I never expected it to happen this way.

One moment, I was running through the forest, heart pounding in my chest, trying to escape the alien creatures that had found us. The next, I was on the ground, gasping for air, with one of those things looming over me, its grotesque face twisted in a way that made my stomach churn.

And then I heard him.

"Get away from her!" Todd's voice rang out, sharp and desperate.

I barely had time to register what was happening before he was there—faster than I could blink. Todd’s body collided with the alien, knocking it off me, his fists flying with a force I didn’t think he had in him.

I scrambled to my feet, my legs shaking beneath me as I watched Todd fight, his movements fierce, but not calculated—he fought with a raw desperation, the kind of instinct you only get when you’re fighting for someone you love.

The alien stumbled back, but Todd didn’t let up. He was relentless, his face twisted in a mixture of rage and determination. With one final, well-placed blow, the creature crumpled to the ground. Todd stood over it, breathing heavily, fists still clenched.

He turned to me, his eyes wide, his chest rising and falling rapidly from exertion. "You okay?"