“What is it?” This time Kizy asked, knowing that it had to be something within their limits as the Imperial physician seemed someone with a good heart.

“Take us back with you all. We both want to leave the Imperial nation and start afresh.” The Imperial physician replied.

“Done.” Markus said instantly, knowing this was nothing.

He only wanted Joel to be safe right now, plus the Imperial physician hadn’t asked anything huge in returns.

With that the Imperial physician instantly knelt beside Joel and checked on his pulse. It took him almost a minute within which Sia did basic checkup on Joel’s condition. 

They both exchanged a few words before starting the treatment plan, working in sync.

Kizy felt relieved knowing Joel’s life was in safe hands when she finally went back to Jason.

“Where is the First brother?” Kizy asked quietly.

She could see Nicole lying unconscious next to Joel, but judging from Markus’s behaviour, she must be out of danger.

Apart from her, Kizy noticed that everyone was there on the battlefield except for Victor. 

Hence instead of asking Markus, Kizy felt it would be right to ask Jason about Victor as she felt that Jason was hiding something from her when they had met in the jungle.

“He… is missing.” Jason said after a pause, knowing he could no longer keep this information from Kizy.

“Teams, I know you all have worked hard today and are exhausted. But I request those who are in slightly better condition to instantly start a search operation for Victor.” Markus said as he had heard the conversation between Kizy and Jason.

And though he could have ordered his men to do the same, he for the first time requested, knowing that all of them had taken a huge blow from the entire battle.

But surprisingly many of them stood up and instantly started moving, the majority of them being the ones who were present on the boat and were rescued because Victor had stayed back.

They had fought alongside Andrew’s team on shore and were injured, but their conscience would never let them rest until they had searched for Victor.

“Is Nicole alright?” Kizy asked after watching the men go away in search of Victor.

“Her condition is stabilised. But Young Madam…” the doctor who had removed the bullet spoke and stopped mid sentence, contemplating whether he should speak the rest or not.

“What is it?” Kizy asked, not liking their silence.

“We will have to conduct a thorough checkup, but I am afraid that Miss Nicole might suffer from infertility after this.” The doctor said in a voice which was heard only by Markus, Kizy and the remaining members of the Black Command.

Kizy didn’t speak anything, but she felt way too bad and guilty for landing Nicole in that condition.

“Don’t worry about this. We will take her to the best of doctors and won’t spare even a single treatment to cure her if needed.” Markus said, placing a hand on Kizy’s shoulder.

“But she-” Kizy said, a lump forming in her throat.

“Shhhh, little lamb. No overthinking would help this. So let’s hope for the best.” Markus said, trying to calm her down.

If someone would have told Markus two years ago that there would come a day where his heart would shatter at a single tear from a woman’s eye, he might have slapped that person till death. But now here he was, doing all the things for that single woman who he never thought would be a part of his lifetime.

“If you allow, I would like to give her a thorough checkup as well.” Suddenly Sia said with her head lowered, receiving a small nod and smile from the Imperial Physician.

“Sure. Please do that.” Kizy said, feeling less animosity that she had held previously for Sia.

Maybe people weren’t bad enough to begin with, it was the situation that put them through whatever side or face they presented in front of the world.

On the other hand, men were taking painstaking efforts to search for Victor though to no avail. With the kind of blast that they had witnessed, they knew that it was impossible to remain intact in one single piece, but they still hoped for him to be, breathing and alive.

Until then, Kizy was updated upon everything that had happened outside when she was captured, including Nicole’s injuries and Victor’s missing state in detail.

And guilt would be too less of a word to explain the turmoil of emotions that she was battling internally. It was her fight to begin with. But with this kind of end, she was nowhere near happiness for getting rid of the Professor.

“Where were you all this time?” Kizy finally turned to Aaron, trying to start a civil conversation with him.

She still remembered the way they had parted last time, him saving her while putting his own life on line.

She had asked Markus about his condition back then. But the doctors had told everyone to make sure that Kizy shouldn’t stress over anything. Hence they had told her that she should focus on her own recovery first.

Kizy had taken that as a wrong hint, thinking that Aaron had lost his life while saving her, and hence she never pressed on the topic.

But now, watching him back, with their team, gave her mixed emotions, but the majority of that was relief, knowing that he was still alive, not dead.

“I am good, are you alright? Markus was worried about you.” Aaron said, politely.

“Yes, I am as good as new.” Kizy joked to which both she and Aaron crackled a little, thinning out the awkward tension between them.

Both of them had a lot of history between themselves, but moving past it was the best way to handle it.

Kizy was curious about his whereabouts all this time, but she preferred to discuss this in a better environment, where none of her teammates were missing or family and friends were injured.

Today marked the end of a journey, from where everyone was going to start new, keeping all the burns and bruises of this battle to themselves for the upcoming years, hidden from the world outside and removing those bandages only on those dark lonely nights to cherish the life that came after hundreds of sacrifices in melancholy.

——————-

Guys! 

My new novel “AISLE TO HEAVEN” is out with two chapters! Do save it to your collections, comment and share! 

– Kizy