"Wha-?"
Before Orette could finish, she was instantly stuck on her upper abdomen, just above her stomach.
The hit sent her flying past where she had walked and crashing into some trees.
It didn't take a couple of seconds for her to realise that she had been hit, she knew she had to push the sudden fear and get back up. More importantly, she had to face whoever did that to her.
A sudden feeling made her realise that it wasn't Ivan who did that, no.
If he had, then how was it possible?
He was a criple, and to rush just as fast from that particular distance, Orette couldn't imagine.
Eventually, she did get up, but the way she wrapped her arms around her stomach showed that the pain had not left.
Endure.
She had to endure it. How else is she able to survive if she can't even endure pain?
Orette's eyes drift apart from where she was hit. It looked like she covered a great deal of distance, which was not good.
The one who hit her was not visible, and it made her terrified, anxious, and worst of all, fearful.
She got up on one foot and slowly the other, and managed to stand as she heard the sound of her ribs cracking. This was not a good sign, and she knew it.
She tried to walk but noticed that her ankle was fractured.
Doomed.
She thought.
"Paethic."
She dared to mumble.
"Shit."
She cursed as soon as she heard something behind her. She was quick to turn away, only to find what she couldn't imagine.
Just behind the tall tree branches was what? Orette didn't know. She couldn't figure it out. She knew what its purpose was. She knew, and she did. She ran.
The broken ankle made her fall to the ground as she tripped from her pain. But in this moment, she didn't know pain; she knew Ivan.
She stood back up and searched the meadows, which was exactly where he had left her.
Orette spun her head around, trying to find him.
Couldn't he just disappear? How? This is a meadow? Is he a cripple? Couldn't he run just as fast?
Orette couldn't assemble her thoughts. She couldn't even assemble herself. The pain in her ribs stayed. Her ankle is broken. Godness, now she found out that her back hurts.
The situation was horrible for her mental and physical state.
Orette again spun her head for Ivan. If only he were there, he could help her, but truth be told, luck was not at her side.
Something landed just behind her.
Whatever it was, it was huge given the size of its shadow.
She didn't look back. But she had to, she had to know whom or what she was facing, and so she did.
Behind her was a huge and massive robot with a strange anatomy. Its legs and hands were like blades that shifted to reflect the moon.
Orette studied the face, no eyes, no mouth, just a flat tablet with a pointed head.
She noticed its feet. They stood on the ground like a needle, or, much more accurately, like a ballerina on her tiptoes.
"What are you?" Orette finally asked what she was meant to do when she first saw it.
The thing didn't reply.
It just stood there, pointing a blade at Orette, clearly showing what's coming next.