The Once-ler ignored Lingormr’s words; he had no intention of arguing with an illusion. Instead, he waited for Soma’s response. The way she had reacted to the scream, and how she focused on the girl next to the injured man… he saw where this was going. And he was the delirious one?

“Oh no. Oh no.” The Once-ler grabbed Soma’s arm to keep her from advancing further. “This is not happening. We are in no condition to help out!”

He moved around her, placing himself firmly between the girl and the trouble at the entrance. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he tried to reason with her. “Think! We got this far with just the two of us, and they’re more heavily armed than we were! We’d just make it more difficult for them if they have to worry about us as well!”

A part of the Once-ler’s mind noted how odd it was that he cared so much about this. Soma was the first contact he’d had in a year, and it had been even longer since he’d interacted with anyone without the clout of his wealth and power behind him. He’d been missing it, possibly for longer than he had thought. And this was what drove his next course of action.

Without warning, the Once-ler wrapped an arm around Soma, lifting the girl off her feet. Thankful that the girl was a lightweight, he put his other hand against the wall for support as he started down the hall as fast as his injuries would let him. To keep his mind off the pain, he began muttering Soma’s directions to the room as a mantra.

“Second hall on the left, second door on the left, second hall on the left….”