Laura's legs faltered as she reached the forest's edge. She stumbled, one knee hitting the soft earth before she caught herself with her hands. She pressed her forehead to the rough bark of a tree, forcing air into her lungs.

She'd left the wreckage, the flames, and the others behind. A part of her wanted to turn back, to be stronger, but her body refused to obey. She pushed herself upright, shaking off the debris stuck to her palms.

She froze when she heard voices.

They were faint at first. Laura turned, scanning the trees. She couldn't see anyone but recognised the voices—Tara and Ellis.

Her classmates were alive.

Laura took a tentative step forward, brushing past the low-hanging branches as she followed the sound. She moved deeper into the forest, her sneakers crunching against fallen leaves.

The voices grew clearer.

"Do you think anyone else made it?"

"I'm not going back out there!"

Laura slowed as she neared the source. The others had taken cover farther in. She stopped short, realising that if she followed them, she wouldn't be able to see the field or the train.

Instead, she crouched behind a large eucalyptus tree, pressing her back to the trunk. She peered around its edge, keeping her eyes on the wreckage in the distance. She could see everything from here—the train, the open field, and the helicopters in the distance.

Lee could still be alive. The thought grounded her, though it wasn't a certainty. She decided to wait and see if he made it out.

The train was worse now.

Flames crept along the outer shell of the front carriage, closer to the exit where she'd seen some others escape. The grass surrounding the wreckage glowed orange, lit by the embers drifting through the air.

Laura bit the inside of her cheek. The fire was spreading too fast.

Then, movement.

Her heart leapt when she saw him. Lee. He climbed out of the front carriage and headed for the front of the train.

"What are you doing?" Laura whispered, her hands gripping the tree.

She watched as he reached the driver's cabin with a handgun. He fired a few shots into the glass and then tried smashing it with the butt of the gun. The sound rang out across the field.

Her breath caught as she saw him strike the window again. The flames were close now, licking at the edges of the train. He paused, his shoulders heaving. He stepped back, focusing on the window. Then, without warning, he turned and disappeared back into the train.

"No," Laura murmured, shaking her head.

She leaned farther from the tree, her eyes darting between the wreckage and the tree line. The flames were nearly at the cabin now, their heat visible even from where she crouched.

The voices of her classmates rose again from behind, but she couldn't focus on their words. Her nails clawed the bark as the thought took hold: if the fire didn't reach him first, the smoke would.

And then, another figure emerged just as the flames began to curl toward the exit.

An agent climbed out of the train, dragging Lee behind him. Both were coughing, their movements sluggish. The agent shoved Lee forward, away from the train. The fire surged, swallowing the space where they had just been.

Gunfire erupted.

Bullets sliced through the air, forcing Laura to duck behind the tree. She pressed her back to the trunk, her breath catching in her throat.

"They're shooting," someone behind her whispered.

Laura leaned out just enough to see. Soldiers were advancing from the helicopters, rifles raised. Their bullets churned the dirt around the agent and Lee, missing by inches as the two men zigzagged across the field.

Lee staggered forward as he sprinted for the tree line.

A shot whizzed past the agent's shoulder, sending up a spray of dirt. Another struck the ground near Lee's feet, narrowly missing him.

Laura bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. "Come on," she whispered, barely aware she was speaking aloud.

Lee reached the edge of the forest first, disappearing into the brush. The agent was only a few steps behind, his head low as he dodged another volley of gunfire before vanishing into the cover of trees.

The gunfire stopped, the soldiers slowing as they reached the tree line.

Laura's shoulders slumped as the tension left her body all at once. Her legs trembled as she sank to the ground, pressing her forehead against her knees.

They'd made it. For now.

****

Vanessa moved deeper into the forest, her boots catching on roots and uneven ground. Her head pounded, blackness drifting in and out of her vision. But she forced herself forward, her fingers brushing against tree trunks for balance.

Even with the Madsen drug in her body, her senses were heightened. The surrounding forest felt alive, almost oppressive. The rustle of leaves and the crunch of boots on dry underbrush amplified in her ears. Even her heartbeat was a deafening drumbeat, out of sync with her gasping breaths. The soldiers were closing in.

"Agent 411," a voice called out, calm and composed. The leader – on the helicopter, she'd seen his rank; he was their commander.

Vanessa pressed herself against a tree, staying silent, listening.

"You can't run forever," he continued, closer now. "You're injured. Bleeding. And the virus is already taking its toll, isn't it?"

She peered around the trunk, her vision swimming. Four soldiers were moving through the forest. At their centre was the man giving the orders—a tall figure. His rifle hung loosely at his side as if he didn't even need it.

She ducked back behind the tree, pressing her lips together to suppress the cough that was clawing its way up her throat.

"411. I know you're still out here. You're good, I'll give you that—but not good enough."

Vanessa pressed tighter against the tree, willing her body to stay still. Her muscles tensed, every nerve screaming for action, but she forced herself to wait.

"You've figured it out by now, haven't you?" he continued. "This isn't just a random attack. We didn't blow up the train. We're not here to kill you. But we can't say the same for your people."

The words landed like a blow, and for a split second, her mind wavered. She'd been trained to ignore propaganda, to block out the enemy's attempts to manipulate, but something about the calm, measured certainty in his voice made her stomach twist.

"You were on that train for a reason. And it wasn't for your mission. All they had to do was let the enemy take the blame. You're a loose end. The virus didn't do its job fast enough. You're stronger than they expected. But that makes you dangerous, doesn't it? And dangerous assets don't live long."

Vanessa's fingers curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms. He didn't know anything. He couldn't. And yet...

"You think we are your enemy, but here we are, trying to keep you alive. Meanwhile, your people? They're the ones who left you to burn. They're the ones who took students, children, as collateral damage."

Her breath hitched, and the coughing fit she'd been suppressing broke free. She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

They moved in on her position.

Vanessa bolted. Her boots slipped on the uneven ground, her legs struggling to keep up as she weaved through the trees. The forest blurred around her, and the numbers flickering in her peripheral vision pulsed in erratic patterns, disorienting her. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself forward even as the pounding in her head became unbearable.

To her left, a sensation pulsed, almost like a call. Numbers flickered in her peripheral vision, beckoning her to follow. Whatever it was, it felt like a lifeline.

Summoning the last remnants of energy, Vanessa pushed away from the tree and followed the numbers. Vanessa shifted her weight to her left leg and swivelled to the right.

Vanessa spun just as movement rushed toward her. She dropped low, evading the strike. Her elbow shot up, slamming into the soldier's sternum. He stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. She seized the moment, catching him by the arm and twisting hard. His rifle swung wildly, firing into the trees before she wrenched it away from him and slammed the butt into his ribs. Her fist shot out, locked on its target. Impact. His head snapped back, his body crumpling to the ground, limp and unresponsive.

But the victory was a fleeting concept; she could sense more shadows converging upon her. Another presence charged at her. Instantly, she shifted her weight back onto her left leg, guarding her face with her right elbow. Swinging her body to the right, she dodged the enemy's strike while unleashing a venomous counter with her elbow. His nose broke instantly, blood spilling over his lips. He fell back, clutching his face, but Vanessa had no time for the satisfaction of another downed opponent.

She sensed another attack incoming from behind. Her calculations yielded no counterattacks—only defence. Rotating in place, she raised her arms, bracing for the hit. When it came, the force coursed through her like electricity, rattling her frame and sending her sprawling backward onto the ground.

Panting, she lay there, her mind processing tactical probabilities. Her hands clenched tufts of pine needles as she anticipated the opportune moment. The soldier, sensing her vulnerability, circled her hip. Vanessa's knee shot out, destabilising him. In one fluid motion, she reached up, grabbing his vest and yanking him to the ground. The moment his knees touched the earth, she struck like a python. Her legs coiled around his neck, her arms immobilising his own. He flailed, his futile struggles only tightening her stranglehold. Within seconds, he went limp.

"Enough!" the commander snapped, cutting through the chaos.

Vanessa whipped her head around, panting as she spotted the commander emerging from behind a tree. Blood stained the fabric of his pant leg.

He retrieved black plastic cuffs from his pocket and tossed them to her feet. "Put these on."

Vanessa stared at the cuffs, their symbolism gut-wrenching. They weren't just restraints; they were a cage. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she felt the debilitating exhaustion gnawing at her, compounded by a headache that seemed intent on splitting her skull open.

The commander was wounded and was losing blood. All she needed was a moment of weakness, a fraction of a second, where his guard dropped. She could incapacitate him then. But her body was betraying her.

"There's no cure here. I can see it—your lips are turning blue. You're shaking. You're running out of time." His tone was almost sympathetic.

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "You could just walk away. We're just pawns in someone else's game."

He closed the gap between them. The pain barely seemed to register on his face; his focus locked onto her like a predator zeroing in on its prey. "You're wasting time. Every second you fight is a second closer to the virus killing you. Or maybe you want to make this easy for them. Maybe you'd rather die here than face the truth."

The headache flared again, a searing pain. She clenched her teeth, her nails biting into the dirt as the world tilted around her.

With difficulty, she said, "How could you possibly know what is happening in a place out of your reach? Who your master? It wouldn't surprise me if Madicorp were willing to orchestrate an attack."

"Why are you so afraid of the outside world? The ocean may separate our lives, but our worlds are very much the same."

Vanessa's chest heaved as she fought for air. Her vision blurred, the forest spinning around her, but she refused to back down. "You're wrong," she rasped.

"If we were the ones trying to kill you, you'd already be dead. You're alive because we need you alive. Because we're not your enemy."

"We're all just tools for our masters," she spat, the word scraping against her throat.

"It doesn't change the fact that your people planted that bomb. They tried to kill you, and you know it. They conscripted you; they conditioned you to believe their lies. You're their experiment."

The commander cuffed her hands in front of her and pulled her up. Her vision blurred as the pounding in her head reached an unbearable crescendo. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed forward.

As the darkness closed in, she felt the commander's grip on her arm, steadying her before she hit the ground.