Newt

The sterile white silence of the WICKED headquarters in Denver collapsed in an instant. The deafening wail of an alarm siren sliced through the air, and the corridor walls pulsed with light. The entire security system had failed: scientists in the labs were panicking, and fully equipped guards moved chaotically through the levels, attempting to seal off the exits.

Amidst this unfolding chaos, Thomas and Newt pushed forward. Their goal was crystal clear—find and get Minho out. Every second counted, but Newt, gripping his weapon tighter and driven by an invisible force, was constantly distracted. His gaze—anxious, erratic, full of hidden pain—scanned the crowd, peering through every transparent pane of the offices and walkways.

He was looking for Mia.

Ava Paige's daughter. The girl who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Teresa and sincerely believed that WICKED's cruelty was the only path to saving a dying world. She had betrayed him, betrayed all of them, choosing cold calculation for the sake of a "greater purpose." Newt should have hated her; he should have erased her name from his memory. But even knowing the truth, he stubbornly searched for her features among the faces of strangers.

They turned another corner of the corridor. Thomas was shouting something, pointing toward the elevator shaft, but Newt froze abruptly, as if hitting an invisible wall.

At the very end of the long corridor, drenched in red flashes, she stood.

Mia stood motionless amidst the rushing employees. Against the sterile walls of the complex, she looked incredibly fragile and lost.

They looked at each other for a couple of minutes that felt like an eternity to both of them. In her eyes, glistening with oncoming tears, there was silent horror and a guilt that burned from within. In his—a dull ache, unspent tenderness, and a forgiveness he couldn't explain to himself.

Newt broke first. Forgetting the danger, the mission, and everything else in the world, he bolted across the entire corridor straight toward her.

Closing the distance, he pulled Mia tightly against him, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I swear, I just wanted to help..."