Chapter 2 · No U-Turn For Regret In Doomsday

But now, that raging fire was trapped inside my chest, cold and persistent.

I took a slow breath, letting the -76 °F air slice through me like a knife. It stung, but it brought me into sharp focus.

Zane's voice came through the communicator, filled with heartbreaking despair. "Evie, please, answer me. Save her. Please save her first."

I lifted my hand, my fingers unnaturally steady, and I turned off the communicator.

With a soft beep, the world went quiet.

All the pleading, all the noise, and all that sickening pretense were gone.

The rescue team leader, a seasoned veteran, looked at me in disbelief. "Captain Juarez, Captain Lowe..."

I turned to him, a faint, cold smile crossing my face. It made me look almost ghostly under the harsh lights of the command center.

"The comms are down due to too much interference," I said, my tone flat and emotionless. "The data shows the risk of a secondary collapse in Sector B is increasing quickly, and life signs are fading.

"Adjust the rescue plan now. Focus on Sector B. Do whatever it takes to get Janelle out alive."

A rescue team member froze, speechless, caught off guard. Zane was the captain, and his authority was well established, but his order was clear.

I scanned the group with a chilling gaze. "Do I need to say this again? Or do you want to watch Janelle die in there?"

I emphasized Janelle's name.

The rescue team member snapped to attention. "Yes, Captain Juarez. Prioritize Sector B."

He spun around and shouted into the comms, "Teams One and Two, focus on Sector B. Move!"

The rescue center erupted into a flurry of activity, like boiling water reacting to a sudden impact. But unlike my previous life, everyone was moving in an entirely different direction.

I held my ground with eyes locked on the monitor. The green light for Zane's sector remained steady, while the red alert for Janelle's sector blinked urgently, escalating by the second.

Didn't Zane always say Janelle'd never die on his watch?

Didn't he promise he'd risk everything to protect her?

Well, I'd grant his wish.

I'd reveal the true nature of the one he was so eager to save.

Also, I'd make him feel the weight of every moment when the one he "loved" reminded him of his disability, day after day.

This time, I chose to save Janelle.

I was going to make sure he stayed alive to face every painful moment of it.

*****

The rescue turned out to be even more difficult than I had thought.

Sector B had completely collapsed. The rescue team paid a steep price, but after hours of hard work, they finally managed to break through the rubble and carve out a path.

Janelle Steele was the first person they pulled out.

She was wrapped in a thick thermal blanket. Her hair was messy and tangled, and her face was covered in dust and tears. She looked incredibly vulnerable.

As soon as she was free, she began to sob weakly, and the medics rushed her straight to the infirmary.

Besides being terrified and having a few scrapes, she seemed to be mostly okay.

Another agonizing half hour passed before Zane Lowe was finally rescued.

Just as I had feared, while we were focused on saving Janelle, his sector experienced a secondary collapse, worse than what happened in my previous life.

When they pulled him out, his lower body was trapped under twisted metal and frozen debris. He was unconscious, and blood was seeping through his uniform pants, freezing into dark red ice.

The medics' initial assessment was graver than what I had faced in my previous life. His spine was severely damaged, and he couldn't feel his legs at all. The chances of recovery were almost nonexistent.

He was paralyzed.

*****

Zane was completely unconscious in the medical bay for three days.

I didn't go to see him, not even once.

I kept telling myself I had to focus on keeping the shelter running smoothly and maintaining order, so I buried myself in reports and endless patrols.

The team members looked at me with a mix of sympathy and confusion, as if they had accepted that this was how things had to be.

After all, to everyone else, Zane's final request before the comms cut out was to save Janelle.

As his wife, I pushed aside my grief and the hurt of being pushed aside and followed his wishes. Wasn't that so "selfless" and "noble" of me?

Some people even felt Zane was out of line for choosing a teammate over his own wife.

Well, it was almost too easy to play with people's feelings.

Chapter 2

But now, that raging fire was trapped inside my chest, cold and persistent.

I took a slow breath, letting the -76 °F air slice through me like a knife. It stung, but it brought me into sharp focus.

Zane's voice came through the communicator, filled with heartbreaking despair. "Evie, please, answer me. Save her. Please save her first."

I lifted my hand, my fingers unnaturally steady, and I turned off the communicator.

With a soft beep, the world went quiet.

All the pleading, all the noise, and all that sickening pretense were gone.

The rescue team leader, a seasoned veteran, looked at me in disbelief. "Captain Juarez, Captain Lowe..."

I turned to him, a faint, cold smile crossing my face. It made me look almost ghostly under the harsh lights of the command center.

"The comms are down due to too much interference," I said, my tone flat and emotionless. "The data shows the risk of a secondary collapse in Sector B is increasing quickly, and life signs are fading.

"Adjust the rescue plan now. Focus on Sector B. Do whatever it takes to get Janelle out alive."

A rescue team member froze, speechless, caught off guard. Zane was the captain, and his authority was well established, but his order was clear.

I scanned the group with a chilling gaze. "Do I need to say this again? Or do you want to watch Janelle die in there?"

I emphasized Janelle's name.

The rescue team member snapped to attention. "Yes, Captain Juarez. Prioritize Sector B."

He spun around and shouted into the comms, "Teams One and Two, focus on Sector B. Move!"

The rescue center erupted into a flurry of activity, like boiling water reacting to a sudden impact. But unlike my previous life, everyone was moving in an entirely different direction.

I held my ground with eyes locked on the monitor. The green light for Zane's sector remained steady, while the red alert for Janelle's sector blinked urgently, escalating by the second.

Didn't Zane always say Janelle'd never die on his watch?

Didn't he promise he'd risk everything to protect her?

Well, I'd grant his wish.

I'd reveal the true nature of the one he was so eager to save.

Also, I'd make him feel the weight of every moment when the one he "loved" reminded him of his disability, day after day.

This time, I chose to save Janelle.

I was going to make sure he stayed alive to face every painful moment of it.

*****

The rescue turned out to be even more difficult than I had thought.

Sector B had completely collapsed. The rescue team paid a steep price, but after hours of hard work, they finally managed to break through the rubble and carve out a path.

Janelle Steele was the first person they pulled out.

She was wrapped in a thick thermal blanket. Her hair was messy and tangled, and her face was covered in dust and tears. She looked incredibly vulnerable.

As soon as she was free, she began to sob weakly, and the medics rushed her straight to the infirmary.

Besides being terrified and having a few scrapes, she seemed to be mostly okay.

Another agonizing half hour passed before Zane Lowe was finally rescued.

Just as I had feared, while we were focused on saving Janelle, his sector experienced a secondary collapse, worse than what happened in my previous life.

When they pulled him out, his lower body was trapped under twisted metal and frozen debris. He was unconscious, and blood was seeping through his uniform pants, freezing into dark red ice.

He was paralyzed.

*****

Zane was completely unconscious in the medical bay for three days.

I didn't go to see him, not even once.

I kept telling myself I had to focus on keeping the shelter running smoothly and maintaining order, so I buried myself in reports and endless patrols.

The team members looked at me with a mix of sympathy and confusion, as if they had accepted that this was how things had to be.

After all, to everyone else, Zane's final request before the comms cut out was to save Janelle.

As his wife, I pushed aside my grief and the hurt of being pushed aside and followed his wishes. Wasn't that so "selfless" and "noble" of me?

Some people even felt Zane was out of line for choosing a teammate over his own wife.

Well, it was almost too easy to play with people's feelings.