It was a quiet, suffocating night when the attack began. Liu had been in his cell when the alarms blared, the red lights casting ominous shadows. The chaos outside reached his ears as he pressed himself against the door, trying to make sense of the madness.

He knew he had to find you; you were the only semblance of normalcy in his world and the way you treated his younger brother pushed him to move. Navigating the chaotic hallways, getting out through the woods, Liu moved fast. His senses were on high alert, every muscle tensed for a fight.

He turned a corner and froze. There, crumpled on the cold, blood-stained floor, was you. You lay motionless, your white coat now soaked with your own blood. Liu's heart clenched as he rushed to your side.

"You," he whispered, his voice rough and barely audible. He gently cupped your cheek, feeling the warmth of your skin despite the blood that coated you. His eyes scanned your body, noting the deep bite mark on your shoulder and other wounds that marred your skin. A surge of protectiveness and rage coursed through him.

"Damn it," he muttered, tearing a strip from his shirt to bandage your shoulder. He worked quickly but carefully, his hands steady despite the turmoil inside him.

From the depths of his mind, a dark voice emerged. "Look at you, playing the hero. Do you think this changes anything, Liu?" Sully sneered. "She's as good as dead, and you know it. We're all screwed.""Shut up," Liu growled, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Just shut up."

Sully laughed. "Face it, Liu. You're wasting your time. She'll die, and then what? You think you can save anyone in this hellhole?" Liu ignored the taunts, focusing on bandaging your wounds. He needed to get you to safety, but where in this forest could they go? The Operator and the others were everywhere.

As Liu finished the makeshift bandage, he lifted you into his arms, cradling you gently. You were lighter than he remembered, and the thought made his chest tighten. He began to move, his steps careful and deliberate.

"You know, Liu, you can't protect her forever," Sully whispered. "Eventually, they'll get to you. To us.""Maybe," Liu admitted, his eyes scanning the corridor ahead. "But I'll die trying."

The forest was a maze. Liu decided to take you back into the Psychiatric Hospital after he checked that it was fully empty. He made his way to a small, hidden room—a storage closet he had discovered during one of his many solitary walks. It wasn't much, but it would provide temporary shelter.

He gently laid you down, your head resting on his lap.