Chapter 142: "Admiral... I Did Good, Right?"

Zeke moved quickly, tearing open the emergency pack strapped to his thigh and pulling out the R-kit, a compact medical device meant for this kind of field injury. He pressed it against the gaping wound on Gwen’s stomach first, watching as the device hummed to life and began weaving synthetic tissue across the ruined organ and muscle, buying enough time for her to recover.

But he knew this wouldn’t be enough. Gwen would still be immobile and wouldn’t be able to fight. She needed immediate medical attention from the Association. She’d only be able to heal her body quicker and get out of danger if she’s inside the Healing Pod.

And there was also the matter of miasma corruption. They needed a Guide who could purify it.

Suddenly a beautiful face with misty-grey eyes appeared in his mind.

If she were only here... could she purify this?

He hadn’t personally seen Aisha purify anyone, but he believed Nykos wouldn’t lie about being guided and purified by her. He wouldn’t joke about that sort of matter so easily. Besides, Nykos’ obsession with Aisha was far too believable for it to be a lie.

And although Aisha had denied it time and time again, Zeke didn’t fully believe her.

Still, he had respected her choice to hide if that was what she wanted.

But now... he felt regretful.

No... If that was what she wanted, I could force her to reveal herself.

Especially after what she had told them the last time they’d met. Ever since that day, Zeke thought about his actions and decided to distance himself from her. And the sudden report of an anomalous contaminated zone activity had come right at just the right time to distract him and give Aisha her space.

Feeling stupid at thinking of her in a situation like this, Zeke refocused on Gwen.

"Take the Vitally Pill," he ordered as he dug through the pouch at her hip for the small case every squad member was required to carry. He found the pill and placed it in her hand. "Swallow it now. It’ll slow down the bleeding."

It was a rare pill, imported from another star at considerable cost and something the Association had invested in, securing in bulk for their Sentinels and Guides’ uses. Before they entered the zone, Zeke had personally made sure every member of his squad carried one for emergencies just like this.

But Gwen didn’t reach for it. Her remaining eye, half-lidded and glassy, drifted toward him instead.

"Admiral..."

"Don’t talk. Focus on staying conscious."

She shook her head, a smile cracking through blood-streaked lips. "It’s so nice... having the Admiral fuss over me like this. The others in our squad, ugh... would die of envy if they saw this..."

"Gwen."

Zeke frowned. He meant to reprimand her from talking and saying things like this. But he found himself unable to say a word to a gravely wounded squad member.

"I think I can die smiling now."

Her hand trembled as she lifted it, fingers curling weakly into a fist. Zeke stared at it, unable to comprehend for half a second too long. Thinking she needed help for her to swallow the pill, he extended his hand. But Gwen let out a breathless huff that might have been a laugh.

"Bump your fist against mine," she said.

"Stop talking nonsense." Finally, Zeke couldn’t hold himself back from saying it. His jaw was clenched tight. He decided to work on the R-kit on her stomach instead even though he already knew it wasn’t going to be enough. "Save your strength by not talking. We’ll get out of here soon."

"What about the others? We’re going to rescue them, right?" Gwen asked, still worried about the four soldiers who went missing in this annexed contaminated zone.

Zeke was conflicted. The status of the four missing soldiers was still unknown and needed verification. But the situation had become far more dangerous than he had expected.

"I’ll find them."

Gwen smiled and believed him without any hint of hesitation. "As expected of our leader. Cough, cough!"

"Just take the pill—"

"There’s no need for that... You already knew, didn’t you?"

Zeke’s hands stilled.

She was right. He’d only seen the wounds across her front when he had torn her free of the swarm and didn’t fully register the extent of the damage until he had pulled her back against the ice wall to sit her upright.

And that was when he had noticed it. The pool of blood beneath her kept spreading and growing even after the R-kit had sealed the worst wound of her stomach.

He forced himself not to look and wanted to convince Gwen to focus on recovery.

Yet the truth couldn’t be hidden anymore.

Her back was gone, stripped down to exposed bone and ruined muscle where the creatures had fed on her the instant she had disappeared beneath them. She was running on nothing now, but the last fumes of life force her body still clung to.

Gwen laughed at his silence, except it came out as a wet, rattling wheeze, and a thin line of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Zeke looked at her and said nothing. Around them, the swarm was still pressing and clawing against the invisible barrier of his power, the pressure holding steady even as something inside him threatened to crack.

"Bump it, it’s my last wish," Gwen said again, weaker this time. Her fist trembled, still raised with what strength she had left. "In my hometown, we do this with someone we consider family."

His eyes shook when he heard that.

Gwen wasn’t born in Gaia. She came from another human-populated star and came to Gaia for training. The star she came from wasn’t any different from Gaia, but it was a bit poorer and couldn’t afford to train their high-ranking Sentinels. So, she was sent here to learn and become a great Sentinel.

Luckily, her effort and talent had been appreciated and she was recruited into being one of Zeke’s squad members. She started as an intern, but soon, her tenacity and sincerity in saving people inside the contaminated zones garnered respect from her squad members and even from Zeke.

But now... that youth’s journey was about to end.

Zeke lifted his hand and bumped it against hers. Gwen smiled even more.

"Admiral... I did good, right?"

Zeke nodded.

"Admiral... please, tell my family I love them..."

Zeke nodded again.

"Admiral... I..."

There was no continuation of that.

Her hand fell away from his, dropping limp against the icy floor. The faint light that had still been flickering in her remaining eye went out.

But her lips stayed curved in that same crooked, timeless smile frozen in place.