Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

28: No

"Alexi," the familiar voice rasps. I look around frantically, but it is not the same place I had been before.

There is no storm or dust, only a rising sun over the ocean out of a massive window.

I look on in confusion. I look down, and I am wearing standard issue Nation boots, their black metal and red glowing stripes reflecting the red floor.

I look around, and the walls are white, and covered with photos and maps.

On the far wall, there is a door. It slides open to reveal the familiar silhouette.

I push my teeth together so hard that it hurts.

Anticipation is filling me to the brim. A pull is drawing me nearer.

No one steps in front of me this time. I reach out before I am thrown sideways, my body feeling like a rag doll.

I try to stand and pain fills my right leg.

My vision blurs and my breathing stops:
*****

I wake up to my body being jolted everywhere and a blinding pain in my upper right leg.

My feet aren't on the ground as I squirm furiously.

White light is everywhere and I am over someone's shoulder.

> Calm down, Alexi.

The words of my best friend read across my specialized contact.

Lukas?

> James is taking you somewhere that I should have a long time ago.

What do you mean "James is taking me,"?

> I'm a little preoccupied, dulces.

Lukas. C'mon.

Familiar static fills my right ear and the soothing voice echoes.

"I figure I ought to tell you this vocally instead of across a screen."

Lukas. Lukas, what are you saying...

"I'm a badass most of the time, but this time, I'm fighting my own kind. Way more Han earlier. It's not 5 of them. And while I can take down a lot of them, they'll eventually overtake me."

Lukas!

I squirm against James' arm as my eyes water.

"I'm about to say something I've never said to anyone else, Alexi."

I push against my captor, frantically trying to get back to my friend.

"Alexi Claire Callidus, I love you like a sister, and you will always be the most important person to me. Don't worry about me, I'll be ba-"

"Let me GO!"

I claw at James' black uniform and metal armor and I buck my legs, pain springing fourth.

Tears stream down my face and my eyes burn. James presses his hand to the scanner in front of us as a sea of bots swarm down the corridor.

"LUKAS!"

The door slides open and he sprints towards to nearest blacked out Nation cruiser. He presses his hand to the door panel, and it lets out a satisfied beep as he jumps inside and pushes me into the passenger seat with the seat belt fastening around me.

The wrap on my leg is dripping with blood... It's so dark it's almost black. The door slams closed as the first bot begins to claw at the window. James clasps his hand around the sphere on the dash that acts as a steering device, and slides his hand around the handle that regulates altitude, and yanks upward as hard as he can.

"No," I whisper, my voice and heart breaking in one moment as the ground grows further away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Here we are again. This is kind of the other half of the shortie chapter from earlier. I know you all love him, and I'm sorry! Don't hunt me down and kill me please! I love y'all! I promise the next one will be better! For you to read... not the characters...(writing this made me sad too)
Thanks for reading :) ♥️♥️