CHAPTER 95: FOR NOW

Theo blinked in disbelief.

"Shine?" he mumbled.

The girl grinned wide, her signature bright pink, shoulder-length hair swaying as she nodded.

Her bangs were still the same, just like her energy. Now she was dressed in a fitted AMSO uniform in steel blue color, looking more official... but no less chaotic.

"Yup! Still cute, still deadly, and still can’t believe you went from chubby to tall, hot, and mysterious while I was stuck doing drills in the desert," she teased, stepping back just enough to scan him head to toe but still gripping his arm like they were best friends reunited after years.

Theo opened his mouth to say something, anything, but his eyes flicked past her. Over Shine’s shoulder, Lexa was still watching.

Her gaze hadn’t softened.

If anything... it had dimmed.

Theo swallowed hard, a flicker of hesitation passing through him. He wanted to approach her, at least say hello, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Not after everything.

He still didn’t know what excuse Lexa had given her superiors for letting him go. Bringing attention to her now might only put her in more trouble.

His heart pounded in his chest, just like it always did whenever their eyes met.

’I should talk to her later,’ he thought, wondering how and when he’d get the chance.

"What are you doing here?!" Shine asked, her voice snapping him back. She tilted her head at him in mock accusation.

Theo gently pried her fingers off his arm. "I... Just checking some things," he said vaguely.

"You two know each other?" Marlon cut in, glancing between them.

"Yes, sir!" Shine answered for them with enthusiasm. "We met at Metro Doctors Hospital. We fought side by side, crazy night! I nearly lost an arm, and he nearly lost his, well, never mind." She winked.

Theo sighed and muttered, "Please don’t finish that sentence."

Shine laughed. "I used to call him Chubby back then, but look at him now! Guess I’ll go with Hunk instead!"

"Just call me Theo," he said firmly.

Shine gave him a cheeky salute and then turned to Marlon, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Wait, wait... Why is he here? Is he joining AMSO?!"

Marlon nodded, his expression calm but firm. "Yes. At this rate, he just needs to go through the formalities."

Before anyone could respond, a sharp beep came from his earpiece. He tapped it, listening intently for a few seconds before answering quietly. Whatever he heard, it made his gaze shift with urgency.

He turned to Shine. "You and Theo can catch up later. I need him now. Back to training, soldier."

Shine gave a pout but saluted anyway. "Yes, sir. But I’m not done with you, Hunk," she added with a playful smirk aimed at Theo.

Theo chuckled under his breath, but his attention quickly turned serious when he saw Marlon’s face.

The commander gave him a brief, knowing nod, no words needed. Theo immediately understood. It was about Aries. Without hesitation, he followed Marlon.

******

Aries sat quietly on the edge of the hospital bed, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. The silence in the room was suffocating, and no matter how hard she tried to stay calm, her thoughts kept spiraling around one fear...

What if she was a carrier? What if just being near the kids or her loved ones was enough to endanger them?

Her eyes drifted to Calix, who hadn’t left her side. He was still sitting on the chair next to her, holding her hand gently. She hesitated, then slowly pulled her hand away and muttered, "You should keep your distance... until we get the test results. Just to be safe, Calix."

Saying it made her chest ache. The guilt was heavy. Theo and Calix had both warned her to be careful, not to trust people so easily. She knew better, especially after what happened to Theo. He almost died because of someone pretending to need help.

And yet... she’d fallen for the same trap. A little girl asking for help. And now, she was the one putting everyone in danger.

"Stop thinking like that, Aries," Calix said firmly, his voice cutting through her thoughts.

"You’re going to be fine. You reacted well to the serum. That has to mean something. And even if you are a carrier, which I doubt, it still wouldn’t change anything for me."

He reached out and took her hand again, placing her palm gently against his cheek. "I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay by your side, no matter what."

His words hit her harder than she expected. Aries blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to look weak in front of them.

She needed to be strong, strong enough so they wouldn’t worry.

Calix gave her a small smile, warm and reassuring. And for the first time since waking up, Aries felt like maybe... just maybe... things were going to be okay.

Right then, the door opened with a soft hiss.

Beatrice stepped in first, followed by Marlon, who held a digital tablet in his hand. His expression was unreadable.

Aries swallowed hard.

"The results?" she asked, voice tight.

Marlon nodded and stepped closer. "We’ve completed the tests. The results are back."

Theo entered quietly behind them, standing by the door.

Marlon finally smiled, genuinely. "You’re not a carrier, Aries. There’s no sign of active infection in your bloodstream. The mutation didn’t bind to your cells. You’re not contagious."

For a full second, Aries just stared at him. "I’m... not?"

It still felt like a dream.

Aries stared blankly at her hands, trying to wrap her head around everything. She had been bitten. Infected. The serum had stopped the mutation, at least for now, but the infection still lingered in her blood, silent and dormant.

She wasn’t turning. She was stable. But was she truly safe? Was it really okay for her to be around others? Around the kids?

Her heart pounded with unease. No matter how many times the doctors said she was responding well, the fear wouldn’t leave her. What if one day she woke up and it was too late? What if she lost control?

She swallowed hard, a cold knot forming in her chest. Was she still herself?

Or just a ticking bomb waiting to explode?

Beatrice walked over and placed a hand on her arm. "You’re fine, Aries. You’re safe."

Relief hit her all at once. Her shoulders sagged, and a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding escaped her lungs in a sharp exhale. She blinked hard, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes.

"I can go back," she whispered. "To the kids. To everyone."

Marlon nodded. "Yes. You’ll still need regular checkups, and we’ll monitor your vitals closely. But the serum stabilized you. As long as you continue the scheduled treatments, you can return to your normal routine."

Theo walked over, placing a hand gently on top of her head like he used to.

"I told you you’d be fine," he said quietly, his voice filled with relief.

Aries chuckled weakly, brushing the tears from her cheek. "You were also screaming like crazy an hour ago."

Beatrice smirked. "He really was. Thought he was about to flip the entire building."

Marlon stepped back toward the door. "We’ll prepare your discharge in the next few hours. For now, just rest. You’ve been through enough."

As the door closed behind him, Aries turned to Theo and Beatrice with a smile that finally reached her eyes.

"Let’s go home," she said softly.

After finalizing the discharge papers, Aries stood and gave Beatrice a small smile. "Thank you... for everything," she said sincerely.

Beatrice returned the smile, her tone gentle. "Just focus on getting better. That’s what matters now."

Theo glanced at Calix and gave him a subtle nod. "Take Aries to the car first. I’ll follow in a bit."

Calix didn’t ask questions. He simply took Aries by the arm and gently guided her out of the building.

Once they were gone, Theo turned to Marlon. "I’ll be back tomorrow for the formal registrations and whatever paperwork you need from me," he said. "I just need to head home and settle a few things first."

Marlon gave a slow nod. "That’s understandable. Once you’re officially part of AMSO, you’ll be required to stay here at headquarters for advanced training and assessment. But don’t worry, you’ll be given time off. At least one day of leave per week, plus several free days per month."

Theo exhaled and nodded. That was manageable.

Then he turned to Beatrice. "Thank you... for helping Aries. I mean it."

Beatrice gave a soft laugh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You don’t have to thank me, Theo. I care about her too."

With one last glance at both of them, Theo turned and walked toward the exit, the weight of everything he still had to face pressing down but lighter now, knowing Aries was safe... at least for now.