A/N: I have a book on Amazon. Your support would mean the world to me!:) Here's the link if you want to check it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Being-Unbothered-Confidence-Negativity-ebook/dp/B09DFQ2H8H/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1629900404&sr=8-4

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Fear and adrenaline drove Mica to begin CPR on Noah. He'd neither done it nor had ever been taught how to do it. Yet, he knew he had to stimulate his heart somehow. Sweat dampened his hairline as he pushed down repeatedly on his chest.

He quickly realized Noah had another issue. He wasn't breathing. If he stayed without oxygen for too long, his brain could be permanently damaged. Mica stopped compressing Noah's chest.

Panicked, he shouted, "Hurry! Someone, breathe into his mouth and give him air."

Hannah didn't hesitate. She volunteered and got behind Noah's head. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over him and blew into his mouth. His chest didn't rise. Instead, she felt air escape through his nostrils. The second time, Hannah pinched his nose shut and lifted behind his neck to open his airway. She filled her lungs with air and bent down, blowing into him again. This time, his chest rose and slowly fell. It was working. Noah was given two breaths. After that, Mica continued the compressions, and the cycle continued.

Kara's hands trembled as she held up the illuminus pen in their direction. Aaron was beside her, and wept bitter tears. He blamed himself for letting this happen.

I... I was right there. I could've stopped him! Why didn't I?

He desperately hoped that this wasn't the end for Noah. What would he do without him? Light nervously twiddled with his fingers as he stood from the ground. He walked around, looking for something--anything that could help aid the dire situation. Kole stood near the entrance with his arms crossed, annoyed that the others were wasting time. Even though Noah had blown out the power a second time, Kole was still apprehensive. Would the blackout last this time? If not, then how long did they have before the power returned? He was getting impatient.

Light was walking when he stepped on something. He looked down, the soft rays from the pen casted enough light for him to see it was a kit of some kind. He picked it up and it read: AED. Light set the AED on the table and opened the instruction manual. Flipping through its pages, his computer brain memorized its contents.

In the meantime, the others were still administering CPR, but they were getting tired. Hannah began to feel dizzy. Tiny, black dots slowly consumed her vision. As for Mica, his arms felt like heavy bricks of stone. His shoulders burned from the constant pressure of going up and down on Noah's chest.

Sweat trickled down Mica's neck and his breaths were labored. Exhausted, he stopped and pressed his ear against Noah's bosom. Yet, there was no heartbeat. They have been at it for around ten minutes, but he was still void of life, much like a doll. His tears ran down and dampened Noah's skin. Kara squeezed Mica's shoulder. He turned and gazed at her with a broken expression.

With tears in her eyes, she gently grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. "Let's switch. You're tired." Kara looked up at Hannah. "You too. Let Aaron take over. We can't give up yet."

Mica nodded and took the lit pen from her. As Kara administered CRP, Hannah scooted to the side, giving Aaron space. When Kara stopped, Aaron opened Noah's airway and pinched his nose shut, then breathed into him. Five minutes passed, then eight. Soon, they passed the ten minute mark again. That was when the lights flickered. They flickered on and off for fifteen seconds before the lights turned on again.

Kole clenched his fists and swore angrily. "I knew it. The power came back on and it's all because you guys wasted time!"

They ignored him and continued.

"Wow! And you're still trying to save him. Unbelievable!"

Mica's chest burned with a fiery anger. Turning to him, he shouted, "What else do you expect us to do? He's our brother!"

"A corps can't be your brother."

Mica dropped the pen then stood and stepped up to him. Looking up, he glared at him with sharp eyes. "Don't you dare talk like that about him after the sacrifice he made for us."

Kole scoffed. "But where will that sacrifice take us, now that you all have wasted it? He died in vain."

"That's... that's not true. He didn't..." Mica swallowed nervously. "He didn't die in vain. H-He can still make it. We... we just gotta try harder--"

"He's dead, Micaiah. You just can't accept it. Why is that?"

Mica frowned deeply. He wanted to use his Fore-Light on him, but he restrained himself the best he could.

"Because I love him. He's a part of my family!"

"Yeah, but could it also be because Caesar told you to take care of them?"

Mica's hard expression softened and his posture faltered. "...Don't... you don't get to mention his name."

"All your pride went into saving everyone you cared about, but now that one's gone your little world is crushed. You let yourself down. You failed Caesar and there's nothing you can do about it."

Mica's legs buckled and he fell to his knees. "That's... that's not true," he muffled under his breath.

Kole gazed down at him with a frosty stare. "Losing one makes your whole world crash. Do you wanna get outta here or not?" Mica remained frozen. "You're so pathetic."

Anger burned like boiling lava in Aaron's veins. The situation they found themselves in was already dire. What Kole was doing was rubbing salt onto an opened wound. Aaron resented that. Mica had risked so much for him. But what has he ever done for him in return?

Frowning deeply, Aaron bared his teeth and jumped to his feet. He sprinted in Kole's direction. Pulling his arm back, Aaron clenched his fist tightly and smashed it against the side of Kole's jaw so hard a few fingers cracked. Saliva flew from Kole's mouth as his face jerked sideways. He was knocked off balance and crashed against the ground.

The attack was so swift that Kole didn't have any time to respond. He couldn't have predicted this. Aaron had such a timid personality that it was out of character for him. Even the others stood back, shocked by what had just happened.

Groaning, Kole held the side of his face and swore. He got to his feet and hardened his fist, about to throw one of his own punches, but was struck frozen at the sight before him. Aaron stood protectively before Mica. He dauntingly towered over Kole with his 6'2 height, and for the first time ever, he activated his Fore-Light in front of his brothers. His wings sliced through his back as if it were made of butter and smoothly came out until they were all the way out.

They were a striking silver color with soft glazes of baby blue melted into it, and the length of each wing was around eight feet. Aaron's irritation caused his silky feathers to puff out. He stretched them out to their full length, making him appear even bigger. Wide-eyed, Kole swallowed nervously. He hated to admit it but he was actually intimidated. Everyone was speechless as they stared at his wings. They shimmered like diamonds--utterly mesmerizing.

Breathless, Mica said, "...Aaron."

Aaron glowered down at Kole with sharp eyes. "Who are you to talk to him like this?" Tears leaked from his eyes and down his cheeks. "Don't you know what we've been through? Enough is enough!"

Kole frowned. He hesitated but said,. "Don't you get that someone has to be the voice of reason around here? We're at a disadvantage now because the light is on! If we had left earlier we would've been in a better place by now."

"Shut up! If you don't like how we're doing things, then you can leave. We didn't--"

"Aaron." Mica placed his hand on his shoulder. "I... he's not wrong."

"What... are you saying?" Aaron deactivated his Fore-Light. "You don't mean..."

Mica lowered his chin. "I'm saying... we need to start moving. We've stayed here too long."

Kara's eyes widened. "No! He's our brother. We can't just... leave him here."

"What are you talking about?" Hannah shouted angrily.

"Of course I know that!" He balled his fists until they shook. "But don't you get why he did this? He did this so that we could live, and... if we continue to stay here, we'll get caught and he would've died for no reason."

There was a moment of silence.

Hannah wiped her cheek. "I find it hard... to just walk away from him."

"I understand." His voice trembled. "Caesar trusted me with all of you, and... and now that Noah's gone I don't know how I'll ever forgive myself. I feel so ashamed. But we're not walking away from him. We... tried everything we could--"

Light suddenly spoke. "No, not everything. There's something else we could try."

"Light I know, but... but we need to go."

With innocent eyes, Light shook his head. He was firm. "Big brother... always told us to stick together. If we leave him then... we won't be together. We haven't done everything yet."

Light went to his knees next to Kara and set the AED machine beside him.

Unsure, Mica asked, "What is that?"

"It's called an AED."

"Can... it help him?"

Light spoke quickly as he opened the case. "That's what I'm hoping for. It's used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It can analyze his heart's rhythm and deliver an electrical shock, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm."

Kole scoffed sceptically. "He died of a shock, so your solution is to shock him again? I thought you were the smart one."

Light ignored him. He pushed up Noah's shirt further up and took out the two AED electrical pads. He recalled the instructions and placed them accordingly then connected the electrical cords to the main device. Aaron and Mica knelt with them. Frowning, Kole remained at a distance with his arms crossed. Light pressed the power button, which was followed by a robotic voice.

"Analyzing rhythm. Everyone, stand clear."

Noah and the others backed away slightly as the machine analysed Noah's heart. The examination took about ten seconds but to them it felt like an eternity. The suspense weighed heavily on them.

"Shock advised," the voice said. "Charging. Everyone, stand clear. Push the shock button."

Light pressed the red button. In response, Noah's body jerked quickly. Seeing Noah's body move gave them hope even if it was for only a second.

The AED spoke up again. "Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm." The silence lasted for about ten seconds before it said, "Patient is in V-Fib. Continue CPR."

Light's voice was frantic. "The AED--it needs time to charge. Do what you were doing until it's ready again."

This time, Mica jumped forward and began compressing his chest.

No, I can't give up on you now that there's hope. If it were Caesar, he'd keep trying and trying... and trying. He'd never give up.

"Come on, buddy. Wake up. Open your eyes." Mica's eyes glistened. "Please."

Kara sniffled. "Don't give up, Noah. There's still so much to live for."

Hannah wiped the sweat from her brow. She then went behind Noah's head then gave him air when it was her turn. Kole watched on skeptically.

Can... they really save him?

The AED spoke up again. "Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm." They all backed up. After a moment passed, it said, "Shock advised."

Light pressed the button and Noah's body jerked up like it did before. However, this time, his chest moved up and down on its own. He stretched his arms and balled his fists with trembling fingers. Everyone gasped and began to speak out of excitement, even Kole looked on with interest.

"Shh! Be quiet." Mica quickly put his ear against Noah's heart and listened.

At first he could barely hear anything, but soon the heartbeat gradually became louder until it was strong. In the background, the AED machine told them that Noah had normal sinus rhythm, and it would be wise to wait for medical personnel. Mica ripped off the AED pads and listened again.

Ba-dum... Ba-dum... Ba-dum

The feel of Noah's chest rising and falling, and the sound of his heart was like oil soothing a fresh wound—it was refreshing. Overwhelmed with emotion for Noah, Mica scrunched his nose and wept like a little child.

Groaning, Noah winced and opened his eyes slowly. He looked around and was so confused. Why was he on the ground? Why was everyone staring at him with sad, puffy eyes? And... why was he in so much pain?

Noah sucked in air sharply and whimpered. "Mica... guys? What's... going on?"

Mica got off of Noah and sat him up. He kissed his temple and embraced him tightly, placing a hand behind his head.

"...Noah, you died, but we brought you back."

With wide eyes, Noah tried to process what he just heard. "I-I died?"

Mica let go, giving the others a chance to hold him. They hugged him and gave him pecks all over his face, lovingly doting on him. They cried and expressed their care for him.

Aaron spoke up. "You... died trying to shut down the generator."

After a brief moment, Noah broke through the fog in his mind and remembered. Ah, yes. That's right. He blacked out after blasting the generator with everything he had. This must be the reason his chest burned like fire.

Clenching his chest, Noah looked up and saw that the lights were on. Ashamed, he asked, "Did I... fail?"

Mica shook his head. "No, you didn't."

"But the lights are—"

"That doesn't matter," he said firmly. "Can you walk?"

Noah pushed against the ground, trying to get up but his arms wobbled violently until they collapsed underneath him.

"I'm... I think I'm too weak."

Noah's vision swirled and he began to feel ill. He felt this way only one other time. That was when he severely damaged his heart during training, but the scientists and doctors were there to repair him. Yet, now, he didn't have that option.

"That's fine. I'll carry you," Mica said.

Noah's voice was no louder than a whisper. "You... sure?" He swallowed breathlessly.

"Of course." Mica crouched down and said, "Someone help him on my back."

Aaron came and helped Noah. When Mica had a good grip on him, he stood. The girls came up to Noah and gently held his hand. They gazed up at him with the biggest eyes. The concern in their eyes was sweet and refreshing. He was touched by how genuine they were despite only just meeting. If he could properly describe them, he'd say they were cute. Kara opened her mouth to say something but closed it out of hesitation.

Hannah spoke for both of them when she said, "Stay strong. Do it... for all of us."

Noah relaxed his eyes and smiled softly. He gave their hands a reassuring squeeze and whispered, "I will."

He let go as Mica walked away. Exhausted, Noah rested his head on Mica's shoulder, and was glad he didn't need to exert anymore energy. Or, at least, hopefully.

Mica led the way and peeked out of the door to analyze the hallway. As he did this, Kara thought of Caesar and anxiously clamped her hands together. She came beside him and softly tugged his shirt.

"Are we... really leaving him?"

Mica looked down, avoiding her gaze. "I wish... circumstances were different. But we have no other choice."

"What if... there's a way?"

"There... isn't any. Trust me on this."

"But... but what if he's still alive waiting--hoping for us to save him."

"No, this isn't... it's not the first time this has happened. When someone is taken to capital punishment, they never come back. And--so I don't think Caesar is... he's not..." Mica couldn't bring himself to say it. "You can ask any of them," he said, referring to his brothers. "We'll never see him again."

Kara looked and saw their sad and lowered faces, but she remained firm. "I still can't get over the fact that... he still might be alive. Aren't you curious? I can't be the only one."

Mica clenched his jaw. "And where would we find him?"

"I mean

"The lights are on, Armed and Suited men are crawling all around, and now we have one injured. We can't risk it and look for Caesar. We don't even know if he's alive."

"But we... we can still try."

"Kara..."

Anger built up within her. "He'd do it for you, Mica!"

"He's dead, Kara! Leave it alone."

"That's what you think! You think he's dead, but there's a chance--"

"A chance based on what?"

"I-I don't know why but... I can't shake this feeling."

Warm, salty tears reddened and burned his eyes. "There is no hope for him anymore. The only thing we can do is obey him and get the hell out of here. We can't do that if we expose ourselves by looking around for him."

Stifling a cry, Kara furrowed her brows and shook her head. "You're wrong. He could... he could still be alive, waiting for us to save him."

"You think this is easy? Saying this kills me, but it's the truth."

Frowning, she went away from him and left the room.

"Where are you going?" Mica asked.

"I'm gonna go find him." She looked at Hannah and held out her hand, but she didn't reach out.

"...Kara." Hannah's lips trembling. "Maybe... he's right."

She held her head up and pulled her arm back. "I won't believe it. I don't care if I have to do it on my own. I'll still go, cause I know Caesar would do the same for me."

"Kara, that's enough. This is fruitless. I can't allow you to go, especially not alone."

"Then, I'll go with her."

Everyone twisted their necks to the back and looked at Kole. Shock was written on their faces.

"You want to go with her to find Caesar? I don't believe you." Mica marred his face, enraged. "What are you planning?"

Kara cut in. "It doesn't matter. I can go by myself. With my Fore-Light, I can be undetectable."

"That doesn't matter, Kara. I need to keep you safe. I can't do that when you're away from me."

Kole stepped up beside Mica. "If I go with her, I'll make sure nothing bad happens. I'm strong. I can protect her."

Mica and the others were thrown off by Kole's sudden interest in saving Caesar. He was the reason why Caesar was sent away in the first place. Yet, what they didn't know was that Kara had captivated him since the first moment he saw her. He had been watching her, not in a creepy way, but out of curiosity and endearment. This was the first time he had ever seen women, so he couldn't help it.

She was so much smaller than he was that the desire to protect her overwhelmed him. Even now, as she glowered at him with a crackling fire in her eyes, his heart pounded ferociously. It made him breathless. He had a powerful yearning to be by her side, yet couldn't understand the feelings that were surfacing. These emotions... he had never felt them before. The only thing he was sure of was that there was no way he was going to let this stubborn, flame-headed girl go off on her own.

The truth was, he didn't care at all what happened to Caesar. He was only trying to prove himself to Kara, to show her that he wasn't all bad.

Kole held her gaze. "I'll go with you." When he saw that Mica was about to speak, he cut him off. "She's going to go no matter what. It's better that I go with her. No?"

Mica bit his tongue. He saw how determined Kara was; her eyes hadn't softened. Her mulishness reminded him so much of Caesar. How could he refuse her?

"...Please," he begged with a heavy voice. "Please, when you realize that he's... just meet with us again. We're going up... to the Outside."

When Kara saw the conflict and pain in his eyes, she softened her eyes and hugged him.

"We'll see each other again. I promise."

When they went their separate ways, Mica just hoped he wouldn't later regret his decision.

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Thanks for reading! <3

- What was your favorite part? Their friendship? Kole? Aaron and his wings? Let me know! The comment section is so empty. *looks down* 

**There's supposed to be a book 2, but I don't know if I can make it when little to no interest is being shown. I would like to make it. I think it'll be interesting. What do you think?

- And yes, this is where the action begins. Muahahaha!! But will it be a good thing?