refusing to dissipate entirely.
Then Amber stepped forward, a small smile playing on her lips as she glanced at Edward who had been so ready to shoot me.
"Well," she said, her tone laced with mockery. "It looks like you were wrong."
Edward jaw tightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck strain as he tried to bite back a retort.
Instead, he turned away, muttering under his breath, and barked orders at the soldiers. "Check your gear. We move in ten."
The soldiers and awakened, looking sheepish, began cleaning their weapons and preparing their equipment. Some wouldn't meet my gaze.
Amber wasn't finished. She tilted her head, her golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Maybe next time, you'll think twice before trying to execute someone without cause, edward."
Edward, the man in the cyber suit, spun around, his expression dark. "You got lucky," he spat. "Don't act like this is some moral victory, Amber. One day, your bleeding heart is going to get someone killed."
Amber crossed her arms, her posture relaxed but unyielding. "And your paranoia would have cost an innocent life today. Maybe reflect on that."
He didn't respond. With a sharp glare in my direction, he stormed off, leaving the rest of the group to their tasks.
Amber turned back to me, her expression softening. "Are you alright?"
"Uh, yeah. I think so," I replied, though my voice was shaky, and my legs still felt like jelly.
Her sharp gaze swept over me, and she frowned. "You're hurt."
Without waiting for me to respond, she stepped closer, her golden eyes scanning me for injuries.
"It's nothing," I said quickly, taking a step back.
"Nothing?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You're bleeding."
I glanced down and realized she was right. A shallow cut ran along my arm, the blood already drying but leaving an ugly smear.
"Sit," she ordered, pointing to a nearby rock.
"I-"
"Sit," she repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
I obeyed, sinking onto the rock as she knelt beside me.
Stretching her hand forward to my injured arm.
Suddenly bright green light shine from her hand on my injured arm and a cool, soothing sensation followed.
My body felt soo comfortable and chilling, especially my injured arm. enough to make me sleep in an instant.
"What's that?" I asked warily.
"What does it look like?," she replied, "I am healing you of course, don't you remember, Are you okay?"
I watched in awe as the cut closed before my eyes, leaving not even a faint scar.
"There," Amber said, standing and brushing off her hands. "Good as new."
"Thanks," I murmured, flexing my arm.
She smiled faintly but didn't move. "What were you doing out here?" she asked, her tone laced with genuine concern. "How did you even survive?"
I hesitated, unsure how to answer. "I… I don't remember much," I said finally, which wasn't exactly a lie. "It's all a blur."
Amber studied me for a moment, her golden eyes narrowing slightly as if she could see through me. Then she nodded. "You're lucky we found you. You could have died!"
"Yeah," I muttered. "Lucky."
As she turned back to check on the rest of the group, my mind wandered.
The name Amber tickled something at the edge of my memory, something about her golden hair, her confident demeanor, the way she stood up for me without hesitation.
Then it hit me.
Amber. The Amber.
She was the female lead in The World is Doomed. The one who fought alongside the protagonist, carrying the weight of the team and saving lives time and again. Her loyalty, her strength, her courage, and bravery.
It was all coming back to me now.
And then something else hit like a punch to the gut...
I remembered something else.
Sky. The name of the body I now inhabited.
He was in the novel too.
A fleeting character mentioned only briefly in the early chapters.
He was Amber's childhood friend, both where inseparable...
And he died.
The realization sent a cold chill down my spine.
I wasn't only just in the story.
I was inhabiting the body of someone doomed to die in the future.
Amber turned back to me, her golden eyes soft with concern. "Sky, are you sure you're okay, you are acting weird?"
I forced a smile, my mind reeling. "Yeah. Just… tired."
She nodded, but I could see the worry in her expression.
I clenched my fists, my mind racing.
knowing that I am a character doomed to death in the near future.
Only one question came to my mind...
"Will I Survive?"