The world sharpened slowly, like someone adjusting a blurry lens.
Shapes became clearer.
Voices closer.
Light steadier.
Ethan blinked, wincing at the brightness overhead.
A dull ache pulsed behind his eyes, radiating down his neck, but compared to the confusion and darkness he'd been trapped in—this was a miracle.
He exhaled shakily.
Alive.
He was alive.
A shadow moved at his side.
Camila.
She froze when she realized he was awake, a trembling smile spreading across her face. Her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep.
"Hey," she whispered, voice raw. "About damn time."
Ethan swallowed, his throat dry like sand. "Camila…"
She reached for the cup beside his cot, lifted his head carefully, and helped him drink.
The water was warm, metallic from the container, but it felt like life itself.
He coughed weakly. "What… happened?"
"You got knocked out by a blast." Her jaw tightened. "You scared the hell out of us."
He closed his eyes, memories coming back in fragments—the explosion, the sand, the noise.
"And the squad?" he asked hoarsely.
"Alive. A few injuries, but nothing as bad as this." She gestured gently toward his bandaged head.
Ethan nodded. Relief washed through him.
But then—another memory. A voice. Soft. Breaking.
Sofia.
Ethan's eyes snapped open. "Sofia," he whispered.
Camila's expression softened. "She knows."
He froze.
"What?"
"I told her," Camila said gently. "She… she talked to you last night."
His heart clenched so hard it hurt. "I… heard her. I think."
"You did," Camila whispered. "I saw it. You responded."
He swallowed hard, emotions crashing over him—gratitude, relief, longing.
"Where is she now?" he asked.
Camila hesitated.
Then smiled. "On her way. She took the first flight she could get."
Ethan's breath caught. He stared at the ceiling, chest tight with disbelief.
"She's… coming here?"
Camila nodded. "Yes."
He let out a shaky, almost tearful laugh.
Sofia was coming.
She still cared.
She still wanted him.
She was coming for him.
Camila touched his arm lightly. "You should know something else."
He turned his head.
"You said her name the moment you woke up."
Ethan blinked. His chest tightened with a fierce ache.
"I did?"
"Yeah." Camila gave a small smile. "First thing you said."
He looked away, overwhelmed.
Camila watched him for a moment, then spoke again—soft, sincere.
"She loves you. And you love her. It's time you both stop running."
He closed his eyes. "I'm done running," he whispered.
Camila gave a faint, bittersweet smile. "Good."
---
An hour later, medics arrived to prepare Ethan for the airlift to the regional medical facility. The camp hummed with activity—helicopter blades spinning, soldiers moving supplies, sand swirling into hot spirals.
Camila stayed close, helping adjust his straps onto the stretcher.
"You'll get better care there," she said. "And a proper scan for your head."
Ethan managed a small smile. "You're coming, right?"
Camila nodded. "Of course. I'm not leaving you alone."
Her voice carried something deeper—a protective loyalty that had grown from months of training, missions, and late-night talks.
Once he was loaded into the helicopter, Camila strapped in beside him.
The machine lifted with a roar, sending vibrations through the metal floor.
Ethan stared at the desert thinning beneath them.
He whispered, "She's really coming…"
Camila glanced at him. "Yeah. She is."
He didn't look away from the window. "Thank you, Camila. For everything."
Her throat tightened. "Just get better, okay?"
---
Hours passed. The helicopter ride blurred into ambulance lights and bustling medical staff. The regional facility was larger, brighter, cleaner—Ethan was moved to a private recovery room.
His head throbbed. His ribs ached. But he was stable.
Alive.
Waiting.
Camila sat beside his bed, arms crossed, eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"You can sleep," Ethan murmured.
"Not a chance," she muttered. "If I sleep, you'll try to escape or something."
He smiled weakly.
A nurse entered to check his vitals, then left them with quiet reassurance: "He's improving. Give it a few days."
Camila sighed with relief.
Ethan glanced at the clock on the wall.
"She'll be landing soon," he whispered.
Camila nodded. "Yeah."
"You don't have to stay when she… when she gets here."
Camila looked at him, startled. "Ethan, I'm not leaving you alone with a head injury."
He laughed softly.
She softened. "Besides, she'll probably want to thank me."
He nodded. "She will."
A long silence passed.
Camila leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "You know… I thought maybe there was a world where you and I…"
Ethan's breath caught.
Camila shook her head. "Don't worry. I knew your heart wasn't mine."
He stared at her, conflicted. "Camila…"
She gave a small smile. "It's okay. I promise. You don't choose who you love."
Her voice cracked.
"You just love."
Ethan swallowed, guilt twisting inside him. "You deserve someone who—"
Camila cut him off. "I know. And I will. But right now, what matters is you."
She wiped a tear quickly, pretending she wasn't.
Ethan squeezed her hand gently. "You're family, Camila. Whatever happens, you're family."
She nodded, eyes shining.
---
Meanwhile, 20,000 feet above the ocean, Sofia stared out the plane window, heart racing, fingers tapping anxiously on her seat.
She had no idea what condition he'd be in.
No idea if he was awake.
No idea what to expect.
But she didn't care.
All she knew was that she was going to him.
To stay.
To fight.
To tell him everything she held inside.
A flight attendant passed by. "Miss? Are you alright?"
Sofia forced a smile. "Yes. I just… need to get to someone."
The attendant's eyes softened. "You will."
Sofia turned back to the window.
"I'm coming, Ethan," she whispered.
---
Back at the medical facility, Ethan drifted in and out of light sleep while Camila watched over him.
Her radio buzzed with a message from the base:
Civilian arrival authorized.
Name: Sofia Romano.
ETA: 3 hours.
Camila exhaled slowly.
Three hours.
Three hours until everything changed.
She looked over at Ethan—bandaged, bruised, exhausted but alive.
She whispered,
"Hold on, my friend. She's almost here."
Ethan, half-asleep, whispered back:
"I'm not letting go."
---
The hours that followed were quiet.
Calm.
A fragile calm before the moment that would redefine everything.
Because Sofia was coming.
And Ethan was waiting.
And the distance between them was shrinking with every passing minute.