Page 182 of Knot Their Fated M.U.S.E

"I don't need to," I respond with conviction that acknowledges personal capability while recognizing practical advantage. "I know how to fight, and that's more than enough."

The assessment carries truth beyond simple confidence.

Six years of navigating death traps and surviving institutional torture has refined combat capability to exceptional levels. External guidance provides tactical advantage, but survival ultimately depends on individual skill and determination rather than technological assistance.

Understanding appears to flow between us regarding different approaches to pack dynamics and territorial management.

Where others might view external communication as threat to Alpha authority or pack hierarchy, I recognize practical advantage that serves mutual objectives rather than challenging individual capability.

The ground beneath us gives another ominous crack, accompanied by mechanical grinding that speaks to structural failure approaching critical parameters.

Time for philosophical discussion has expired as environmental crisis demands immediate attention and tactical response.

Without warning, the artificial forest floor collapses.

Not gradual failure or progressive deterioration, but catastrophic structural breakdown that transforms solid ground into gaping void with devastating suddenness. Polymer supportssnap with explosive force while synthetic earth plummets toward levels below with terminal velocity.

Jinx nearly disappears through the sudden break in what had been stable footing.

Her body tilts toward the void as artificial ground gives way beneath her feet, gravity asserting dominance over institutional engineering with merciless efficiency. Enhanced reflexes barely compensate for unexpected environmental failure.

Panic surfaces for the first time in six years.

Not tactical concern or strategic calculation, but primal terror that operates beyond rational thought or enhanced conditioning. The sight of her falling triggers responses that transcend everything institutional torture failed to eliminate through systematic application.

My fire-scarred hands shoot forward with desperate precision.

"JINX!" Her name tears from my throat with intensity that echoes through collapsing chamber, vocal cords straining beyond normal parameters as terror finds expression through pure desperation.

My grip closes around her wrist just as the void would claim her.

Scarred fingers lock with crushing force that prioritizes her safety over comfort or careful consideration. The sensation of her weight suspended over the abyss sends electricity through nerve endings that have known pain but never genuine fear.

Enhanced Alpha strength proves adequate for the tactical challenge despite awkward positioning and structural instability.

I haul her back from the edge with explosive force that overcomes gravitational threat through sheer determination and protective instinct. Her body collides with mine as momentum carries us away from immediate danger.

But the collapse continues spreading with mathematical precision.

What began as localized failure now encompasses entire chamber as institutional engineering surrenders to systematic breakdown. Every surface that appeared solid reveals artificial nature through catastrophic structural failure.

Environmental crisis demands immediate evacuation despite physical exhaustion and recent territorial claiming.

The artificial forest transforms from elaborate theater into comprehensive death trap as beauty becomes tactical liability and aesthetic enhancement threatens immediate survival.

I lift her with protective efficiency that prioritizes speed over comfort.

Her legs remain unsteady from recent claiming, designation response compromising motor control despite tactical necessity and environmental pressure. Enhanced Alpha strength compensates for temporary vulnerability through direct transportation and protective positioning.

Her arms encircle my neck with natural positioning that speaks to trust despite obvious danger.

The contact provides additional security while allowing tactical mobility through environmental chaos and structural collapse. Pack recognition operating through physical proximity and mutual dependence.

The race begins.

Artificial bridges span between remaining stable platforms, polymer construction groaning under stress as systematic failure spreads throughout level architecture. Each crossing represents calculated risk as weight limits approach critical parameters.

Countdown sirens activate with electronic precision that marks temporal limitation and systematic pressure.

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