The shield buzzed faintly behind them, its light flickering like a firefly caught in a storm. Lila’s legs ached as she stumbled over uneven ground, her hand still tightly clasped in Callen’s. His grip was firm but gentle, a quiet reassurance amid the chaos.

“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly, glancing over her shoulder. The dim glow of the shield was already disappearing behind the thick forest canopy.

“To the ridge,” Callen replied, his glowing blue eyes scanning the terrain. “There’s a secondary entrance to the caverns there. It’s safer, but we’ll have to move fast.”

“Safer from what? The drones?”

Callen stopped abruptly, turning to face her. “Safer from everything,” he said, his voice low but urgent. “This planet isn’t like Earth. It reacts to emotions, energy—fear, especially. If we’re not careful, the environment itself could turn against us.”

Lila blinked, trying to wrap her head around his words. “Wait—so you’re telling me the planet is alive?”

“In a way,” Callen said, his expression grim. “Korranis is... sensitive. The vithrium in its core resonates with living beings. It’s why our technology works so well here, but it also makes the planet volatile. That’s part of why it’s dying.”

Before Lila could respond, a faint whirring sound broke through the silence. It was distant but growing louder.

“The drones,” Callen muttered, his jaw tightening. “We have to move. Now.”

They plunged deeper into the forest, the alien trees casting long, shifting shadows that seemed to dance with their movements. The air grew cooler, and the faint hum of vithrium crystals beneath the surface vibrated through Lila’s chest.

As they ran, Callen slowed just enough to glance back at her. “Are you okay?”

“Define okay,” Lila panted, struggling to keep up. “I’ve been chased by killer drones, dragged to an alien cave, and now the planet might be trying to kill me. So no, I’m not exactly okay.”

Callen’s lips twitched, almost forming a smile. “Fair point.”

The whirring grew louder, and Lila risked a glance upward. Through the gaps in the canopy, she could see the faint glow of drones weaving through the trees like fireflies, their searchlights slicing through the darkness.

“They’re getting closer,” she said, panic creeping into her voice.

Callen slowed, pulling her to the base of a large tree with bark that shimmered faintly in shades of silver and green. “We’ll climb,” he said.

“Climb?” Lila echoed, staring up at the towering tree. “You can’t be serious.”

“Do you trust me?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. Lila hesitated, her breath hitching as she met his glowing blue gaze. There was something steady in his expression, a quiet confidence that made her pulse quicken.

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” she said finally.

Callen grinned, and for a moment, the tension eased. “Not really.”

He crouched slightly, interlocking his fingers to form a foothold. “Step up.”

Lila hesitated, then placed her boot in his hands. With a small boost, she grabbed the nearest branch and pulled herself up. The bark was surprisingly warm under her fingers, almost like it was alive.

“Keep going,” Callen urged from below, leaping up to grab a branch and swinging himself up effortlessly.

Lila gritted her teeth, climbing higher as the whirring of the drones grew louder. The branches were thick and sturdy, but they swayed slightly under her weight, and she fought the urge to look down.

“Almost there,” Callen said, just above her.

She glanced up to see him perched on a wide branch near the top of the tree. He reached down, offering his hand. With a final push, Lila grabbed it, and he pulled her up beside him.

From their vantage point, the forest stretched out like a sea of silver and green, the glowing tips of the trees shimmering in the dim light of Korranis’ twin moons. But the beauty of the scene was overshadowed by the drones. There were at least a dozen of them, their sleek forms darting through the trees like predators hunting prey.

“They’re sweeping the area,” Callen said, his voice barely above a whisper. “If we stay still and keep quiet, they might miss us.”

Lila nodded, her heart pounding. She pressed her back against the tree trunk, trying to steady her breathing. Beside her, Callen crouched low, his gaze fixed on the drones.

Minutes felt like hours as they waited, the drones’ searchlights cutting through the forest below. One of them passed alarmingly close, its metallic surface rippling as it scanned the area. Lila held her breath, her nails digging into the bark.

Finally, the drone moved on, disappearing into the distance. The forest grew quiet once more, the only sound the faint hum of vithrium in the air.

“You’re good at this,” Callen said softly, breaking the silence.

“Panicking and almost falling to my death?” Lila whispered back, her voice trembling.

He chuckled quietly, the sound warm and reassuring. “Surviving.”

She turned to look at him, her pulse slowing as his words sank in. For the first time since this ordeal began, she felt a flicker of hope.

“Why me?” she asked suddenly.

Callen frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Why did you bring me into this?” she asked, her voice steady. “Why not someone who actually knows what they’re doing? Someone who can fight or... I don’t know, do something useful?”

Callen hesitated, then reached out to gently touch her hand. His touch was warm, grounding her.

“Because you see us for who we really are,” he said quietly. “Not just aliens or invaders, but people. That’s something most humans wouldn’t do. It’s why we need you, Lila. You have a strength you don’t even realize.”

Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. His glowing blue eyes searched hers, and she felt a strange pull, like the hum of the vithrium had found its way into her chest.

Before she could respond, a faint beeping sound broke the moment. Callen glanced at his communicator, his expression darkening.

“They’ve found the cave,” he said, his voice tense.

Lila’s stomach sank. “The others—”

“They’ll be fine,” he said quickly. “Lyra and Zara know what they’re doing. But we need to keep moving.”

He started to climb down the tree, but Lila grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Callen, wait.”

He turned back to her, his expression softening.

“I... I want to help,” she said, her voice trembling. “I don’t know how, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Callen’s gaze lingered on her, and for a moment, the chaos of the world around them seemed to fade.

“You already are,” he said softly.

And then he smiled—a genuine, heartfelt smile that made her chest ache in a way she didn’t fully understand.

Before she could say anything else, he started climbing down, leaving her to follow. But as she moved, the words he’d said stayed with her, a spark of determination igniting in her heart.

Whatever came next, she wasn’t going to back down. For Callen, for his people—for herself.