Chapter 71: After the Battle

The Zerg retreated before midnight. No one inside the defensive perimeter understood why the overwhelming assault had suddenly ended.

After the southern wall collapsed, the horde possessed every distinct advantage over the defenders. They had breached Sol Haven’s outer fortifications, identified its weak points, and adapted to nearly every weapon the human soldiers had deployed.

Yet after Raviah’s Root swept across the battlefield, the surviving creatures broke off their attack and began to withdraw.

They did not flee in a panic. They fell back in organized, disciplined formations. The massive Zerg commander remained standing at the tree line for several minutes, its four glowing crimson eyes fixed on the fortress. Then the creature turned back into the darkness.

One by one, the remaining armored Zerg followed their commander into the gloom. Their chitinous bodies disappeared beneath the shadow of the mutated trees until nothing remained but silence.

Rhyder stood atop the ruined southern wall, watching the dark line of the forest.

"Don’t pursue them," he ordered, his deep voice carrying over the crackling radio network.

Not a single soldier questioned the command. Sol Haven had survived the siege. However, the margin of their victory was terrifyingly thin.

By three in the morning, the fortress interior had transformed into a sprawling emergency medical center. Surviving soldiers carried wounded comrades through damaged concrete corridors while field engineers worked around them to shore up collapsing ceilings.

"Next patient!" a medic shouted over the din.

Raviah stood at the center of the main medical station with her sleeves rolled past her elbows. Dark, dried blood stained her white medical coat, and her hair had tumbled out of its pin. Heavy dark circles shadowed her pale skin, yet her hands remained remarkably steady.

"Internal bleeding," a young corporal called out, wheeling a gurney into her stall.

"Bring him here," Raviah commanded immediately.

She placed both hands firmly over the soldier’s torn abdomen. Her Root activated on command, sending a warm, translucent glow spreading beneath her fingertips. With precise intent, she guided her energy to seal the ruptured blood vessels and stabilize his organ functions.

"Pressure is dropping rapidly!" the attending medic warned, monitoring the manual gauge.

"Hold the line," Raviah urged, her focus sharpening as she redirected her Root’s flow.

The patient’s erratic pulse gradually smoothed into a strong, rhythmic beat.

"He’s stable," she breathed out, wiping sweat from her brow. "Move him to the recovery wing."

Before the gurney even cleared the doorway, another stretcher arrived.

Then another followed.

Then three more were lined up along the hallway wall.

Dozens of wounded soldiers urgently required specialized treatment. Some suffered from compound bone fractures, while others bore deep, jagged lacerations inflicted by Zerg claws. Several had crushed internal organs caused by falling concrete debris near the breach.

Raviah treated every single case brought before her without hesitation. Yet beneath her calm demeanor, her body was rapidly approaching its absolute limit.

Her internal Core had barely replenished its energy reserves after the massive field pulse she unleashed during the battle. Every fresh activation of her Root sent another brutal wave of physical fatigue crashing through her muscles.

Reaching discreetly toward her pocket, her mind reached into her hidden storage space to draw upon a concentrated nutrient pouch. She swallowed the fluid in seconds, using the quick boost to fight off the creeping blackness at the edges of her vision.

Still, she refused to step away from the operating table.

A broad shadow fell across her workspace.

Rhyder had entered the medical station, having remained nearby since the final retreat order was given. His uniform was still torn along the ribs, with crusty black Zerg blood caked over his right shoulder.

"You should rest," he said, stepping into her immediate space.

Raviah kept her focus on binding a soldier’s arm, not looking up. "So should you."

"I wasn’t the one who nearly destroyed my Core a few hours ago," he pointed out.

She glanced at him, shooting him a tired glare. "I am still fully capable of working."

"I know," he admitted smoothly.

He set a clean metal cup filled with warm water on the small table beside her tray.

"Drink," he insisted.

Raviah stared at the cup for a long moment.

Then she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his intense gaze.

"You’re very commanding, General," she noted.

"I am a General," he replied without a hint of irony.

"You’re also extremely annoying."

"I’ve been called far worse by better people," he said dryly.

For the first time all night, the corner of Raviah’s lips twitched upward into a faint smile. She picked up the cup and drank the water completely.

Rhyder didn’t leave, crossing his arms and remaining stationed directly beside her work desk.

The long hours slowly crawled toward dawn. One by one, the critical patients were stabilized and transferred out. The frantic chaos of the medical station gradually softened into a quiet, low hum.

Exhausted, Raviah collapsed into a wooden chair against the wall. Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy, refusing to stay open for more than a few seconds at a time.

Rhyder pulled up a metal stool and sat down right next to her.

"You’re finished for tonight," he stated firmly.

Raviah opened her mouth to lodge a formal protest. Nothing came out except a sigh. Her head tilted sideways, unbidden by her conscious mind. Her temple landed soft against his broad, solid shoulder.

Rhyder froze instantly, his posture going rigid. He looked down at the top of her head.

Raviah had already fallen sound asleep. Her breathing had instantly smoothed into a slow, peaceful rhythm.

For several long seconds, the hardened commander didn’t move a single muscle. He could have easily shifted her body onto the empty hospital cot three feet away. He could have called a medical assistant to escort her back to her private quarters. Instead, he remained seated where he was.

Minutes turned into a full hour.

Then another hour slipped by.

The muscles in his left shoulder grew stiff and numb under her weight. He ignored the discomfort entirely.

A young medic eventually walked into the room carrying a stack of clean bandages, caught sight of them, and immediately backed out into the hallway without making a sound.

Rhyder never shifted his position. He simply kept his eyes lowered, watching the calm expression of the woman resting against him.

She had spent the entire night pushing herself to the brink of death to save everyone else.

For once, he wanted her to have a moment of absolute peace. So he stayed right there.

The first faint rays of dawn eventually filtered through the cracked glass of the observation windows.

Raviah stirred, feeling the early morning light hit her face. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently. She opened her eyes, staring blankly at the floorboards.

For several seconds, her sleep-fogged mind couldn’t comprehend why she felt so warm and secure. Then she realized her head was resting squarely against something solid and immovable.

Someone.

She lifted her gaze in surprise.

Rhyder was still sitting on the small stool right beside her. His eyes were closed, though his posture remained unnaturally rigid despite the deep exhaustion visible on his face.

Raviah immediately sat up straight, her head snapping back.

"I..." she started, her voice raspy.

A deep warmth surged straight into her cheeks.

"You stayed here?" she asked.

Rhyder slowly opened his dark eyes, turning his head to look at her.

"For several hours," he admitted.

"You should have moved me to a bed," she said, self-consciously tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You were sleeping peacefully," he replied simply.

"So?"

"So I didn’t want to wake you," he said, as if that explained everything.

Raviah stared at him in utter disbelief. Her eyes dropped, instantly picking up on the subtle, awkward stiffness in his left shoulder.

"You let me sleep on you the entire night?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Your shoulder must hurt terribly right now."

"It does," he acknowledged directly.

She blinked, momentarily lost for words.

"Then why on earth didn’t you move?"

Rhyder looked at her for several quiet seconds, his dark eyes locking onto hers with unwavering intensity. Then the hard, disciplined edge of his expression softened slightly.

"You needed the rest," he said quietly.

Raviah quickly lowered her gaze, unable to maintain direct eye contact. Something warm and overwhelming spread rapidly through her chest. It wasn’t the flow of her Root. It wasn’t a sudden recovery of her internal energy. It was something far more unpredictable, and far more terrifying.

Rhyder leaned slightly closer to her, lowering his voice to a murmur.

"You can sleep beside me anytime," he said.

Raviah’s heart instantly skipped a beat. Then it began pounding violently against her ribs. She looked back up at him, her pulse roaring in her ears. And this time, she couldn’t blame the adrenaline of the battle.