Lexicon I

The End of Everything

The helicopter blades chopped violently through the thick night air, the sound growing faint against the roar of Kinan's heart. The wind whipped against her face, but she barely felt it. She sat in stunned silence, staring at Sasha, who huddled in the corner of the helicopter cabin. The glow in Sasha's red eyes had faded, but Kinan couldn't shake the image of the blood creatures she had summoned—the devastation, the carnage.

How had it come to this? Kinan's thoughts spiraled. Sasha, her friend, her comrade, had transformed into something monstrous—something that terrified even Kinan, a trained mercenary who had seen death too many times to count.

Olav sat across from her, his eyes still wide with the shock of what they had just witnessed. He was always the calm one, always the rock in the storm, but now even his hands trembled as he reloaded his sniper rifle with mechanical precision, trying to focus on something—anything—other than the disaster they had just left behind.

Kinan's throat was dry, and every breath felt heavy, like the weight of the night was crushing down on her chest. She wanted to speak, to ask Price where they were going, what they were supposed to do now, but her voice felt trapped. She could only look at Sasha.

"Are you okay?" Kinan asked softly, finally forcing the words out, though they felt hollow.

Sasha didn't look up. Her face was ghostly pale, her body curled inward like she was trying to disappear, as if she was ashamed of the power she had unleashed. The quiet guilt that clung to her was worse than any words she could've said.

"I didn't mean to..." Sasha whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't want to hurt anyone."

Kinan felt a lump rise in her throat, her chest tightening. How could she respond to that? She had no idea what Sasha was capable of, and part of her was terrified to even ask. The girl she had once known—the broken child Price had saved from the ruins—was gone, replaced by something else, something darker.

"You killed them," Olav said quietly, his voice like steel cutting through the air. His eyes met Sasha's, cold and unblinking. "You didn't just hurt them. You slaughtered them."

Sasha flinched as if the words had physically struck her, her eyes welling with tears. "I didn't know what I was doing. It just... happened."

Olav's gaze didn't soften. "That's the problem. You don't know what you're doing. And you're dangerous because of it."

Kinan wanted to defend her, to say something, but she knew Olav was right. What Sasha had done back there... it wasn't something a normal human could do. The soldiers had been torn apart by those creatures, those blood constructs she had summoned, like they were nothing but rag dolls. And even now, Kinan could still hear their screams, echoing in her mind.

But what hit Kinan hardest wasn't the destruction Sasha had caused—it was the way Sasha had looked at her afterward. The fear, the helplessness, like a child lost in the dark. Kinan wanted to help her, to protect her, but she didn't know how anymore.

Price turned from the cockpit, his expression grim, his face hardened by years of combat. "We can't keep running. This ends now."

Kinan felt a chill run down her spine at his words. "What do you mean?"

Price's eyes flicked to Sasha, then back to Kinan. "You know what I mean. Sasha is a threat, Kinan. Not just to us, but to the entire world. If the wrong people get their hands on her, they'll use her as a weapon. And we've already seen what she's capable of."

Kinan's stomach dropped. "You're not seriously suggesting we—"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Price cut in sharply. "I'm telling you the reality of the situation. Sasha can't control her powers. We've already lost too many people because of it. If we don't stop this now, more people are going to die."