Chapter 23: Time to Talk.

The morning sun filtered through the cabin window, casting a soft glow over Ava as she lay in bed, her mind churning with the echoes of yesterday’s outburst. Her eyes traced the familiar lines of the ceiling, seeking solace in the stillness, but none came. Without warning, the door burst open, and Talon, fully suited in his Sentinel tactical gear, strode in.

“Oi, I could’ve been naked!” Ava snapped, pulling the covers over herself reflexively.

“Well, you’re not,” Talon shot back, unimpressed. “Get ready and meet me outside in 30 minutes,” he commanded, turning to leave.

“Talon!” Ava called after him, trying to protest, but Talon reappeared in the doorway, snatching the blanket away with an exaggerated sigh. “Thirty minutes. Gear up,” he repeated, his voice leaving no room for argument.

With a groan, Ava dragged herself out of bed. About forty minutes later, she emerged from the cabin, her gear loosely strapped and her mood sour. Talon stood waiting, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Okay, I’m here. Now what?” Ava muttered, irritation clear in her voice.

Talon stepped over and immediately began adjusting her gear with an exaggerated shake of his head. “What is this? Are you a first-year cadet? Jesus,” he grumbled as he tightened her straps, checking her rig.

“What’s this about?” Ava asked, her tone shifting from annoyance to curiosity.

“I need a workout,” Talon said, stepping back. “And you haven’t trained since you got back. Come on, Miko says I can’t keep beating up the ADF members.”

Ava rolled her eyes, already beginning to turn away. “Not today, Talon.”

Before she could take another step, Talon closed the distance, catching her in a swift arm bar. Ava let out a sharp breath, struggling against his grip. “Get off me!” she yelled, her frustration rising.

“Get out of it,” Talon taunted, his grip tightening.

“Get off me, Talon!” Ava repeated, her voice strained, frustration edging closer to anger.

Talon released her, but only to immediately throw a few light jabs her way. “Come on, Ava! Where’s the Blonde Death? Where is she?” he goaded, pushing her to engage.

Ava tried to avoid him, her irritation growing, but before she knew it, Talon swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. “That all you got?” Talon teased, pinning her down with ease. “Come on, Blondie.”

“Get the fuck off me!” Ava growled, her temper flaring.

“Make me,” Talon challenged, his eyes locked onto hers. “Come on, Blondie, show me what you’ve got.”

Something snapped in Ava. With a sudden burst of energy, she twisted out of Talon’s hold and sprang to her feet. Her movements were rusty at first, but as Talon pressed her, the muscle memory kicked in, and her strikes grew faster, sharper.

“That’s it, Blondie. There she is,” Talon encouraged, his tone softer now but still firm. “Get it out.”

Ava’s fists and feet flew with renewed fury, each strike fueled by months of pent-up emotion. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and with a scream of frustration, she launched herself at Talon, knocking him to the ground. She locked his neck and arm in a move so quick he barely had time to react.

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For a moment, they were both still, Talon pinned beneath her, grinning up at her despite the hold. “Okay, okay,” he wheezed. “Let’s talk now.”

Ava released him, kicking him away with a smirk as they both lay on their backs, panting, side by side on the cold ground. “I hate you,” she muttered, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Talon coughed, still catching his breath, and lay there beside her. “Yeah, I know. But you needed it,” he replied, his tone softer now, more genuine. After a long pause, he added, “Talk to me, Blondie. I know it’s about Ethan.”

Ava’s breath hitched, and she turned her head slightly to look at him. “How did you…?”

“When I looked into your eyes on that field,” Talon said, his voice quieter now. “You said his name. I saw it, Blondie. I saw the fear, the pain. You were gone. And I thought…” his voice trailed off, the emotion clear in his face. “I thought I lost you.”

Ava swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over her. She had tried to bury it, tried to push it away, but Talon was forcing her to confront it head-on. Her eyes welled with tears she had fought so hard to suppress.

“I saw him, Talon,” Ava admitted, her voice trembling. “I saw Ethan. He was there, in that moment when I thought I was dying. And I wanted to stay with him. God, I really wanted to stay.”

Talon listened quietly, giving her the space to open up. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t push—just let her speak.

“But I heard your voice,” Ava continued, tears now spilling freely. “I heard you, and it pulled me back. It was like I was fighting to stay with him, but you wouldn’t let me go.”

Talon’s hand found hers, and he squeezed it tightly. “I wouldn’t have let you, Blondie. Not then. Not ever.”

Ava wiped at her tears, her heart aching as the memories flooded back. “I feel so lost, Talon. I don’t know how to come back from this. It’s like… I’m still there, on that battlefield. I don’t know how to be here, now.”

Talon sat up, pulling her with him, their shoulders touching. “I don’t know either,” he admitted quietly. “When you went down… I didn’t know what to do. I thought you were gone. When they hit you with the defibrillator, your body jerked and—” his voice cracked. “Your eyes opened, and I thought I was seeing a ghost. But you came back. You *came back*, Ava.”

She looked at him, their eyes locking, both of them raw with emotion. “But I don’t feel like I did,” Ava whispered. “I feel like I left something behind.”

Talon pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on her head. “You didn’t leave anything behind,” he whispered. “You’re still you. We’ll find her again.”

Ava clung to him, her tears soaking into his jacket, and for the first time since the battle, she allowed herself to break down, to grieve, to let go of the fear she had been holding onto.

They sat there, wrapped in each other’s presence, the cold morning air biting at their skin, but neither moved. In that moment, they weren’t Sentinels or warriors. They were just Ava and Talon, two friends, brother and sister finding their way through the darkness together.

As the silence settled between them, Ava lay back, staring up at the sky. The sounds of the forest were soft and distant, yet somehow comforting. Talon remained beside her, his presence grounding her in the moment, but her mind couldn’t shake the unease that still clung to her like a shadow.

For the first time in weeks, she had allowed herself to be vulnerable, to let someone see the fear and confusion that had gripped her since the battle. And yet, as she lay there, breathing in the cold air, she realized that the weight hadn’t fully lifted.

Talon’s words had given her comfort, but the deeper question—the one that gnawed at her in the quiet hours of the night—remained unanswered.

*Why had she come back?*

She had heard Ethan’s voice, felt the pull of that peaceful place. And though Talon’s call had brought her back, part of her had wanted to stay. Part of her was still afraid that she didn’t belong in this world anymore—that the battles, the blood, and the pain had taken too much from her.

What if she wasn’t strong enough to keep fighting?

Ava’s chest tightened as the thought crossed her mind, and she swallowed hard, pushing it down. She had opened up today, taken a step forward, but the path ahead felt uncertain, and the darkness she had seen in herself lingered just beyond the edge of her consciousness.

She turned her head slightly, glancing at Talon, who was still lying beside her, staring up at the sky. His steady breathing, his unwavering support—it was enough to keep her grounded for now. But as much as she wanted to believe that everything would be okay, the fear still lingered, waiting for the next quiet moment to rise again.

"I’m trying," she whispered, barely audible.

Talon turned his head toward her, not asking for clarification. He simply nodded, understanding her struggle without the need for more words.

Ava closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his presence, knowing that even with her doubt, she wasn’t alone in this battle. But as the morning sun began to rise, casting light through the trees, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a longer fight—one that only she could truly win.