I was helping Veera get on her feet when I saw Alluna. Pacem walked towards her courageously (and with her usual pissed-off expression). I think like most of us, she just wanted it all to be over.

I rushed towards Pacem, half dropping Veera in the process. "Hey!" she yelled at me.

But I was already gone.

The reality of what had happened came back to me in flashes. It made me sick to know that Pacem had seen me like that. She had looked at me with so much hope in her eyes, and I'd just growled back like a mad man.

I never wanted her to see that side of me.

She's always made me feel like I could do anything. She usually looked at me like I was her knight in shining armour or something, (not that she needed one).

"Leave us alone Alluna," I growled. "You've lost this fight."

Alluna didn't seem to agree with me.

Dust was still clouding up the air, forming a layer of mist between us and our enemy. But I saw what happened next with complete clarity.

Alluna pulled out a device. One that was very familiar to me.

I had seen it the first day that I met an operative from Lost Future Labs. It was an older looking version, but the same non-the-less. At the time, my four-year-old self had just finished a fight, and was covered in dried blood.

"Are you Jake Maxwell?"

People didn't really speak to me back then, and I could immediately tell this lady wasn't Karnoi. I didn't quite know what to do, so I clenched my fists and prepare for a fight.

Unfortunately, I never had a chance to throw a punch because once the lady pressed the button on her fancy little remote, she had all the power.

Click.

Pacem fell to her knees.
I never wanted to see her fall.

I caught her and before I knew it I was holding her in my arms while her eyes slowly started to seal shut.

"Pacem." My voice had launched into sudden panic. "You need to stay awake okay? You can't go to sleep."

How could I have let this happen?
I had to save her.

"Jake, I'm so..." Her body started to relax and I began shaking her ferociously.

"Pacem! Can you here me?"

"Jake?"

I thought of the way I had attacked her earlier. She was genuinely scared of me.

That couldn't be the last memory she had of me.

"I'm so tired." Her eyes opened and her voice was an eerie whisper.

"I know but you need to stay awake for me, okay?"

She shook her head feebly.

"Jake, I love you."

I cupped her cheek with my hand and wiped the tear that had strayed onto it.

"I love you too, Pacem."

She smiled and kissed me on the cheek in one slow movement. She was moving like a dying girl. But she wasn't going to die today.

By the time she gently rested back, her eyes were closed.

She didn't move again.

I sat there on my knees, frozen in time, looking at her limp body. I knew Alluna was waiting for my response. Waiting for me to do something. But I couldn't get up.

I couldn't leave her.

After what felt like hours later, Malvin was squirming around and trying to get to Pacem.

I pushed him away. "Leave her alone!" As far as I was concerned he was a traitor. Part of this was his fault.

And part of it was mine.

I remember seeing the remote with Alluna earlier. She hadn't gotten a chance to use it because of Victor's interruption. At the time, I'd been too busy to process it because I was trying to kill my girlfriend.

Eventually I felt something cold nudge me. I looked up to see Shir, nuzzling me solemnly. She sat down next to Pacem and buried her head into her shirt. Then she looked at me expectantly.

I finally got up, reassured that Pacem wasn't alone.

"Wake her up!" I yelled charging forward. "Wake her up, now!"

Alluna smiled. "I told you never to double cross me Jake."

I wanted to kill her.

It had nothing to do with Victor turning me into an animal. It was real.  And she stepped backwards a little when she sensed it.

"There's no use hurting me. There'll be another one just like me in my place."

"Wake her up now!" I growled.

"You think I'm a monster, but I am not." She flipped me off casually. "I am trying to cleanse humanity."

I clenched my fists. "I'll kill you."

"What good will that do?" She smiled. "Give Pacem to me. We'll put her back in the program. She be safe there. And there's always a place for you and Veera, despite your betrayal."

"Over my dead body."

I couldn't let her wake up alone again.

Alluna tried to step forward in an attempt to get to Pacem, but Shir was already on her feet and she pounced forward, growling wildly before she could get any closer.

"You can't have her." I confirmed.

"Without my equipment, she'll grow old and die. Is that what you want for her?"

I bent down and picked Pacem up, gently holding her in my arms. Then I looked Alluna straight in the eye and made her a promise.

"It may not be today, but I'm going to kill you."

We left her there, to rot from the darkness that consumed her. I was determined to do something. Even though, deep down, I knew there was nothing to be done.

I could feel Pacem's heart beating as I lead at the front holding her in my arms. Shir travelled behind us along with Malvin and Veera.

The Karnoi that we're still at the scene, followed behind us. Eventually, more joined in as we walked down the road, until a large crowd formed in the silent march.

Even from her slumber she was uniting us.

She had to wake up.

"Jake nobody can do anything for her now-"

"Shut up Veera!" I hissed.

"Perhaps you should take a moment to-"

"Don't." I stopped right in my tracks, glaring at Malvin like the scumbag he was."You don't get to talk."

I know Pacem would forgive him. I know she wouldn't blame him. But I wasn't Pacem and right now, he was in my way.

I stormed into Ernie's and immediately yelled his name. There wasn't anyone there, they were all trailing behind me but I knew Ernie wouldn't leave the place unattended.

He immediately stepped out of the back room and without asking any questions said, "lay her down on the bar."

Humans didn't know this, but since Karnoi weren't allowed their own facilities, the place had developed many uses of the years.

Ernie had made an effort to familiarise himself with medicine and it was pretty much the only place Karnoi could go if they needed help.

He pulled out a needle and injected Pacem, once she was lying peacefully on the counter. Shir jumped up on to feet, holding onto the counter to watch. She seemed to love Pacem as much as I did and suddenly I understood Pacem's weird connection to the animal.

Ernie did a series of other things, but I stopped paying attention after a while. She looked so vulnerable on the table and it was all my fault. I'd left her alone. We were supposed to do this together.

The crowds of Karnoi that had followed us started to gather around and watch the scene. Others waited outside and continued to sing their songs.

Eventually, Ernie turned to me.

"Look Jake, I've given her adrenaline. It was worth a shot, but you know she needs their fancy-ass equipment." 

"Help her!" I yelled.

Ernie shook his head. "There's nothing I can do, man. You know that."

He seemed apologetic, but I didn't really care at that point.

"Jake," Veera took my hand sympathetically. It had been a long time since I'd seen such a compassionate look on her face.
"If you don't take her back to Alluna, she'll sleep until she dies of old age. She's the only one who can stop the aging process."

I shook my head. "We can't take her back there."

Malvin put his hand on my shoulder. "Then we'll find another way."

I clenched my fists.

I wanted to scream at Malvin. Hell, I even wanted to punch him.

How dare he act like he was one of us?

But instead I took the hand of the woman I loved and ran my fingers through her hair.

"Come back to me, Pacem."

Is Pacem ever going to wake up???

Tune in next week for the Epilogue!