Aftermath

Ves caught Leo just as his legs gave out beneath him. His battered and bloodied body collapsed into her arms, his head lolling against her shoulder.

She tightened her grip, preventing him from hitting the ground, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You idiot…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Despite her words, a soft, relieved smile spread across her face as she cradled him. Her hand gently brushed through his hair, smoothing back the blood-matted strands.

His face, though bruised and pale, held a peaceful expression in unconsciousness, as if the battle he had just endured was a distant memory.

For a moment, Ves simply held him, savoring the fact that he was still breathing.

"You did it… You really did it."

She lifted her gaze, taking in the battlefield around them. The scene was one of utter devastation. Cracks spider-webbed across the asphalt where the mutant creature's massive fists had struck.