2. SHADOW HUNTER ᵇᵉˡˡᵃᵐʸ ᵇˡᵃᵏᵉ

21. inbetween

-INBETWEEN-

"I don't want you here, Trikova. Stay where you are as long as you can, you hear me?"

Sairah fights to take slow, steady breaths, struggling against the encroaching darkness that threatens to swallow her whole. With every passing second, her energy drains away, leaving her feeling weaker and more helpless.

Her gaze remains fixed on the ominous sight of the black blood seeping from her wounds, staining her clothes and the ground around her. The pain from the bullet wounds in her shoulder and abdomen dulls to a distant ache as she lies amidst the cacophony of gunfire, the sound echoing in her ears like a relentless drumbeat.

As her eyelids begin to droop, a sense of weightlessness washes over her, as if she's being lifted from her body by unseen hands. She finds herself enveloped in a blinding light, the brightness overwhelming her senses and blurring the boundaries between reality and the unknown.

From within the brilliance, a figure emerges, its presence both familiar and otherworldly. Despite the haze of impending death clouding her mind, Sairah recognizes the silhouette, a surge of hope coursing through her veins.

"Lexa?" The name escapes her lips on a whisper of disbelief, a desperate plea mingled with hope.

"Trikova." The voice of Lexa echoes through the forest, distant yet unmistakable. Sairah's heart skips a beat at the sound, her mind grasping onto it like a lifeline, savoring the familiarity she had sorely missed. "Get up and fight," Lexa urges, her words carrying a weight of command.

But Sairah's strength falters, her resolve crumbling beneath the weight of her injuries and exhaustion. She squeezes her eyes shut, willing herself to memorize every intonation of Lexa's voice, knowing it may be her last chance to do so. "I can't," she whispers, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. "I'm sorry, Lex, I can't."

"Get up! That's an order, Trikova," Lexa's voice cuts through the haze, commanding and urgent. "I am your commander, and you are my second. I order you to rise and fight like the warrior you are!"

Tears blur Sairah's vision as she grapples with the sudden flood of emotions. "But... you're not real. You're not my commander anymore, Lex. You left me," she whispers, her voice trembling with pain and longing.

Lexa takes a step closer, her expression softening with understanding. "Even if I'm not your commander, I will always be your sister," she says gently. "Don't let them take your life like a coward. Fight and die like a warrior-- like my second!"

"I can't!" Sairah's voice rises in desperation. "I can't," she repeats, her words barely audible as she struggles against the weight of her grief. "I'm not strong enough, not after your death, Lex... I can't do this. I just want to be with you again."

Lexa shakes her head, her eyes filled with sadness. "I don't want you here, Trikova. Stay where you are as long as you can, you hear me?" Her voice is resolute. "Besides, the Trikova I know fought a whole army by herself and emerged victorious, untouched by harm. Why? Because she was defending her people. You saved thousands of warriors that day, Sairah. Our slumbering warriors would have met their end if it weren't for you and your defiance against the Ice Nation. They never stood a chance."

She pauses. "So, I'm going to need you to do that again. Fight like there's no tomorrow, because if you die today, there will be no tomorrow for your people."

Sairah's chest tightens with the weight of Lexa's words, each one a reminder of the immense responsibility resting on her shoulders. Despite her overwhelming grief and exhaustion, a flicker of determination ignites within her, fueled by the memory of her people and the sacrifices they had made.