When a seemingly lifeless boy is saved by a girl.
-
Ma'vona was once a beloved member of the Kame'tire clan, known for their profound understanding of Pandora's flora and unparalleled healing skills. Their expertise was so great that they could heal...
A/N: Republishing this chapter 'cause I forgot to add something in between.
♪ Redemption by Pinar Toprak ♪ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Chapter Forty-Three: The Disguise
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The room was eerily silent as I moved, save for the faint hum of machinery in the walls. My chest rose and fell in deep, shaky breaths as I stared at the partly open door. As though mocking me of no chance to escape. The dull ache of my restraints biting into my wrists was nothing compared to the agony twisting in my chest.
It had been three days. Or maybe five? Honestly, I'd lost count.
The routine was always the same. They'd drag me out of this cell, limp and barely able to resist, and into that cold, sterile room with the looming machine. The Neuroscanner. And each time, they'd inject me with something—a cocktail of drugs—maybe to make my body compliant, sluggish, and easy to manipulate. Then the machine would hum to life, its piercing whirring noise rattling through my skull.
But every single time, something would go wrong. The machine would sputter, fail, and power down like it couldn't handle the strain. Or maybe it was something else—an oversight in their calculations? A design flaw? I didn't know, and honestly, I didn't care. All I knew was the toll it was taking on me.
My body was giving up. Swelling in places. My muscles ached, and my head pounded constantly. Each injection burned more than the last. I didn't even try to fight anymore when they came for me. What was the point?
My thoughts began to wander, as they often did in this endless silence. Tso'lek. Ey'ko. Richard. Their faces drifted into my mind, vivid and haunting. I wondered how they were holding up. Were they enduring the same hell as I was? Or worse?
My chest tightened as I thought more of them. What were they doing now? Had they given up hope? Or were they still fighting, still planning, still holding on for a chance to turn the tide?
My mind swirled with questions, the uncertainty gnawing at me like an open wound. I tried to focus on myself, on the reason I was still down here in this cold, metallic prison, but their faces haunted me. I had brought them into this, hadn't I? Their safety, or lack of it, felt like my burden to bear.
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. How could I have been so reckless? I should have ensured they were far, far away from this place, before continuing my search for Neteyam. Instead, I'd been so consumed by the thought of finding him, by the urgency of getting to him, that I'd let myself slip. I had underestimated the dangers, the traps lurking in the shadows.
And now, I didn't know where they were or if they were even safe. The blame settled like a weight in my chest, heavy and suffocating. My choices had led us here—led them into danger—and now I was forced to carry on, knowing I couldn't turn back. But with every shrug I did, I couldn't help but wonder if my search for one had cost me the others.
