Call
– 13-22! There are injured here! Come when you are done over there, – the beta supervisor pointed at a crowd near the ruined stand.
– Understood, – the girl nodded and turned to the man whose wound she was healing at that moment, – that’s it. Be sure to visit the hospital as soon as you get the chance. I’ve treated your injuries, but you still need to check with a doctor.
– Thank you, – the man touched her hand, – you saved me.
Nari smiled and got up. The scene around her was devastation. Debris, stones, dust, concrete slabs. Two buds of the Tree were buried under the remains of the stand. Sigma had disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Almost no one from Alpha was harmed. They were evacuated first, although with their physical abilities, it was not necessary at all. There were many injured beta supervisors and guards. Many spectators were frightened; some were panicking, others were trapped under debris from the explosion. And a few omegas had vanished. Because of this, irritated supervisors and Alphas were running through the Arena, shouting angrily into their communicators, hurling accusations at each other for negligence.
Nari turned back to Leo and Diona. They were waiting for her where the guards had gathered all the omegas. One of the supervisors had hit her instantly. Her cheek was still burning red. The supervisor was screaming madly. But she immediately pulled her along to help, to heal the wounded. Only Inaria’s call was capable of this. And so for several hours, the girl moved from one injured person to another. She was tired, wanted to sleep, but continued to do her job. When people stopped grimacing in pain and thanked her, she felt a bit happier.
– 13-22, here’s the last one! You can be free, – the beta finally said, – you can stay to help others if you want.
Nari nodded and headed away. Even if she wanted to help, she no longer had the strength for it. Leo and Diona were waiting for her by the Arena gates.
– How are you? – Diona asked.
– I'm fine, – the girl replied as cheerfully as possible, – and you? Leo, how are you? Did you get hurt badly?
– You treated me first, so I’m alright, – the boy nodded, – because of this attack, the singing results were annulled. I was ordered to return to the ghetto and wait for orders.
– Can you... tell me what happened in the Arena? – Nari asked cautiously, – just... I didn’t understand anything. The explosion... and then this fight. Why did that Alpha attack?
– I might be mistaken… – Leo sighed, – but that guy protected us from Tenta.
– In what sense did he protect? – Diona grimaced, – isn't he from Sigma? They attacked!
– It’s hard to explain, – Leo shook his head, – but the Alpha… he wasn’t planning to save us. It looked like he wanted to kill us so that we wouldn’t follow Sigma.
– And did you want that? – Nari asked.
– I don’t know, – Leo pondered, – probably not. It sounded absurd. And dangerous. In any case, now we’re free. I can’t seem to find Iris anywhere. I want to search. Will you come with us?
– Oh, – Nari took a step back, – I think I’ll go home. I’m tired. I want to sleep. So, we’ll see each other tomorrow, okay? You should also go rest right away when you come back. I healed about thirty people, I’ll sleep like a log.
– Well, then see you tomorrow, – Diona looked at her in surprise.
Nari quickly vanished from sight. Diona followed her gaze and turned to her brother. He sighed deeply. She ran away again.
***
Nari climbed to her floor and barely caught her breath.
– Did I ever tell you that you cause a lot of trouble? – Iris asked, waiting for her by the door, – honestly, when I got your message, I thought it was some kind of joke.
– You’ll have to forgive me, – Nari muttered, – but besides you, I couldn’t turn to anyone else. Believe me, I’m not thrilled about this either.
– Is this how you thank me?? I was risking my life to get him here.
– You’re the only one who could do it, – Nari repeated, – your call can mislead anyone!
– It’s a pity you see only this crap in my call, – Iris turned away, – anyway, I fulfilled your request. You owe me now, keep that in mind.
He turned and walked away.
– Thank you, – Nari called after him, but he didn’t even look back.
She entered the apartment and pressed her back against the door. On her couch lay an unconscious white-haired beta. When the Alpha directed his roar at her, that fiery column should have incinerated her on the spot. The boy had lunged at her first. He softened the fall, taking the full impact himself. But he had lost consciousness from his injuries. Nari was very scared, but she needed to act quickly before they were found. Considering the explosions at the Arena, the Alpha was not in the mood for pursuits. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t start looking for them later.
The boy was tall and broad-shouldered. Nari would never be able to carry him unnoticed. Her mind frantically cycled through names. Who? Who could she ask for help?! The only option was him. Iris had brought him to the ghetto, using the general panic and the noise raised by Sigma’s accomplices. He had not asked a single question, had not tried to dissuade her, had not raised a cry. He had carried him while almost all the guards were summoned to defend the Arena. If someone had caught him, they could both have died. Nari realized that Iris was risking his life for her and for a beta he didn’t know. And to be honest, she was a little scared to imagine what he would ask in return.
But that would come later. Her whole body was cramping. The girl forced herself to move. It took her almost an hour to undress the beta and clean all his wounds. Torn skin, bruises, two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder. His breathing was irregular, and his heartbeat was weak. Nari felt each wound, felt how he fought for his life. The next three hours were spent on healing. Healing almost thirty victims at the Arena had exhausted her significantly. But she had to help him. At least stabilize his condition so that it wouldn’t get worse. In the last couple of minutes, she was about to faint herself, but she stopped only when the boy’s breathing evened out. Removing her hands from his chest, she weakly let her head drop onto the couch beside her.
For the first time, she saw him so closely. He had fluffy black eyelashes, thick and long. That’s why his gaze seemed very expressive to her. She had to admit that he was handsome. Not like the omega men. They were fragile, delicate, sometimes even a bit feminine. He was tall, had a trained body, scarred skin. Unconsciously, she touched his hand.
– Warm… – the girl whispered before falling asleep.