For How Long

The world was still spinning as Selene's ears rang with a deafening hum, the aftermath of the explosion clouding her senses. Her body was stiff from the impact, and for a moment, she wasn't sure whether she was still alive or if the blast had sent her to some darker place. Her lungs burned as she struggled to take in air and the taste of dust and blood coated her tongue. She blinked, trying to focus, trying to make sense of the chaos around her. The alley, once a possible escape route, was now a tangled mess of wreckage pieces of the building had crumbled, and debris littered the ground like a battlefield. The air was thick with smoke, and the flames from the explosion licked at the edges of the alley, threatening to consume everything in its path. Selene slowly pushed herself up, her body aching from the fall. Her hand gripped the rough ground, and she winced as shards of glass and metal bit into her skin. Axel. 'Axel!" She coughed, the smoke choking her, but she couldn't stop. Her heart thudded in her chest as she scanned the area, her vision was blurry, but she could make out the outline of Axel lying several feet away, his body crumpled on the ground then she pushed herself to her feet, her legs shaking, and stumbled toward him. When she reached him, her knees buckled, and she fell beside him. Axel was unconscious, blood smeared across his face, his shirt torn and burned from the explosion and he wasn't moving. 'Axel!" Selene screamed, shaking his shoulder, but there was no response. Panic flooded her chest, tightening her throat. Her heart raced in fear, she couldn't lose him, not now, not after everything they had been through. She checked his pulse. It was faint, but it was there which means he was alive but for how long? Selene took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. They couldn't stay here as the building was coming down, and every second counted. She gently pulled Axel up, supporting his weight against her, her muscles screaming in protest, but she didn't care. She half-dragged, and half-carried him through the alley, her body moving on instinct. The sound of crashing walls, groaning metal, and the crackling of fire followed them, growing louder with each step. She could feel the heat on her skin, could hear the distant shouts of men and the sound of boots pounding the ground. They were coming. She reached a corner, leading into another narrow street, but the moment she rounded it, she froze. The sight before her made her blood run cold. There, standing at the end of the alley, were more men. They were dressed in dark uniforms, their weapons raised. There were at least five of them, all blocking the exit, closing in on her. Selene's breath caught in her throat. She had nowhere to go. 'You can't escape." The voice was familiar, cold, and filled with authority. Lucian. He was standing at the front of the group, his eyes cold as ice, scanning her and Axel with quiet malice. 'Lucian, why are you doing this?" Selene demanded, her voice shaking but firm. She had no more strength to fight, no more will to run and she was cornered. Lucian took a step forward, a smile playing at the corner of his lips, but it wasn't a smile of amusement. It was a smile of triumph. 'You think this is about you?" he said, his voice low. 'This has never been about you." Selene's heart raced as she struggled to keep Axel on his feet. What was he talking about? She had to know. They had to understand why they were being hunted, and why their lives had been thrown into chaos. 'Then what is it about, Lucian?" she spat, her eyes burning with fury. 'What do you want from us?" Lucian's smile faded, and his expression grew colder. 'It's not about what I want." His voice was sharp, almost mechanical. 'It's about the greater picture, the bigger plan, and you" He turned his gaze toward Axel. 'You're just in the way." Selene felt her stomach churn, she was no closer to understanding what was happening. Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control, and the more she heard, the more it felt like she had never been in control of her own life. Axel stirred beside her, groaning weakly, but he couldn't stand on his own. Selene supported him as best as she could, her fingers digging into his side, trying to keep him steady. Lucian stepped closer, his boots clicking on the pavement with each step. His eyes never left them, cold and unblinking. 'I didn't want it to end like this, Selene." His voice softened as if he was speaking to someone he once knew. 'But you've made your choice. You've already sealed your fate." With that, he nodded to the men behind him and they raised their weapons, aiming directly at Selene and Axel. Her pulse hammered in her ears, she didn't have time to think and she couldn't just stand there, they couldn't die like this and she wasn't ready to give up. 'No!" Selene shouted, her voice filled with desperation. She grabbed Axel's arm again, pulling him toward a nearby doorway, but before they could make it, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. Selene's body jerked to the side as the bullet struck the wall beside her. The explosion of sound, the force of the impact, left her ears ringing. She could feel the heat from the shot on her skin, but she didn't stop. 'Move!" she screamed to Axel, but before she could react, a second shot rang out. This time, the bullet grazed her arm and she yelped in pain, her body instinctively pulling back. The blood from the wound soaked her sleeve, but she couldn't stop. Axel's hand was still in hers, but it was limp now and his strength was failing and just as the third shot rang out; to be continued.