Stolen Freedom

"Mom! I told you to go! Why did you come back?!" Xin Yi's voice cracked as she screamed, her words laced with desperation and anger. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she struggled against the men's firm grip on her arms. She shook her head, her long black hair with streaks of white falling into her tear-soaked face.

Hua Li's legs trembled as she took a faltering step forward, her eyes locked on Xin Yi. Despite the fear etched into her expression, her voice carried an unyielding resolve. "I can't leave you," she whispered, her voice breaking as her own tears fell. "You're my child. I will protect you, no matter what."

The sight of them, both crying and clinging to the bond that connected them, seemed to amuse Lei Xian. She let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Alright then," Lei Xian said, her voice chillingly calm as she pulled out a sleek black gun from her holster. "Let's end this little family drama, shall we?"

Lei Xian walked up to Xin Yi and shoved the gun into her trembling hands. "Shoot her," she commanded, her tone light, as if she were giving simple instructions for a game.

Xin Yi's hands shook violently as she stared at the weapon. The cold metal felt heavier than it should, weighing down her trembling arms. Her chest heaved as her sobs grew louder. "No," she choked out, her voice barely audible. "I... I can't shoot my mom..."

Lei Xian tilted her head back and laughed, a cruel, echoing sound that reverberated through the vast, empty port. "Oh, sweetheart," she sneered, leaning closer to Xin Yi, her face inches away. "I didn't ask for your opinion. I'm giving you an order."

When Xin Yi still didn't raise the gun, Lei Xian's playful demeanor vanished. Her expression darkened. She snapped her fingers, and her men moved in swiftly, grabbing Xin Yi's arms. With ruthless efficiency, they forced her to raise the gun, pointing it directly at Hua Li. Xin Yi's entire body shook, her sobs growing uncontrollable.

"Shoot her," Lei Xian repeated coldly. "Now."

Xin Yi's vision blurred with tears as she met Hua Li's gaze. "Mom... I... I'm so sorry," she stammered, her words barely intelligible through her crying. Her voice cracked as her heart shattered into pieces. "I'm so sorry..."

Hua Li shook her head gently, her own tears streaming down her face. "It's not your fault, my love," she said softly, her voice trembling. "It's mine. I brought you into this mess."

Lei Xian slammed her fist into the wall of a nearby container, the metallic echo reverberating across the port. "I said shoot her!" she screamed, her voice seething with impatience.

Xin Yi's hands trembled so hard she nearly dropped the gun. She couldn't stop crying. She couldn't breathe. Her knees felt weak. Every fiber of her being screamed against what she was being forced to do.

Lei Xian's patience finally snapped. She pulled out a second gun and pressed its cold barrel against Xin Yi's temple. "Let me make this easier for you," she hissed. "I'll count to ten. If you don't shoot her, I'll shoot you. And trust me, kid, your mom will watch you die."

Xin Yi's breath hitched. Her entire body froze as Lei Xian began counting.

"One..."

"Mom," Xin Yi whimpered, her voice breaking.

"Two..."

Hua Li's voice rang out, sharp and clear despite the anguish behind it. "Xin Yi, listen to me. Just shoot me! If you don't, she'll kill you! Please, my child, do it!"

"No, Mom, I can't! I can't do this!" Xin Yi sobbed, her voice trembling as her grip on the gun loosened.

"Five... six..."

"Xin Yi," Hua Li pleaded, her voice desperate. "You have to do it. Don't make this harder. It's okay. Just shoot me."

"No! Mom, please stop!" Xin Yi screamed, shaking her head violently. Her cries grew louder as the counting continued.

"Eight... nine..."

Time seemed to slow. The world around Xin Yi became a blur. The sound of Lei Xian's voice, her mother's desperate pleas, and the weight of the gun in her hands crushed her. Her mind raced. If I disappear, maybe all of this will end. Maybe she'll stop hurting Mom.

"Ten."

The deafening sound of a gunshot shattered the silence.

Xin Yi's eyes flew open in shock. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she hadn't pulled the trigger. She dropped the gun from her trembling hands and turned toward Hua Li.

Hua Li was on the ground, her body crumpled and lifeless. A crimson stain spread rapidly across her chest, soaking into her clothes.

Her mother was on the ground, blood pooling beneath her. Lei Xian's smirk was as cold as ice as she lowered her gun. "I told you, kid," she said, her voice mockingly sweet. "One of you had to go."

"Mom!" Xin Yi screamed, rushing to Hua Li's side. She dropped to her knees, pulling her mother's head into her lap. Blood soaked her clothes as she cradled Hua Li close.

Hua Li's breathing was shallow, her chest rising and falling with great effort. The bullet had struck near her heart, and her clothes were stained deep red. Xin Yi's hands shook as she tried to press down on the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding. "You're going to be okay," Xin Yi sobbed, her voice cracking. "I'll take you to the hospital. You'll be fine. Please, Mom. Please, stay with me."

Hua Li's cold, bloody hand reached up and touched Xin Yi's tear-streaked face. She smiled weakly, her lips trembling. "My poor baby..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't protect you the way I should have."

"No, Mom, don't say that," Xin Yi sobbed, shaking her head. "You've always protected me. You've always been there for me."

Hua Li's hand brushed away one of Xin Yi's tears before falling limp. "My precious girl… I love you so much…," she murmured, her voice fading with every word.

And then, her hand slipped from Xin Yi's face and fell to the ground. Her chest stilled. Her eyes closed. Hua Li was gone.

Xin Yi froze, her breath caught in her throat. "Mom? Mom!" she cried, shaking Hua Li's lifeless body. "No! Please, wake up! Don't leave me!" Her sobs grew louder, echoing through the port as she clung to her mother's body. She screamed until her voice was raw, until there was nothing left but the crushing weight of her grief.

Lei Xian watched the scene with cold amusement. "How touching," she sneered, turning to her men. "Clean this up. We're done here."

But Xin Yi didn't hear her. She held her mother tightly, rocking back and forth as her tears mixed with the blood staining the ground. Her cries carried through the night, a heartbroken symphony of loss and love. And for the first time in her life, Xin Yi felt utterly, completely alone.