Episode 83 – Before the Storm
The safe house was a forgotten cabin buried in the outskirts of the countryside—broken down from the outside, yet fortified with enough surveillance and reinforcement to hold against a siege. Aria parked the truck under a rusted shed nearby and killed the headlights.
"We need to get him inside," she said quietly, glancing at Raian, whose head lolled against the window.
Saira stepped out first, scanning the area. "No tails. No drones. Looks clear—for now."
They helped Raian out, his feet dragging as they supported him through the weeds and into the house. Once inside, Aria guided him straight to the makeshift infirmary set up in what used to be a dining room. She didn't speak until he was settled on the cot.
"He needs rest and nutrients. And blood, again." Her voice shook slightly. "But I won't—"
"You don't have to," Raian interrupted. "Not again. Not unless it's absolutely necessary."
Saira leaned against the doorway. "We're not safe here for long. We bought time, not freedom. That flash drive has enough evidence to cripple Jin's network, but it also made us the most wanted trio in this country."
Raian exhaled slowly, his eyes darkening. "He won't rest now. He'll come after Aria harder than ever."
"He always was," Saira said flatly. "You just weren't seeing it."
Aria's eyes met Raian's. "This doesn't change the plan. We still dismantle Jin, layer by layer. But we do it smart."
Raian chuckled under his breath. "Since when did you become the strategist?"
"Since I had no choice."
Saira smirked, stepping away. "Get some rest, both of you. I'll reset the perimeter and finish decrypting the rest of the files."
When she left, silence settled between them.
Aria turned to gather supplies, her back to Raian. "You don't have to pretend anymore. About being okay."
"I'm not," he admitted. "My body feels like it's been torn and stitched by wolves. My blood doesn't feel like mine. And every time I close my eyes, I remember the lab. The chains. The injections. Jin's voice, promising I'd become a perfect weapon."
Her fingers froze over the medical tray.
"But I'm also not broken," he continued. "Because you were there. You kept me from drowning in that nightmare."
She turned, eyes burning. "You shouldn't have had to go through any of that."
"But I did. And I survived it because of you."
She sat beside him. "Then let me take care of what's left."
Raian reached for her hand. "What if you get hurt because of me again?"
"I already was. Many times." She tightened her grip on his. "But I'm still here. And I won't leave."
For a moment, the connection between them said what words never could—an ache, a promise, a tangled thread of shared pain that somehow still tied them together, tighter than before.
Raian leaned his head back, eyes fluttering shut. "Will you stay until I sleep?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
He drifted off minutes later, his breathing finally even. Aria watched over him, refusing sleep herself. Her mind worked through every possibility, every backup plan, every hidden route and contact she could still trust.
By morning, Saira had already decrypted half of the drive. Maps. Lab locations. Experiments. Names.
"Project Thanatos," she muttered, scrolling through the files. "That's what they called it. Raian wasn't the only one."
Aria's stomach dropped. "There are more like him?"
Saira nodded grimly. "Not many. And most didn't survive. Jin pushed his trials to the brink of human capability—and beyond. Raian was… a miracle."
"And a weapon," Aria whispered.
They sat in silence as the files revealed more horrors. Children who were tested on. Agents turned into subjects. Failed prototypes. One thing was clear—Jin wasn't just building an empire. He was creating monsters.
Later that day, Raian was strong enough to sit on his own. His voice was hoarse but firm. "What's the next move?"
"We hit the research facility in Jeju," Saira said. "It's buried under a legitimate biotech front. According to this," she held up the flash drive, "that's where Jin keeps the original blueprints and test samples."
Raian nodded. "We destroy it. All of it."
"And if he's there?" Aria asked quietly.
Raian looked up at her, eyes no longer soft. "Then I end him."
There was no tremor in his voice. No hesitation. Only steel.
Saira tossed him a small, matte-black case. "You'll need this."
Inside, Raian found a pistol customized with his old specifications. The weight felt familiar. Too familiar.
"You kept this?" he asked.
"Didn't have the heart to toss it. Guess I knew one day you'd want it back."
He said nothing, only checked the rounds and nodded once.
Aria looked between the two of them. "We need a team."
Saira raised a brow. "You trust anyone else?"
"No," Aria said, "but I know someone who hates Jin more than we do."
Raian frowned. "Who?"
She pulled out a crumpled number written on the back of an old prescription pad. "Lena Myung. A scientist. She was forced to work for Jin's labs years ago. She escaped. Barely."
Saira sighed. "You sure she won't sell us out?"
"She's already risked her life to leak data once. That's how I found out Raian was alive."
Raian's gaze snapped to her. "You didn't tell me that."
"There wasn't time. And I didn't want to get her killed. But now… now we need her."
The next 24 hours were spent planning. Maps, codes, escape routes. It all felt familiar—too familiar for Aria, who used to live her days inside hospitals and operating rooms, not war rooms with armed blueprints.
That night, as the house dimmed and quieted, Aria stepped outside into the cold.
Raian followed, his body stiff but walking. "You okay?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked up at the sky—cloudless, dark, full of silent stars.
"I used to dream of saving people. Of being a doctor who healed, not harmed."
"You still do," he said softly.
She turned to face him. "But I also love you. And I will destroy anything that tries to take you away from me."
He stepped closer. "Even if it turns you into someone else?"
"No. Because I've realized—love doesn't make you weaker. It gives you something worth surviving for."
He touched her cheek gently. "Then survive with me."
They stood there, in the cold silence of a forgotten world, two people forged by pain, bound by blood, and finally, tied by heart.
Tomorrow, the storm would begin.
But tonight, they chose each other.
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