The flight back to the base took two hours, the rain had mostly died down, and by the time they left the croft it was just the smell of rain in the air rather than it actually pouring.
Nicoleta didn't eat despite everyone else in the croft being given food to eat, Leonardo switched seats, and attempted to get her to eat, but from his incomprehensible way of communication, to how awful he was at persuasion, he was never going to succeed with that plan.
When they landed at the Base, Leonardo basically lifted Nicoleta from her seat, and helped her though she wasn't injured to the exit, receiving a look of disapproval from Levi as he wrapped a hand around her waist to balance.
Zamans was taken to the infirmary, where Zelen received him inside, appointing him to Zylith who had just finished healing a girl.
When Zelen saw Nicoleta he ran towards her, the biggest smile on his face.
"Ariti- I'm so sorry for screaming at you- you made Jackson's wounds even more easier to heal honestly- thank you" she didn't respond to him, instead, she pulled away from Leonard's hold on her, and sunk solemnly unto one of the benches, staring at nothing, feeling nothing.
The world moved around her in a blur, bodies passing by, people talking, officers stomping with a group.
Voices echoed all around her, loud and small.
Scared, composed, and both, she heard bones being cracked into place, General Lane saying they were going to leave in twelve hours.
Or was it Costa? Lane was English wasn't she?
She heard beeping, doors opening, and closing, mothers- fa- siblings crying on each other's neck.
Her head dropped, and landed on something. She couldn't tell, right that moment someone stood in front of her and said some words.
"Be safe okay?" It was Levi, where was he going?
Her eyelids grew heavy, she didn't fight the feeling.
Blue stared back at her when she closed her eyes. She didn't fight it like last time, didn't move, or even speak, she simply watched it, blinked when it did, and they stared at each other.
A voice echoed in her head, then she opened her eyes.
An alarm had gone off, people were already being evacuated, the base shook violently as attack after attack came at it.
Leonardo lifted Nicoleta up, her body was limb.
Outside was crowded but he managed to get them through the crowd, meeting Laura along the way.
"She can't move or something?" She asked, her tone filled with annoyance, though the look she gave Nicoleta was filled with sympathy.
Leonardo didn't respond. The two of them helped Nicoleta into a hover croft.
The doors began closing prematurely, and Zelen jumped inside before turning to his sister who was right behind him.
"Zylith come on" Zelen screamed stomping his foot in anticipation, as Zylith neared the croft.
The sound of Zelen's voice caused Nicoleta to turn her focus away from her thoughts.
Her gaze landed on Zylith as she ran to get inside the croft. Eyes widening Nicoleta hurled herself on the exit catching Zylith as she jumped up. A phoenix soared towards the croft and caught Zylith's legs, pulling her as Nicoleta tried to get her inside.
Nicoleta pulled Zylith inside with all her strength, even bringing herself to her feet in order to get her inside.
The others threw every attack they could at the Phoenix but it seemed impenetrable. Levi ran forward and mid shift, a tear echoed through the entire croft.
The doors continued the slow motion of closing, and Nicoleta panicking pulled even harder, Zylith's weight lessened, and she fell inside with her on her chest, as she managed to get her inside safely.
She panted out a sigh of relief turning to Zylith, only to find that the tear wasn't the sound of Levi's skin tearing into place, nor the loud crack his bones reshaping. She looked down and screamed, scrambling away from Zylith, Zelen let out a blood curdling scream, his knees buckling as the sight of his sister's upper half blood spewing, face lurched with a horrified expression, burned into his memory, and everyone else around him. Nicoleta immediately pushed her body away, shaking, she screamed, as tears poured down her cheeks.
Her eyes failed her, someone lifted up her arms, and placed her on one of the seats.
Zelen fell to the floor on his hands, his face solemn, Nicoleta trembled, trying to wipe away the blood from her face, her arms and legs.
Lane said something, then continued to speak, Nicoleta couldn't make out a word, she saw Levi craft something, she couldn't tell what it was.
She watched as someone dragged half of Zylith's body across the croft, and shoved her into a body bag, she stared at Nicoleta with wide lifeless eyes before they zipped her up.
During the night, the hover croft stayed silent, save for the sobs of Zelen, he would stop then start again.
Nicoleta stared at nothing, Leonardo had bowed his head, Levi and his brothers sat together, turning to each other every few seconds, it must have been nice.
Having each other still, whilst Zelen sobbed over his only sister, and Nicoleta's heart ached over her dead father, they still had each other, and probably their parents too.
Laura squeezed Nicoleta's hand, whenever she felt her tremble.
Nicoleta cried silently, tears falling down one after the other, hot and blinding.
Not a soul slept a wink.
Hours passed by, one, two, and three, it felt like years for those in the croft, when the commander came out of the captain's quarters, and announced their new destination.
"We are headed to the Netherlands to base Nine part X"
No one Said anything, the Commander returned to the captain's quarters.
Two more hours passed before they arrived at Base Nine in the Netherlands.
They landed amidst a flower field, pink, and yellow blending together beautifully.
They all stepped outside, the sunrise casting a soft hue over them.
At the end of the hill stood a man, tall, wearing all white, and holding on to a giant notebook with numerous pens, and pencils, all enclosed in a transparent bag.
Nicoleta squinted her eyes at him, who was that? And what was he doing out in the open?
Laura placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, staring at the man, "what are you looking at?" Nicoleta furrowed her brows, "there's someone there- "
Everyone began leaving the croft, and Laura pulled Nicoleta to follow, "there's no one there" she said. Nicoleta followed her, but didn't take her eyes off of the man.
As they walked, he turned around, and his face was as clear as day- she gasped.
Her father, she took off, "μπαμπάς!" She called out, he looked at her and turned around, he began walking away from her, making Nicoleta pick up her pace.
"μπαμπάς!!" Her voice cracked, her legs growing weaker with each step forward.
"Μπαμπά σε παρακαλώ μην φύγεις!"
(Dad Please don't go!")
She shouted, reaching her hand out, knowing it was impossible to catch him.
He stopped walking, turned around, and opened his arms, a wide smile on his face. Nicoleta ran even faster, pushing herself to an impossible limit just to reach him.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist bringing her run to a stop, "No" she screamed, pushing down on Leonard's arms to get him to let go.
Her flame heated up her skin, loosening his grip on her only a little.
"Let go- LET Go!!" She cried, squirming in his grip, as he turned her around, "no" she threw her head back hitting his nose.
Pain shot through her head, tears tripped down, "my dad is waiting-" Leonard's cool, calm voice echoed in her ears, "he's dead Nicoleta"
She sagged, when she looked again, Ambrose was nowhere to be found.
Her silent cry began. He placed her down.
Nicoleta turned around, and hugged him tightly, gripping his uniform like her life depended on it.
Leonardo tapped her back, "I'm sorry" he said, wrapping his arms around her.
The commander led them into the base that was built more like a bunker than anything.
They were greeted by some officials. It was calm in the base, no injuries, no noise, no panic.
When the kids were shown to their rooms, Nicoleta settled into her bed, her eyes didn't close, but they blurred with tears every second.
She reached into her uniform and pulled out the golden pendant her father gave her when she left home, nine years ago. And kissed it her lips wet with tears.
Laura had suddenly become her friend. She brought Nicoleta food in a small bowl, it was some stew, and beans.
She climbed Nicoleta's bunk, and sat by her foot, placing the food beside her. "You should eat something Ariti," she said, her usually stern voice gentle.
Nicoleta shook her head, "I'm not hungry" Laura insisted, "you might not feel it but you need food"
She scooped up a spoonful of the food and brought it to Nicoleta's mouth, Nicoleta moved away, turning around to avoid it.
Laura followed her with the spoon, "come on" Nicoleta pushed her hand away, she brought it back, then Nicoleta pushed it away again, and Laura brought it back.
She tried again, and Nicoleta slapped her hand away with a flaming hand pushing the food off of her bed along with the spoon.
Laura hissed, jumping on the floors to inspect the burn on her dorsal.
Nicoleta felt a pang of guilt staring at the wound she Inflicted on her, her eyes grew glassy, "I'm so sorry- " she choked on her words, "i- you should go to Zyilth- " she stopped talking turning around again, and letting her tears fall, lips trembling.
Laura didn't say anything, she cleaned up the mess, with her burnt hand, and as she was leaving, she looked over her shoulder, "you should at least attend her funeral"
Nicoleta lifted her head when she closed the door, filled with guilt.
During midnight, when Laura stood up from her bed at 1 Am, Nicoleta followed closely behind her, watching her as she navigated through the cameras's blind spots, and moved past officers like a shadow.
Nicoleta copied her, staying in the shadows. When they reached the back exit which was supposed to be locked according to the commander, Laura opened it with ease.
Nicoleta followed her as she ascended the stairs, outside the wind was cold, sending chills through Nicoleta's skin.
Afar off some few yards from the flower field stood Zelen, Levi, and Evan. She didn't know why she expected Leonardo to be there.
Laura joined them soon after, and placed a gentle hand on Zelen's shoulder, "hey" he looked at her, then at Nicoleta, "I'm so sorry" Nicoleta blurted out, guilt ridden.
Zelen blinked for a long time, a lone tear falling from his eye.
"it's not your fault"
He looked down at the grave he must have dug, at the half body of his sister. Nicoleta couldn't stare any longer, she turned her eyes away.
"Is there anything anyone would like to say?" Zelen asked, his voice shaking. Nicoleta crouched down, and picked a small yellow flower, it was the same colour as Zylith's eyes, and the white around it was like her hair.
"She was a great healer" Nicoleta dropped the flower into the grave, a tear slipping from her eye.
After everyone said goodbye, Zelen cried over his sister one more time before he began to push dirt over her pale, dead form, crying as he did. Levi and Evan helped him.
Nicoleta turned around, and left them, going back inside, to her room, and laying down on her bed.
Her neck fell barren, and cold without her father's pendant. She cried into her hands.
She couldn't even hold a proper funeral for him, she only had his pendant to have, and that was all she could use to honor him for the last time.
The next day, the girls in her shared room rushed outside, and she followed them.
Outside, she found that the sudden excitement was because new kids had been transferred to the base.
Many of them hugged their friends, jumping up and down with them.
Nicoleta turned to leave, when someone caught her arm.
"Nico?" She turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, Nicoleta burst into tears when she found Charlotte and May standing before her, unblemished, safe, smiling.
She wrapped her arms around them, and they hugged her back alike.
"We missed you so much- " Charlotte said, May butted in, "No Leta I thought you were dead honestly I'm so happy you're alive" May's grip tightened around her.
"I was so worried for you guys" she kissed their cheeks, hugging them again.
"Where were you?" She checked their badges, rescuers.
"rescuing" Charlotte shrugged, "and your families?" May nodded, a smile on her face, "everyone was transferred to the bunkers in Ghana- "
"What about your dad, step mother and brother?" Nicoleta's smile vanished, her eyes grew glassy, and her heart ached nearly made her faint.
Charlotte hugged her again, her lips trembling, "oh my gosh" May's eyes looked back and forth, confused she asked, "what's wrong?"
"He didn't get a proper burial- I had to leave the pendant in the grav- " Nicoleta cried on Charlotte's shoulder, and soon enough May took her arm in hers, holding onto her and comforting her with a hand to the back.
She told them everything, as they walked to the entrance to her bedroom. They all settled together on her bed, Nicoleta crying, them trying to cheer her up.
May eventually settled next to her, wrapping her arm around Nicoleta and planting a kiss on her head, she encouraged Charlotte to join.
"We are here now-" they both said, Nicoleta sniffed, shaking. She only nodded, nuzzling unto Charlotte's chest, and wrapping her arm around her as well.
When she cried until she could no longer shed a tear, Nicoleta managed to fall asleep, in the embrace of the people she loved, knowing that even if she couldn't get her father alive, that they did, their fathers mothers, and siblings were all okay.
That was her only comfort as she allowed sleep to overcome her.