"I'd never dare dream of it," he replied with exaggerated solemnity, earning himself another weak snort of annoyance.
With the won safely laid down, Mikhailis felt the strange, adrenaline-driven strength finally leave him. His limbs trembled suddenly, as if reality had only just rembered to assert itself. The heavy toll of their escape hit him like a crashing wave, nearly sending him sprawling to the floor. He steadied himself quickly, clenching his jaw tight, refusing to show weakness now.
A sharp exhale escaped his lungs as he fought against the sudden dizziness that clouded his vision for half a heartbeat. He shook his head roughly, forcing himself upright, gathering what limited dical supplies they had brought. He began swiftly and ticulously tending to the injuries—pressing a fresh bandage tightly against the deep slash on Rhea's thigh, checking Cerys's arm carefully, fingers gentle yet firm as he applied ointnt to her wounds. His hands moved quickly but precisely, his mind fully focused despite the pounding headache building steadily behind his eyes.
Rodion's voice crackled suddenly in his mind, sharp and clear, startlingly urgent.
"Later," Mikhailis gritted out between clenched teeth, continuing his treatnt without pause. His fingers trembled slightly, though he quickly regained control, pressing gauze firmly onto Lira's bruised ribs.
Rodion did not relent, his digital voice edged with a sharpness Mikhailis had rarely heard before.
His head snapped up imdiately, the tension in Rodion's tone causing his stomach to tighten painfully. Rodion rarely expressed urgency unless the situation was genuinely dire.
"Tell ," Mikhailis demanded harshly, barely masking the unease rising rapidly in his chest.
Mikhailis froze mid-motion, his breath catching painfully in his throat. A chill of dread clawed its way up his spine, spreading swiftly through his limbs.
"What?" His voice was barely above a whisper, disbelief mixing sharply with fear.
Rodion continued evenly, though the AI's urgency lingered just beneath the surface of his typically controlled tone.
The word landed like a physical blow, echoing ominously through Mikhailis's mind.
Missing.
Rodion's tone softened subtly, but the edge of urgency remained, warning of greater danger yet unseen.
Mikhailis let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Rodion's certainty had eased so of the tension in his chest, but the doubts still lingered, stubbornly whispering at the edges of his thoughts. He rubbed his temple with the back of his hand, smudging soot across his forehead, eyes narrowing as he sorted through the chaos spinning inside his head.
If Laethor is genuine... then why isn't he here? What went wrong?
"Then why isn't he here?" Mikhailis asked aloud, frustration simring just beneath the surface of his words.
Rodion was silent, but Mikhailis could almost feel the AI running through probabilities, scenarios racing behind that artificial voice that was usually so irritatingly calm. The silence stretched for a heartbeat too long, heavy with unspoken implications.
Rodion began at last, voice asured yet edged with an uncommon urgency,
"Well, don't keep waiting," Mikhailis snapped impatiently, his tone harsher than he intended. He forced himself to exhale slowly, regaining control. "Please," he added softly, a rare concession.
Rodion continued smoothly, unfazed by Mikhailis's rare slip of composure.
Mikhailis grimaced, fists clenching tighter. "And scenario two?"
Mikhailis shook his head slowly, his jaw tightening further. "That would an they've planned this longer than we thought..."
Rodion continued smoothly, undeterred by the bitterness in Mikhailis's voice.
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