XEN24

~steven~

"Doc, we need to leave, now!" I shouted, grabbing Eliana's arm. The urgency in my voice wasn't just for her safety—it was for all of us. But she wasn't moving fast enough, her feet dragging like she couldn't hear the alarms. I had no choice but to throw her over my shoulder, ignoring the sting of the fire in my chest as I sprinted towards the exit.

I hated this. Hated that we had to leave Jamal behind, but I couldn't risk losing both of them. My pulse pounded in my head, louder than the shrieking sirens, the red lights flashing in my eyes like they were trying to burn through my soul.

My legs felt like they were on autopilot, carrying me through the chaos. Eliana's legs flailed as I ran, but I kept moving. I couldn't lose her too.

Then it hit. The air shifted—everything vibrated in a way that I'd never felt before. It was like the whole damn building was about to swallow us whole.

The implosion ripped through the lab, sending a shockwave so powerful it felt like I'd been shot in the back by a .50 BMG 12.7 by 99 millimeters cartridge bullet. My feet left the ground, my grip on Eliana slipping as she was torn from my hold.

I tried to call out, but my voice was swallowed by the deafening roar.

My body hit the ground hard, the world tilting sideways, and then… darkness.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I opened my eyes, a half-broken bulb flickered dimly above me. My head throbbed. My ears rang. Everything around me was a wreckage of metal and shattered glass.

I sat up slowly, dazed. My heart pounded as I scanned the ruins.

"Eliana?" My voice was hoarse. No answer.

I staggered to my feet, my legs weak beneath me.

"Jamal? Scott? Maggie? Anybody?"

Silence.

Then, a torn, bloody piece of fabric caught my eye—Eliana's lab coat.

My stomach twisted. I forced myself forward, stumbling over debris, following the trail until I spotted movement in the distance.

Michelle.

She stood frozen, staring down at something—someone.

Eliana.

I rushed over, barely registering Scott and Maggie as they limped toward us. Maggie collapsed beside Eliana, her voice breaking.

"Oh my God, Eliana!"

Scott, pale and bleeding, scanned the wreckage. "We have to get her out of here. This place is unstable!"

I nodded, trying to shake the haze from my head.

"We need to find Jamal," Michelle whispered, her voice trembling. "But first, Eliana—she needs a hospital."

Carefully, we lifted her and began our slow, painful trek out of the wreckage. Maggie sobbed, gripping Eliana's limp hand, while Scott gritted his teeth through his own pain. I steadied Michelle as she struggled to walk, pushing through the ruins as fast as we could.

Outside, the sunlight burned against the devastation. The explosion had gutted part of the building, leaving a gaping hole where the lab once stood.

Still—no sign of Jamal.

"We need to go," Michelle urged. "Now."

Scott's car was miraculously intact. We eased Eliana into the backseat, Maggie refusing to let go of her hand.

"I have to go back for Jamal," I said, glancing at Scott. "Drive safe. Maggie, stay with her."

Michelle straightened beside me. "I'm coming with you."

"No, Michelle, I—"

"I said I'm coming."

Her voice was firm. Unshakable.

We stood there, watching as Scott's car sped off, just as paramedics and firefighters arrived.

A medic rushed over. "Are you injured? We need to check—"

"Our friend is still inside," Michelle choked out. "Jamal—he's still in there."

"We'll find him," the medic assured, signaling his team.

Without hesitation, we bolted back toward the ruins, voices raw as we screamed his name.

"Jamal!"

"Where are you?!"

"Jamal!!!"

Then—

"There! Someone's in there!"

I froze.

The paramedics rushed forward.

"He's here!"

Michelle grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. "Oh, no… Steve."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Then I saw him.

Jamal.

For a second, we thought we were too late.

But then—

"How is this man still alive?" one of the medics muttered in disbelief.

"Jared, let's get him on the stretcher—now."

Relief and terror crashed over me at once. Jamal was alive—but barely.

And I had no idea if we'd saved him in time.