( PH 2)
The corridor no longer sounded like a battlefield.there were no gunshots no commands.no rushing footsteps
Only,
silence but it wasn't peaceful it was heavy.like something had just happened that the world itself hadn't fully understood yet.
Dust drifted slowly through the air.small fragments of concrete lay scattered across the ground.
The walls were cracked some parts completely shattered, others barely holding together.
The containment field gone.not broken,
not disabled.erased,
At the center of it all Anie stood.her body still,her breathing uneven.
Her hands slightly raised, fingers trembling like they didn't belong to her anymore.
Her eyes…
still glowing faintly.
But fading slowly uncertainly.A few meters away Eli lay on the ground.not unconscious but not fully stable either.
His chest rose sharply with each breath. His shoulder burned and torn still bled slowly, the dark red spreading through his already damaged clothes.
He tried to move his arm trembled,pain shot through his body immediately.
He stopped.
"...tch."
A quiet sound escaped his lips not fear,
not panic.just irritation his eyes shifted
searching.and then they found her.
"Anie…"
His voice was low rough but it reached.
She didn't respond something was wrong.
Eli felt it immediately not from the environment.not from the hunters from her.
She was too still too quiet,too… distant.
He forced himself up slowly.
every movement felt heavier than before. the damage had built up not just from one hit, but from everything that had happened.
Still he stood barely but enough.
Behind him hunters were recovering.
not all of them some still lay on the ground.others were pushing themselves up, disoriented, their systems flickering, armor damaged.
But they weren't attacking not yet.
because even they were watching her.
R-07 stepped forward slowly,carefully .
Not like a hunter approaching prey.
Like someone observing something…
new.
"Interesting…"
His voice was calm measured.but there was something beneath it something sharper.Eli's eyes narrowed he shifted slightly positioning himself between R-07 and Anie.even now even injured
even barely standing he didn't hesitate.
R-07 noticed of course he did,a small pause.
Then a faint tilt of the head.
"Even now…" said quietly,
"…you choose to stand."
Because his focus wasn't on R-07,
It was still on her.
"Anie."
This time his voice was firmer,closer.
He took a step toward her her fingers twitched.
Eli stopped not out of fear out of awareness.
Something unstable still lingered around her.Not visible but present.
Like the space around her hadn't fully returned to normal.
"Anie…" softer now, "Look at me."
Slowly,very slowly er head turned.her eyes met his and in that moment
Eli understood.
She wasn't okay not physically not mentally.not even emotionally.
There was something in her eyes
that hadn't been there before.Fear not of the hunters,not of the situation.
Of herself Her lips parted slightly.
But no words came.
She looked at her own hands still trembling still unstable.
"I…"
Her voice broke just one word.
and it already carried weight.
Eli took another step closer careful,
measured.
"You're okay."
He said it simply like it was a fact she shook her head,Immediately.
"No…"
Her voice trembled.
"I'm not…"
Her breathing became uneven again.
faster shallow.
"I didn't…"
She looked around the broken walls.
the destroyed corridor the fallen hunters.
"I didn't mean to do that…"
Eli watched her silent.because this was the real danger.not her power
her losing control of herself,
"It's not your fault."
She froze her eyes lifted again slowly.
"…What?"
Eli didn't look away,
"Your power reacted.",he said calmly,
She stared at him like she wanted to believe it.but couldn't,
"I felt it…"
she whispered Eli didn't interrupt.
"It wasn't just… fear…"
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I couldn't stop it…"
Her voice dropped lower quieter.
"It felt like…" A pause, along one.
"…like something inside me wanted it."
Silence even the hunters didn't move.
Eli's expression didn't change but his eyes sharpened slightly.that was
important very important.
Because that wasn't just loss of control.That was awakening before he could respond R-07 stepped forward again.
"Exactly."
Both of them turned he stopped a few steps away.not attacking not rushing
just observing.
"That feeling…"
he continued,"…is what makes you different."
Eli's jaw tightened,
"Stay out of this."
R-07 ignored him,his attention remained on Anie.
"You're afraid of it now." he said,
"But eventually…" A small pause,
"…you'll understand it."
Anie didn't respond,but her breathing changed.again,Eli noticed.Danger he stepped forward again blocking the line completely.
"You talk too much."
R-07 finally looked at him a faint smile.
"And you…" he said quietly,
"…are reaching your limit."
Eli didn't deny it because it was true.
his body was already slowing down.
Blood loss Internal damage energy drain.
Everything was stacking but he didn't step back.not even a little behind him
Anie spoke again.
"…Eli.",his eyes flickered slightly..
"Don't…" Her voice was weak.
"But clear." he didn't turn,
"…Don't get hurt again."
Silence something shifted not outside.
Inside Eli closed his eyes for a second.
Just a second then opened them again.
"…Too late for that."
A faint, tired smirk and then he moved,
Fast,faster than before.not because he had strength left but because he had no choice left.
R-07 reacted instantly their clash was immediate.
"THUD!"
Impact heavy raw,Eli's punch connected but not clean.R-07 blocked most of it still it pushed him back half a step.
"Impressive." R-07 countered immediately,
"CRACK!"
Eli's body took the hit this time he didn't fully recover.he staggered Anie's eyes widened.
"Eli !"
He steadied himself barely,but he was still standing.still between her and everything else.that moment hit her.
Hard he was injured,clearly seriously .
And still he didn't move,didn't hesitate.
didn't stop.
Why? !!!!!!!!!
That question again but this time
it didn't confuse her.
It hurt something inside her chest tightened.sharply.
Fear not of her power of losing him.
And that,changed something her fingers curled.
The air shifted again but this time
it didn't explode.it trembled like something was trying to stabilize.
To respond without destroying.Eli felt it.
Good that was good.
But R-07 noticed too,,
"…Adapting already."
His tone changed slightly,more serious now.
"This confirms it." he raised his hand.
"Change of priority."
Hunters immediately responded,
"Capture the male."
Eli's eyes widened slightly,"…What?"
"Terminate if necessary." Anie froze,
"No!!"
"No!"
Too late hunters moved.
Fast not toward her,toward him.Eli reacted.but his body was already failing.
"THUD!"
Another hit he dropped to one knee.
Anie's breath stopped,everything
slowed.her vision narrowed sound faded.And in that moment only one thing remained.him falling,
Because of her again something broke.
Not violenty deeply inside.her eyes lifted the glow returned.stronger but different.not chaotic, focused terrifyingly calm.
"Stop."
Her voice was no longer trembling.the corridor responded everything paused.
Hunters air sound even R-07 didn't move.for the first time he felt it.
Not curiosity not control something else.
"…danger."
And Anie took one step forward....