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Twenty Five

(Author's note: the story is back in Amber's Point Of View)

My finger squeezes the trigger just as I drop the gun, having snapped out of my trance.

What just ha—

I've no time to react before the bullet zips past Xavier and lodges itself into someone.

I stop short. My world freezes in that second, everything around me ice-cold and foreign. As if in slow-motion, I watch as he drops to the ground.

Chance.

"Chance!" I yell, running towards him, but something ice-cold grabs my arm and stops me, pulling me back with such a force that I cry out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Xavier's father sneers, his voice sharp and unforgiving.

I almost don't comprehend what he says. My world is dried of its color, everything emotionless and dry and cold.

He can't die.

He cannot die, no matter what happens.

And then Xavier's father starts firing, the sharp blast catching me by surprise and I almost fall if not for the fact that I'm currently trapped in a metal grip. Xavier and Dakota duck, and the bullets whiz past them at the speed of light, but don't injure them.

Xavier's father doesn't give up and continues to shoot, and I almost ask them to run, but the selfish part of me disagrees. If they leave, I will not be able to escape, and who knows what will happen. I don't want to be turned against them like just now, and after that incident I know it's highly possible.

Scarlet liquid flows from Chance's chest, and it's so hard to tear my eyes away from him.

And then all of a sudden I'm let go of, and Xavier's father takes a shot with both of his hands. I scramble towards Chance, my heart pounding, tears starting to burn my eyes.

"Xavier!" Someone yells, and then there's a blur of brown hair before both Dakota and Xavier fall to the ground, hard.

Xavier's up in an instant, bent over Dakota. She's shot. His hands are on her shoulders as I reach Chance, grabbing his hand. His breathing is shallow, and his face pale.

He is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to help him. You useless person.

And then Xavier shoots towards his father, and I turn in time to see him push the man to the ground, cursing at him.

Chance manages to choke out my name, breathlessly. I whip around again, and press a finger to his lips.

"Don't—" my voice brakes, and I gently press my lips to his cheek. "I'm sorry."

There's no time left.

"Lockdown mode activated." A robotic voice rings out, and I turn around to see Xavier's father disappear through a wall. When Xavier tries to get through it, he smashed his shoulder against the now-solid cement.

He curses loudly.

Loud scraping sounds from all around us as metal plates zoom towards the ground from the ceiling, covering and locking us inside.

"We need to get out," Xavier yells at me, "get escape routes."

I look over at Chance, who's barely holding on.

"I'm sorry," I whisper again, my tears falling over and over again. "I'm so sorry."

I ignore the fact that my throat has constricted and I can barely breathe, and kiss Chance on the cheek for what seems like the last time.