When She Fell || ONC 2025

Chapter 17

-------------

Nathan moved swiftly through the dimly lit alley, his breath steady but his mind racing. The message he got yesterday had been clear—if he didn't take action, Jamie's life was at stake. And Nathan wasn't the kind to sit back and wait. No, he had learned that the hard way. If one wanted answers, they hava to take risks.

The address he had traced through the mail led him to a rundown warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It looked abandoned, but something about it felt wrong. It was too quiet, too prepared. His fingers instinctively curled into fists as he stepped closer, his heart hammering in his chest.

Then, suddenly—

A click.

His body tensed. The sound was unmistakable. A gunshot. Before he could react, a voice cut through the silence. "Looking for something, Mr. Nathan?"

Nathan turned sharply. Shadows shifted, and from the darkness, several figures emerged, surrounding him. His stomach dropped. It was a trap.

"Damn it."

Black had expected him.

One of the men lunged first, swinging a steel rod straight at him. Nathan dodged, barely missing the hit, but another attacker came at him from behind. He ducked, twisting to land a solid punch into the guy's gut. Another one grabbed his arm—Nathan threw his elbow back, hitting the guy's face with a sickening crack.

But there were too many of them. Five, maybe six. He was outnumbered, to make it even worse, unarmed.

Nathan let out a sharp breath, eyes darting around for an escape route. But before he could make a move, he heard a loud crashing sound echoed through the warehouse. The attackers hesitated, distracted for a split second. 

And then— "NATHAN, MOVE!," Kiara.

Nathan barely had time to register before Kiara came charging in, swinging a metal pipe straight at one of the men. The impact was brutal—the guy stumbled back, clutching his shoulder.

Nathan's shock lasted only a second. "Kiara?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving your stupid ass, what does it look like?" she snapped, her voice breathless.

Nathan wanted to yell at her—for following him, for risking herself—but there was no time. The men had recovered, and now they were furious, more than ever. 

One of them grabbed Kiara's wrist, twisting it painfully. She gasped, but before he could do more, Nathan caught him. With a furious growl, Nathan slammed into the man, knocking him off Kiara. His punches were faster, harder—fueled by something deeper than just rage. Fear. Fear that he could lose her too.

Kiara winced, cradling her wrist, but she shook it off. They needed to get out. Now.

"Run!" she gasped, grabbing Nathan's arm. Nathan hesitated for only a second before nodding. They both turned and bolted for the exit.

Shouts erupted behind them. Nathan heard footsteps thundering as the attackers chased them down the narrow alley. His pulse pounded as he pulled Kiara along, their feet slamming against the pavement. 

They rounded a corner—only to find a dead end. "Shit."  

"Nathan—!"

He spun around just in time to see one of the men raise his gun. And then— Kiara moved. Before Nathan could react, she shoved him aside, putting herself between him and the bullet. 

BANG!

Nathan's world froze. Kiara stumbled, the bullet hit had just missed her shoulder. "NATHAN!" she choked out, clutching her side. The urgency was evident in her tone. 

The rage that tore through Nathan was unlike anything he had ever felt. A raw, violent storm. He snapped. With no hesitation, he lunged at the gunman. A brutal punch. Another. The man crumpled. Both the men lay unconscious on the cold floor now. 

Wasting no time, Nathan grabbed Kiara, his heartrate increasing "Kiara—damn it, why did you do that?!"

Kiara gave a weak smile. "You'd do the same for me."

Nathan clenched his jaw, his grip on her tightening. "That's not the point! You—you're hurt—"

She winced but forced herself to stand. "We need to go." 

She was right. More men were coming. Nathan gritted his teeth, lifting her slightly to support her weight as they ran into the darkness.

----

Liam sat in front of his laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard. His mind was a mess—Nathan's suspicions, the stolen documents, and most of all... Black.

Something wasn't right.

Yes, he had agreed to help her bring down Blitech. He had believed her when she said Nathan would always overshadow him. He had trusted her when she had told him this was about revenge.

But something had changed. Liam had closely noticed the way Black talked about Jamie. Or rather... didn't talk about him. And now, as he hacked into her database, trying to track her real location, he felt it. A deeper secret.

His screen flickered. Then, Suddenly, his laptop shut down on its own. A message appeared on the screen.

"Don't you dare use my spells against me, Liam."

Liam's heart pounded. She knew. 

His phone rang, he answered it still in daze. Her voice was smooth but laced with a warning "Curiosity is a dangerous thing, Liam. It is said to have... killed the kitty"

Liam swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady. "What are you hiding?"

A pause. Then another twisted answer, "Something bigger than you can handle."

Liam's stomach twisted. He wasn't scared of Black. Not really. But the way she said those words?

It made his blood run cold. Because for the first time, he realized...He might have been on the wrong side all along. She was- is more powerful than he had thought.

----

Nathan sat on the rooftop, the city lights stretching below him. Kiara sat beside him, her injured side bandaged.

"You're an idiot," Nathan muttered.

Kiara gave him a weary smirk. "And you're reckless."

Nathan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked at her, eyes dark and unreadable. "Why did you come?"

Kiara hesitated. Then, softly, "Because I was scared something would happen to you. Liam told me you were heading to-" 

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, Nathan murmured, "I can't lose you too."

Nathan's breath hitched. Silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken. Kiara's eyes widened. Neither of them knew what to say. Nathan reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered, and for the first time, she didn't pull away. She kept looking into his eyes. 

The air between them shifted. Slowly, Nathan leaned in. Kiara's breath caught, her heart pounding but still not breaking the eye contact. Their lips were just inches apart when—

RING!

Nathan cursed under his breath, pulling away as his phone blared loudly. Kiara let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Nathan checked the caller ID. It was Liam. 

His eyes darkened with surprise. He answered it.

"Liam?"

A long pause. Then, Liam's voice came through—shaky, hesitant, and for the first time... afraid.

"Nathan... I think we have a bigger problem."

--------------