Chapter 3: The Man Who Died Saving Her

Raviah hit the darkness hard. Pain exploded through her entire body as broken concrete crushed beneath her fall. She gasped, unable to tell which part of her hurt the most, while dust filled her lungs and the world blurred into smoke and distant screams.

She tried to move, but a sharp agony tore through her ribs.

"Ah..." she whimpered, her hand pressing against the ruined ground searching blindly for support. Her fingers brushed against twisted metal, and she forced herself upright.

"General!" a soldier’s frantic voice echoed somewhere above. "Get the civilians out!"

"Sir, we can’t leave you behind!" another voice shouted.

"That’s an order!" came the harsh command.

Raviah froze at that voice. Rhyder.

She peered through the thick haze to see movement above the collapsed floor, where several soldiers were helping wounded survivors toward a partially intact passageway. Standing between the retreating crowd and the creatures was Rhyder Drakeheir.

Blood ran down the side of his face, yet he barely seemed to notice.

"Move!" he commanded, firing his rifle into the dust. "Get them to the evacuation vehicles!"

Another mutated beast charged from the darkness. Rhyder raised his sidearm without hesitation.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The creature collapsed in a heap. Before its heavy body hit the ground, another beast lunged from behind the wreckage.

Rhyder twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding its crushing jaws, then drove his combat blade deep into the creature’s neck. It shrieked in agony and slammed against the concrete wall.

"General!" a soldier called back through the smoke.

"Go!" Rhyder roared.

His squad hesitated for a fraction of a second, but Rhyder turned toward them with an expression that was frighteningly cold.

"Take the survivors and leave," he demanded.

Only then did the soldiers obey. One by one, they disappeared into the haze, carrying the wounded and terrified civilians away from the falling building.

Raviah stared at the retreating figures in disbelief. He was staying behind, holding the entire horde alone for her.

"Why?" she whispered, her chest tightening as her breath caught.

Rhyder couldn’t possibly know her. They had never met or spoken before today. Yet he had crossed a nightmare battlefield of mutated creatures just to reach her side.

A monstrous roar suddenly shook the ruins, rattling the broken beams above.

Rhyder turned back toward the dark hallway as three creatures emerged from the gloom, followed by five more. An endless wave crawled through the broken corridors, their curved claws scraping rhythmically against the concrete.

Rhyder tightened his grip on his weapon and stepped forward. "Stay behind me."

Raviah’s eyes widened in horror. "You’ll die!"

His gaze flickered toward her for a fleeting second. "Then I’ll die after getting you out."

The first creature lunged, and Rhyder fired. The second struck from the side, but he dodged with lethal precision.

A third beast crashed into his chest, sending him skidding across the debris-strewn floor.

Raviah screamed as his back struck the stone wall. "General!"

Rhyder pushed himself back up, dark crimson dripping from his mouth. Still, he stood his ground.

Wave after wave rushed him, and he fought through every single one. His movements grew noticeably slower, his tactical uniform soaked in blood, and his ammunition eventually ran dry, forcing him to rely on his blade and raw strength.

Yet every time Raviah thought he would finally collapse, he rose again.

Finally, Rhyder reached her side. He crouched in the dust and extended a bloodied hand. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Can you stand?" he asked, his voice low.

Raviah stared at his battered, blood-soaked face. "Why did you come back?"

For a moment, Rhyder remained silent. Then he offered a simple answer: "Because you were still here."

He pulled her carefully to her feet, but her injured leg nearly gave way. Rhyder caught her instantly, pulling her close.

"I’ve got you," he muttered, wrapping a strong arm around her waist as he dragged her toward the evacuation route.

They had barely taken a few steps when the sky outside flashed blindingly white.

Raviah looked upward through the torn ceiling. "What is that?"

Rhyder’s expression shattered into pure alarm. "Get down!"

A tremendous explosion erupted across the ruined city skyline.

BOOOOOOM!

The ground split violently apart. Buildings collapsed in every direction as a massive shockwave tore through the streets, engulfing the horizon in fire while concrete debris rained from above.

Rhyder turned his body toward Raviah without hesitation. He wrapped both arms around her, shielding her with his own frame and forcing her beneath him.

"Rhyder!" she cried out.

A massive slab of concrete crashed directly down onto his back. Raviah felt his body jerk violently above hers, and then an eerie silence settled over the ruins.

She opened her eyes in the dark. Rhyder was still covering her, shielding her from the rubble, but blood slowly dripped down onto her cheek.

"Rhyder..." she sobbed.

His breathing was shallow and ragged, his life fading rapidly. Raviah desperately tried to push the heavy stone away, but her wounded body lacked the strength.

"Don’t close your eyes," she begged, tears spilling over her bruises. "Please, stay awake!"

Rhyder’s eyes opened slightly, looking down at her through the gloom. There was no fear in his gaze, only profound exhaustion and a strange, quiet peace.

His gloved hand slowly tightened around hers. "Live."

"No..." Raviah wept.

His fingers loosened, and his eyes slowly closed.

The world around her began to blur. Her battered body could no longer hold on, and the roaring fire, screams, and crumbling city gradually faded into total silence.

Raviah’s final lingering thought was the lingering warmth of his hand around hers before darkness consumed her completely.

Raviah suddenly opened her eyes.

She gasped violently, sitting upright as her lungs pulled in air. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, but there was no pain, no blood, and no smoke.

The room was completely quiet, free of screams, fires, and monsters. Warm, natural sunlight streamed through familiar silk curtains, illuminating a cozy bedroom.

Raviah stared around the room in stunned disbelief. She recognized this space instantly, though she hadn’t stepped foot in it for years.

Her trembling hands reached down, gripping the soft linen sheets.

Then her eyes drifted to the digital calendar resting on the bedside table. It displayed a quiet date, six months before doomsday.