Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday

The moment Grace and her team stepped out of the portal, they were back in Greenstone, in the living room of Unit 2203. The air was thick with tension, and their bodies were still on high alert from the battle they had barely escaped.

Davian was the last to exit, and as soon as he did, the portal behind him flickered and collapsed into itself. Rune let out a sigh of exhaustion, leaning against the nearest wall as if he needed the support when he really didn’t.

"That was too close," Aleena muttered, wiping the dirt from her face that she got while fighting.

"You are telling me," Kevin grumbled as he checked his ammunition. "That place was kind of a nightmare."

"And it’ll only get worse," Grace said, running a hand through her damp hair. The trip underwater, combined with the energy she had spent fighting, left her feeling drained. "The military will investigate the restricted zone soon."

"Did they see us?" Rio asked, glancing at Rune.

"No," Rune answered, straightening. "I made sure of that. But they will notice the disturbance. They will not be able to track this matter back to us, but it can make the situation worse. We need to prepare for whatever comes next."

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A heavy silence settled over the group. They had gone into the restricted zone looking for answers, and they had found more than they had bargained for. A dragon. A level nine Spirit Stone. A beast that had mutated far beyond what was thought possible.

"2025," Grace called out, reaching out through their connection. "How’s the dragon?"

[Stable. It is in a deep sleep in the depths of the lake. The mutation process it underwent was extreme, but it adapted. Its energy is powerful, almost divine.]

"Can you wake it up?"

[Not recommended. It has just bonded to you. If you wake it too soon, it might resist, or worse, go berserk.]

Grace exhaled slowly. She already had enough problems on her hands, she didn’t need a rampaging dragon inside her space to add to them. "Fine. Let it sleep for now."

[Understood.]

Kevin let out a low whistle, bringing her attention back to ongoing conversation. "So, what do we do with a dragon?"

"Tame it," she said simply. "We need to make sure it fully submits to me."

"And if it doesn’t?" Silas asked, crossing his arms.

"Then we are in trouble."

* * *

With the mission concluded, everyone headed to their apartments.

The moment Grace, Rune, and Davian stepped into their apartment, the tension that had been simmering beneath the surface finally exploded. The door had barely shut behind them when Davian turned to face her, his eyes dark with anger.

"What the hell were you thinking, Grace?" His voice was sharp, colder than usual. "Jumping into that pond alone? Do you have a death wish?"

Rune, on the other hand, ran a hand through his dark hair before starting to pace around the living room in frustration. "You didn’t even give us a warning! One second you were there, and the next, you were gone!" He stopped abruptly and fixed her with a heated gaze. "You didn’t even left us with a way to protect you."

Grace exhaled, bracing herself. She had known this confrontation was coming the moment she had made the choice to dive into the pond. And while she understood their anger, she also knew she had done what was necessary.

"I didn’t have time to explain," she said, keeping her voice calm. "If I had hesitated, we could have all died. The trees were attacking. The infected Beasts were coming for us. The only way to stop it was to go for the source - the dragon."

"You could have told us!" Davian snapped. "Even in that moment, you could have given us some signal instead of leaving us to panic while fighting off those monsters!"

"And what if something had happened to you?" Rune’s voice was lower, rougher. "You were underwater, alone, facing a mutated dragon. If it had injured you, what the hell were we supposed to do?"

Grace stepped forward, reaching out to him, but he took a step back, his jaw tightening. That small action hurt more than his words. Rune was always the one pulling her into his arms, always touching her. For him to move away… she knew she had truly hurt him.

"I know you are mad," she said softly, looking at both of them. "I would be, too. But you know me. You know I had to make that call."

Davian let out a sharp breath, rubbing his temple as if trying to reign in his anger. "That’s not the point, Grace. We know you are strong, but we are supposed to be a team. You didn’t act like you trusted us to have your back."

The guilt settled deep in her chest.

Her gaze shifted between the two men, and she felt her heart breaking. She wasn’t offended after seeing them so mad at her for what she did, instead, it actually filled her with a warm feeling. At least, she had now such people around her who cared so much about her.

Their anger was proof of their love for her.

"* do trust you," she said sincerely. "With my life. But sometimes, the risk is mine to take. And I will never - never - let anything happen to either of you if I can prevent it. If that means making a split-second decision to protect you, then I will."

Rune’s hands clenched at his sides, and for a moment, she thought he would continue arguing. But then, with a sharp exhale, he suddenly closed the distance between them, pulling her against his chest in a crushing embrace.

"You are impossible," he murmured, his voice rough in her ear. "Absolutely impossible."

She melted into his hold, wrapping her arms around him. "But you still love me," she teased lightly, using the same words he kept telling her all the time.

"I do," he admitted, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Which is why you make me insane."