Chapter 6: A Fateful Decision

The hiss of alien breath rasps through the night air, and I brace myself for the inevitable. My knees press into the cold earth, the weight of everything I’ve lost threatening to crush me, but I refuse to look away. My eyes lock onto the alien soldier approaching me, and I feel my fear transform into something else—something fierce and stubborn. I will not look away. I will not give it the satisfaction.

The soldier towers over me, his silver armor glinting in the moonlight, his presence swallowing the space around me. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, but I keep my gaze steady, focusing on the dark visor where his eyes should be. I wonder if he even has eyes beneath that metallic facade, or if he's some kind of machine. Or maybe the rumors are true—monstrous humanoid snakes, reptilian creatures with scaly skin and slit pupils. Is it male, female, or something else entirely? No one knows what they truly look like, what they truly are, but I assume this soldier is male, given the broad shoulders and the muscular form visible beneath the armor. My breath steadies. No fear. No tears. I won't die a coward.

The alien—I can tell he's different from the others somehow—pauses. He tilts his head, as if studying me. His stance changes, his shoulders easing, his body language becoming less rigid, more curious. I can see it in the way he moves, subtle but there’s something there. Or maybe I’m imagining it. My mind could be playing tricks on me, desperate for any glimmer of hope. But the hissing from the other two soldiers grows louder—an agitated, reprimanding sound. They don't like his hesitation.

My eyes flick to the others. They're approaching now, their steps urgent, annoyed. Their hissing and clicking echoes through the clearing, a cacophony of threats. I feel the icy fingers of terror gripping my insides. They won’t hesitate. They won’t show mercy. This is it.

But then everything happens all at once. The soldier in front of me—the one who hesitated—moves. He's a blur of motion, so fast that my eyes can barely follow. His weapon flashes, glinting in the dim light. He strikes the first soldier, his blade sliding into the weak point between the plates of its armor. The hissing turns into a wet, gurgling sound, and the soldier falls, its body collapsing in on itself with a heavy thud.

I stare, my breath catching in my throat. What is happening? Why is he—

The other soldier lets out a guttural hiss and lunges at him, but the other soldier moves faster. He pivots, his blade finding the gap in the neck armor, and the second soldier falls, its body crumpling lifelessly to the ground.

My mind reels, trying to catch up with what my eyes just witnessed. The metallic scent of their blood fills the air, mingling with the smell of damp earth and forest. I can't think. I can't breathe. I just kneel there, staring at the two dead hissers at my feet.

The soldier turns back to me, his chest rising and falling heavily, the visor still hiding whatever expression might be on his face. He takes a step toward me, his voice breaking the tense silence. “Run.” His accent is strange—unplaceable, like it comes from nowhere on Earth. English. He's speaking English. My mind stutters over that realization. “Run.” His voice is commanding, but there’s something else there—something almost gentle.

Run. My brain can’t process it. Why is he telling me to run? Why did he just— “Why?” The word comes out before I can stop it, barely more than a whisper.

“There is no time,” he says, his voice sharper, the command more urgent. He takes another step back, gesturing for me to move. “More will come. You must leave now.”

In the distance, I hear it—the unmistakable hissing, the clinking of armor. Reinforcements. They’re coming. My body snaps back into reality, adrenaline flooding through me, waking me up. He’s right. I have to move.

The soldier’s head tilts slightly, his helmet catching the faint light. He hears it too—the others, closing in. He steps back again, pointing away from the clearing. “Now,” he says, his voice cutting through my panic.

I push myself to my feet, my legs trembling. Every instinct screams at me to run—to get away from this nightmare. But there’s something holding me back. This alien soldier—my enemy—just killed his own to save me. It doesn’t make sense. None of this makes any sense. My entire life has been defined by the certainty that these creatures are merciless, and yet…

But there's no time for questions. Survival first. Questions later—if I make it that far. I nod, forcing my body to move, my feet unsteady beneath me. I don't know why, but I listen to him. Maybe it’s because he’s the only thing standing between me and certain death. Or maybe… maybe it’s because I’m tired of being afraid.

My unexpected savior turns, leading me away from the clearing. His steps are swift and deliberate, and I follow him, my heart pounding in my chest. My feet stumble over roots and fallen branches, but I keep moving, the weight of everything pushing me forward. Survival. That’s all that matters now.

My thoughts jumble together as we move, the questions swirling in my head, crashing into each other. Why did he save me? What does he want from me? Is this some kind of trick? But there’s no time to think, no time to figure it out. I just need to keep running, to survive the next few minutes, the next breath.

He moves with purpose, his steps careful but fast, and I try to match his pace. The sound of the other soldiers fades as we move deeper into the park, the trees closing in around us, the underbrush thickening. The park has become overgrown like a forest, blurring into the edges of the city, merging with the woods and the wilds outside of the city. I push through, the branches scraping against my skin, catching in my hair. My breaths come in gasps, my chest tight, but I don't slow down.

We slip through a narrow gap between two crumbling stone walls, the foliage thick around us, the night pressing in close. The hissers' sounds grow fainter behind us, and slowly, the tension in my chest starts to ease—just slightly. I can feel my muscles starting to loosen, the fear beginning to ebb, replaced by confusion.

The alien finally stops when we’re far enough away, turning to face me. “They will hunt us both now,” he says, his tone calm, almost indifferent, as if he’s simply stating a fact. His visor reflects the dim moonlight, obscuring his expression.

I swallow, trying to catch my breath, my heart still pounding. “Why?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Why did you save me?”

He doesn’t answer immediately. He just stands there, looking at me, the silence stretching between us. And in that moment, I realize—he's not just a soldier anymore. He’s a traitor. He killed his own. For me. And now, we’re both running for our lives.

His head tilts slightly, as if considering my question, but all he says is, “They will kill us if we stay. We move.” His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument.

I take a shaky breath and nod. There are a thousand questions swirling in my head, but they’ll have to wait. Right now, all that matters is getting away from here, staying alive.

He turns, leading the way once more, and I follow. We move through the underbrush, the trees looming around us, the world a blur of shadows and moonlight. My mind races, my heart pounding in time with our steps. I have no idea what’s waiting for me at the end of this, no idea if I can trust him. But it's not like I have any options left, but to follow him.

We keep running—fleeing into the darkness, into the unknown, with the hissers closing in behind us.