Luelle
As she stood outside the hall, the warmth of Ethan's jacket draped over her shoulders did little to quell the turmoil in Luelle's mind. The night air brushed against her skin, but it paled in comparison to the tempest of emotions swirling within her.
She had kissed him. Ethan, the boy she had adored in her youth, the man she had spent the past year shielding from unseen dangers. For years, she had convinced herself that her role as his secret guardian outweighed her feelings, that he could never view her in that light. But everything had shifted. The kiss had shattered her carefully constructed restraint, leaving her uncertain if she could ever piece it back together.
The Dominion loomed over their lives like a heavy shadow, dictating every step Ethan took, forcing his choices, determining his future. Her role—a protector—had always been silent and invisible, yet crucial. Countless nights had been spent gathering intelligence, listening for whispers of threats, waiting for something to strike.
And yet, in that moment, she felt like a failure.
It was her love for him—and the possibilities of what they could become—that had distracted her, diverting her attention from the vigilance she had always maintained. As her emotions surged, a piercing realization settled in: "I've made him vulnerable."
Steeling herself against the despair threatening to overwhelm her, Luelle turned and stepped into the hall.
The heat and noise enveloped her instantly; the music and chatter were nearly overwhelming after the quiet outside. Her keen eyes scanned the room as she navigated through the crowd, seeking to dispel the silence and uncertainty, desperate to understand what he was thinking, what everyone was thinking. But her heart raced too wildly as she watched him, her mind still reeling with all the things she wished to say but felt unable to voice.
It didn't take long for her to spot him.
He was on the stage, microphone in hand, standing tall and composed. His face radiated calm, but Luelle could detect the tension in the rigid line of his posture, the way his shoulders held just a bit too stiffly.
She maneuvered her way to the front of the crowd, slipping between bodies as discreetly as possible. She could hardly breathe, her thoughts a chaotic whirlwind of everything she wanted to express, all the words that remained unspoken.
Then something caught her eye.
A flicker of motion in the upper balcony—so subtle it would have gone unnoticed by anyone untrained to observe it. Instinct kicked in, sharpening her senses as she became acutely aware of her purpose.
There.
Her eyes narrowed, catching a glint of metal lurking in the shadows. A sniper.
The moment she realized it, the revelation struck her like a blow to the chest, adrenaline surging through her veins, clearing her mind of all else. Ethan was still speaking, blissfully unaware of the danger looming above him. The sniper's rifle was aimed directly at him, the figure concealed within the architectural folds of the balcony.
Her breath catching in her throat as recognition flooded her, it was him—Vael, the school counsellor who had spent far too much time around Ethan at the beginning of the year. From the moment Luelle had sensed his probing curiosity about Ethan's habits, schedule, and future plans, her instincts had flared. At first, it had seemed odd but not particularly alarming—just suspicious enough to plant seeds of doubt in her mind.
Determined to uncover the truth, she had investigated further, uncovering a connection between Vael's presence and the hit-and-run attempt she had thwarted months earlier—a plot designed to take Ethan's life. Yet, despite her thorough efforts, no evidence had surfaced to link Vael to the conspiracy. Her suspicions had remained just that—unproven and unresolved. Now, standing here with the weapon aimed at Ethan, a heavy guilt settled in her chest.
"I should have acted sooner. I should have found the proof. I should have stopped this." Luelle's thoughts raced, but as Vael took aim, she knew she had no choice but to act. By the time she would reach the sniper, the situation will be beyond her control. She must act now.
"Ethan!" she shouted, her voice sharp and urgent.
His eyes snapped to her, confusion flickering across his features as he registered the panic in her tone.
Before he could respond, Luelle sprang into action—swift and resolute. She propelled herself towards him, using her body as a shield just as the rifle cracked, the sound slicing through the music and chatter like a knife.
She felt the impact before fully grasping what had happened—a searing pain erupted in her shoulder as the bullet struck. She collided with Ethan, collapsing to the ground, his arms instinctively wrapping around her to break her fall.
The room erupted into chaos, screams and shouts echoing as everyone scrambled to escape the unknown threat. Shock and fear flooded Ethan's face as he held her trembling form tighter.
"Luelle," he breathed, his voice cracking as he took in her pale complexion.
Summoning all her strength, she managed a faint smile, her breath shallow but steady. "I... had to protect you."
As her vision blurred and the edges of the room faded, the pain intensified, a searing reminder of what she had just done. Yet, even as darkness began to close in, Luelle clung to one thought: she had kept him safe; she had fulfilled her promise to protect him.
With the last of her strength, she gripped Ethan's hand weakly, her voice a faint whisper but steady with urgency. "Stay down... stay alive... stay safe... promise me."
Ethan's face twisted in anguish, his grip tightening around her as he nodded, his voice breaking. "I promise. I promise, Luelle, just stay with me—please."
Her lips curled into the faintest smile before her strength gave out, and she slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of his voice the last thing she heard.
Ethan
Ethan focused on the crowd before him, his long-planned words spilled from his tongue, sounding like hollow echoes in the oppressive night. He had grown so accustomed to this routine — playing the part assigned to him, standing where and when he was told, reciting words that felt foreign. But tonight, for the first time, his mind was elsewhere. Outside, in the cool night air, where Luelle had just been seconds before.
"Ethan!"
Her voice sliced through the chaos of his thoughts, sharp and desperate, and it sent a jolt through him. He turned, his heart racing at the sight of her rushing toward the stage. His jacket fell from her shoulders, unnoticed, as she leaped onto the platform, fear etched on her face. He froze, his body caught between her panic and his own instinct to flee.
A gunshot rang out, piercing the air.
Time seemed to stretch as the sound reverberated through the hall, chaos erupting around him. It wasn't the bullet that struck him, but Luelle, her body crashing into his as she threw herself in front of him. They fell together, hitting the ground hard, his heart pounding in sync with the panic swirling around them.
"I... had to protect you," her voice barely broke through the haze, but it was steady enough to pierce his heart. "Stay down … stay alive … stay safe … promise me."
Those words hit him harder than any bullet could. He wrapped his arms around her, his mind spinning, desperately trying to grasp the reality unfolding before him. Blood. So much blood, soaking through her dress and staining his hands where he held her.
"Luelle," he whispered, his voice breaking. "No, no, stay with me. You're going to be okay. Just stay with me."
A flicker of a smile crossed her lips, but it vanished into the fog of his panic as her body went limp, her eyes fluttering shut.
The world around him erupted into screams and shouts, chaos reigning as people fled. Panicking, Ethan pressed his fingers to her neck, feeling her heartbeat quickening, while his own heart thundered in his chest, fighting to keep her awake.
And then he saw them.
The Dominion guards, slicing through the turmoil like a knife, their uniforms a grim reminder of their authority. Everything spiralled out of control. Another shot rang out, and he flinched, eyes darting to where the sound originated. He watched as the sniper, Vael, fell from the balcony, the rifle slipping from his hands.
Ethan's breath hitched, his mind racing to process the horror around him. He felt Luelle's weight shift as the guards stormed toward them, seizing her limp body from his grasp.
"No!" he screamed, desperation choking his voice. He tried to cling to her, to never let go, but they were too strong.
"Sir, we have to go," one guard said, gripping his arm tightly as they hoisted him to his feet.
"I'm not leaving her!" he shouted, raw panic coursing through him. "No!" He fought against their hold, eyes glued to Luelle as they carried her away, her head lolling to one side, the sight sending waves of anguish crashing over him. "I'm not leaving her!"
He barely noticed the crowd parting as they shoved him through the hall with cold efficiency. He knew where they had taken her; everything else blurred into insignificance. He could no longer see her.
Adrenaline and fury surged through him. He faced the guards, voice trembling yet fierce, though his chest felt like it might explode. "Take me to the hospital. Now."
Their expressions remained stoic, their resolve unyielding. "Sir, it's not safe—"
"Take me to her!" His voice cracked, breaking under the weight of his fear. He didn't care about their protocols or their orders. Nothing mattered except Luelle.
Minutes dragged on, an endless blur. His parents arrived, pale and frantic, hovering over him, trying to offer comfort he couldn't absorb. The Dominion watchers surrounded him, suffocating him with their presence.
Ethan felt trapped in a haze of chaos and desperation, his parents' voices swirling around him as they tried to offer comfort he couldn't process. Their pale, drawn faces revealed their helplessness, a reflection of his own internal agony. He caught fragments of their words—reassurances, pleads to stay calm—but they felt distant, muted under the suffocating weight of his grief.
The Dominion guards stood like statues around him, their presence watchful, their loyalty unshakable. They flanked him on either side, their movements precise but not invasive. Ethan knew they were there to protect him, to ensure his safety above all else, yet their presence felt heavy in the moment, reminding him of the power the Dominion wielded over his life. He couldn't fault their intentions—they had always been there for him, as they were now—but their vigilance, their ever-present control, pressed against his raw emotions, leaving him feeling both suffocated and guarded.
His hands trembled as he looked down at them, the faint traces of Luelle's blood still clinging to his skin despite his attempts to scrub it away. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't come off. It was hers—Luelle's—and it felt like it had seeped into him, a permanent reminder of what she had done.
Suddenly, voices from the back of the hall pierced through his disoriented thoughts. A group of figures appeared, rushing toward him. Their friends.
Aria was the first to reach him, her silver dress catching the dim light as she pushed through the guards with determined urgency. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with panic as she tried to understand what had happened. James was close behind her, his usual light-hearted charm replaced by grim determination. Devon, Marcus and Cass followed, their expressions equally stricken, while Rowan lingered just behind them, his jaw tight as he scanned the room.
"Ethan," Aria said, her voice breaking slightly as she reached for him. "What happened? Where's Luelle?"
Ethan couldn't respond. The words felt trapped in his throat, tangled with the suffocating weight of guilt and despair.
Rowan stepped closer, his tone quieter but firm. "Ethan," he said softly, crouching slightly to meet Ethan's vacant gaze. "You're not alone, okay? We're here. Just... breathe."
The sincerity in Rowan's voice broke through the haze, if only for a moment. Ethan's breath hitched, uneven, as he nodded faintly, though the blood on his hands seemed to burn hotter with every passing second.
And then Luelle's mother appeared, her entrance sudden and devastating. Ethan had barely registered her presence before her anguished voice cut through the air.
"No!" she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as her eyes locked onto the blood on Ethan's clothes and the Dominion guards around him.
Ethan felt his chest tighten further, the weight of her pain adding to the crushing burden he already carried. He wanted to say something, to offer reassurance, but there were no words that could fix this.
Minutes passed in a blur as the doctor arrived, delivering their grim update. Ethan barely heard them, their words echoing distantly as his world seemed to collapse.
"We did everything we could," the doctor said, their tone carefully measured.
They didn't confirm it—didn't say the words—but Ethan's mind filled in the gaps. The look on the doctor's face, the way they avoided his gaze, the finality in their tone—it all told him the truth he couldn't bring himself to accept.
Luelle was gone.
Aria broke into quiet sobs beside him, James wrapping an arm around her while the others stood frozen in shock. Rowan's hand rested on Ethan's shoulder, a steady anchor despite the chaos surrounding them.
His parents hovered close, their concern evident in every word, every glance. They had always been there for him, as had the Dominion, their loyalty unshakable. Yet, in this moment, even that steadfast loyalty felt distant, unable to mend the ache tearing through his chest.
The blood on his hands felt like it was etched into his skin, a haunting reminder of the girl who had risked everything to save him.
And then, the weight of it all crashed down on him.