The air vibrated with suppressed power, his coils shaking, his jaw hanging open inches from her face.

  A single distorted word rumbled out of him:

  “…Ava…”

  Her voice softened, cracked with pain.

  “You didn’t fail me. You didn’t have to protect me like that. I’m okay.”

  His optics flickered again a glitching storm of red and blue in confusion.

  And then, in a halting, fractured sound:

  “Ava you are safe?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes. I’m safe.”

  Broderick’s massive head sagged, metal plates whining as his entire body shook. The glowing red aura around him flickered, dimming.

  But he was still unstable. Still dangerous.

  Kyo stepped closer, voice trembling. “Broderick… buddy… She’s alive.” Almost not believing it himself.

  Ava kept her hand pressed to his face, her voice a strained whisper. “I’m here. I’m alive. I’m not leaving you.”

  Broderick’s coils loosened just enough that a faint blue light returned to the edge of his optics.

  “You're alive good…”

  He bowed his head into her palm like a wounded animal.

  Miles sobbed behind him, relief flooding his small voice. “B-Broderick… please don’t be a monster…”

  Broderick’s whole frame convulsed a mixture of emotions all fighting inside him.

  Ava pressed her forehead to his metal brow.

  “You’re not,” she whispered. “You’re family.”

  Broderick let out a broken mechanical rumble, the closest thing the giant serpent had ever made to a sob. Broderick’s enormous frame trembled beneath Ava’s hand.

  His coils loosened. The glowing red pulsed once, twice, then flickered out.

  Metal plates folded inward, shrinking, collapsing, sliding into themselves with a deep mechanical groan. The massive serpent dwindled down, becoming compact, familiar, Broderick once more.

  His optics dimmed from blazing red to soft sky-blue.

  He sagged against the ground, smaller now, exhausted, trembling.

  Ava caught his face in both hands, breath shaking. “There you are… there you are…”

  Broderick blinked up at her, ashamed. “Ava… I… was not… merciful…”

  “You were scared,” she whispered. “That’s all.”

  Before the moment could settle, Ace’s voice cut through the clearing, fierce and urgent.

  “Everyone on your feet NOW,” he growled. “Boss event just spawned. Every outlaw, raider, guild, and Syndicate dog within a mile radius is sprinting this way.”

  Baxter tightened his grip on his hammer. “Shit.”

  Ace spat on the ground. “Fantastic. You all saw that 1k times the rewards. We’ll have half the damn continent here in five minutes.”

  “AVA!” a small voice cried.

  Miles broke into a full run from behind Baxter, tears streaking his face. Right as his foot caught on a root and he tripped forward.

  Kyo darted in, staggering but catching the boy just in time, dropping to one knee with the impact.

  “I got you,” Kyo breathed, holding him tight.

  Miles sobbed into Kyo’s shoulder, clutching fistfuls of his shirt.

  “B–Broderick was a monster! A–and Ava got hurt! And you were gone!”

  Kyo hugged him fiercely, voice unsteady. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe.”

  Ava turned toward the sound, relief flooding her tired features.

  Kyo looked up at her over Miles’s shoulder, the kind of look that said a thousand things he wasn’t ready to speak.

  Ace snarled, pacing like a caged wolf. “We need to MOVE. Like, now.”

  Baxter nodded, expression grim. “No arguments here. If any Syndicate trackers saw that event ping.”

  “They did,” Ace snapped. “Trust me.”

  Ava stumbled forward, Broderick’s head resting against her hip. She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. “Then what are we standing around for?” she rasped. “Let’s go.”

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  The forest behind them crackled with approaching footsteps.

  Time was up.

  Ace didn’t waste a second.

  He sprinted to the riverbank, scooping up Ava’s dented armor with one arm and her axe with the other. The weapon was nearly as big as the man himself, but he slung it over his shoulder without hesitation.

  “Ava, move!” he barked. “I’ve got your gear, now GO!”

  Ava staggered upright, still clutching her ribs. Broderick, now small again but trembling, tried to slither forward and nearly collapsed.

  Baxter stepped in immediately, hooking an arm under Ava’s elbow with surprising gentleness while using the other to help support Broderick’s weight.

  “Lean on me,” Baxter said, voice low. “You too, big guy.”

  “I-I am operational,” Broderick protested weakly, optics flickering.

  “Yeah, well,” Baxter grunted, lifting him anyway, “you don’t look it.”

  Kyo shifted Miles in his arms. The boy clung to him, face buried in Kyo’s shoulder, small sobs still hiccupping through him.

  “I’m tired…” Miles whispered, voice cracking.

  “I know,” Kyo murmured, brushing a hand through his hair. “I’ve got you. Just hang on.”

  Behind them, the forest filled with the thunder of approaching footsteps, too many, too close.

  Ace’s head whipped toward the sound. “Sable, front!”

  The wolf bolted ahead, scouting the path with a low growl.

  “We move NOW,” Ace snapped. “If a single Syndicate squad sees us carrying a downed Boss Entity, we’re done especially in everyone's current state.”

  Kyo adjusted Miles in his arms, nearly stumbling on a root.

  Ava caught the motion and tried to reach for him but her body faltered, Baxter holding her upright.

  “Ava,” Kyo breathed, eyes shining with panic.

  She forced a shaky grin. “I’m good. Just go.”

  “No talking,” Ace called sharply from ahead. “Save your breath for running!”

  They plunged into the forest. Ace leading with Sable low to ground, Kyo sprinting as best he could with Miles clutching his shirt. Baxter supporting Ava while half-carrying Broderick, Ava grinding through the pain with every step

  All of them ran from the battlefield as fast as their battered bodies could move.

  Branches whipped past. Mud splattered up their legs. Breaths came ragged and uneven.

  Behind them, distant shouts echoed:

  “Boss Event triggered!”

  “Over here!”

  “This way, footprints!”

  “Did someone already kill it?!”

  Ace swore under his breath. “We need to put at least a mile between us and that river. Preferably two.”

  Ava stumbled.

  Baxter gripped her tighter. “I’ve got you.”

  Broderick whispered, “Ava… This is my fault”

  She shook her head fiercely despite the pain. “No. Not ever.”

  Kyo’s grip tightened around Miles.

  They didn’t stop.

  They didn’t look back.

  They ran until the sounds of hunters, raiders, and Syndicate trackers faded into the depths behind them.

  They ran until only the sound of their labored breathing filled the trees.

  They ran because if they stopped they wouldn’t survive the next five minutes.

  After what felt like a lifetime of running, they finally stumbled across a narrow cave carved into the cliffside.

  Ace slipped inside first, scanning the shadows with his bow drawn. Sable padded ahead, sniffing, ears forward. “Clear,” Ace said. “Move.”

  Baxter was next, half-carrying Ava with one arm while supporting Broderick with the other. The metal serpent trembled violently, plates sparking from the overload.

  Ava winced with each step, bruised ribs aching. “Easy… easy…”

  “I’m trying,” Baxter muttered, struggling with both of their weight. “You two aren’t exactly light.”

  Broderick whirred softly. “Apologies… mass… difficult to reduce…”

  Ava barked a tired laugh. “You’re fine, big guy.”

  Kyo entered last, carrying Miles pressed against his chest. The boy clung to him, exhausted and tear-streaked, shaking softly.

  The moment they were inside and out of view from the forest, Kyo looked over at Ava.

  She was still in only her bra, covered in mud and bruises, shivering slightly from the cold water she’d been bathing in before the chaos.

  Without a word, he shrugged off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, covering her chest and arms fully.

  Ava blinked in surprise, cheeks coloring. “Kyo… you didn’t have to-”

  He didn’t hear the rest.

  The second the cloak left his shoulders, Kyo’s knees buckled.

  His legs gave out completely and he crumpled to the ground, barely catching himself on one hand.

  “KYO!” Ava reached for him, but Baxter’s arm was still around her, keeping her upright.

  Ace whipped around. “The hell?”

  Kyo forced a shaky breath, waving weakly. “I’m… fine. Just- just tired.”

  Miles clung tighter around his neck, voice trembling. “Don’t fall… please don’t fall…”

  Kyo hugged him back, steadying the boy even as he swayed.

  Ace reached into his pack and tossed a small glass vial to Kyo. “Potion. Drink it.”

  Kyo blinked hard, still on his knees. “You sure?”

  “It’s my last two,” Ace snapped. “So both of you” he pointed at Kyo and Ava, “stop doing reckless shit until we find more.”

  Ava huffed a laugh, pulling Kyo’s cloak tighter around herself. “Thanks, Ace.”

  He grumbled but set her chestplate down next to her with deliberate care.

  Baxter gently eased Broderick to the cave floor, the metal serpent curling weakly into himself, optics flickering.

  Then Baxter turned to Ava, then to Kyo and to Miles and Broderick and finally to Ace.

  His voice broke.

  “I… I’m sorry,” Baxter said, shoulders sagging. “I attacked the wrong person. I almost got her killed. I scared the kid. I triggered whatever that boss thing was. I should’ve known I should’ve-”

  Ace threw up both hands.

  “Oh my god, Baxter.” He walked over and flicked him in the forehead.

  Baxter recoiled. “Ow?!”

  “WE GET IT,” Ace barked. “You’re sorry. Great. Wonderful. Now shut up before you apologize to us into a grave.”

  Ava snorted. Kyo wheezed a laugh. Even Broderick let out a weak mechanical chirp that could’ve been amusement.

  Baxter rubbed his forehead, muttering, “…Didn’t have to flick me.”

  “Yes I did,” Ace deadpanned. “Trust me.” The cave fell into a tired, fragile peace as everyone finally caught their breath.

  Miles curled up beside Kyo, still trembling. Ava shifted closer to Broderick, laying a hand on his metal snout.

  Baxter sat heavily, hammer propped beside him. Ace watched the cave entrance, bow across his knees, Sable at his feet.

  Trying to make sense of the events that took place hours before.

  Just breathing, alive.