Twelve

Between the Pines and the Panic

Chip looked back.
The flames from the laboratory reflected in her eyes, a hellish glow dancing across her face.

And for the first time in her life,
she felt happy.
No—euphoric.

A manic laugh escaped her lips as she dropped to her knees in the grass, burying her face in her hands. Her fingers grazed her mouth as ideas—wild, beautiful, uncontrollable—flooded her mind like a broken dam. Colors seemed brighter, the world louder. She wanted to run for days, scream into the trees, become part of everything that wasn't a cage.

She had never felt anything like this.

Then reality slammed into her.

Hard.

No one survived.

No one—except her.

And the girl.

She stood maybe in her twenties, drenched in blood. Her eyes were an unnatural red, pupils spiraled like whirlpools. Flesh peeled in places where bone jutted through, barely covered by a tattered red shirt and black pants.

CHIVAI608.

Chip knew the stories. Everyone knew them.

Chivai wasn't human anymore—if she ever had been. Some said she was like a skinwalker. Others didn't dare give her a name at all.

You don't mess with Chivai.

"Hey, you girls okay?"
A calm voice called out from the trees.

Chip tensed.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, blending into the greens around him. He lowered his hood. His short, dark brown hair matched the earthy tone of his green hoodie and sharp green eyes. There was no malice in his face.

"You... you won't hurt us, right?" Chip asked, voice cracking as she instinctively backed closer to Chivai—her only anchor in the chaos.

The man raised his hands gently. "No. I won't hurt you."

"I escaped that lab an hour before you blew it sky-high," he continued. "I knew this would happen. You remember me—back at the table in that dark room?"

Her ears perked. "So... you really can see the future?"

He smiled faintly. "Call me Koios. You're not in any shape to keep walking. Let's get you somewhere safe—before you hurt yourself."

Chip hesitated, eyes flicking between him and the forest path ahead. Then, slowly, she nodded and took his hand. Chivai followed without a word, silent and watchful.

They moved deeper into the forest.

The trees stretched high above, their branches clawing at the sky like bones. The further they walked, the more the forest swallowed them—shadows dancing across moss-covered stones, thick ferns brushing their legs, tree roots jutting like ribs from the ground. Chip kept close to Koios but occasionally veered off the trail to touch the leaves, sniff flowers, or crouch beside crawling insects like they were sacred treasures.

Birdsong echoed through the canopy above, distant and cautious. Somewhere nearby, a creek murmured softly, hidden behind a curtain of ferns. The air was damp but alive, filled with earthy scents: bark, wet soil, crushed berries underfoot.

Koios occasionally glanced over his shoulder, checking for signs of pursuit—but never said a word about it.

Chip looked up. "It's... weird. I've never seen this much green before. Everything back there was metal. Cold. No trees."

Koios chuckled softly. "You're seeing the world for the first time. And it's noticing you back."

Behind them, Chivai walked in eerie silence, her bare feet not making a sound. She moved through the woods like she belonged there, even as blood dried in streaks down her arms. Her eyes never stopped scanning the treeline, her pace unnervingly graceful.

At one point, Chip slowed and stared at a squirrel, fascinated as it darted up a tree. "Do people out here really get to live like this?" she whispered.

Koios didn't answer immediately. "Some do. Most... don't appreciate it until it's gone."

They kept walking. The terrain grew rockier. Fallen logs and tangles of vines forced them to take long, winding paths. Time passed strangely—Chip wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours.

Every so often, Koios stopped to erase tracks or brush aside broken branches. Chivai mimicked him exactly. Not a word passed between them.

Eventually, they reached a cave, half-hidden behind a natural wall of tangled ivy and thornbrush. Koios brushed the greenery aside and ushered them in.

Inside, the air was cooler. Dry. Safe.

Koios started a fire with careful precision. The small flame flickered to life, casting warm light against the stone walls. He didn't say much—just worked. Focused. Controlled.

Then—

"CODE NYX. LOCKDOWN."
The sirens echoed from somewhere deep in the woods—broadcast towers, emergency frequencies.

Chip blinked. "What's a Code Nyx?"

Koios didn't look surprised. He poured water into stone bowls, calm as ever.
"You're Subject CHIP-666. The most dangerous shadow-class experiment they ever made. If you escape, everything locks down. That's Code Nyx."

He handed her a bowl. "It's not much—no glassware out here—but it'll work."

Then he pulled a pocket knife from his hoodie and slid it under her armband, slicing the fabric clean off. The tag fell away like a shackle.

Chip exhaled deeply, scratching her arm where it had once rubbed raw.
"I hate that thing."

"You two should rest," Koios said, dousing the fire until only a faint glow remained. "No one's finding this cave. I buried it under layers of plant life, sealed off the scent trails. We're safe. For now."

He disappeared into the deeper shadows at the back of the cave.

Chip curled up, her two tails wrapping around her like blankets. Warm. Protective.

And then—

Out.