Chapter 16 Battle for Survival
Kai
The sound of tearing fabric and feral growls filled the entire stadium. The rogue’s claws shredded designer clothes, bags, and anything they came across. Blood trickled from the gash on my leg, but the pain barely registered. I couldn’t afford to stop. Nevea was still out there, fighting for her life.
I staggered forward as each step was a battle. Every movement sent fire shooting through my injured leg, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to let it slow me down. Weakness wasn‘ t an option now.
“Nevea!” I shouted.
She didn’t answer. She was too busy fending off the rogue, trying to tear her apart. Her movements were still swift and deadly, but she was slowing down. Her punches and kicks still landed with
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precision, but exhaustion was creeping in. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to do it. But I wouldn’t let her fall.
Gripping my dagger tighter, I surged forward, targeting the nearest rogue. I was behind him, and he was focused on Nevea. My blade sank into his side before he even realized I was there. He let out a sharp howl and collapsed to the ground.
I didn’t waste time watching him fall. I turned, and my eyes locked on Nevea. The rogues kept coming, wave after wave. Their savage howls and snarls echoed in the torn- up remains of the event grounds. Even the Shadow Pack was having difficulty
subduing them. And I knew we would soon be cornered.
“Behind you!” I roared, spotting another rogue closing in fast.
Nevea whirled just in time. She retaliated with a brutal kick to his knee. But she was extremely exhausted. We both were.
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I went to her side and thrust my dagger at the next rogue that came for her. He was bigger and stronger, but I couldn’t afford to lose. I slashed again, barely dodging his counterattack. His claws grazed my arm.
“You have to leave, Kai!” Nevea shouted, panting as she fended off another attacker.
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“I’m not leaving,” I growled, slashing at the rogue in front of me.
He stumbled back, but I turned to face the
next one.
Nevea’s eyes widened with the sight of the blood dripping down my arm, but there was no time to argue. The rogues were coming close. We were running out of room to hide, and the number of enemies. only seemed to grow.
A rogue lunged at Nevea; his claws aimed at her side. I saw it happen in slow motion, but I was too far and too slow to stop it. His claws tore through her side, and she cried out in pain. Hearing her scream made
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something inside me snap.
I roared and threw myself at the rogue, tackling him to the ground. We rolled through the dirt, and his claws ripped at my back as I pinned him down. I punched him hard in the face several times until his body went limp beneath me.
But the moment I stood; the pain hit me hard. My side burned, and when I pressed my hand to it, so much blood dripped.
“Dammit,” I muttered, my vision blurred
for a second.
Nevea rushed towards me, her face pale
and full of sweat but determined. She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward a hidden corner.
“Kai, you‘ re hurt,” she said, her voice
strained.
“So are you,
you,” I shot back, stumbling as
we moved.
“I‘ ll heal,” she muttered, though the
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gash in her side said otherwise.
Her face was tight with pain, but she kept moving and dragged me to hide.
My chest ached with every breath, and I could feel the blood still oozing from my wound. But I forced myself to stay
conscious.
“We can’t stay here,” Nevea said as her eyes scanned the room.
“They’re closing in. We need to get out
of here.
I shook my head.
“If we run, they‘ 11 just follow. We need to take them down.”
She glanced at my bleeding side, her eyes flickering with doubt.
“You can barely stand, Kai. How do you expect to fight?‘
“I’ve had worse, I said with a weak grin, though the pain was making me
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weak.
Nevea didn’t smile.
“Kai, we’re outnumbered. You‘ re not thinking clearly.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I said, my voice hard and final.
I meant it. There was no way I was abandoning her. Not after everything we’d been through.
Before she could argue, a rogue had spotted us, and he was eyeing Nevea, who was facing me. Instinct kicked in, and I shoved Nevea behind me, raising my
dagger to defend us. But I was too slow. My body was running on fumes, and the rogue’s claws sliced through the air faster. than I could react.
I braced myself for the impact, but it didn’t come.
Nevea launched herself at the rogue from behind, her claws outstretched. She tore
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into him, her strength fueled by sheer will. With a feral growl, she knocked him off balance, but not before his claws raked down my chest.
I gasped as pain ripped through me, collapsing to my knees. My hands went to my chest, trying to stem the bleeding, but the blood was pouring out too fast.
“Nevea…
My voice came out as a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the chaos.
“Kai!” she screamed and dropped beside
- me.
Her hands pressed desperately against my wounds, and her face went pale and terrified.
“No, no, no. Don’t do this. Stay with
me
I tried to speak, to tell her I was fine, but the darkness was closing in. My vision blurred, and everything seemed to fade in
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black. I could hear the rogues outside, but their snarls were growing distant and muffled like I was underwater.
Nevea’s face was the last thing I saw. Her wide and tear–filled eyes stared down at me as her hands tried to control the bleeding. Her voice was the last thing I heard. It was frantic and desperate, calling my name as the world slipped away.
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