The drone's cannon lit up with a blinding red glow.
The sound wasn't just loud—
it was deep, like a vibrating engine tearing through the tunnel walls.
Yin Lie twisted his body, shielding Qin Mian with his arms.
Kai reached down, shouting:
"LIE—MOVE—!!!"
But it was too late.
The cannon fired.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The blast tore down the tunnel like a burning wave.
Yin Lie felt heat slam into his back.
The concussion threw him sideways against the ladder.
His injured ribs screamed.
His vision blurred.
He couldn't dodge.
He couldn't defend.
He could only hold Qin Mian tighter, whispering—
"I've got you…"
Qin Mian felt the shock, felt his pain, felt the world collapsing around them.
Her breath froze.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders.
Her mind burst open.
"NO—!!"
The air shattered.
Blue-white light erupted from Qin Mian's body—
not like a beam,
not like an explosion,
But like a pulse.
A heartbeat made of pure psychic force.
It pushed outward in a perfect sphere, expanding faster than the blast could reach them.
SHUUUUM—!!!
The blast wave hit the sphere—
And stopped.
The red energy flattened against the blue barrier, bending like metal pressed against glass.
The drone shrieked electronically, confused and overloading.
The tunnel ceiling cracked, but the sphere held.
Yin Lie felt no heat.
No shock.
No pain.
Only the strange, soft pressure of Qin Mian's pulse against his chest.
He looked down at her.
Her eyes were open—
glowing bright, brighter than ever.
Her pupils were shimmering with dreamlight.
Her voice trembled.
"…don't hurt him…"
The sphere pulsed again.
The drone screamed.
Then it exploded.
BOOM—!!!
Metal tore apart, pieces flying everywhere—
but every fragment bounced harmlessly off the glowing barrier.
The blast blew out the sides of the tunnel.
Pipes snapped.
Water burst upward.
Steam filled the air.
But not a single shard touched Yin Lie.
Qin Mian's shield held until the last echo died.
Then—
the sphere faded.
Her glow dimmed.
And she collapsed in his arms.
"LIE!!" Kai yelled from above.
She reached down, grabbed his arm, and pulled—
but Yin Lie barely moved.
He was still staring at Qin Mian.
Her head lay against his shoulder.
Her breathing was faint but steady.
Her eyelashes trembled.
But she wasn't glowing anymore.
Her power had drained completely.
Yin Lie pulled her close, whispering:
"You saved me…
again."
Kai shouted from the hatch:
"GET UP! THE TUNNEL IS COLLAPSING!"
Thorne looked down with panic.
"THE WALLS ARE MELTING—WHY ARE THEY MELTING—?!"
Chen Gu answered without looking down:
"That was a full-force psi shield. The heat pressure destabilized the metal. MOVE BEFORE IT FALLS!"
Yin Lie forced his shaking legs to move.
He climbed the last steps one-handed, clutching Qin Mian tightly.
Kai reached down, grabbed his arm, and hauled him out of the hatch with a grunt.
The moment his feet hit open ground—
CRASH—!!!
The entire tunnel behind them collapsed into a swirling storm of dust and broken pipes.
Thorne lay on the ground, coughing.
Chen Gu stumbled back, stunned.
Kai stared at the fallen tunnel, jaw clenched.
Then she looked at Yin Lie.
"No normal psi-user can do that," she said quietly.
"That was an instinctive shield stronger than a military barrier."
Yin Lie knelt on the dirt, holding Qin Mian close.
He brushed her hair from her face gently.
"She wasn't trying to destroy anything," he said.
"She was trying to protect me."
Kai's expression flickered.
Something like doubt.
Something like emotion.
But she masked it quickly.
"That's even worse," she said.
"If she reacts like that when you're in danger, she's unpredictable. If the Directorate learns—"
"They already know," Chen Gu said grimly.
"They sent drones after us. They'll send soldiers next."
Thorne pointed toward the distant wall, voice shaking:
"C-can we please leave before that happens again?"
Yin Lie lifted Qin Mian carefully in his arms.
She stirred slightly, whispering—
"…Lie… are we safe…?"
He kissed her forehead softly.
"Not yet. But we will be."
Kai looked at him long and hard.
Then she turned away, muttering:
"You don't have much time. Hurry."
Yin Lie stood.
His body was screaming with pain—
ribs throbbing, shoulder bleeding, legs shaking.
But Qin Mian needed him.
He carried her toward the outer wall.
Chen Gu ran ahead, checking directions.
Thorne stumbled behind, terrified of being left alone.
But Yin Lie walked slowly, gently—
so he didn't jostle her too much.
Qin Mian's voice was small.
"…Lie… did I hurt you?"
"No."
"…did I break the world again…?"
"Not this time."
"…did I… save you?"
"Yes."
She breathed softly, weak smile touching her lips.
"…good…"
Her head rested on his chest as she drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Yin Lie held her closer.
And for the first time since she awoke—
he realized something terrifying and beautiful:
She would destroy the world if he fell…
and save it if he lived.
And he would protect her with everything he had.
Even if the world tried to take her away.