3. HUNTING SHADOWS ᵇᵉˡˡᵃᵐʸ ᵇˡᵃᵏᵉ

9. the hunter's love

-THE HUNTER'S LOVE-
"for once, I don't want to hunt this shadow. I want to embrace it, understand it, and be with it. "

##

As Bellamy drives through the open field, the tension inside the rover is thick. Sairah and Roan glance out their windows from time to time, scanning the landscape for any sign of the truck or Clarke. The vast open field stretches endlessly before them, with nothing but the distant horizon meeting the sky, their anxiety growing with each passing minute.

It's been more than an hour since they last encountered Sairah's warriors, but still no sign of Clarke. The endless expanse outside feels heavy, and the only sound inside the vehicle is the rumble of the engine and the occasional gust of wind as they speed through the terrain.

Sairah sits in the passenger seat, her attention momentarily diverted as she tends to her injured palm, wiping away the blood from the cut she got earlier. The sting of the wound distracts her from the gnawing worry that has been building up inside her. Suddenly, Roan's voice cuts through the quiet, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"There they are!" he shouts.

Sairah's head snaps up, her eyes locking onto the truck in the distance, racing across the field. It's moving fast, following the same direction they're headed. Her heart skips a beat, relief mixing with the familiar tension of impending conflict.

But something catches her eye. As the truck barrels forward, an Azgeda warrior stands in the back, shifting one of the large fuel tanks. Sairah squints, her brows knitting in concern. "What the hell is he doing?" she mutters, her voice barely above a breath.

"Weaponizing the fuel," Bellamy says, his voice tight as he presses down harder on the gas, pushing the rover to go faster.

Roan leans forward, his eyes narrowing at the scene ahead. "You said we need every drop," he says, his tone carrying the weight of the mission.

"We do!" Bellamy snaps back, his frustration clear.

Sairah's jaw tightens, her eyes sharpening as her focus narrows. "Get me as close as you can," she orders, determination fueling her voice. She shifts in her seat, turning toward the back of the rover. Roan moves aside, giving her space as she climbs toward the small hatch on the ceiling.

With a quick push, Sairah opens the hatch and pulls herself onto the roof of the speeding vehicle. The wind whips around her, making her hair fly wildly in every direction. The truck, now side by side with the rover, rumbles loudly beside her. She can see the Azgeda warrior in the back, still fiddling with the fuel tank. This is her moment.

She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. Her muscles tense, her body coiled like a spring, before she leaps.

Sairah soars through the air, her body arching as she jumps from the rover to the truck. The wind roars in her ears as she lands on the back of the truck with a thud, right beside the Azgeda warrior. The man turns instantly, eyes wide with surprise, but he's too slow. Sairah is already in motion.

In one fluid movement, she draws her twin gladius swords, their blades gleaming in the sunlight. The warrior reaches for his own sword, but Sairah moves like a shadow—quick and deadly. She swings her first sword low, slicing at his legs, forcing him to stumble back. With her second blade, she strikes high, aiming for his shoulder.

The warrior grunts in pain, his sword clattering to the ground as he barely manages to block her next blow with his arm. Desperate, he lunges forward, trying to overpower her with sheer strength, but Sairah is quicker. She sidesteps, spinning around him and landing a sharp kick to his side. The force sends him reeling, his body crashing into the side of the truck.