AN. A new chapter 2 weeks in a row I'm amazing i know hold your applause but I'm going into test week ssoooo i thought ill treat you all... you know some sugar before the bitterroot any ways enjoy

Departure

Five weeks… Never in my nineteen winters had I imagined that something as straightforward as my duty could twist itself into such a tangled web of conflict in my mind.

From the moment I was hatched, my path was set in stone. Despite being born a female, my parents were resolute: I was to succeed them, to uphold the ancient legacy of our bloodline. Thus, my training began, relentless and unyielding. I was taught to be a weapon, a guardian, a leader. The lessons drilled into me were clear: distance is your strength, and ice your shield. I was to remain detached, a silent observer to the world around me, assessing everything with a critical, unfeeling gaze. To choose a side would be to abandon my neutrality, to tarnish the honor of my station.

I must be cold. I must be strong. I must be wise. Above all, I must be… perfect.

Failure was a word that did not exist in my vocabulary. My purpose was singular, unwavering: complete the mission at all costs. So five weeks ago, there was no doubt in my mind, no hesitation in my heart. The path was clear: As soon as I am deemed fit to travel, I will leave… The mission must be completed, and failure is simply not an option.

Yet here I am now, with the dawn breaking over the horizon, and that conviction has dissolved into nothingness. Those five weeks, filled with moments I never thought I'd cherish, have left me adrift, lost in a sea of emotions I'm not prepared to face.

The words Jack spoke to me mere minutes ago should have been a cause for relief, a sign that I could finally return to my duty, my purpose. "I have some good news for you, Luna. As far as I can tell, you're in perfect condition."

But instead of joy, all I felt was a hollow ache, a pain so deep it seemed to swallow me whole. The words echoed endlessly in my mind, a cruel reminder that my time here was up.

I lay beside Jack, my mind churning, unable to find the solace of sleep. Even with his eyes closed, I knew he was awake, just as restless as I was. The night stretched on, every second a battle against the storm raging inside me. The hours bled together, the quiet darkness offering no answers, only a deepening sense of despair.

When the first light of dawn touched the cave's entrance, I rose with a groan, stretching out the stiffness in my limbs. The cool morning air nipped at my fur, a painful contrast to the warmth of the bedding. I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. I had to leave. There was no other option. My duty awaited me, a duty I had spent my entire life preparing for. To abandon it now would be a betrayal of everything I was raised to be.

But as I reached the cave's entrance, ready to step back into the life I was meant for, I hesitated. I was weak. I turned back, drawn to the one thing that made leaving so excruciatingly difficult.

There he stood, not even two meters away, those piercing violet eyes locked onto mine. There was no warmth in his gaze now, none of the kindness I had grown to cherish. Instead, his expression was a mask of cold, detached neutrality, so much like the one I had worn for most of my life.

"So, you're leaving," he said, his voice a low rumble that commanded my full attention. It wasn't a question—it was a statement of fact, an acknowledgement of the inevitable. I tried to respond, but my voice failed me, so I merely nodded.

He exhaled slowly, his features softening for just a heartbeat, revealing a flicker of something beneath the surface—something that made my heart clench painfully. I pushed my aura into my eyes, desperate to confirm what I had seen. And there it was, hidden beneath the mask he wore: pain, a profound loneliness, and yet… acceptance.

"I understand," he said, his voice steady but laced with a quiet resignation. "You're under no obligation to stay. Hell, I even told you you'd leave once you were healed." He paused, and I turned away, unable to bear the look in his eyes. I took a step toward the entrance, my resolve wavering, and that's when he spoke again, so softly that if the world hadn't been so still, I would have missed it.

"Though I thought…" he began, his words barely more than a whisper, "I thought you would at least give me a proper goodbye. But I guess we weren't that close after all."

Those words shattered something deep inside me. I could feel his aura ripple with despair, the kind that comes from a wound too deep to heal quickly. I broke.

Jackson's POV moments before

All I could see was darkness. An endless, suffocating void. It was almost like being back in that place—trapped, helpless, my limbs heavy and unresponsive as if weighed down by chains. The sickly, familiar coldness crept over me, leeching the warmth from my body inch by inch. She turned her back on me, "just like everyone else before her."

I stood there, frozen, as Luna refused to even glance in my direction, her figure a silhouette against the cave's dim light. She was walking away, and it felt like watching the last flicker of a dying flame. When she finally paused at the entrance, a sliver of hope sparked in my chest. But when those eyes—eyes of crimson—met mine, they were cold, unapproachable, "and filled with disdain."

A bitter voice hissed in the back of my mind, the voice that had kept me alive through the worst moments of my life. "She's no different, Jack. Just like the rest of them. They take you, grow close to you, use you and when you're no longer useful, show the slightest sign of weakness or your views differ, they take their blades and drive them into your back, I thought we learned our lesson"

'No'… I tried to argue, clinging to that fragile thread of hope. 'She's different. She's not like them.' But the voice only laughed, a dark, cynical chuckle. "She's different. Oh please Jack listen to your-self you may look sixteen but you're a grown ass man you know exactly how the world works."

'No you're wrong, I know she has to leave, but she'll leave on proper terms, we know her at least that well.' "So, you're leaving" I went on, hoping to start some form of conversation, yet she kept that cold, "malicious, disdainful gaze" and nodded

The voice in my head erupted with laughter "HAHHAHAH See Jack, she can't even be bothered to give you a reply"

Pushing past my other, I forced a calm expression, masking the storm within as I spoke, "I understand, Luna. You're under no obligation to stay. Hell, I even told you you'd leave once you were healed." She continued to hold may gaze.

But even as I spoke, I could feel the light fading, the warmth of the cave turning cold. Her eyes "narrowed, irritation flashing across her features" for just a second before she turned her back on me once more. The last vestiges of light in my world snuffed out as she stepped toward the exit.

"… What did you honestly think would happen Jack you thought you had a chance to start over, a clean slate? Don't you remember how it always goes… wait, don't tell me… did you forget how your world ended?"

And then the void consumed me.

Suddenly, I wasn't in the cave anymore. I was back there, in that room filled with tangled cables and flickering screens. The scent of burnt electronics and stale coffee assaulted my senses, and panic shot through me like a bolt of lightning. No, not here. Not again.

The vision shifted, and I was staring at Hunter, his eyes wide with fear as he ripped off his headset, muffled voices shouting through the static. "Captain, we've been compromised! Delta's in danger! I recommend immediate abortion!"

My blood ran cold. 'How? Delta had been undercover for months. There was no way they could've found her… unless…'

But there was no time to think. I slammed my fist into the desk, my mind racing. "Gamma, take the shot!"

Silence. Nothing but static on the line. "Gamma, this is not the time for games! Delta's compromised!"

A broken, trembling voice finally came through, the hesitation palpable. "No, Captain… I can't… The target… its Calso. He's… he's my brother."

Fuck.

My vision blurred with rage. "Gamma, I don't care if he's your goddamn blood! Take the shot, or so help me, I'll—"

But the line went dead, and something inside me snapped. I tore open the van doors, the cold night air biting into my skin as I yelled back at Hunter, "Call for backup!" My boots pounded against the wet pavement as I sprinted toward the mansion, my heart a relentless drum in my chest. "Delta, prepare for extraction! You've been compromised—hang in there!"

The next few minutes were a blur of death and chaos. Blood sprayed like rain, staining everything in crimson as I tore through the guards at the gate. My gun was an extension of my will, each shot a promise of vengeance. By the time I reached the courtyard, I was drenched in blood, my uniform soaked through, and my shoulder screamed in agony from a bullet that had found its mark.

But pain was nothing. Pain was a friend, a reminder that I was still alive, that I still had a chance to save her. I will save her.

The mansion doors burst open, revealing a squadron of enemy operatives. But before they could react, a roar of an engine filled the air, and an armored vehicle plowed through the line of guards, scattering them like leaves.

Rangers poured out, guns blazing, and a savage grin split my face. "CHARGE!" I bellowed, the taste of gunpowder on my tongue.

It took ten minutes of relentless fighting before I made it to the final door. My vision was a tunnel, focused solely on the goal ahead. I kicked open the door, praying to whatever gods were listening. But all I found was darkness and rage.

The scene shifted, and I was back at the base. The mission was over, thirteen soldiers dead, all because of one man's hesitation. The bastard who had caused it all was now on the floor holding his jaw, he wore a green uniform with short, tightly curled, ebony hair sitting atop his head. As the man rubbed his lip. A dark red liquid trailing down staining his chocolate flesh.

"You fucking coward," I growled, my fists aching as I rained blow after blow on his face. But it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Hunter's voice cut through the red haze, his Texan drawl desperate. "Cap, stop! You're gonna kill him!"

"So what if I do?" I snarled, shoving Hunter away. "That son of a bitch deserves worse than death."

"Captain, if you do this, you'll be court-martialed!" Hunter shouted. "What would Del—"

"Delilah would have wanted me to carve him up and leave him for the vultures!" I roared, but as I drew my pistol, intent on ending the son of a bitch, Hunter's revolver was pointed at me.

For a moment, everything stopped. The room went silent, the only sound being my ragged breaths.

Then, from the ground, that bastard started to laugh. "Look at you, The great Captain Shade reduced to a pathetic, emotional mess. All because your little bitch got put down."

My vision went red. I lunged for him, my pistol raised, finger on the trigger, ready to end him. But a shot rang out, and pain exploded in my hand. The gun flew from my grip, blood pouring from my palm.

Hunter stood there, his revolver smoking, his eyes hard. "Stand down, Shade. Don't do this."

I stared at him, my heart pounding, fists clenched so tight that more blood oozed between my fingers. The darkness was closing in, the memories threatening to swallow me whole.

And then, just like that, the vision shattered, and I was left alone again in that hellish void My world grew even darker the last vestiges of light was snuffed out, consumed in the vast ocean of black fading away into nothingness until all I was left with was myself.

Then, my other self—no Shade—slithered back into my thoughts, his voice a venomous whisper. "So, Jack, now that you've been forcefully reminded of how the world truly works and where we stand in it, tell me… What were you thinking? Did you really believe she was different? That somehow, this time, it wouldn't end in betrayal?"

I could almost see him sneering, leaning into my mind, probing the deepest parts of my despair. "You made the mistake of getting close, didn't you? Of letting your guard down, getting attached, and foolishly placing your trust in another. She was supposed to be a distraction, nothing more. A means to an end. Not your 'friend'."

I clenched my jaw, trying to shut him out, but his voice only grew louder, more mocking. "Oh, what's this? Did you actually think you wouldn't be alone anymore? That someone would finally give a damn if you woke up the next morning? Or maybe you deluded yourself into believing someone would see us as more than a mindless, violent, aggressive… MONSTER!"

A wave of shame washed over me. No, I wanted to shout back, but Shade continued, relentless. "Guess what, Jack? We did find someone who saw past the monster, someone who gave us a chance—and we FAILED her!"

I tried to fight back, tried to convince myself that it wasn't true. We were a soldier, a tool, a weapon. We did what we were told. Killed as instructed, whether it was man, woman, or child. Yes, we became a monster, but we made peace with that, didn't we? We lost our last shred of humanity long ago. I know what we are. I accepted it. I—"

But the words stuck in my throat. The truth was, I had hoped. I thought Luna would at least give me a proper goodbye. "But I guess we weren't that close after all."

Shade's laughter echoed like a cruel specter. "Pathetic," he spat. "You're so damn desperate for connection, for a shred of meaning in this godforsaken world, that you deluded yourself into thinking you mattered to her."

Before Shade could continue tearing me apart, the darkness that enveloped me began to crack and shatter. I was pulled, almost violently, back into reality. The void melted away, and I found myself staring up at the cold, unyielding gray of the cavern's limestone ceiling.

There was a weight on my chest, warmth that pressed into me, and the feeling of something sharp embedding into my ribs. But to my surprise, I couldn't bring myself to care. Luna was lying on top of me, her head tucked beneath my chin, her spike digging into my side. And then, I felt it—a wetness against my neck, the subtle shudder of her body as she sobbed quietly.

For a moment, I was too stunned to move. She was clinging to me like her life depended on it, trembling, her tears soaking into my skin. 'She... She was crying. Luna was crying'. The pain in my chest had nothing to do with her spike; it was something far deeper, something that twisted and ached.

Slowly, I let my arms move. One snaked around her back, the other resting gently on her head, fingers threading through the soft fur between her ears. I held her close, whispering soothing words, soft and gentle, trying to ease whatever storm was raging inside her.

Finally, in a voice that was broken and scratchy but still held that unmistakable grace she always carried, she spoke. "J-Jack… I'm s-sorry. I wanted to give you a proper goodbye, b-but…" Her voice hitched, and she took a shuddering breath to steady herself before continuing. She pulled back just enough to look at me, her crimson eyes glistening, yet filled with so much warmth and sincerity that it took my breath away. "It just hurt too much. Jack, these last few weeks have been some of the best moments of my life. And if I'm being honest… I don't want to leave. I would love to stay with you, even if it's just for a little while longer."

Her shoulders slumped, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. "But I have to go. I have responsibilities… duties that I must fulfill."

I held her gaze, processing her words, feeling the weight of every syllable. And then, a thought crossed my mind—a small spark of hope in the darkness. I didn't want to lose her, not like this. "I understand, Luna," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I completely support you. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

She nodded, but her expression remained crestfallen, her ears drooping slightly.

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "But who said we had to part ways now?"

Her eyes widened, her ears perking up in that familiar, curious tilt of her head, sending those fluffy tufts flopping to the side. "I… I don't quite understand," she murmured, confusion coloring her tone.

A chuckle escaped me, lighter than I'd felt in days. "What I'm saying, Miss Luna," I said, leaning in slightly, "is that I would be honored to escort you to your village. If you'll have me, that is."

For a moment, she simply stared at me, her eyes searching mine as if trying to find any hint of deception. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a smile—a real one, full of relief and a warmth that chased away the remnants of the void that had haunted me.

"Yes, Jack," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "I would like that… very much."