Timeline - November 9th | ( 3 Days Later )

"Take the one on the left!" Matthew's command cut through the chaos, his voice a beacon of authority amidst the falling snow. The outskirts of Avalon's capital had turned into a war zone, with desperate civilians seeking refuge within the city's shattered walls. This small town, the closest thing to civilization along the eastern border, lay near the barrier that had long kept them from the eastern continent.

The same barrier that had held back their enemies and their armies for years. Now with the recent attacks it had left Avalon marred by destruction and fire.

The air was too thick with smoke and the acrid stench of burning buildings of heated their senses. Screams of the wounded filled the air, mingling with the roars of monstrous attackers to create a symphony of devastation. Allegiant ships flew overhead, landing in the distance as they began evacuation procedures to rescue those caught in the attack.

Matthew's eyes were sharp, his focus unwavering as he directed their counterattack. His blade was a blur, slicing through enemies with lethal precision. Eko moved like a shadow beside him, her determination burning as fiercely as the fires around them. The falling snow swirled in the air, contrasting starkly with the fiery chaos.

Her movements were fluid, her strikes deadly, her gaze never leaving Matthew. Since his release from the infirmary, she had remained by his side, still grappling with the horrors that had unfolded. Her presence was a blend of protective instinct and fierce rage, and now he had somehow decided that this is where they needed to be, all things considered.

Allegiant and her soldiers could have easily taken care of this, but her idiotic boyfriend wanted to stretch his legs, didn't he? So that's how she found herself that Wednesday afternoon covered in soot and blood, because she also refused to let him out of her sight.

Even if they found their bond unbreakable at this point, even if they argued for days over the fact that she was Snow and he was Ace respectively, they both agreed that their bond was forged in the crucible of countless battles since they were kids.

Sure, there were moments she wanted to stab him when they argued, but she couldn't deny that discovering he was Ace had lifted a weight off her shoulders. Her boyfriend was as strong as she was—arguably stronger, though she would never admit it. She knew he could take care of himself, even if it terrified her that he was in just as much danger as she had been as a crystal warrior.

It was their last argument that was igniting her fury at that moment, causing her mind to lose focus. Slashing her blade into a scaly reptilian beast with deadly precision, she moved with almost supernatural grace, every motion a blend of power and agility. The monsters roared and lunged, but she was relentless, her resolve unwavering.

As the snow fell heavily with the ash around them, she severed the monster's head, letting it drop at her feet. Glancing up, she found Matthew again, moving across the battlefield as if on a wavelength completely his own. Her gaze fixated on him, anxiety gnawing at her despite the seed of fear planted by his heart condition and the implanted ICD. She couldn't shake his words, echoing in her mind: he had lived with this condition for years, and she just needed to trust him. She had to trust the support structure in place for him.

Trust him? Her sharp tongue almost lashed out at the memory. Trust him? She didn't care that he possessed formidable powers like she did; yes, she loved that about him and that he matched her own ruthlessness. It made days like this one, filled with monsters, seem almost effortless. But trust him with his health? That was a different story.

She was happy to trust him in every other aspect except for his health, and he had another thing coming if he thought she was just going to let it go. No, if he kept this nonsense up, it would be her fist in his face again for lying to her and keeping it a secret.

"SNOW!" Matthew's voice penetrated her senses. "FUCKING CONCENTRATE!"

The shout snapped her back to the present. She tightened her grip on her blade, her movements becoming even more precise and lethal. The rage from their argument still simmered beneath the surface, but now it was tempered with a renewed focus. She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her, not in the middle of a battlefield.

With her long brunette hair swirling around her, Eko cut down a swath of monsters with fierce determination, their heads rolling to the ground. Her rage was evident, as though she carried the world's anger on her shoulders. Despite her exhaustion creeping in, she pushed through. He was fine, they were fine. They were survivors, and they were Ace and Snow. They were fine.

Matthew, aware of how Eko was behaving, beheaded another creature. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she unleashed a powerful energy ball into the heart of an owl-like bear creature, causing it to explode and soak her in the process. She grimaced slightly, flicking her head over her shoulder towards him, searching for him, as though making sure he was still alive.

Meeting her stare, his lips curled into a half-smile. He nodded slightly, recognizing how she tried to mask her fear and pain. He loved her resolve but couldn't shake the worry that her focus on him might get her hurt.

"Fifty-seven," Eko taunted to shift the mood, then winked before disappearing into the fray.

Matthew's smirk faded as he followed suit, determined to keep an eye on her. As reckless as he could be, Snow had a tendency to charge ahead like a bull in a china shop, often letting her emotions get the best of her. Her inability to rein in her rage could make her vulnerable.

***** ****

Caught off guard, Richie found himself facing a charging blob-like creature. Its tentacle-like arms flailed wildly, striking everything in its path. Amidst the chaos, it wreaked havoc on homes and tore up the walkway, leaving destruction and anarchy in its wake.

Jesse, fueled by her favorite element, fire, erupted with flames from her palm, matching the intensity of her rage. Her battle cries echoed through the air as she fiercely attacked the monster, oblivious to the minions surrounding her. Jasmine swiftly joined her side, and together, they confronted the monsters, their movements synchronized in a deadly dance. As they fought, they discovered hidden civilians recklessly observing the chaos, adding to the urgency of their mission.

Richie's attention momentarily shifted to Eko's devilish smile a few meters in front of him, snowflakes swirled around her as she effortlessly killed a youma. "Sixty-one," she called out before disappearing in the blink of an eye, swiftly repositioning herself alongside Toni and Matthew to confront a fresh wave of monsters assaulting the slowly deteriorating East gates of the city.

Unexpectedly, another creature materialized, but Mya swiftly joined Richie's side with a grin on her face. In recent days, she seemed to relish the thrill of battle even more, a sentiment Richie was all too familiar with. Armed with daggers, Mya flashed him a satisfied smile, ready to charge at the approaching monster. Before Richie could take a step, Mya let out a scream of exhilaration, fully embracing the chaos of battle. Snow continued to fall heavily around them, the white flakes contrasting sharply with the dark blood splattered across the battlefield.

"You're going to get me killed," Richie muttered, watching Mya laugh as she provocatively taunted the advancing monster.

The blob beast took the bait and oozed toward the warriors. Fortunately, agility was one of their greatest attributes, and both warriors skillfully dodged every tentacle that reached out in an attempt to grab hold of them. The battlefield was a blur of motion, with Mya's daggers flashing in the dim light as she struck with deadly precision. Richie moved in tandem, their coordinated attacks creating a rhythm of destruction. Snowflakes continued to fall, blanketing the ground and muffling the sounds of their fierce battle, adding an eerie serenity to the chaos.

Collaborating seamlessly, they concentrated on dismantling the monster, skillfully evading the tentacles as they carved their way through. Mya's overconfidence, however, resulted in her being forcefully knocked into Richie, her screams resonating as her body collided with his, sending them both tumbling to the ground from the impact.

As they rolled to the side, they witnessed Matthew and Eko stepping in with flawless synchronization, launching their attacks in perfect unison. With a speed that few could fathom, the duo swiftly cut through the enemy, leaving onlookers in awe and incapable of replicating their extraordinary skill.

The two warriors moved with a grace that bordered on inhuman, their swords almost always bearing blood. But what truly sent shivers down the spine of every soul, what made Richie and Mya stare in awe, was the little smile that quirked on their snowy lips, as if they were indulging in some sweet treat or sharing a hushed and whispered secret.

Eko laughed as the monster's head fell at her feet, and Matthew plunged his sword into its heart. "Seventy-three," he leered, taunting her before vanishing. Richie and Mya watched as Eko clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, declaring, "I'll show you seventy-three, mate! No way I'm losing this bet!" In the blink of an eye, she, too, disappeared.

In the distance, Toni and Jesse could be heard keeping score of the duo's kills, engaging in a game to see who could defeat the most youmas in the month of November. Richie mused that they really needed to stop encouraging the pair; the rate they were going was borderline sadistic. But maybe that's what drew the idiots together. Whatever it was, Richie was staying out of it. The only relationship he cared about right now was the one he had with the woman in front of him.

Richie turned to Mya, both of them lying on the ground, chests heaving from the intense battle. His concern was etched on his face as he reached out a hand. "Are you okay?"

Mya rolled her eyes, her annoyance palpable. They had argued about this before, about her determination to prove she was strong enough to face the monsters. Strength was essential to her, a shield against the vulnerability she despised. With a grunt, she rolled onto her stomach and pushed up from the ground onto her knees.

"You came. I told you not to," she stated matter-of-factly, her voice strained but firm, refraining from passing judgment but clearly frustrated.

Despite her straightforward statement, Richie bristled at her words, feeling a mix of anger and worry. He followed suit, getting to his knees in front of her, his expression hardening. "I should've let them kill you? Great plan, Flick," he retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm, before smirking his cocky expression at her.

Mya couldn't help but laugh, the sound tinged with exasperation. "Yeah, it wasn't the best. But you said you wouldn't. Why did you?"

Richie's eyes darted away, the walls around his emotions threatening to collapse. But Mya wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. "Does it matter?" he asked defensively.

"It does to me," she insisted, leaning forward slightly to catch his gaze, her eyes searching his face for the truth.

Richie's mouth opened, poised to utter a statement that could reignite the tension, but he thought better of it and closed it. "Fine," he attempted again, his voice softer this time. "You think my first instinct is to protect you?" he asked, finally meeting her eyes with a mixture of frustration and tenderness.

Mya's hopeful expression faltered, and Richie, lost in his thoughts, missed it.

"Because I haven't been doing this for as long as you?" Mya rolled her eyes, ready for the lecture he had been giving her so often lately, but there was a crack in her defiance.

"Do you think it's because you're small, or a girl, or not strong enough? Do you think it's because of our history, or that you're the mother of our child?" Richie listed, his voice rising with each word, frustration and love mingling in his eyes.

"Yes," Mya replied quietly, the weight of her insecurities laid bare between them.

"You're wrong," Richie asserted, his voice firm. "You're so wrong."

"What is it then?" she raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

Richie's tongue clicked in an angry sound. "Because you're you. My first instinct is to push you until you break. I need you to survive," he said, his voice raw with emotion. He turned his attention away from her, watching the battlefield before him. Toni, Jesse, Matthew, and Eko were beheading youmas in the distance with rounds of laughter, and Jasmine shortly joined them, their banter rising again.

He felt her hand grasp his own, pulling his focus back to her. "As both of our illustrious leaders like to consistently say lately, we're survivors. We survive, that's what we do. And I have survived you. Even if you have broken me in ways that do not compare to this war." She edged closer to him, her voice trembling. "But I survived you. I had to."

Richie's eyes softened, his defenses crumbling. "And I know you hate me for walking out on you when you needed me. I walked out when Jacob died and you were breaking. I just fucking left because I couldn't breathe."

"I don't hate you," she whispered, and those words stopped Richie, the truth lingering between them.

"When did you stop hating me?" he asked, confounded by her revelation.

"I, uh," she looked straight ahead to the group again, "I overheard Eko talking to Jesse in the infirmary, you know when she was hysterical... Jesse said... that we're not gods, we cannot control life and death even with all our powers. It's why Eko felt out of control, because even with all of our powers, sometimes we can't always protect the ones we love. Life and death isn't up to us; nobody should have that power."

Mya shook her head and turned back to Richie, whose mouth was slightly ajar. He felt a lump in his throat, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

"That's when I realized why you hated yourself so much." Her eyes searched his, filled with understanding. "Because you couldn't save Jacob, and I think that broke you. I think you thought you could, that you should be able to."

Richie squeezed her hand back, his voice barely a whisper. "How could I tell you?"

Mya shook her head gently. "How could you not? You think I wouldn't have understood? Do you think I didn't want to grieve with you?" She smiled softly, squeezing his hand tighter. "I wanted to do that with you. I didn't want to do it alone. But I also know why you couldn't, and that's why I forgive you. Okay? For that part of it, I forgive you. So now, you need to forgive yourself, okay? You're allowed to forgive yourself."

With that, she let go of his hand and rose from the floor. Richie was left unable to speak, his heart heavy but lighter at the same time. His attention was drawn to the group in front of them, waving them over. Mya waved back and turned to him, offering her hand with a short smile.

"You ready to go?" Mya asked, her voice filled with quiet determination. "I don't think we're done yet."

Richie smiled, the kind of smile that Mya found herself smiling back at, the kind that had her heart in her throat. The smile that she once fell in love with. The smile that promised her a world of hope.

He grasped her hand and stood up, pulling her a fraction closer. "We're not done yet."

Mya raised a suspicious eyebrow at him, completely missing what he meant. "That's what I just said. They want to continue their killing spree," she said, pointing towards the group with her free hand. "I'm so over it."

"Don't be," Richie offered, his eyes twinkling with a mix of determination and affection. "I think the best is yet to come."

Mya pursed her lips, confused. "Are we talking about the same thing here, or did I miss something?"

Richie laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laugh, and stepped forward, pulling her along with him. "Come, let's go have some fun like we used to."

As the magic snapped around them, they followed the rest of the group into the abyss of monsters that waited for them. For Richie, today marked a profound change. Today, he knew he could get her back in his life, and this time he wasn't quitting. This time, he was going to make her see the changed person he had grown into, the man he wished he had been the first time