Where the Sun meets the Star

13. A Miracle Return

Chapter 13: A Miracle Return

Dr. Amara Velasco’s POV

The air in the camp buzzed with whispers, an electric current passing through every tent and corridor.

Word had spread quicklya unit was spotted on the outskirts of the jungle, battered but alive. My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted to the edge of the camp, barely able to breathe, hoping against hope that it was Kalix’s team.

I pushed through the small crowd gathering at the entrance, my hands shaking. And then I saw him.

Kalix stood among his team, looking every bit the warrior he was his face was smudged with dirt, his uniform torn, and he leaned heavily on Argus for support. But he was alive. Relief surged through me, overwhelming every thought and fear I’d held onto during those agonizing days of silence.

The world around me disappeared, and all I could see was him.

Our eyes met, and something in his gaze softened. Without another thought, I rushed forward, my hands instinctively reaching for his.

Kalix stumbled slightly as he caught me, his arms wrapping around me with a strength that belied his injuries. My heart felt like it would burst from my chest as I buried my face in his shoulder, letting the reality of his return sink in.

“You’re here,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “You’re really here.”

“I told you,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “I promised I’d come back.”
We stood there, holding each other, letting the rest of the world fade away.

Nothing else mattered in that moment just the fact that he was here, breathing, alive.

Captain Kalix Santiago’s POV

I hadn’t let myself think about Amara while we were out there. I couldn’t every time I did, it only made survival harder. But seeing her now, the weight of her arms around me, it was like a dam breaking. I’d made it back. Somehow, against all odds, I’d returned to her.

As I looked down at her, the relief and joy in her eyes, I felt an unfamiliar ache. She was here because I’d survived, but what if I hadn’t?

What if the next mission took me away from her forever? I couldn’t keep putting her through this. Not when I knew how much she’d been hurting.

“I need to get you checked out, Captain,” she said, her voice breaking the silence as she pulled away slightly, though her hand remained tightly wrapped around mine.

“I’m fine,” I tried to assure her, but the sharp pain in my leg disagreed.
She gave me a look, one that was equal parts relief and determination.

“Let me be the doctor here, alright?”
As we walked to the infirmary, her hand stayed in mine, grounding me in a way nothing else could. I saw her colleagues giving us sympathetic looks, and I knew they understood what I’d put her through. And for the first time, guilt weighed on me. Amara was a part of my life now, and this line of work… it would keep tearing us apart.

Once in the infirmary, Amara examined my injuries with a quiet intensity. Her hands were gentle, but I could feel the unspoken worry in each touch. When she finished, she sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes meeting mine.

“Kalix… I can’t lose you like that again,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I reached out, taking her hand in mine. “I know. And I don’t want to put you through that again.” I took a deep breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “I’m thinking about resigning.”