"Base Eleven, Underground Zone Red, 12:30:2029."
Grace stilled as she heard the words. The world around her disappeared within seconds as she felt herself being pulled into a place she never wanted to revisit.
It was as if time shifted and dragged her back to the memories she had buried deep beneath layers of resolve. The shouts, the betrayals, the metallic tang of blood - everything came rushing back, wrapping around her like chains.
Cold sweat pricked at the nape of her neck, yet her gaze was anything but weak. Her eyes sharpened, almost turning lethal as they fixed themselves on the man who just brought back all that darkness.
Before he could have processed the storm behind her eyes, she sprang from her chair. Her movements were as swift and unpredictable as lightning. Her fist shot forward, aiming directly at his face.
Though caught off guard, Davian’s instincts kicked in just in time to deflect the blow. The chair clattered to the ground behind him as he stumbled back. His eyes went wide with surprise but soon shifted into a look of understanding.
But Grace saw none of that. Since her first attack failed, she went for a second one, then a third one, and more. Each attack that followed was precise, fueled by fury and the ghosts of the past.
The room erupted with the sound of their struggle - grunts, sharp breaths, and the thud of fists striking defense.
"Grace, calm down!" Davian’s voice sounded strained as he blocked another hit that was aimed at his ribs. He shifted back while trying to create some distance, but it was mostly futile.
Her knee came up, aiming for his gut, and he barely caught it before it landed, pulling her off balance for merely a second before she was back with full force.
He knows? But how can he know? Every blow Grace landed or attempted came with unspoken questions that thundered in her mind. The thought stoked the fire inside her until it blazed hotter.
She launched another attack and her fist found its way toward his chest. Unfortunately, he sidestepped before grabbing her wrist and pulling her until her back was pressed against his chest.
"Calm down, woman. You need to listen to me." He tried to make her listen only for her to elbow him in his stomach and force him to loosen his hold on her enough for her to turn around and aim another powerful fist right at his face.
It was only at this moment that Davain finally realized he couldn’t make her listen unless she would stop fighting. So instead of only defending, he started moving around her attacks with a purpose. At the first chance he got, he caught her wrists mid-strike and used her momentum to push her back.
Grace felt her shoulders hit the cold wall and the shock stilled her for a heartbeat. Yet her eyes never wavered. They burned holes into him as she strained against his hold.
"Listen to me!" Davian said through gritted teeth. His breathing was fast and his voice felt caught between desperation and authority. He pinned her arms above her head while his body pressed into hers to keep her in place.
The room suddenly started feeling smaller while the air became denser as they stood locked in their chaotic dance of rage and restraint.
If it had been some other situation, their current position could have been considered extremely sexual. Unfortunately, the situation was anything but sexual at this moment.
Grace didn’t stop trying to wrench herself free. The surge of panic clawed at her chest, mingling with the burning questions that refused to leave her be. "Let me go, Davian!" she ordered, yet her voice shook with something raw, almost broken.
The moment he heard that never-before-seen vulnerability in her voice, Davian almost hesitated. A flicker of an apology sparked in his eyes for a moment before he steeled himself all over again. "I can’t, not until you listen."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing. .
She stared right into his eyes, as if she was looking not just at him but at his very soul. "How?" Her voice was like a razor, slicing through the tension. The question trembled as if wrapped in something both fragile and fierce. "How do you know about that place?"
Davian’s expression finally softened, but there was a shadow of regret. And then, for the first time, she saw it - the doubt... and a fear that mirrored her own. That look in his eyes, it left her completely surprised, and finally forced some of that murderous aura out of her.
"Because I was there that day." He finally answered with sincerity, gazing at her with just as much softness as the wrath she held in her eyes.
"You were there?" She asked, looking confused and... almost lost. She felt almost unable to make sense of the possibility behind his words.
"I was. I just arrived there too late." It broke Davian’s heart as he confessed his biggest failure out loud. "By the time I arrived... you were already..." The rest of the words refused to leave his mouth.
"You were there." She repeated, but this time it wasn’t a question. She forced her brain to put things together and when it finally did, she was left stunned. With her shocked gaze fixed on his face, she asked, "Are you... is this your... second life too?"
"Too?" Davian’s asked as he didn’t miss that particular part of her question. His eyes lit up immediately and his entire being felt filled with hope as he asked, "Is this your second life as well?"
He waited for her to answer his question. But what he didn’t anticipate was for her to suddenly snatch one of her hands out of his loosened hold and use that very hand to hit him fiercely on his shoulder.
"Damn it, woman! What’s that for?"
"For coming late."