"Dad?"

  The word echoed in my head, a shockwave that made my vision blur. That woman was his daughter? Suddenly, the pieces started to click. Khan had mentioned sacrificing his family for "some insane shit," and now I saw it. The same sharp features, the same iron-cold temper. They were mirrors of each other.

  Mira released her father’s chin with a look of pure apathy. She turned away, yawning as if she were bored by the end of the world. "Capture everyone alive here," she commanded her soldiers. "Shove them in the van."

  "What about Zero?" one of the soldiers asked, gesturing toward the floor. "Should we bring him too?"

  Zero? Who were they talking about?

  Mira pointed a lazy finger at Divyansh. He was still lying motionless, face-down on the cold floor. "No need. He wouldn't survive anyway. Leave him and bring the rest. And remember to grab every important file."

  The soldiers saluted and began fanning out to sweep the facility. Khan, still forced to his knees with a rifle pressed to his skull, screamed at her back. "Mira! You have no idea what you’re doing! Think rationally for once!"

  Mira didn't even break her stride. She just flicked her fingers. The guard holding the gun didn't hesitate—he slammed the butt of the rifle into the back of Khan’s head.

  Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the infirmary. I scrambled off the bed, my heart hammering against my ribs, and dove behind the heavy curtains just as the door was kicked open.

  "It’s just the infirmary," a voice grunted. "Nothing important."

  I held my breath, praying they’d leave, but then another voice spoke up from right behind the curtain. "Sir, we should probably check more carefully... just in case."

  I clamped my hands over my mouth, my lungs burning. I could see the man’s boots through the gap in the fabric. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead, threatening to drop and betray me.

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  "Oye, don't tell me what to do," the leader snapped. "Let’s just get out of here. You know that bitch doesn't like to be kept waiting."

  I waited until the sound of their boots faded completely before I dared to peek out. I let out a jagged, heavy breath. I ran to the holographic screen and watched the final evacuation. They had everyone tied up, dragging them out through the hole the creature had made.

  I stared at the screen until I was certain the facility was empty. It was a tomb—destroyed, silent, and covered in dust. I prayed Divyansh was still alive, but even if he was, how was I supposed to help him? I was a writer, not a medic.

  I crept out of the room. The long corridors that used to be filled with high-tech lights were now dark, wires hanging like vines. Sand was pouring through the cracks in the ceiling. I scrambled down the stairs, scraping my knees on the debris as I reached the arena floor. I flipped Divyansh over and pressed my hand against his chest.

  Thump... thump.

  Thank god. He was alive. But his condition was terrifying. I started to panic again. Should I get water? Should I shake him?

  Divyansh’s lips moved, a whisper so faint I had to lean in to hear it. "Get... the blue... syr... syringe."

  A blue syringe? I didn't have time to ask questions. I turned and ran, skidding on the sand and slamming into the wall at the base of the stairs. I raced back to the infirmary and tore through every drawer I could find.

  I found it in a small drawer labeled: PULSER.

  Inside was a syringe filled with a strange, glowing bluish liquid. I grabbed it and sprinted back down to the floor. I knelt over him, the needle trembling in my hand. I had no idea what I was doing. I just made a guess and plunged the needle into the side of his neck.

  For a second, nothing happened. My heart sank. Did I kill him?

  Then, his body began to twitch uncontrollably. I watched, horrified and fascinated, as his broken arm started to snap back into place, the bone reshaping itself at a terrifying speed. The gashes on his face began to knit together, the skin closing over the wounds until they vanished.

  He let out a violent, hacking cough and his eyes shot open.

  "Hey! Are you okay?" I babbled. "Should I get water? Can you sit up? Can you—"

  He actually laughed. Even now, half-dead and covered in blood, he laughed. "Dude... didn't you say you hate it when people ask too many questions? As you can see, I’m fortunately not dead."

  I stared at him, dumbfounded. I swear, one day I’m going to kill this guy myself.

  He coughed up a splash of blood, and I reached out to help, but he brushed me away. "Chill, I’m okay. The external stuff is healed, but my internals are still a mess. It'll be fine."

  "So what do we do now?" I asked, looking around the ruined hall. "Everyone is gone. They took them all."

  Divyansh went quiet for a moment, thinking. "We? We just have to survive for a month. It’s going to take me that long to heal."

  "What?!"