Saved Me; Ryeji FF

twenty three.

In a dimly lit section of the base, Karina stood in front of a heavy punching bag, her fists covered in wraps. Her head hung low as she took a deep breath, focusing her energy and emotions into each punch. With each strike, the bag swung violently, reflecting her state of mind.

Sweat trickled down her forehead and her breathing intensified, drowning out the sound of her fists making contact with the bag. The bag swung back and forth like an opponent she was determined to conquer.

Each punch was a cathartic release, escaping the noise of the world, and all the inner turmoils that raged inside her.

"Karina."

Images of Ryujin flashed before her eyes, the yearning to destroy her emotionally and physically fueled her desire to hone her strength in breaking her down.

"Karina." The voice called out from behind her again.

As she threw her one final punch, the punching bag flew off the hinge, falling to the dusty ground with a loud bang. Her lips parted, drawing in the air that she desperately needed.

"What is it?" The leader said in a low, airy tone.

"She came back." Giselle replied, eyes glued onto the bag on the floor with a fisted-sized crater ripped into the fabric. "But she's severely injured."

Karina spun on her heels slowly, using her forearm to wipe the sweat off her creased eyebrows, "What happened?"

"You should come and see for yourself."

They quickly made their way to the bedroom, the sounds of their footsteps echoing loudly through the hallways. Giselle gripped the doorknob tightly with her head hung low.

"Karina." She said quietly as she took a deep breath, "I know you don't love her, but please show her some compassion."

She nodded and watched as the door gently swung open. Ningning sat beside the bed with Winter sleeping soundly beneath the covers. Karina walked past Giselle to closer observe the injured woman.

"Do we know what happened to her?" The leader asked coldly as she spotted the injuries that blemished her face.

"Not sure. She opened the door and just collapsed." The hacker replied, straightening the blanket.

"How bad are her injuries?" Her eyes locked on Winter's body, scanning for any wounds.

"Really bad." Ningning lifted up the blanket, revealing a bandage wrapped around where her left hand used to be.

Karina immediately shut her eyes tightly, wincing at the awful injury that was inflicted on someone she cared for.

"I took a look at the wound before patching her up." Giselle stood beside the leader, her sight locked on Winter. "It was cauterised as it... was cut off."

She drew in air through her chapped lips before turning to face the door, "Make sure she's okay. We need to be prepared."

"For what, Karina." Ningning said loudly before she looked back at Winter, hoping not to wake her up. "Why are you and Yongsun so deadset on killing Ryujin?!"

"We can't risk her falling into the wrong hands. If she does, she would be a detrimental factor in our downfall. We need to nip the problem in the bud." Karina said sternly, her back facing the hacker.

"Okay, fine. But we can't do anything yet, not when Winter is in this state." She retorted, frustrated with the leader's desperate attempts to carry out the mission. "Look what she did to your girlfriend. Ryujin is far too powerful, we need as many people we can get."