《The Gifted Divide》 Chapter 1 Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on. - Criss Jami, Salome (In Every Inch In Every Mile) * * * * This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Chapter 2 Vengeance is sweet. Vengeance taken when the vengee isn¡¯t sure who the venger is, is sweeter still. - Gary D. Schmidt (The Wednesday Wars) * * * * ~Waters of Aurora; December 230~ Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Chapter 3 To seek greatness is the only righteous vengeance. - Criss Jami (Killosophy) * * * * The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Chapter 4 Vengeance is one of life¡¯s great motivators. - KS Brooks (Lust for Danger) * * * * Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Chapter 5 ¡°I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯m a big fan of forgiveness as long as I¡¯m given the opportunity to get even first.¡± - Sue Grafton (V is for Vengeance) * * * * ~Zalfari; May 231~ This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Chapter 6 ¡°Where does seeking justice end, and seeking vengeance begin?¡± - Paula Stokes (This is How it Happened) * * * * The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 7 If you¡¯re betrayed, release disappointment at once. By that way, the bitterness has no time to take root. - Toba Beta (My Ancestor was an Ancient Astronaut) * * * * ~Agnis; September 231~ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 8 To punish someone for your own mistakes, or for the consequences of your own actions, to harm another by shifting blame that is rightfully yours; this is a wretched and cowardly sin. - Richelle E. Goodrich (Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, and Grumblings for Every Day of the Year) * * * * ~November 231; ESA Headquarters, Zhane City~ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 9 To seek greatness is the only righteous vengeance. - Criss Jami (Killosophy) * * * * ~December 231; Waters near Zephys~ If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chapter 10 ¡°Vengeance is sweet. Vengeance taken when the vengee isn¡¯t sure who the venger is, is sweeter still.¡± - Gary D. Schmidt (The Wednesday Wars) * * * * Sera has no idea what time it even is at the moment. Probably a few hours before dawn breaks, even. It was nearly three o¡¯clock in the morning before the rest of Aegis had turned in for the night, but Sera knew her people well enough to know that none of them would be having very restful nights. As for Sera herself, after more than an hour of tossing and turning to no avail, she finally decided to get up and search for information regarding the smuggling ring that Alexis had mentioned. But like what Raul had said, even the Black Network didn¡¯t even have so much as a whiff about those rumours. However if whoever is behind this smuggling ring is insane enough to delve into human trafficking in Eldario, then they would also be cunning enough to hide all traces of it. She had managed to get in contact with Ethan, and even he wasn¡¯t able to uncover anything. All that he managed to find out was that the hunters seemed to be up to something again. Zest too wasn¡¯t able to find anything, though he had promised to keep an ear out on the ground. And then again¡­ Sera frowned, leaning back against the couch. ¡°Is there really one?¡± she wondered out loud. She¡¯s been in the underground scene all her life. She knows exactly how it goes. Even for something like this, no matter how tightly guarded it is, there are bound to be rumours of some sort. But there¡¯s nothing. Sera rubbed at the back of her neck even as she tilted her head backwards so that she was looking at the ceiling. She raised her left hand so that she was partially covering her vision of the ceiling. ¡°¡­Chris¡­¡± ¡°¡­My name¡¯s Chris¡ª¡± ¡°¡­How much time left?¡± ¡°Nine hours¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s make a promise. You have to live. No matter what, you have to. And should we both survive, let¡¯s meet again on the outside¡­¡± ¡°Sera?¡± A muffled voice from behind the front door of the boathouse shook Sera out of her inner thoughts just then. She blinked. Has she been that lost in her thoughts? She hadn¡¯t thought about the past for a long time. ¡°Sera, you in there?¡± A knock sounded on the door. ¡°The lights are on, so I know there¡¯s someone.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Sera unlocked the front door and opened it only to reveal an exhausted Alexis who had bags visible beneath his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nearly five in the morning.¡± Sera looked at the clock in a corner. ¡°Have you slept at all since leaving us earlier?¡± ¡°Pot, meet kettle.¡± Alexis deadpanned, and Sera tried to hide a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating.¡± He followed Sera in and closed the door behind him with a nudge of his foot, sinking into the couch with a relieved sigh. Sera meanwhile busied herself with preparing a cup of coffee for Alexis. ¡°I also got Ethan on board.¡± He grimaced, before taking the cup of coffee from Sera with a relieved thanks. ¡°I don¡¯t like him, but he¡¯s the best when it comes to information.¡± ¡°Yeah. I too agree that we need to handle this fast, especially if it concerns human trafficking.¡± Sera pointed out. ¡°But we need more information before we can do anything. I¡¯m not going into this blind.¡± Especially not when the rest of Aegis are involving themselves as well. Sera is fine with risking herself, but she will never risk her friends. ¡°About that, we¡¯re in luck,¡± Alexis said, stifling a yawn. ¡°Hayder got in contact with me earlier. There is an informant that might have the information you need ¨C number of smugglers, their motives, how many children are held, and even their exact locations since they tend to move bases every few months.¡± Sera raised an eyebrow incredulously. ¡°Thing is, from what I know from Hayder, this informant is a bit on the¡­eccentric side. Very unlike Ethan. He¡¯ll only meet you in a place of his choosing. And he¡¯ll only see you. You have to come alone.¡± Sera¡¯s eyebrows only rose higher with this statement. This is getting more and more suspicious to her. ¡°¡­Am I the only one who smelt a rat here?¡± Sera deadpanned at last. Alexis let out a short bark of laughter. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not the only one. I felt the same way too when Hayder passed on the message to me when he received this bit of intel. I think it¡¯s one of the Enforcers who passed on this piece of information to him. But the truth is that most informants are quite secretive. Ethan is the odd one out as he doesn¡¯t bother to hide his identity at all. But then again, that guy can easily handle himself in combat.¡± Alexis frowned. ¡°The saying that information is worth more than gold is truer than you think. It¡¯s why the well-known informants can pick which clients to take on and fix their prices.¡± ¡°Regardless, if this piece of intel is true, and if there is a smuggling ring out there somewhere, we can¡¯t ignore it.¡± Sera declared tiredly, and Alexis nodded. ¡°¡­Tell me the time and place.¡± * * * * ~The Black Cat Tavern; Zalfari~ Leroy exchanged incredulous looks with Alisa over Sera¡¯s head even as he tried to process what he¡¯d just heard. It had been a busy year for him since he¡¯d taken up the mantle of being the protector of Zalfari. And like what Sera had told him when he¡¯d first told her about it, people did flock to him when he had started putting out feelers for assistance to rebuild the town of Zalfari. Now, nearly a year later, Zalfari is a bustling town well known for its connections to the underground and the black market, though one must also know which vendors to approach, and the passwords they use to gain access to the more ¡®special¡¯ products. As such, it had also been nearly a year since Leroy had even seen his old friend. Leroy groaned even as he buried his face into his hands, much to Alisa¡¯s amusement. Even the bartender behind the counter looked amused. ¡°I hadn¡¯t seen you for nearly a year; and granted, it might be my fault too that I hadn¡¯t contacted you for a year¡ªbut the moment I take my eyes off you, you get caught up in something like this?¡± Leroy ran his fingers roughly through his hair until it stood on the ends. ¡°Am I the only one to find this situation fishy?¡± It is currently noon, and thus, The Black Cat is pretty much silent save for the three of them and the bartender. From what Alisa had explained, it seems like the apartment above the bar is where Leroy and Alisa have their flats. Heck, they were the ones to help build said bar; so, in a way, they were co-owners in the business. ¡°No. I find it strange too.¡± Sera admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything about this so-called smuggling ring. Not even Raul could when he reached out to the Black Network. Ethan too can¡¯t find anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Alisa agreed with a frown, and the other two agreed. Blade had prior encounters with Raul before the entire mess with Dragonfly and has even met Ethan numerous times before. Both Leroy and Alisa knew that both Raul and Ethan could uncover and gain information that most were unable to. If even the both of them can¡¯t uncover anything¡­ ¡°You said it¡¯s a request made by Hayder? With Alexis playing the part of messenger?¡± Leroy asked at last after several long moments of silence, and Sera nodded, a contemplative look on her face. ¡°Leroy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Alisa wanted to know. ¡°We will know if something like a smuggling ring is going on, Alisa,¡± Leroy informed the girl, a frown on his face, ¡°especially in a place like Zalfari. Even in the underground, if someone is doing something like this, no matter how quiet they keep it, there will be rumours or something like that. It¡¯s impossible to keep something like this under wraps, regardless of the mess that the underground is in at the moment.¡± He added the last part. Last that Leroy had heard, Larissa and her Enforcers were handling the upheaval on their side which is probably the reason why she¡¯d asked Sera to handle this. It¡¯ll likely be another year before they can even fix the entire mess with the underground caused by the loss of Blade, Dragonfly and even Whirlwind¡ªthree of the major street gangs wiped out in just a year. ¡°As a general rule, the underground doesn¡¯t take kindly to smugglers. Especially those smuggling children. Drugs and smuggling are two things that are not permitted to be carried out on Eldario soil.¡± Alisa pointed out with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s a universal law here. No one is insane enough to pit themselves against Larissa and the entire underground scene. Not even the worst crime boss. The rest of the underground will be obliged by underground law to hunt them down, even if Larissa won¡¯t do anything.¡± She added the last part. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a valid request?¡± Alisa asked Sera bluntly. ¡°Something very weird is going on.¡± Leroy agreed. * * * * ¡°Well, we¡¯ve set out the bait. Now, we just have to wait and see if she takes it.¡± A huff, and white tobacco smoke wafted in the air. ¡°She will. If it¡¯s her that is behind this entire Aegis business, she will show herself. If there¡¯s one thing that the Death Reaper and the Black Demon have in common, it is that they don¡¯t tolerate drugs and human trafficking, especially when it comes to children.¡± A scoff. ¡°A couple of bleeding hearts like that, being the leaders of Eldario¡¯s most infamous street gang?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be in a world of pain if you underestimate them, Mathis. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both going to die. They¡¯ve been massive thorns in our side for years now. And just as we thought we¡¯d gotten rid of them, this entire Aegis business surfaced and started fucking with us once more. You set the bait for them. We¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them.¡± ¡°Even they won¡¯t stand a chance against six squads of highly trained hunters.¡± A black-clad figure remained hidden behind a wall even as the pair parted ways. He, however, remained hiding, clenching his hands into fists even as he tried to contemplate what he¡¯d just heard. ¡°¡­Sera¡­¡± He murmured. ¡°I will not lose any more of my friends.¡± * * * * Sera could almost hear Leroy¡¯s mocking voice in her head, going, ¡°I told you so.¡± She knew it was a bad idea from the start; opting to go alone instead of informing at least her old Blade comrades or even Letha, Raul, or Laura that she was going to meet some informant who might have information on what they want. From the start, it smells fishy, and Sera knows that it is entirely likely to be some kind of trap. The ¡®meeting place¡¯ is in the northern part of the forest about five miles east of Zhane City¡ªand even when Sera had heard about the where and when from Alexis, it had already started ringing alarms in her head. Sera sighed, slouching slightly with her hands tucked within the pockets of her jacket, looking around her surroundings at the thirty or so hunters surrounding her, armed with weapons of all kinds. ¡°I really wish I could say that I¡¯m surprised, but I¡¯m not,¡± Sera said nonchalantly, her mismatched gaze falling on a particular familiar individual. ¡°So how much did they pay you to be the one to lure me here, Ale?¡± ¡®Ale¡¯, and to this day, Sera is relatively sure that it is an alias of some sort rather than his real name, only shrugged, accepting a thick wad of cash from the lead hunter. ¡°I need to eat and put food on my table,¡± he responded. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for this. Most wouldn¡¯t do any differently.¡± No, they wouldn¡¯t, Sera thought to herself inwardly. No informant worth their weight in salt would sell out someone of the underground to the hunters and even the ESA. To do so would result in the entire underground hunting them down. It is one of the underground¡¯s most absolute laws, and why they were so furious over what Dragonfly had done to Raul. ¡°You¡¯d better find a very good hiding place, Ale. Or better yet, get the fuck out of Eldario as soon as you can.¡± Sera said without moving, even as Ale stepped past her to leave the forest. From how the sounds of footsteps stopped, she knew that Ale had stopped in his tracks. ¡°Because I will hunt you down and kill you, assuming of course, that Leroy and Alisa don¡¯t get to you first.¡± Or even Zest. At least with Leroy and Alisa, they would make it quick. If it¡¯s Zest who got to Ale first, however, the latter would be begging for death even before Zest is done with him. ¡°You talk like you¡¯re going to leave this place alive.¡± Sera didn¡¯t respond even as Ale resumed his trek out of the forest, never removing her eyes from the surrounding hunters who were starting to get unnerved by her stony gaze. ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Sera responded in response to Ale¡¯s statement. ¡°No hunter will ever get the best of me. I earned my reputation for a reason, and it¡¯s high time they get reminded of that fact.¡± ¡°You talk like you could beat us all.¡± One of the hunters¡ªSera has no idea which one had just spoken, trying to sound brave, but Sera could easily hear the waver in his voice. ¡°New rookie, I¡¯m assuming?¡± Sera looked in the direction where the voice had come from, only to see a particularly young-looking hunter flush red. He¡¯s probably not all that much older than Sera. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have all day, so let¡¯s get down to it. I hope you hunters have all gotten your affairs in order because I don¡¯t plan on letting any of you leave alive.¡± The hunters tensed even as Sera hooked the littlest finger of her left hand in the hoop of the dagger by her side and drew it out of the holster by her hip, twirling the dagger about with ease before grasping it by the handle. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± No one knew who was the first to move. But the hunters were all moving in a synchronised and practised formation when the screams echoed around the forest, and two of their numbers were already down on the ground¡ªeyes blank and with bloody gashes visible on their necks. ¡°Keep moving! Surround her! Gun her down!¡± Sera easily dodged the bullets, stopping it in mid-air with her Gift, and ¡®sending¡¯ it back to the recipients who soon joined the first two on the ground. ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you think superior numbers can work against me.¡± Sera sneered, moving out of the way of a thrown dagger by the rookie hunter from earlier. And before the latter could move or respond, Sera was in front of him, one hand wrapped around his neck before snapping it cleanly and letting the body fall to the ground. ¡°Damn it! How is she doing this?! We outnumber her!¡± ¡®Still about twenty or so of them left. And all in close quarters.¡¯ Sera mused to herself, easily navigating herself and dodging another hunter, and letting the one behind her get shot in the head. ¡®It¡¯s going to be tough, but¡­¡¯ BANG! The sound of a gunshot echoed around the forest, sounding unnaturally loud. And almost in slow motion, a hunter that had been creeping up behind Sera collapsed to the ground with wide eyes, and with his head practically blown apart. As one, Sera and the remaining hunters looked towards the sound of the gunshot. Sera had to squint and let her vision focus before she spotted two dark figures perched atop one of the tree boughs on a nearby tree. It wasn¡¯t long before she recognised the two arrivals. ¡°Leroy! Alisa!¡± Leroy gave a shark-like grin, flicking back the safety of his gun before he leapt down to the ground with ease, landing lightly on his feet. Alisa followed his actions, also with a gun visible in her hand. ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t losing your touch, Sera?¡± Leroy taunted lightly, eyes flickering around the gobsmacked hunters who suddenly all looked very nervous. At least a good half of them recognised Leroy and Alisa. ¡°These guys shouldn¡¯t be a match for you, even without your Gift!¡± ¡°We got Ethan to keep tabs on Ale for us,¡± Alisa answered, eyes flickering around. ¡°He won¡¯t let Ale escape our net.¡± Sera nodded, not feeling all that surprised that Leroy and Alisa had done what she needed. ¡°Former Blade members?¡± The lead hunter finally found his voice. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± ¡°Blade don¡¯t abandon our own.¡± Alisa countered, flicking back the safety of her gun. ¡°You hunters might have gotten the best of us that one time, but we don¡¯t repeat the same mistake twice.¡± A cold smile tugged at the ends of her lips. ¡°Unfortunately for you, you didn¡¯t get all of us that night. The third one is on his way here after taking care of your ¡®backup¡¯. And from my impression, he isn¡¯t too happy with you right now.¡± ¡°The ¡®third one¡¯?¡± One of the hunters echoed cautiously. The sounds of thuds echoed around the forest even as three bodies were dropped down unceremoniously from above¡ªall of them dressed in obvious hunter garb, and with deep gashes visible across their throats. The remaining hunters paled, before a dark figure dropped down from above, landing lightly on his feet beside Sera. Zest eyed the hunter coolly, a dagger visible in his left hand, and with a small smirk tugging at the ends of his lips.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Third.¡± Zest agreed coolly. Leroy felt relief settle in him immediately upon catching sight of Zest. Sure, he¡¯d heard about it from Sera¡ªthat Zest did survive that night as well, and he¡¯d even exchanged messages with him when he was on the way to aid Sera. But it is a huge relief to be able to see Zest in the flesh with his own eyes. ¡°Zest¡­¡± Leroy was relieved. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Alisa smiled. ¡°The Black Demon, Zexter Mifaelen!¡± The lead hunter snarled, his expression morphing into something horrid the moment he had laid eyes on Zest. ¡°So, you¡¯re still alive, after all!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gone by that name for a long time.¡± Zest was unfazed. ¡°My name is Zest now. And if you know who I am, then you know what I can do. Do you seriously want to take me on?¡± The look in his eyes made even Leroy and Alisa nervous. It reminds them too much of the first time they met Zest in the streets of Zephys. The remaining hunters too were very obviously nervous. Only some of the older hunters recognised Zest, and they looked horrified¡ªa reason that probably, only Sera knew. Zest had his reputation amongst the hunters for a reason, and not a good one. There is a reason why he had ultimately turned on them and left. ¡°You¡­traitor!¡± Spittle flew from the mouth of the lead hunter, even as his hands shook, as he tried to steady his hold on his gun. More than any of the other hunters currently present, he knew just how dangerous Zest could be. The latter had a hit and bounty on his head amongst the hunters for a reason, with a flee-on-sight order for novice hunters. ¡°To be a traitor means that I first have to be loyal to you.¡± Zest¡¯s face was unsmiling. ¡°You¡¯re now facing the survivors of Blade, hunters. The members of the inner circle. Do you still want to take us on?¡± He challenged. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can let them leave alive anyway, Zest.¡± Leroy shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Especially not with what they tried to pull.¡± ¡°True that.¡± Zest rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°Just like old times, huh?¡± ¡°I hope you hunters have your affairs in order,¡± Sera commented, eyes flickering around. ¡°You won¡¯t be leaving this place alive.¡± And then as one, the four of them moved. * * * * The first rays of dawn were peeking over the horizon even as Leroy was making a few calls to the Cleaners¡ªa specific group within the underground that ¡®cleans up¡¯ the activities of the street gangs for a fee. Alisa meanwhile was poking at one of the dead hunters with the toe of her boot. Whereas Zest and Sera weren¡¯t too far away, talking in low tones. It didn¡¯t take too long for the former members of Blade to deal with the hunters. They were some of the top members of the infamous street gang for a reason. ¡°I¡¯ll say ¡®I told you so¡¯, but I think you learned your lesson well enough.¡± Zest deadpanned whilst leaning against the nearby tree trunk, arms crossed over his chest. Sera only flushed with embarrassment, scratching idly at her cheek with one finger. ¡°Sorry.¡± Zest only sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t try to reprimand you because I know that is what you are like. You¡¯re the type to always take things on yourself, and never ask for help. Heck, I¡¯m the same way,¡± he grumbled. ¡°But Sera, you¡¯re not alone. You know that. Even if not us, you can always ask your current crew for help.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Zest¡¯s right, you know?¡± Alisa called out from where she was, having overheard the conversation. ¡°I hadn¡¯t had the chance to meet any of them yet, but considering that Raul and even Letha are part of your current group, I got a faint guess of what they are like. If they¡¯re anything like how we used to be, they wouldn¡¯t mind giving you a hand.¡± Alisa gave Sera a hard look. ¡°We said this countless times even back during our days as Blade. Stop taking on all your burdens by yourself. We¡¯re here to help. We wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Sera sighed, raking a hand through her hair. It¡¯s a bad habit of hers since her Blade days, she knew. She always tries to handle her problems by herself. It is something that Leroy, Zest, and all the others have grumbled about from time to time. ¡°I really should stop repeating the mistakes of the past, huh?¡± Sera murmured. ¡°Though if I know my guys at all, they probably already knew about this, and I¡¯m in for a rolling once I¡¯m back.¡± It wouldn¡¯t take Raul all that long to get information, after all. And that is if Alexis or Ethan hadn¡¯t seen fit to inform Aegis about what she is up to. Alisa only snorted. ¡°You got that coming,¡± she said bluntly, and not far away, Leroy only laughed, hanging up his phone. ¡°How is it, Leroy?¡± ¡°Cleaner squad is on their way. Thirty minutes out.¡± Leroy reported. ¡°They only asked for us to stay put until they arrive.¡± If so we won¡¯t have anyone accidentally stumbling upon this scene, were the words that went unsaid. If some random civilian comes across a forest clearing full of dead hunters, it will end up as a fuss that will be impossible to cover up. Worst case scenario: there will be a war between the underground and the hunters. ¡°Though it seems like this ¡®request¡¯ is nothing more than a trap.¡± Zest pointed out, drawing quotation marks in the air with his finger. Next to him, Sera nodded in agreement. All of them had their suspicions when Alexis had first brought this request to Aegis. She isn¡¯t the only one to find the lack of information suspicious. Raul had found it fishy. So did Laura and Letha. ¡°This means that the hunters are on the move.¡± Alisa pointed out grimly. ¡°And they know that Sera is alive.¡± ¡°This also means that the rest of us need to be careful,¡± Zest concluded slowly. ¡°If the attack on Blade nearly two years ago is the catalyst to everything, considering what had fallen upon Whirlwind and even Dragonfly barely a year after the attack on Blade¡­¡± He trailed off slowly, a calculating look on his face. ¡°The hunters are up to something.¡± ¡°Nothing new.¡± Leroy scoffed, waving a hand about. ¡°They¡¯re always up to something.¡± ¡°But first, we need to handle this mess,¡± Sera said grimly. ¡°If someone high up in the hierarchy of the Abyss is behind this non-existent request, it means that they¡¯re compromised. And Larissa needs to handle that leak. The last thing we want is for hunters to infiltrate the Abyss and the underground system.¡± Especially since they¡¯ve already done that with the ESA and the ruling council, were the words that went unsaid. ¡°¡­There¡¯ll be nowhere for the Gifted to run to if that is the case,¡± Zest concluded grimly, feeling coldness grip his heart at the mere thought of such a scenario. ¡°¡­Hold up. Hold up.¡± Leroy spoke again after several moments passed. He looked directly at Sera from where he still stood not far from Alisa. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that this non-existent request was passed onto you by Hayder?¡± Sera nodded. ¡°The head of the Enforcers? The second-in-command of the Abyss and the entire underground scene? Has Hayder been compromised too? If yes, it isn¡¯t good news.¡± Leroy swallowed nervously. Sera groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. This has all the potential to blow up in their faces! ¡°We need to deal with this clusterfuck.¡± She muttered irritably beneath her breath. Slight movements out of the corner of their eye caught the attention of all four former Blade members. As one, they turned only to see one of the downed hunters whom they thought dead getting to his feet, with a gun in his hands. It was one of the senior hunters, with blood covering one side of his face. He looks as if he¡¯s barely standing, but his eyes are clear with determination, even as he points his shaking gun at Sera and Zest. ¡°Fuck! I thought that I¡¯d killed him!¡± Alisa cursed, reaching for her gun by her side, but already knew that she was too late. ¡°Sera! Zest!¡± ¡°Die, abominations!¡± The hunter screeched. Sera threw herself to the side, with Zest doing the same thing, even as the sound of a loud gunshot echoed through the air and sent several birds taking flight from the nearby trees. She was however quick to get to her feet after a quick roll, ignoring the dead leaves currently sticking to her jacket and the pained howls of the hunter, only to see the distinct sight of a knife currently in the right hand of the hunter, and with his gun on the forest bed. A quick look at the nearby trees soon identified a gunshot mark on the trunk of a tree not far away. ¡°Not today, you piece of scum!¡± Alisa¡¯s face twisted up in an ugly scowl even as she pointed her gun at the head of the hunter. ¡°Die!¡± The sound of a gunshot rang throughout the forest once more. And then, almost as if in slow motion, the motionless body of the hunter collapsed to the ground with a light thud¡ªthe visible sight of a gunshot on his temple, with his eyes wide opened with shock. This time, he is dead for sure. ¡°Hey, you both okay?¡± Leroy hollered, also with his gun out and covering the hunter even though he was dead. He did a double-check over the bodies of the hunters currently littering the forest bed to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t be getting another surprise. ¡°Y-Yeah, we¡¯re both fine.¡± Zest coughed, even as he got to his feet. Sera only gave him a worried look. Zest after all had only just come out of a long coma. He isn¡¯t back to a hundred percent yet. ¡°That knife, though¡­¡± He approached the dead hunter carefully, with Sera close behind him. Sera narrowed her eyes as she noted the angle of how the silver knife had gone through the hunter¡¯s hand, thus also causing him to lose grip of the gun and potentially sparing both Zest and Sera. But that¡¯s not all. ¡°Is it me, or does that knife look familiar to anyone else?¡± Leroy questioned with a frown, tilting his head to one side. ¡°Not to mention the angle¡­¡± Zest murmured, bending down, and closing his fingers around the hilt of the knife. With the way it had gone through the hunter¡¯s hand, the knife had to be thrown from somewhere high up. ¡°And this knife¡­¡± He pulled it out of the hunter¡¯s hand, wiping off the blood on the hunter¡¯s shirt. ¡°You know, now that you mention it, it does look familiar,¡± Alisa noted with a frown. Sera had a calculating look on her face, even as she eyed the knife carefully. Zest looked up towards the treetops surrounding them. His sharp eyes noted a shadow filtering away. ¡®Jamie?¡¯ * * * * Hayder Beck was expecting lots of things when he¡¯d first gotten up that morning. Having his office door all but kicked in, and having four of Blade¡¯s survivors threatening him at knife and gunpoint isn¡¯t one of them. Hayder let his eyes go towards the shaking and shivering form of Ale on the floor before him. The normally arrogant informant seems to be a shadow of his normal self at the moment, and he is clutching at the stump of what was once his right hand. Only members of the underground understood what was done to Ale. Years ago, it was an old punishment implemented for betrayers or traitors to the underground scene by removing a limb. If the person survives it, it will mark them everywhere they go. The mark of an Oathbreaker. Remnants of the old system of the underground back when the Abyss didn¡¯t have laws and rules governing them. ¡°We would like some answers, Hayder.¡± Zest was smiling even as he eyed Hayder down by leaning over his desk. His smile is however cold, and his red eyes even colder. ¡°Perhaps you would like to explain why this non-existent request that you asked Sera to take on ultimately leads to her walking into a meeting with over thirty hunters!¡± Everyone present in the room nearly winced as one when Zest slammed his hand down onto the table so hard that no one would be surprised if a crack had formed down it. Outside Hayder¡¯s office, there was already more than one head peeking in through the doorway where there was once a door. ¡°And this sorry excuse of an informant had the guts to sell one of our own out to hunters of all people!¡± Leroy sneered, slamming one foot onto Ale¡¯s back whilst ignoring his pained cries and whimpers. ¡°If I don¡¯t like your answers, Hayder, then I hope you had your affairs in order,¡± Sera spoke up, her eyes cold. She isn¡¯t new to people trying to kill her. But if it is machinated by someone who is one of the very few whom she trusted¡­ ¡°Look, it isn¡¯t me.¡± Hayder raised both hands. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m suicidal enough to target you, Sera? I¡¯m not suicidal! Besides, why on earth do I want you dead?¡± The four former Blade members eyed Hayder without blinking for several moments, with the latter not even daring to move or blink. ¡°Swear on the name of the Goddess that you had nothing to do with this,¡± Zest growled finally. ¡°Swear that you didn¡¯t order this, hoping to get Sera killed and that you¡¯re working with the hunters.¡± Hayder didn¡¯t hesitate even as he met Zest¡¯s eyes. ¡°I swear on the name of the Goddess and the honour of the Abyss that I did not order this,¡± he swore, ¡°and that I¡¯ve never, not once in my entire life, had ever plotted against anyone of the underground.¡± Sera nodded slowly as she didn¡¯t remove her gaze from Hayder. She can tell when someone is lying or withholding details from her. And Hayder is telling the truth. ¡°He¡¯s not lying,¡± she said simply. ¡°Hayder¡¯s not the mastermind.¡± Hayder gave a sigh of relief when Zest straightened to his feet and slotted his gun back into the holster by his hip. Not far from Sera and Zest, Leroy and Alisa did the same thing. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve all been played.¡± A soft voice came from the doorway. As one, everyone in the room turned only to see Larissa walking into Hayder¡¯s office, a stern look on her normally beautiful face, even as her eyes flickered towards the broken form of Ale on the office floor. ¡°Boss,¡± Hayder murmured. ¡°Larissa.¡± Sera nodded to the woman politely. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Indeed, it has been.¡± Larissa gave Sera a small smile. ¡°We should find the time to catch up soon, but that time is not now.¡± Her eyes flickered towards Ale on the ground before turning her attention back towards Sera. ¡°Do you mind if I handle Ale? His actions can¡¯t go without punishment, and I do want to learn more about his interactions with the hunters.¡± Her eyes are cold. Sera looked as if she wanted to say something to that effect, but her self-preservation instincts were kicking in, and she only nodded. ¡°Excellent.¡± With a snap of Larissa¡¯s fingers, two men whom Sera recognised as part of those serving as the Abyss¡¯ guards entered the room and pulled Ale to his feet, dragging him out. Ale was pleading and screaming the entire way until they could hear him no more. The former Blade members exchanged looks. Wherever they¡¯re taking Ale to, and whatever they¡¯re going to do, they are all relatively certain that the informant wouldn¡¯t be leaving alive. Regardless of how the underground conducts their business these days, they still have rules and laws to follow, and Ale just broke one of the most absolute ones. Sera cleared her throat to break the uneasy silence. The former Blade leader is looking at Hayder. ¡°I heard from Alexis that you were the one to ask me to take on this non-existent request,¡± she said coolly. ¡°Who told you about this to begin with? The false information that ultimately leads to you making this request?¡± Hayder hesitated, and Larissa frowned. ¡°Hayder, answer Sera,¡± Larissa said sharply. ¡°Who fed you false information?¡± Hayder gave a sharp look at the eavesdroppers currently hanging outside his office, and they immediately scampered. Finally, he looked from Sera to Larissa and then to Zest. The latter¡¯s eyes were stormy, and Hayder had no sympathy for the mastermind once Zest catches them. That is if Larissa and the other Enforcers don¡¯t get to them first. ¡°¡­One of the Enforcers,¡± Hayder answered at last reluctantly, eyes moving from face to face. ¡°Ebis.¡± Sera frowned, exchanging looks with Zest. Not far from them, Leroy was frowning, looking as if he was trying to remember something. ¡°She¡¯s our covert agent. She has never given us bad or false information, so I didn¡¯t doubt it.¡± Larissa nodded, not giving anything away from the impassive look on her face. She looked towards the doorway, and another Abyss guard appeared. ¡°Get Ebis for me,¡± she ordered before the guard nodded and left. ¡°Ebis. Ebis.¡± Zest murmured. ¡°This name is familiar¡­¡± ¡°I met her in Abyss over a year ago when Larissa summoned me.¡± Leroy volunteered the information. ¡°That was my first time meeting her, but something about her gives me the creeps.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you who¡¯s saying it, Leroy¡­¡± Alisa murmured. She would have elaborated more on her statement, but the same Abyss guard from earlier returned at that moment with a young woman close behind him. ¡°You called for me, Premier?¡± Ebis, the young woman, questioned politely. Her eyes flickered towards the former Blade members, and a flicker of some emotion flashed through her eyes so quickly that hardly anyone caught it. Sera however frowned, studying the new arrival carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve heard quite the interesting story today, Ebis,¡± Larissa said pleasantly. Sera however wasn¡¯t fooled. She knew Larissa well enough to detect the steel in her voice. Hayder noticed the same thing as well, with the way he got to his feet silently and without attracting attention from the others in the room. ¡°It seems like you set up Hayder with false information that leads to him requesting Sera here that ultimately nearly ended up in getting her killed by hunters.¡± SLAM! Half the room flinched with the loud sound as Larissa smacked her hand against the surface of Hayder¡¯s desk. ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Larissa¡¯s eyes were cold. All those present in the room now know exactly how the Abyss functions, especially the Enforcers. As their name suggests, they enforce the rules and laws of the underground and make sure that it is followed to the letter. They only interfere when a crew or a member of the underground is making a show of themselves or breaking those laws and carrying out the will of the Premier. Essentially, they are the equivalent of the ESA for the underground. As a result, the last thing that an Enforcer would be is incompetent. There is no way that Ebis, an Enforcer and their covert agent, will give Hayder false information by accident. Ebis let out a huff, her eyes cold as she turned her gaze onto Sera who was leaning against the side of Hayder¡¯s desk, watching the events play out. ¡°To think that thirty hunters can¡¯t even take you down. The reputation of the Death Reaper is well-earned.¡± ¡°Ebis¡­¡± Hayder growled. ¡°So, it¡¯s true then. You tried to set Sera up.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Gifted.¡± Ebis almost spat the last word out like it was a curse. ¡°A freak of nature! An abomination! What does it matter if one or two Gifted gets taken out¡ª¡± SLAP! Even Sera was taken aback when Ebis¡¯ venomous words were cut off suddenly by a harsh slap dealt out to her by Larissa. ¡°B-Boss¡­¡± Hayder was speechless. For as long as he¡¯d followed Larissa, he had never seen her this furious before. ¡°You have my apologies for this, Sera,¡± Larissa said formally, turning towards Sera. ¡°It¡¯s my people who are involved in this hare-brained scheme. But I am as much guilty for trusting them unconditionally. As you¡¯re the wronged party in this case, I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide her punishment.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving a freak of nature to decide my fate¡ª¡± ¡°The only freak here that I see is you,¡± Hayder cut off Ebis¡¯ venomous words, feeling quite sick to his stomach to realise that he had allowed Ebis free reign amongst the Abyss for years, with a good half of its residents being Gifted. Did she say or do anything to them? Is her failed plot against Sera even the first? How had he never realised that Ebis loathed the Gifted to such an extent? ¡°The very sight of you turns my stomach. And to think that I once counted you amongst my allies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what had me concerned right now, Hayder,¡± Zest spoke at last. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Tell me something, Ebis.¡± Zest ignored the questioning looks from the others in the room, never removing his gaze from Ebis who is starting to look uncomfortable. ¡°When was it when you started working for the hunters? Were you one of them from the start?¡± That statement caused shocks to go through the entire room. ¡°¡®For¡¯?¡± Leroy and Alisa echoed. Sera nodded with agreement, getting what Zest was driving at. ¡°You don¡¯t harbour that much hatred for the Gifted when none of them did anything to you unless it¡¯s something taught to you from early childhood,¡± she reminded. It¡¯s part of why the Gifted is so ostracised in Eldario right now, mainly due to the propaganda by the hunters for decades. The only place where they could be safe at the moment is just the Abyss. Sure, there are always certain members of the underground who also dislike Gifted, but unlike the civilians and the hunters, they don¡¯t harbour extreme hatred for them. The people of the underground values power, and most Gifted have that in spades. ¡°Even amongst the common civilians¡ªit is true that the majority of them dislike and feared us.¡± Sera uncrossed her arms, studying Ebis intently. ¡°But even they know better than to try to kill a Gifted.¡± It is after all common knowledge by now that a Gifted¡¯s gifts will lash out and try to protect them in times of great duress. There is always the odd one out, true, but most of the time, they never survive long to regret their actions. The incident with Lucie when hunters and ESA agents alike have cornered her in the town of Agnis is living proof of that. ¡°There is however only one exception to that.¡± Sera narrowed her eyes at Ebis who was starting to look nervous. ¡°For example¡­ If you¡¯re born in a hunter family and raised as a hunter. Isn¡¯t that right, Ebis Ivanor?¡± Half the occupants in the room paled with that statement. ¡°I-Ivanor?¡± Leroy spluttered with shock. ¡°That hunter family?¡± ¡°Hayder, you brought a hunter into the Abyss?¡± Larissa was outraged. Though it now explains the leak and even the problems that the Abyss and the underground have been having in recent years. ¡°Look Boss, I didn¡¯t know!¡± Sera and Zest in the meantime ignored the small commotion going on around them and merely focused their attention on Ebis. It however didn¡¯t escape Leroy¡¯s attention how Zest seems to be the only one of them who didn¡¯t seem surprised by Sera¡¯s statement. ¡°¡­What gave me away?¡± Ebis wanted to know. Her face is however nonchalant. ¡°Something has been bothering me since the attack on Blade nearly two years ago now,¡± Sera answered, closing her eyes briefly. ¡°It was chaotic that night, and even raining, but I remember the faces of the people that attacked us. One of them in particular seems familiar to me, but I can never put my finger on it. And yet, I could swear that I¡¯ve seen that person somewhere before. I remember now. You¡¯re one of the hunters from that night.¡± Hayder only raised a confused eyebrow, looking from one person to the next. It was common knowledge amongst the underground that the attack on Blade and the town of Zephys was an unsanctioned mission by ESA agents. And yet, here Sera is claiming that it was really by hunters? From the looks on the faces of the other Blade survivors, it is apparent that they too knew that the attackers were hunters, as none of them looked all that surprised. ¡°Sera don¡¯t forget faces once she¡¯d seen one,¡± Alisa commented, answering the unasked question. ¡°And unsanctioned or not, the ESA won¡¯t dare to attack Zephys then. Just like how Zalfari was off-limits. So, we suspected that it was hunters, even from the beginning. Not even the most bull-headed ESA agent would want to pick a fight against the underground street gangs.¡± She added. ¡°I see.¡± Larissa closed her eyes briefly, her quick mind putting the small clues together. ¡°You joined us as an Enforcer nearly five years ago now, claiming to be a member of one of the street gangs that we¡¯ve lost to the hunters around that time. You climbed up the ranks quickly and became an Enforcer. You¡¯re the leak that we have. The problems we have in the Abyss and the underground system¡­ You¡¯re the one behind it.¡± ¡°To get hunters infiltrating the Abyss.¡± Hayder finished the statement. He made a mental note to do a full house cleaning after this entire mess. Abyss will go into lockdown for however long this house cleaning is going to take. The last thing he wants is for hunters to infiltrate the Abyss! ¡°But to do that, you need to take out the biggest threat you have. Blade in particular is especially good at sniffing out hunters. That¡¯s why the hunters went after them. Take out the Gifted¡¯s greatest protectors, and one of the pillars of the Abyss and the underground system. It¡¯s not just because of Sera. Or Zest.¡± The two mentioned twitched slightly but said nothing to that comment. ¡°Dragonfly. And even Whirlwind. Zalfari too.¡± Larissa closed her eyes slightly. ¡°Two of the other street gangs that are not just allied with Blade, but also one of the three main pillars of the entire underground system and the Abyss. The attacks on them took place not even a year after the one on Blade.¡± And without the three main pillars of the underground, needless to say, it is probably entirely too easy for Ebis and whoever she had been in contact with to mess about with the underground. Even though Leroy is now the new guardian of Zalfari, he can¡¯t do everything by himself. Not without his crew. Sera, Klein of Whirlwind and even Yusa of Dragonfly command much respect amongst the underground for a reason. The fact that two out of three of them are dead now explains a lot. And even why Sera has to go into deep hiding. Aegis¡¯ existence so far is assisting in that regard, but even they could only do so much. Zest let out a loud sigh, breaking the uneasy silence, and causing all attention to fall on him. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like Nicolosi¡¯s plan,¡± he remarked. ¡°Too reckless, and not well-thought-out. Were you acting on your own, Ebis?¡± Ebis snarled. ¡°You don¡¯t get to address me, traitor!¡± she spat. ¡°We took you in, raised you, and how did you repay us?¡± ¡°You turned Zest into a weapon for your sake.¡± Sera cut off Ebis¡¯ tirade, narrowing her eyes at the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you did what you did for Zest¡¯s own good. You were doing it for your own sake. You hunters¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°You are all the same. You¡¯re poison. Every single one of you. You just did whatever you wanted without considering the consequences, or how it affects others. I¡¯m sick of it.¡± ¡°Sera¡­¡± Alisa murmured. ¡°How long have you been a hunter?¡± Hayder wanted to know. ¡°They start their training early, especially those born in hunter families.¡± Zest supplied the information. ¡°I was always one.¡± Ebis ignored Zest, answering Hayder¡¯s question. ¡°I was one when I was born. And I will be one when I die. I will live up to the legacy of the great Gene Alescio!¡± There were sharp intakes of breath from every single person in the room, and Sera¡¯s fingers twitched¡ªlike she was itching to reach for a weapon. ¡°You dare mention that man¡¯s name in this place?!¡± Leroy snarled; his face twisted into an ugly scowl. ¡°Especially after what he¡¯s done?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a hero!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a monster!¡± Alisa countered those words, one hand resting by her side where her gun rested in the holster. ¡°Don¡¯t even speak his name! Especially not in the Abyss!¡± ¡°Hold!¡± Larissa placed a hand on Hayder¡¯s arm to stop him from drawing his gun, considering how furious he looked. The underground was never a fan of the hunters to begin with. But there are always that few that the underground wholly detests because of what they did, and Gene Alescio is one of those, even if the man is now long dead. To this day, Larissa is fairly sure that the ¡®accident¡¯ that killed the man and his wife isn¡¯t one at all. ¡°Larissa?¡± ¡°You dare mention that man¡¯s name. So, you¡¯re indeed a hunter.¡± Not that Larissa had any doubts about what Sera had said. ¡°You did quite well in pulling the wool over our eyes¡ªnot an easy feat. It answers a lot of questions about why and how our intel kept getting leaked to the hunters, though. Who would have thought that one of the Enforcers would be a double agent?¡± Larissa¡¯s eyes were cold. Ebis sneered at Larissa. ¡°How does it feel, Larissa? To execute numerous of your people loyal to you just because you thought they were traitors?¡± There were sharp intakes of breath, and Zest and Sera exchanged quick looks. Even they¡¯ve heard about those incidents over the years. Discoveries of ¡®traitors¡¯ within the Abyss¡¯ ranks, with those traitors being given a quick and quiet execution. It didn¡¯t take long for Sera to put the pieces together. It must be a plot machinated by Ebis. To solidify her position within the Abyss¡¯ ranks and to have Hayder and Larissa trust her. Hayder turned pale with the same realisation. ¡°¡­The ¡®evidence¡¯ that condemned them¡­¡± Hayder closed his eyes with grief. ¡°It came from you. You ¡®presented¡¯ it. You were the one to raise doubts about their loyalty. That¡¯s how you attained your position. Because you ¡®proved¡¯ yourself. And those ¡®witnesses¡¯ you gathered¡­ I¡¯ll bet they¡¯re either your informants or even fellow hunters. Is that right, Ebis? Was it fun for you? Plotting the deaths of innocent men and women just to get what you want? And you call the Gifted monsters.¡± Hayder just wants to see the end of the day at this point and curl up in his bed and cry. Ebis said nothing, but the malicious glint visible in her eyes told everyone what they needed to know. Out of the corner of her eye, Sera noted how Leroy and Alisa had very carefully shifted themselves so that they were standing on either side of the broken doorway¡ªprobably so that they would be in a good position to stop Ebis if she tried to run or do something. Larissa let out a sigh, turning towards Sera. ¡°What do you want to do, Sera?¡± she questioned bluntly. ¡°By our laws, you are within the right to demand retribution on her. She might be a huntress, but right now, she is still an Enforcer. And as such, she falls under our brand of justice and laws.¡± The colour practically drained out of Ebis¡¯ face with Larissa¡¯s words. And it didn¡¯t escape anyone¡¯s notice how Larissa didn¡¯t even bother to use Ebis¡¯ name. The underground, or the Abyss¡¯ brand of justice and their laws can be considered cruel and ruthless, especially for civilians. But every single member of the underground knew that those laws were there for a reason and followed it to the letter. It was actually eons better than decades ago back when there were literally no laws and rules for the underground at all. ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m a hunter! I will not be subjected to your laws!¡± Click. The loud click of Hayder flicking back the safety of his gun caught everyone¡¯s attention. The expression on his face was grim and terrible, and Sera knew that it wouldn¡¯t take much to have Hayder kill Ebis right now in his office. ¡°Don¡¯t make me shoot you, Ebis,¡± Hayder warned. Sera who is still leaning against the side of Hayder¡¯s desk only eyed Ebis carefully before turning her attention back to Larissa. ¡°Even if we report this to the hunters or even the ESA, and she¡¯s tried by Eldario¡¯s legal system, nothing will come of it anyway,¡± she said simply. ¡°We all know that.¡± That is the truth, and everyone in Eldario knows it. The amount of influence and control that the hunters have over the legal system in Eldario had been concerning for not just the underground, but also the ESA, for years. And even in the ESA, it is almost an open secret at this point that there are different factions within them. The Gifted Task Force, for instance, is almost entirely tasked by hunter sympathisers, if not hunters themselves. ¡°Indeed.¡± Larissa agreed. ¡°So, what do you want to do, Sera?¡± Knowing Blade¡¯s former leader the way she does, Larissa is relatively certain that there is no way that Sera will just let Ebis off. Sera was silent for several long moments, merely eyeing Ebis in a way that it looked as if she was trying to decide whether to charbroil her alive or not. Finally, her mismatched eyes swivelled towards Larissa, and even she flinched at the cold look in those eyes. ¡°¡­A duel,¡± Sera said at last. ¡°One to the death. I challenge her to the Pit.¡± Sharp intakes of breath could be heard from every single person present in the room. Whatever colour there still is in Ebis¡¯ face drained immediately. Even the hunter knows what the Pit means. ¡°She had my people killed. And tried to kill me. Would probably have succeeded the second time if not for Leroy, Alisa, and Zest. Maybe if she faces me with nothing but her own power, she might just understand what she¡¯s getting herself into.¡± Ebis flinched when Sera turned her gaze upon her. ¡°I might dislike the name of the Death Reaper, but I earned that reputation for a reason. You¡¯ll be facing me in a one-on-one battle, hunter. And if I¡¯m you, I¡¯ll get my affairs in order.¡± Larissa only nodded. ¡°Very well, a duel to the death,¡± she remarked, showing none of her unease. ¡°Name your second.¡± Chapter 11 We are all children of blood and bone. All instruments of vengeance and virtue. This truth holds me close, rocking me like a child in a mother¡¯s arms. It binds me in its love as death swallows me in its grasp. - Tomi Adeyemi * * * * Needless to say, that when the rest of Aegis caught wind of what¡¯s going on from a short phone call by Sera, they aren¡¯t exactly pleased when they learned, once again, that Sera had left them out of something as important as this. The ones more experienced and familiar with the underground like Raul, Letha and Laura however could understand why Sera did what she did, and the reasoning behind it. Not to mention too that two out of three of them actually knew Sera for years even prior to Aegis. ¡°There are times when I really feel like throttling her.¡± Claudia grumbled as she opened her soda can with a light pop, taking her usual place on the couch on the first storey of the boathouse, with the rest of Aegis around her. ¡°What part of ¡®ask for help¡¯ is so difficult to understand?¡± Next to Raul on one of the side couches, Lucie only giggled nervously. Whereas Raul is half hunched over his portable computer as usual, only giving out light grunts to show that he¡¯s listening. ¡°Well, we did find the lack of information about this ¡®request¡¯ suspicious to begin with.¡± Raul pointed out without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not surprised that Sera went looking into it.¡± There were several moments of silence as everyone pondered on the how and why, and even the fact that Sera walked right into an ambush by nearly thirty hunters. Sure, they have no doubts that Sera probably could have taken them on, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk out of it entirely unscathed. ¡°If the hunters have set this trap for Sera, without a doubt, they likely know that she¡¯s alive.¡± Letha pointed out grimly, and there were nods from around the room. ¡°This is going to get complicated for us moving forward. No doubt they would have suspected that Sera is the leader of Aegis. It started up not long after Blade¡¯s demise, after all.¡± She pointed out. ¡°And there are only a handful of people who could pull off what Aegis is able to do. The hunters aren¡¯t stupid. This will probably just be the first of several attempts to lure her out.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this with Sera when she returns.¡± Neil remarked from his place at the kitchen area, and there were nods from all around. ¡°Though what is this ¡®Pit¡¯ that Sera had challenged the hunter to?¡± He asked, directing this question towards Letha, Laura, and Raul¡ªarguably the three who understood the underground¡¯s ways better than anyone else at present. Raul finally looked up from his computer at the question, exchanging looks with Letha and Laura who both looked concerned. The others meanwhile only looked puzzled or confused. ¡°The Pit is the underground¡¯s answer of deciding justice.¡± Raul was the one to answer after several long moments passed. His tone was sombre. ¡°Two goes in. Only one comes out alive.¡± Eyes widened with shock at the answer. ¡°That¡¯s barbaric!¡± Kailey spluttered. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± Letha shook her head, putting up a hand to stop the protests that she knew is soon to come. ¡°It¡¯s part of the underground law system. Granted, the Pit hasn¡¯t been in use for years, if not decades, but it is still part of the underground law system, and still valid.¡± ¡°Why would Sera¡ª¡± ¡°She might not have much choice.¡± Raul interrupted, rubbing his temples. ¡°The legal system won¡¯t, or rather, can¡¯t deal with Ebis Ivanor. Not with the influence that the hunters have over the legal system. How many times was a case thrown out before it¡¯s even taken to the High Court, or a hunter was let off with just a slap on the wrist or even let off entirely without punishment?¡± He nearly challenged, and there was silence. It is after all, true. ¡°It¡¯s even worse if a Gifted is involved. There¡¯s a reason why so many of us were involved in the underground, you know? It¡¯s the only place we can call home. With a hunter being involved in this entire situation, and not to mention Sera¡¯s own position, this might just be the only way. The only way to seek justice¡ªespecially if it¡¯s true that the hunter is involved in the attack on Blade, is through the Pit system.¡± Ness who had remained silent whilst listening to them speak, could only nod with agreement. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have put it better myself.¡± ¡°Honestly, I thought that Sera would go for a quick execution or something.¡± Laura commented, twirling her hair in between her fingers. ¡°That she¡¯s going for something as public as the Pit only proved how furious she was, and probably still is. It¡¯s a message for the hunters too, I bet. And for anyone stupid enough to go up against her.¡± ¡°The Pit is a remnant from the old system of the underground.¡± Letha pointed out grimly. ¡°During a time when the underground has no laws, and everyone was fighting to be top dog. When we became more¡­civilised, you can say, the Pit is just a leftover from that old system that is still in use today. And if it is of any indication, then you can imagine just how cruel and lawless the old system was. Even the underground needs rules. That¡¯s why we have the Enforcers. And even why the street gang leaders and even the informants tend to drop by the Abyss once every few months to report on things. It¡¯s to keep things under control.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Silence fell amongst them once more, with the only sounds being that of the waves lapping against the sides of the boathouse. ¡°There is one universal rule amongst the Abyss and the underground that is still followed today. A remnant of the old system, like the Pit is.¡± Letha spoke up, her expression grim, even as she curled her fingers together with each other, looking from face to face. ¡°Survival of the fittest.¡± She spoke. ¡°You need power to back up your own words. Heck, I bet that Sera had been through Hell herself back when she was establishing Blade in Zephys before they became the top dog. She earned her reputation for a reason. Like how Klein did. And even Yusa of Dragonfly.¡± Raul nodded with agreement. ¡°And as much as we are at loggerheads with the hunters, even they understood this universal truth. As does the ESA. It¡¯s one of many reasons why the hunters never attempted to try to pull anything with the Abyss, and why the ESA always tried to form a somewhat tentative working relationship with the underground. They know that the Premier will eat them alive if they do otherwise.¡± ¡°Though I was always under the impression that it was the ESA that attacked Blade and Zephys.¡± Kailey looked at her twin for support, with Neil nodding with a frown. The twins were at Zephys during the days after the attack on Blade, and the memory was still fresh. Even they¡¯ve heard the news, and even the rumours after that. That is how they¡¯ve met Sera after all. ¡°Yeah, so did I.¡± Letha admitted. ¡°I think almost everyone in the underground believes that. Though from my impression, it seems like none of the Blade members believed that. They likely knew that it was the hunters, and not the ESA, but never spoke about it for reasons known only to them.¡± ¡°Sera¡¯s really been keeping a lot of things from us, huh?¡± Lucie sighed, disheartened. ¡°I mean, I understood her reasons why. But I¡¯ll be lying if I said it doesn¡¯t hurt, you know?¡± ¡°Considering both the hunters and the ESA are after her, I¡¯m honestly not surprised.¡± Ness remarked. ¡°She¡¯s been on her own for a long time. We just need to let her know she can trust and rely on us. That is all. Though with everything that we have been up to as Aegis, I¡¯m honestly not surprised that the hunters are on the move.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve infiltrated the ESA and even Eldario¡¯s legal system.¡± Raul sighed, closing the top of his portable computer. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that they¡¯re attempting the same thing with the Abyss. From what I heard; Hayder is going to put the Abyss under a full lockdown after this. He¡¯s going to do some major house cleaning to ensure that there will be no hunter influence within the underground and the Abyss.¡± ¡°If that happens, there¡¯ll be nowhere for the Gifted to turn to.¡± Claudia concluded grimly, and there were nods from all around. ¡°Whatever happens at the Pit two days from now, Sera better make it memorable.¡± There were snorts from those surrounding Claudia. ¡°I¡¯m going to bet that none of you have seen Sera in a real battle before.¡± Letha had a grin on her face, and Raul seems to be trying to hide a smirk. ¡°The underground call her the Death Reaper for a reason. Trust me, if Sera challenged this hunter to a battle in the Pit, the hunter wouldn¡¯t be leaving alive. And whoever Sera¡¯s second is won¡¯t even be showing their face in the Pit.¡± Lucie tilted her head to one side, confused. ¡°What¡¯s this about a second?¡± Letha blinked. ¡°Oh, you caught that, huh?¡± She exchanged looks with Laura. ¡°It¡¯s part of the Pit rules. A second is there to take over should the challenger dies.¡± Cue pale faces. ¡°Nothing to worry about. I doubt Sera will need hers to take over. You don¡¯t know her the way Raul and I does. Blade is the top dog for a reason. I have never seen Sera lose a fight before.¡± Neil frowned. ¡°Where is she by the way?¡± He wanted to know. * * * * When Hayder had first made a request via Alexis for Sera to take on a request, that understandably, had him concerned due to the ¡®rumours¡¯ and news that Ebis had brought him, he sure wasn¡¯t expecting for it to blow up an entire can of worms the way it did. ¡°The Pit, huh?¡± Larissa had a smoking pipe in between her fingers even as Hayder, and even Alisa and Leroy made themselves comfortable in her office. ¡°The last thing I was expecting is for Sera to challenge her to the Pit. Ebis wouldn¡¯t be leaving alive or in one piece, if I know Sera at all.¡± That is true, and everyone in the underground knows it. One doesn¡¯t gain a moniker like the ¡®Death Reaper¡¯ for being soft. ¡°I know that Sera is ruthless, and rightfully, might I add, upset over what had happened in Zephys and Blade.¡± Hayder remarked. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think that she¡¯ll challenge Ebis to the Pit. I thought she would demand for an execution or something. Not the Pit. It hasn¡¯t been in use for decades.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a message to the hunters.¡± Larissa concluded. ¡°And speaking of hunters¡­¡± As one, Larissa and Hayder looked at Alisa and Leroy who were seated side-by-side, looking wholly innocent. ¡°I was under the impression that it was ESA agents that wiped out Blade, not hunters. Did you know from the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leroy was the one to answer. Seeing the unasked question, he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Well, there¡¯s really no point in keeping quiet anymore, either way. ¡°If it ever got out that it was hunters that wiped out Blade, what do you think would happen?¡± He almost challenged. ¡°The relationship or lack thereof between the hunters and the underground is nearly non-existent as it is. To be blunt, we hate each other¡¯s guts.¡± He pointed out. ¡°If it got out that it was actually hunters that attacked us, what do you think would happen?¡± Hayder sighed. He understood why the Blade members have kept the truth of the attack quiet now. ¡°The underground and the street gangs will want vengeance.¡± Larissa concluded grimly, curling her fingers together beneath her chin. ¡°Blood will run in the streets of Eldario. Worst case scenario: a civil war will break out. There¡¯ll be a bloody massacre.¡± It was bad enough when word got out about the attack on Whirlwind and Zalfari by hunters. If not for the situation with the underground as it is, Larissa has no illusions that the underground will want revenge. As it is, Larissa is well aware of the fact how certain members of the underground¡ªparticularly the informants, have been subtly sabotaging the ESA in the ways that they could. ¡°Exactly.¡± Alisa agreed. ¡°It¡¯s why we kept quiet about it. Better that people think it¡¯s the ESA who attacked us than hunters. At least with the ESA, they still had some protection, considering they¡¯re an official arm of the ruling council.¡± Due to the ¡®lie¡¯ however, it also can¡¯t be denied that they¡¯ve also made things very difficult for the ESA when it comes to the informants. After the attack on Blade, majority of the informants have pulled out of their dealings with the ESA. ¡°The hunters are on the move.¡± Larissa concluded, her quick mind working furiously. ¡°There was what happened with Blade, Whirlwind and Dragonfly. Everything that happened since. This entire situation with the Abyss caused by Ebis. And now this. They must suspect or know that Sera is alive, and more than likely, Aegis¡¯ leader.¡± ¡°Considering how much Aegis had been fucking their plans up, I¡¯m honestly not surprised.¡± Leroy made a roll of his eyes. ¡°But Aegis or not, the hunters will want Sera dead. They know what she can do. They know how much influence Sera has over the underground scene. And I think that¡¯s what scares them.¡± ¡°Not to mention the increasing number of Gifted that has been appearing in recent years.¡± Hayder pointed out. ¡°More and more Gifted have been appearing for the past decade than they have in years. It probably means something. Like a sign that something is going to happen soon.¡± Chapter 12 "But eventually, you''ll have to ask yourself precisely what you''re fighting for. And you''ll have to find a reason to live past vengeance." - R.F Kuang (The Dragon Republic) * * * * This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Chapter 13 ¡°Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one''s soul so entangled in it that you can''t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it--if you really feel it--then you speak it like it''s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist and there''s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can''t let go.¡± - Laini Taylor (Strange the Dreamer) * * * * Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Chapter 14 ¡°To punish someone for your own mistakes or for the consequences of your own actions, to harm another by shifting blame that is rightly yours; this is a wretched and cowardly sin.¡± - Richelle E. Goodrich (Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, and Grumblings for Every Day of the Year) * * * * This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Chapter 15 ¡°I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood.¡± - Seth Dickinson (The Monster Baru Cormorant) * * * * This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Chapter 16 The problem is that no matter how good your intentions, eventually you want to kill someone yourself. - Kenneth Cain (Emergency Sex (And Another Desperate Measures); True Stories from a War Zone) * * * * A delicate finger poked at the glass in front of her, causing it to wobble on the countertop, before righting itself again. A glass filled with some alcoholic drink appeared in front of Sera¡¯s visage, and she looked up to see the knowing look of Timo. ¡°Last one for the night, Sera.¡± He said promptly. ¡°You can¡¯t drive properly if you¡¯re inebriated. Especially considering you came by bike.¡± Sera gave a light scoff, waving a hand about. ¡°I can¡¯t get drunk,¡± she said simply. Timo said nothing but merely continued cleaning the glass in his hand with the cleaning cloth. Sera was right, and he knew it. Most high-class Gifted are immune to most poisons and find it difficult to get drunk. Their Gifts tend to burn out those substances as quickly as it get into their system. There is only one known poison that Timo knew of that would work against a Gifted. The same poison that had nearly killed Ness over a year ago, if not for Laura. ¡°So why are you here?¡± Timo asked at last. He gave Sera a knowing smile. ¡°Trying to avoid the inevitable?¡± Aegis, he knew, was currently anxiously waiting for her return¡ªwherever their boathouse was currently docked. The ¡®duel¡¯ that Sera had with Ebis Ivanor two days ago still had the entire underground buzzing. And without a doubt, the hunters would have learnt about it by now. Sera groaned, burying her face into her hands momentarily. ¡°Will it be considered cowardly if I said that I¡¯m afraid to know their reactions if I tell them everything?¡± she asked at last. Timo¡¯s actions stilled momentarily. The man is a sharp one, and intelligent too. He had been a former Enforcer for a reason. And while Sera has no idea why he¡¯d left, she would bet her beloved bike that Timo is still tied in some way to the underground¡ªwhether as an informant or something similar. She wouldn¡¯t put it past Larissa to plant Timo as some kind of spy either. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, and all that. So, chances are that while Sera never said anything to Timo and his friends about what she had planned, he likely had guessed some of it. ¡°¡­If they abandon you after everything, then they¡¯re not your true friends, Sera,¡± Timo said at last, and Sera looked at him. The older man looked solemn. Though his words struck a chord in Sera; those words were remarkably similar to what Zest had said to her before. ¡°We accepted you, knowing that you¡¯re a Gifted, and knowing what you¡¯re truly capable of. We¡¯ll die for you, Sera, like you will for us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come too far to stop now,¡± Sera said with a shake of her head. ¡°Even if I have to do it alone, I will. I owe it to those that died as well.¡± She rubbed at the underside of her wrist where a black blade tattoo was visible. Whatever Timo was about is say was cut off when the tinkle of the bell echoed around the shop, as the door opened, and a familiar young man stepped in. Sera and Timo both recognised the new arrival at once and exchanged quick looks. ¡°Hey, Lucas.¡± Timo greeted. ¡°We¡¯re going to close in an hour.¡± He reminded, looking pointedly at the clock in a corner. ¡°I¡¯ll leave by then,¡± Lucas promised tiredly, taking the seat next to Sera at the counter. ¡°I need a drink. Anything of your choosing. I just want something strong.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve been running into each other a lot lately,¡± Sera remarked, keeping an eye on Lucas even as he slumped on the surface of the countertop next to her. Is it just a mere coincidence, or is he following her? ¡°Something wrong? You seem down in the dumps.¡± Lucas was silent for several moments, drawing circles on the countertop with his index finger. ¡°I had to apprehend a man for murder this morning for killing his wife,¡± he said at last. ¡°Later, I found out from Leonid that he did it because his wife was trying to kill their child. A Gifted.¡± He added. Sera had to fight to control her facial expressions. Across the counter where Timo was mixing a drink for Lucas, the older man grimaced. Both of them unfortunately have heard way too many of this kind of case. In Sera¡¯s case, she had seen way too many victims that have suffered at the hands of Normals, hunters, and in some cases, even ESA agents. ¡°And with the way that the laws are in Eldario, the man would likely be sentenced to the death penalty.¡± Lucas continued, not noticing Sera and Timo¡¯s internal turmoil. ¡°And the child in question will be taken into ESA custody.¡± Sera had to fight to control her strength so that she wouldn¡¯t shatter the glass in her hand by mistake. ¡°I¡¯m part of ESA. I know exactly how unfair the laws are. We are law enforcement. But the truth is that the hunters have more power over us.¡± That is the unfortunate truth that Lucas had learned not even two years after accepting Leonid¡¯s invitation. Officially, they¡¯re a separate organisation from the hunters and even the Council. But unofficially, there are lots of occasions when they have to abide by the hunters¡ªsomething that Lucas knew many of his colleagues were gritting their teeth about. At this point, Lucas honestly won¡¯t be surprised to learn if at least half of the ESA either comprises of hunters or hunter sympathisers. The Gifted Task Force for instance¡ªthe members are most likely more of the former than the latter. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say, ¡®I told you so¡¯, Lucas, but I did tell you this will happen,¡± Timo said unsympathetically even as he slid the wine glass in his hand across the surface of the counter to Lucas. ¡°And that you¡¯ll learn truths that you would rather not learn.¡± ¡°If you come here seeking sympathy from me¡ªus, then you¡¯re better off finding someone else,¡± Sera said almost uncaringly, much to Lucas¡¯ surprise. ¡°You¡¯re part of ESA. I don¡¯t know what you even expected when you joined that organisation. Even you would have heard of the rumours surrounding them even before you joined them. Why else would you be questioning yourself back then?¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± Lucas looked surprised at how harsh Sera was with him. ¡°I thought I could change the system from the inside¡­¡± He mumbled, but Sera had very acute hearing and heard every word. ¡°You¡¯re na?ve if you think that,¡± Sera responded harshly. ¡°Reality isn¡¯t that kind. The law isn¡¯t always just.¡± She pointed out. ¡°Most of the time, the law fails the common people. The punishment never really fits the crime ¨C assuming that they are even punished, to begin with.¡± Lucas cringed. Those words are entirely too similar to the words Misha had said to him before. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Lucas, why are you even with the ESA?¡± Timo wanted to know. ¡°You know what they are like by this point. Everyone in Eldario knows that they are corrupted. Easily bought. Why are you trying to change a dying system?¡± ¡°I thought that it¡¯s the best chance I can use to fix the system. To change Eldario for the better by making it better for the Gifted.¡± Lucas admitted. ¡°I wanted to do something good with my life¡­¡± Sera resisted the urge to smash her wine glass over Lucas¡¯ head. She hated guys like this. ¡°Some people, Lucas,¡± she said through tightly gritted teeth, ¡°don¡¯t want to be saved.¡± Lucas looked at her with confusion. ¡°You can¡¯t change anything without sacrificing something. You want to change the system? What are you prepared to do? What are you prepared to sacrifice?¡± She challenged. ¡°You¡¯re too na?ve. You think that as long as you get the ¡®bad guy¡¯, everything will be fine in the end. The truth isn¡¯t so simple, Lucas. In the end, what makes someone ¡®bad¡¯? A ¡¯bad person¡¯ to you, might be a ¡®good person¡¯ to someone else. And who gets to decide what is right and wrong? Justice in the end is just a set of rules written by someone. And law is made law through power. You should think about it.¡± Sera drained the last few drops of her drink before getting to her feet. ¡°Timo, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Timo said nothing even as Sera left the shop without a second look back, merely clearing the glass that she¡¯d been using earlier. ¡°You made her mad,¡± he said simply, seeing Lucas¡¯ confused expression. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know, kid? Sera knows this better than you do because she has experience with the way the underground works. You don¡¯t. Seeing you sprout what you did¡­ It made her angry.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°In the past, there were those who wanted to ¡®save the Gifted¡¯. Whether that be scientists seeking a ¡®cure¡¯ for the Gifted, or some random politician that wanted to make an entirely new set of laws for the Gifted.¡± Timo interrupted. ¡°Newsflash here. At this point, they don¡¯t even care anymore. The Gifted, that is. All they wanted was to be left alone. Sera¡¯s pragmatic. I don¡¯t think she even believes that the system can be changed anymore. The hunters have too deep a hold on this country for way too long. It¡¯s too corrupted. The old laws that were used to keep them in check were all but abolished by them and their allies by the time the war ended.¡± Lucas had a stubborn tilt to his chin. ¡°We don¡¯t know that if we don¡¯t try,¡± he insisted. Timo only looked resigned; like he knew Lucas was going to say that. He only shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he said. ¡°But whatever you¡¯re going to do, Lucas, you better be careful. The hunters have eyes and ears everywhere in the ESA¡ªsomething that you know. Those who oppose them or speak out against them have a nasty habit of dying mysteriously. If you want to take them on with your own way, you better be prepared to put your life on the line.¡± * * * * The constant tapping of keys on a portable computer is all the sounds that could be heard, along with the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks. Both Lucie and Raul were quiet even as they sat on the rooftop of the boathouse. It is night, with the stars above them glittering like diamonds on black velvet. Lucie merely stared at the stars, able to make out some of the constellations that her father had taught her over the years, even as Raul worked on whatever it was that he was currently working on next to her. Lucie¡¯s mind is still reeling from what she had seen and learned two days ago. Sure, she knew that all of Aegis had blood on their hands. Heck, her own hands aren¡¯t that clean either, considering that she had set half of Agnis on fire accidentally when the hunters cornered her and her father, and more than likely, had killed some hunters and probably even ESA agents that day. Her father is a freelance journalist. And while Lucie is never really that physically active as an activist; she did participate in some debates online and had always spoken up for the Gifted. Even though she was from a purely civilian background before Aegis, Lucie knew the darkness of the world and had seen reality. But for the first time, she has no idea what to think. ¡°Are you afraid, Lucie? Of Sera?¡± Raul¡¯s soft voice almost caused Lucie to jump. He had been so quiet next to her, that Lucie had almost forgotten that he was there. Lucie hesitated before giving out a loud sigh, running her fingers through her hair. ¡°I would be lying if I said I¡¯m not,¡± she admitted. ¡°I lived a normal civilian life before¡­this.¡± She gestured around wildly with her hands. ¡°But even I heard tales of what the hunters did to the Gifted. I¡¯m quite active on online activist boards and forums. And Dad is a journalist. He dug up enough information about it.¡± Raul looked interested in that comment. ¡°Dad was an activist when he was young¡ªlobbying for more rights and protection for the Gifted, especially during a time when being a Gifted is an automatic death sentence in Eldario.¡± Lucie hesitated, resisting the urge to give out a shudder when she recalled all the old newspaper clippings she¡¯d seen of her father¡¯s collection, and even of photos and articles, and even blog entries that she¡¯d read online. ¡°I heard that Dad even spent some time in jail because of his actions as an activist when he was young. When he met my mother and had me, he decided to try a different way to fight instead of becoming a freelance journalist. Even though the majority of the information that Dad found never really managed to make it out to the world.¡± Lucie however knew that her father ran an anonymous blog where he posted articles and even photos of what he¡¯d found. Honestly, Lucie had suspected that part of the reason why the hunters and ESA had cornered them at Agnis might not just be because she¡¯s a dormant Gifted. It might be that they have finally tracked down the origins of her father¡¯s blog that from what Lucie knew online, is a big thorn in the side of the hunters for years. Raul sighed and nodded solemnly. ¡°It makes sense why he¡¯s targeted if he¡¯s doing something like that,¡± he concluded. ¡°And not just because you¡¯re a dormant Gifted. To take on the hunters¡­ You need to be prepared to put your life on the line. Many people have either disappeared or died mysteriously over the years when they have opposed the hunters. It¡¯s to the point that not many dare to go against them.¡± On the surface, Eldario is a democracy. But the entire underground knew that it was all a farce. The ones with the true power are the hunters. They controlled the entire law system in Eldario. It is why the Premier and Hayder were so furious when they learnt about Ebis and what she had done, and even why Abyss had gone into full lockdown the moment that the duel had ended two days ago. Hayder and the rest of the Enforcers must be busy cleaning house. Raul definitely won¡¯t be surprised to hear about a few dead bodies turning up over the next few days. And from what Raul knew from his contacts and even from the whispers amongst the underground, the hunters too have gone silent. ¡°I know the evils of the world,¡± Lucie said at last, drawing her legs up to her chest, and wrapping her arms around her legs. ¡°I know that Sera did what needed to be done. But¡­¡± She trailed off slowly. Raul studied Lucie carefully. Finally, he shut the top of his portable computer, giving her his full attention. ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± he asked seriously, much to her surprise. ¡°Sera did say she wouldn¡¯t stop us if we wanted to.¡± Though honestly, Raul isn¡¯t sure if there is anywhere in Eldario that is safe for Lucie. The ESA knew who she was. As are the hunters. Unlike the rest of Aegis, Lucie is defenceless in a fight, though Laura and some of the others in Aegis have been teaching her. Lucie shook her head immediately, much to Raul¡¯s relief. ¡°The civilian part of me¡ªthe one that still believes there¡¯s still some justice to be had, says yes,¡± she admitted. ¡°But my heart and instincts say no. You guys were the ones to help me. Save me. You are my friends. And even family in some way.¡± ¡°You know that we won¡¯t force you to remain if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Raul said seriously. ¡°What we plan to do, Lucie, to be blunt, isn¡¯t for the faint of heart. You¡¯re either in this until the end¡ªand trust me when I say you have to be prepared to die. Or you stay out of it. You don¡¯t have to be in Aegis. You can be a collaborator if you want to help us. Like Alexis and even Ethan. And even Leroy and Alisa.¡± Lucie only stared at Raul. There¡¯s something in the way that Raul had phrased his words that told Lucie that Raul knew more than he was letting on. ¡°I want to change the system, Raul,¡± Lucie admitted. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Raul was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed, digging about in his back pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, much to Lucie¡¯s surprise¡ªas she hadn¡¯t seen Raul or anyone in Aegis smoke before. ¡°Do you mind?¡± Raul asked, pulling out a stick and sticking it into his mouth. ¡°I need something strong.¡± Lucie shook her head, only watching as Raul pulled out a lighter from his back pocket and lit up the cigarette in his mouth, inhaling and then exhaling the smoke. Finally, after several long moments, Raul held the cigarette in between two of his fingers, turning to look at Lucie. ¡°I want to tell you a little story,¡± he said at last. ¡°Have you heard what happened with my old gang, and even why I¡¯m here now? And also why Aegis destroy them?¡± Lucie nodded gingerly. ¡°Tatius and even Laura told me,¡± she admitted. ¡°They said that your old gang sold you to the hunters.¡± Raul nodded, looking resigned. ¡°By all rights, people like Alan¡ªthe leader after Yusa,¡± He added, seeing Lucie¡¯s enquiring look, ¡°should never have involved himself in the matters of the underground. The people of the underground¡ªhonour still means something to us. We protect our own.¡± He tilted his head backwards, looking at the night skies above him. ¡°Yusa especially is a big believer of that. No matter how many hunters came knocking when he was still in charge, he never gave me up. I imagine it¡¯s part of why he got along so well with Sera and Klein too. All three of them are very similar.¡± He shook his head. ¡°The point that I¡¯m making is that many people would have been perfectly happy if Alan had just stayed in his little bubble and never made waves, and never involved himself in underground business. His actions didn¡¯t just almost doom me. It destroyed the entire gang because there was no way the Premier would have let what he did go. If he had just kept to himself, no one else would have to die. If Alan had just acknowledged his weakness, then maybe I would have more respect for him.¡± Raul admitted. ¡°And the underground wouldn¡¯t be in the situation we now are in.¡± Lucie frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the point that you¡¯re trying to make?¡± Raul looked at Lucie straight in the eye. There is just something about that intense gaze that made Lucie freeze. ¡°You have to decide what path you want to take, Lucie,¡± he said. ¡°Whether you want to go back to a simple life¡ªas simple as being a Gifted can be. Or if you want to change society. If it¡¯s a simple life you want, I believe Sera can get you into the Abyss. You can live there and carve out a life for yourself. You wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. But¡ª¡± Raul held up one finger to silence Lucie when it looked like she wanted to argue, ¡°if you want to involve yourself in what we want to do, then make sure you¡¯re in this until the end.¡± He said seriously. ¡°Because if you do what Alan did¡ªif you betray us, even the Goddess wouldn¡¯t be able to help you.¡± He warned. ¡°There will be nowhere you can run.¡± He knows better than anyone else how ruthless Sera can be towards those who cross her, after all. ¡°Then you know what Sera wanted to do?¡± Raul gave a short nod. ¡°Yeah. Yusa is pals with Sera even during our gang days,¡± he admitted. ¡°We¡¯re allies too with Whirlwind. Letha¡¯s old gang.¡± He added, ¡°Whirlwind, Blade and Dragonfly are the main pillars of the entire underground.¡± He ticked points off on his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s honestly no surprise we have so many problems right now with all three gangs decimated. The hunters knew what they were doing.¡± He snorted. ¡°But yeah, I knew Sera through Yusa. And even quite a few of the other Blade members. Like Zest, Leroy, Alisa, and even Lleucu and Jamie.¡± He sighed and shook his head. To this day, Raul still wasn¡¯t sure if Lleucu and Jamie were still alive. Half the bodies of Blade¡¯s members couldn¡¯t even be found. That is if there is even anything large enough of them to identify. ¡°There¡¯s no way Sera would let what happened to her old crew go. So yeah, I know what she wanted to do. Letha and Laura have some experience with the underground before Aegis, so no doubt they know as well. Heck, with everything going on for the past year or so, I¡¯m sure everyone has some idea at this point.¡± Raul took a puff of his cigarette. ¡°The thing is, you saw what Sera did to that huntress¡ªor at least, as much as I allowed you to see, anyway.¡± He added wryly. ¡°Sera has no mercy for traitors. And even hunters. If you double-crossed us, trust me when I say that there wouldn¡¯t be anything large enough of you to find once Sera is done with you. The hunters fear her for a reason.¡± Lucie looked about to say something, but the door to the entrance of the roof opened just then, revealing Tatius. ¡°Sera¡¯s back,¡± was all that he said, with the redhead jerking a thumb backwards over his shoulder. ¡°Come on down.¡± Chapter 17 ¡°Two for vengeance. One for love.¡± - John Gwynne (Ruin) * * * * Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 18 Vengeance ought to be spoken through gritted teeth, spittle flying, the cords of one¡¯s soul so entangled in it that you can¡¯t let it go, even if you try. If you feel it¡ªif you really feel it¡ªthen you speak it like it¡¯s a still-beating heart clenched in your fist, and there¡¯s blood running down your arm, dripping off your elbow, and you can¡¯t let go. - Laini Taylor (Strange the Dreamer) * * * * Two Years Later January 233 This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Chapter 19 ¡°It is unwise to let a man who isn''t king sit on a throne for too long.¡± - Costanza Casati (Clytemnestra) * * * * Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Chapter 20 ¡°But secondly you say ''society must exact vengeance, and society must punish''. Wrong on both counts. Vengeance comes from the individual and punishment from God.¡± - Victor Hugo (The Last Day of a Condemned Man) * * * * Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter 21 ¡°I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I''d like to say I''m a big fan of forgiveness as long as I''m given the opportunity to get even first.¡± - Sue Grafton (V is for Vengeance) * * * * Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Chapter 22 ¡°She swore vengeance on all men with dark hearts.¡± - Lisa Papademetriou (Siren''s Storm) * * * * A day later, Lucas only found himself nursing an even worse headache when the autopsy report was finally ready, as was the identity of the murder victim. ¡°Run his identity by me again,¡± Leonid ordered, his face one of disbelief. Allen groaned a low, long groan, exchanging looks with Jonan who looked equally annoyed. ¡°Making me repeat it ten times, twenty times isn¡¯t going to change the results, Leonid,¡± Allen said almost sarcastically. He tapped his index finger on the folder in front of him, with the gazes of the rest of his teammates going towards the after-mentioned folder with his subtle action. ¡°Guy¡¯s a hunter. Or a former hunter in this case. Name¡¯s Walden. No last name is known. He¡¯s got quite the reputation amongst the underground and Gifted circles. Even known as The Butcher. No prizes earned for the reason why he had a moniker like that.¡± Yeah, none of Team Alpha needs to know the exact reason why the man in question has a moniker like The Butcher. The name itself is very telling. ¡°No surprise why the underground exacted vengeance then,¡± Leonid muttered, and there were nods from all around. ¡°Though there is also the possibility it might be Aegis at work too. Whenever a hunter is involved, it almost always involves them in some way as well. They hadn¡¯t been keeping quiet for the last two years.¡± ¡°Though it has been over a year since we¡¯ve seen anything from them, apart from the vague rumours going around. If this is them behind it, it means that Aegis is back at it again.¡± Lucas added with a frown. ¡°Though a former hunter, huh?¡± Taylor murmured, chewing on her bottom lip. ¡°You don¡¯t often see a hunter being kicked out.¡± Much like the ESA, hunters only leave through death. ¡°Well, officially, he is no longer one,¡± Allen said cryptically, and the eyes of his teammates widened when they realised what Allen was trying to tell them. ¡°You know as well as I do that hunters don¡¯t just leave.¡± His eyes flickered towards the surveillance camera in the corner. ¡°Many of the Butcher¡¯s favourite targets during his time as an active hunter are children.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Whether they be Gifted children, or even the children of Gifted themselves.¡± ¡°The Goddess help us.¡± Elijah paled. ¡°Elijah, didn¡¯t you and Taylor go to that shack where we found him? That is his house or something, right? Did you find anything?¡± Lucas directed this question to his teammate. Elijah exchanged looks with his twin. ¡°Yes. I wish I didn¡¯t.¡± Taylor let out a long groan, burying her face in her hands, much to the confusion of the others. ¡°That man put even serial killers to shame. It makes me wonder if maybe the underground has the right idea about hunters after all¡ª¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Team Alpha nearly jumped with Lucas¡¯ sharp bark. Their team leader had gotten to his feet, hands against the surface of the desk. His eyes flickered nervously towards the surveillance camera in the corner before he walked towards the door and opened it, looking outside the meeting room. Lucas then stepped back into the meeting room once more, closing and locking the door behind him. ¡°Watch your words, especially in ESA headquarters,¡± Lucas warned, eyes going from face to face. ¡°Walls have ears.¡± Not every single ESA agent after all is loyal to the ESA chief, and everyone in Team Alpha knows that. Taylor sighed, exchanging contemplative looks with her brother. ¡°¡­Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°What did you both find?¡± Lucas asked again after several moments like nothing had happened. He sank back into his seat, giving Taylor his utmost attention. The twins exchanged contemplative looks¡ªa silent message passing between their eyes, before Taylor then turned her attention towards Lucas, also pushing the folder in front of her towards Lucas. The only female member of Team Alpha looked grim. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have a weak stomach, or you have just eaten something, Lucas,¡± Taylor said cryptically. ¡°You¡¯re going to throw up if you do.¡± For several moments, Lucas wasn¡¯t sure if he even wanted to look at the contents within the folder if it managed to put that kind of look on Taylor¡¯s face, and even Elijah''s. Two of his most composed agents in Team Alpha. Lucas then swallowed nervously before opening the folder with one finger, with Leonid, Jonan and Allen crowding around him as he did so. The moment the four ESA agents were faced with the grisly contents within that folder, it even made Lucas blanch, and he felt bile bubbling up his throat. ¡°The Goddess be with us,¡± Allen murmured, turning green in the face, and he clasped a hand to his mouth. Grisly investigation photos of skulls placed neatly on shelves were just among the photos within the folder. And from the report written by the autopsy team, it seems like the skulls belonged to children. There were even photos of eyeballs floating within some kind of unknown substance in see-through glass jars, amongst several other photos of similar scenes. ¡°Okay. I think we¡¯ve seen enough.¡± Lucas slammed the folder shut, much to the relief of his team members. Elijah sighed, leaning back into his chair, looking from face to face. ¡°When we left, the Forensics team was still there,¡± he informed Lucas. ¡°They need to run some extra tests. But one of them told us that he¡¯s relatively certain that the coverings of the sofas are made out of human skin.¡± Jonan blanched with that remark. ¡°And from the sizes of the skulls that we found in the sitting area, we can be certain that they are from children.¡± He exchanged looks with his sister. ¡°We can probably close a lot of the missing children¡¯s cases over the last few years, if so. And most of his victims are more than likely Gifted.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± Leonid is very pale. ¡°That¡¯s not all¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s more?!¡± Elijah wasn¡¯t impressed with Jonan¡¯s outburst and gave him a dirty look before turning his attention back towards Lucas. ¡°We found a secret basement,¡± he said, much to Team Alpha¡¯s surprise. Leaning across the table, he opened the folder in front of Lucas and flipped a few pages before stopping on the page he wanted that had photos of what must be the back of the shack. ¡°One of your brother¡¯s teammates¡ªRemington Wayne¡ªwas asked to come along with Coleen Kodar, to help out. You know that Remington had incredibly sharp senses, despite not being a Gifted. He was the one that found the basement, or we would never have found it.¡± Lucas nodded slowly. Occasionally, there is the occasional person that had incredibly sharp senses or abilities, despite not being a Gifted. And Lucas knew for a fact that Remington Wayne, or Remi for short, was one of those. Leonid sighed, burying his face into his hands. ¡°Do I even want to know what you lot found down there?¡± His voice was muffled. ¡°More of what we didn¡¯t find.¡± Taylor scoffed, and every single pair of eyes, save for her twin¡¯s, swivelled towards her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°From the amounts of blood, and even the remnants of chains down in the basement, it is clear that at some point, Walden had children chained down there, likely being tortured.¡± Elijah leaned forward again to flip a page. Lucas is certain he is going to have nightmares for weeks after this. Who needs to watch a horror movie when working as an ESA agent in Special Operations can subject one to all kinds of horror? ¡°And from how fresh the blood is when we found it, probably quite recent too. Likely Gifted children, even.¡± Allen sucked in a breath. ¡°¡­Then I can only say that it¡¯s a good thing that Aegis came and took this monster off the streets,¡± he said simply. He received several startled looks from his teammates, and he frowned. ¡°What? I dare any of you to tell me that you¡¯re not thinking the same thing that I am.¡± He defended himself. ¡°You and I both know that even if we ever managed to capture Walden should we discover what kind of crimes that he had been committing, he would never have been charged. The charges would have been thrown out even before it reached the High Court, or he would have just been let off with a slap on the wrist. It almost always does whenever it involves a hunter or a former hunter, especially if their victims were Gifted. Tell me that I¡¯m wrong.¡± His gaze was challenging. Lucas winced, and his mind brought him back to the conversation he had with Timo and even Sera before. By the Goddess, how long ago was that now? ¡°W-Well¡­¡± ¡°If Walden¡¯s murder is Aegis¡¯ work, then it means they¡¯ve resurfaced once more,¡± Leonid said solemnly, and he received nods from all around. He sighed, exchanging looks with Lucas who nodded grimly. ¡°I hope none of you lot have put in vacation requests. We¡¯re going to be working overtime for the next few months, I¡¯ll bet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two years, huh?¡± Jonan swivelled about in his swivel chair to face the corkboard that had photos and notes of all kinds pinned on it¡ªsince they first learnt about Aegis¡¯ existence, and had been chasing after them for just as long. ¡°Do we even know anything about them so far?¡± He wondered. After all, how on earth do you find someone, or several someones in this case, when you don¡¯t even know their name? Even those ¡®clients¡¯ of Aegis that they managed to track down were shockingly tight-lipped. And considering what Aegis had done for them, no one is really surprised that they refused to say anything about Aegis, or even admitted that they were in contact with that notorious organisation. And if Aegis¡¯ past ¡®clients¡¯ were tight-lipped, then one has to find another definition for that word when it comes to the underground. Aegis might as well be a ghost for all the information, or lack thereof, that the ESA could get out of their underground contacts. ¡°The only encounter we ever had with Aegis is when they came to break that Gifted out of HQ. Must be about a year and a half ago now. Maybe even longer.¡± Lucas remarked, getting to his feet and walking towards the nearby file cabinet to pull out the astonishingly thin file that he had created when Team Alpha had first started hunting down Aegis. ¡°Oh, you mean when they blew up half of the headquarters and sent two squads of ESA agents to the hospital for burn wounds?¡± Allen snorted, recalling that incident. ¡°Though thanks to that incident, we managed to come up with an excuse to revamp and overhaul our security systems.¡± He exchanged looks with Elijah who gave a weak smile. If there is ever an indication that the ESA is nearly completely at the mercy of the hunters and even Parliament, that incident is one. Team Alpha knew for one that Tiara had been trying to push for a revamp and overhaul of their computer and security systems since she¡¯d taken over. Technology had progressed far beyond what it had been when Tiara was a new agent herself. The systems that the ESA had been using had been ¡®relics¡¯ of that time, but she had never managed to get the permission or funds to overhaul the systems. The attack by Aegis on ESA headquarters nearly two years ago had given Tiara the excuse she needed to do a complete overhaul of ESA¡¯s computer systems and even their security. ¡°Anything we can deduce about them so far?¡± Lucas wanted to know. Aegis might be one of the rather impressive numbers of cases that Team Alpha had on hand, but they had always been the priority for them. ¡°Nothing that we don¡¯t already know.¡± Leonid shook his head. ¡°But at the very least, we can deduce that at least a good half of their group is Gifted. A lot of the incidents that they are involved with normally involve Gifted. So it¡¯s safe to say that they¡¯re vigilantes in a way. They protect the Gifted in the way that the law couldn¡¯t.¡± Leonid bit on his lower lip, averting his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re likely one of those that didn¡¯t register with the database, then.¡± Jonan sighed, leaning back into his chair, referring to the law that requires all Gifted to register themselves. While it is one of the most absolute laws in Eldario¡ªmostly upheld by the hunters and even the members of the ESA¡¯s Gifted Task Force, the truth is that not every Gifted will do that, as they knew it would just subject themselves to discrimination and baseless charges and accusations should a crime ever occur somewhere near their place of residence. It is one of several reasons why most of the Gifted in Eldario lived in the underground society. ¡°So far, whatever that we knew about them are just rumours and heresy.¡± Elijah volunteered the information. ¡°I even asked Louis from Team Delta¡ªhe¡¯s the best hacker and computer expert we have in ESA at the moment. And even he is stumped. He couldn¡¯t access the website that Aegis uses as one of their methods for people to contact them.¡± He shook his head wryly. ¡°Guess he¡¯s just been dethroned from his title as Eldario¡¯s best hacker and foremost computer expert.¡± ¡°My contacts within the underground too were very unwilling to talk to me whenever the word Aegis came up,¡± Allen remarked. ¡°Though the underground has been all frosty towards ESA agents for over a year now. There was some kind of incident involving the hunters, I think, that had them all pissed off. I can never find out what either.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So far, all that we know at least is that the leader of Aegis is known as Zero,¡± Lucas remarked, reading through the file he had compiled on Aegis. ¡°Most likely an alias of some sort. They¡¯ve been around for at least two years¡ªas far as we know, and they¡¯ve been really careful since their formation, and there isn¡¯t much that we could find on them.¡± ¡°Though if Walden¡¯s death is their handiwork, it is a first to see them being this ruthless.¡± Leonid pointed out, twirling a pen in between his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s not their normal MO. And then again, if children are involved, I can¡¯t honestly blame them for being this angry.¡± Silence fell once more, even as Team Alpha contemplated Leonid¡¯s words. Finally, Elijah let out a long, low sigh, leaning back into his chair, and looking from face to face. ¡°In the end, just who is in the right, and who is in the wrong?¡± He pondered out loud. ¡°We think they¡¯re the bad ones because we¡¯re the ones opposing them.¡± He drew quotation marks in the air with his pen as he spoke, ¡°But to Aegis, aren¡¯t we the bad guys in their eyes, and the eyes of all the Gifted in the country?¡± No one knew what to say to that statement. Even Taylor was speechless. ¡°Though if it¡¯s true that they are Gifted children being held in Walden¡¯s basement, and they have been freed by Aegis, then someone must know something about them,¡± Lucas said at last, bringing the topic back on track. ¡°I can¡¯t see Aegis bringing a couple of children along with them. Most likely traumatised, and even heavily injured children, at that. It¡¯ll bring attention to them¡ªsomething they can¡¯t afford right now.¡± ¡°They would bring those children to the underground. They would never turn to the ESA or even the orphanages.¡± Taylor summarised. ¡°Elijah, you got contacts amongst the underground, don¡¯t you?¡± Elijah nodded slowly, not liking the look on Lucas¡¯ face, and having a bad feeling about what he was going to hear next. ¡°Think you can recommend someone that can tell us what we want to know?¡± Elijah looks as if he wants to groan out loud. ¡°The underground will never turn on its own, Lucas. I told you that countless times before,¡± he said, exasperated. ¡°And getting Ethan to part with information that he had already declined to give is worse than pulling teeth.¡± Seeing the look on Lucas¡¯ face, Elijah groaned out loud. ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He grumbled, ignoring the amused looks of his teammates. ¡°If you have to go yourself, Lucas, as no doubt you would, you can¡¯t go alone.¡± He warned. ¡°They¡¯ll eat you alive if you do.¡± ¡°Leonid.¡± Leonid nodded when Lucas turned towards him. ¡°Where can we find this informant of yours?¡± Leonid asked Elijah absently, already mentally doing an inventory check of his weapons and supplies. Elijah grumbled something under his breath. ¡°For the love of the Goddess, don¡¯t piss Ethan off,¡± he almost begged. ¡°He¡¯s one of the best informants for a reason and doesn¡¯t tend to work with the ESA, if at all. It took me years before he¡¯d even agree to work with me. Even so, he doesn¡¯t always tell me what I want to know. I can¡¯t afford to lose an informant of Ethan¡¯s calibre, considering the feelings or lack thereof the underground has towards the ESA.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll watch our tongues and behaviour,¡± Lucas promised. Elijah eyed Lucas doubtfully before shrugging. ¡°At this time of year, there is only one place where Ethan would be,¡± he said, tearing a page out of his notebook and scribbling an address, handing the piece of paper to Lucas. He met with the eyes of his team leader who read the address on the slip of paper, and Lucas paled. Elijah nodded solemnly. ¡°Be careful. And don¡¯t go unarmed.¡± Lucas sighed, looking down at the slip of paper once more, before meeting with Leonid¡¯s eyes. ¡°Zalfari.¡± Chapter 23 ¡°¡®And now,¡¯ said the unknown, ¡®farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude. Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been heaven¡¯s substitute to recompense the good - now the god of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!¡± - Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo) * * * * Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Chapter 24 ¡°War always reaches the depths of horror because of idiots who perpetuate terror from generation to generation under the pretext of vengeance.¡± - Guy Sajer (The Forgotten Soldier) * * * * The familiar sounds of a motorbike came to a stop outside Cross Cafe, and Timo looked up from his current task of wiping the plates in front of him. The bartender and cafe owner met with the eyes of his sole customer at that moment who was seated in a corner booth. The man nodded to Timo, and he nodded back. ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± The bell tinkled somewhere in the cafe, even as the doors were opened. Two pairs of eyes swivelled towards the door even as two youngsters stepped in. Timo honestly wished to say that he was surprised Zest came with Sera, but he wasn¡¯t. He only nodded to the pair who nodded back, putting down the plate that he was wiping. ¡°I¡¯ll close up for you,¡± he only murmured, walking towards the door and flipping the sign from ¡®Open¡¯ to ¡®Closed¡¯. At this hour, Timo seriously doubts that he would have any customers coming by anyway. In the corner booth, Karl got to his feet, a relieved smile spreading across his face when he laid eyes on the pair even as they approached. ¡°I was hoping¡­ I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but you¡¯re both still alive.¡± Karl murmured, not removing his eyes from Sera, even as the pair of youngsters sat in the chairs in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, both of you.¡± Sera nodded. ¡°At least five years, I believe,¡± she murmured. ¡°You look well, you old pervert.¡± Karl cracked a smile. Zest was silent as he looked between the pair. All of Blade knew of Karl Boyle and had met the man at least once in their lives. This man is after all the one who¡¯d raised Sera¡ªor as much as he could anyway, with how he travelled around Eldario for his work. He had taught Sera how to survive and even taught all of them how to fight at some point. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Word is going around the underground. And even amongst the hunters.¡± Karl went straight to the point. ¡°The Butcher¡­ Was he your work?¡± He questioned bluntly, directing this question at Sera. ¡°And if he is?¡± Sera questioned coolly, leaning back into her chair, arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Are you going to try to stop me?¡± Karl looked as if he was about to say that, but he only opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing, his shoulders slumping. For a moment, he looked older than his actual age, before the man then shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have any right to.¡± Karl admitted. ¡°I knew what I was turning you into when I taught you how to fight, and how to kill. If you¡¯re openly targeting the hunters, then you know the consequences?¡± He directed this question to the pair in front of him this time. Where Sera goes, Karl knows that Zest will follow. As will the rest of Blade¡ªwhichever of them survived the purge on them all those years ago, that is. ¡°I do.¡± Karl seemed to fight some kind of internal fight within himself, clenching and unclenching his hands into fists on the table in between them. He met with Sera¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tiara would never forgive me if anything happened to you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°And neither would your dad. He¡¯ll be waiting for me at the side of the devil once I die if I let you do this.¡± ¡°They have no say in how I live my life, Karl, and you know that.¡± Sera shot back almost harshly, half rising from her chair. She winced when she saw the hurt look in Karl¡¯s eyes and sank back into her seat. ¡°That didn¡¯t come out right.¡± She murmured. She paused, contemplating her words. ¡°I made my choices years ago. I know what I¡¯m in for. As did all of us. We¡¯re prepared for the consequences.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t ignore the situation in Eldario any longer, Karl,¡± Zest added. ¡°And you know that.¡± ¡°I do. The hunters¡¯ movements are getting strange. It¡¯s why I came back.¡± Karl admitted. ¡°It¡¯s getting difficult even for me to contact Tiara.¡± He sucked in a breath. ¡°You¡¯ll ignore me, even if I tell you to leave the hunters be, won¡¯t you?¡± He asked wryly. ¡°Yes.¡± Both Sera and Zest responded at the same time. The pair exchanged bemused looks before turning back to an amused-looking Karl. ¡°And we¡¯re going to have to take the fight to the hunters directly this time because something is wrong.¡± Sera pointed out. ¡°Their movements are getting strange. The hunters are getting desperate. And desperate men make for dangerous men.¡± Karl wanted to groan out loud. On one hand, he wanted to stop Sera¡ªwhatever she had in mind, he knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be pretty, considering what the hunters did to Blade and their allies. On the other hand, he would be a hypocrite if he tried to stop her. And yet again, Sera had earned her reputation for a reason. She had the skills to back up her own words, and Karl couldn¡¯t be prouder of her if he¡¯d tried. Whatever the hunters are up to this time, if there is anyone that can stop them, it would be Sera. And this time, she isn¡¯t doing this alone. ¡°Even if I tell you not to, you would just ignore me, won¡¯t you?¡± Karl asked. It was phrased more as a statement than a question. Sera said nothing, only rubbing her thumb over the distinct black blade tattoo on the under-wrist of her left hand. ¡°Why ask if you know the answer?¡± She said at last. ¡°I don¡¯t do the easy things in life. I never did.¡± She exchanged looks with Zest. ¡°You didn¡¯t raise a coward, Karl. If you wanted me to do something different, you should have raised me differently. I won¡¯t look away from reality. Not anymore.¡± Chapter 25 ¡°Vengeance is a monster of appetite, forever bloodthirsty and never filled.¡± - Richelle E. Goodrich (The Tarishe Curse) * * * * Surprisingly, Lucas and Leonid weren¡¯t able to head to Zalfari immediately, even though they wanted to. They still had a high-priority murder case on their desks to handle. And it only makes things more complicated as it is the murder of a former hunter. The political ramifications should things go south is enough to make Lucas¡¯ head spin. Hence, this is why Elijah and Taylor both found themselves at the hunters¡¯ headquarters in Helmut and tried to resist the urge to pull out their weapons even as they stood in front of the current head of the hunters, Albert Nicolosi. As long as you live in Eldario, you will know the name of Albert Nicolosi. The man had taken the position as the head of the hunters nearly a decade or so ago. And from the whispers and rumours that Elijah had heard from his contacts within the underground, it seems like Albert seized the position by murdering the previous head, though that was never proven. Even before that, there were already rumours that Albert was really the one in charge for a little over three decades, and the previous leader was just a figurehead. At least until Albert has no further use for him. Don¡¯t trust him, Elijah remembered the words of a certain someone whom he¡¯d met long ago¡ªeven before he had joined the ESA. And even without her warnings, Elijah knew better than to trust a hunter. He¡¯ll be better off locking himself in a cage with hungry lions. Elijah could almost feel how tense his twin was next to him, and he discreetly stepped on Taylor¡¯s foot. His twin looked at him questioningly, and Elijah gave a short shake of his head. I¡¯ll handle this, he told her with his eyes. Both twins then turned their attention back to Albert Nicolosi. At first glance, he seems unassuming. As a man who looked to be in his sixties at least, he still looked hearty and strong, with a head full of white hair that reached to his ears; though with a receding hairline. He had golden eyes like that of a hawk, with a distinct scar running down the right side of his cheek. Not for the first time, Elijah cussed Lucas out inwardly for even sending them into the lions¡¯ den. However, he also understood why Lucas sent him and Taylor out of everyone in Team Alpha. They¡¯re the ones least likely to fly off the handle, and also the ones able to keep their composure, no matter what happens. Not to mention that unlike Lucas and Leonid, Elijah and Taylor aren¡¯t Gifted. Sending a Gifted, even if they¡¯re with the ESA, into the headquarters of the hunters is akin to sending a lamb to slaughter. They might be Normals with highly enhanced abilities, but they¡¯re still Normals at the end of the day. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As for Allen and Jonan, neither one of them had ever hid their distaste for the hunters. Imagining Lucas sending the pair to hunter headquarters is enough to give Elijah a migraine as he imagines the fallout that would happen. Right now, however, Elijah took an almost perverse kind of enjoyment as he watched the myriad of emotions that flew across Albert¡¯s face even as he read the contents of the folder that Taylor had just handed to him several minutes ago. A folder that held copies of the investigation and autopsy reports of Walden, and the atrocities and deeds that he had done during his time as an active hunter. Many of the families whose children were reported missing years ago would at least be able to gain closure, since the majority of those children have their skins or even pieces of them found in Walden¡¯s shack, and thus, the ESA could confirm their deaths. ¡°I am unsure if I should take this as an insult or as a declaration of war,¡± Albert growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously at Elijah and Taylor. The few hunters also visible in the room have their hands reaching for their weapons with those words, and Taylor tensed. ¡°Do you expect me to believe that a renowned hunter like Walden would commit atrocities like this?¡± ¡°Autopsies and evidence don¡¯t lie, Mr Nicolosi.¡± Elijah¡¯s voice was calm and steady as he spoke, revealing none of his inner turmoil. Because this involved a former hunter, the Forensics team was extremely thorough when examining and investigating the shack and even the secret basement. Team Delta too had offered tremendous support when assisting Team Alpha with the investigation. And between Elijah and Louis, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to uncover everything that had happened in Walden¡¯s life. ¡°Last I heard, the families of the children who were confirmed to be dead¡ªwith pieces of them discovered in Walden¡¯s shack, were preparing for a court case to be brought up against the hunters.¡± Taylor¡¯s face revealed nothing at all. ¡°And sadly, for you, that is, it will be political and social suicide to throw out this case like you did to so many. The ESA has filed this officially with the court offices of the High Judge himself.¡± The hunters that were in the room all tensed. The unfair laws of Eldario had worked against not just the Gifted, but also for the ESA agents countless times. But this is one of the few rare times when those unfair laws worked in their favour. A court case that is brought to the offices of the High Judge can never be thrown out but has to be investigated and see it¡¯s day in court. It is one of the absolute laws of Eldario. And only high-priority criminal cases would cross the desk of the High Judge. Thankfully for Team Alpha, the High Judge supports Tiara¡¯s views about the ESA and the Gifted. But again, thanks to the unfair laws of Eldario that were put in place during the chaotic period of the end of the last war, like Tiara, his hands too were tied. From what is said, the High Judge was a former ESA agent himself¡ªa department head even and was even Tiara¡¯s mentor at one point. The underground might think otherwise, but Elijah and Taylor both knew that the Gifted and even the underground have more allies than they think. While not many, there were a few reporters for the various papers and magazines in Eldario that didn¡¯t fully trust everything that the hunters told them, unlike the majority of Eldario. The expression on Albert Nicolosi¡¯s face had both twins practising every amount of self-control to not let their true feelings show on their faces. ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Albert almost whispered menacingly. ¡°As the Goddess is my witness, when have we said a single word of threat towards you?¡± Elijah¡¯s tone was almost sickeningly sweet and polite as he spoke, much to Taylor¡¯s amusement. ¡°We¡¯re sent by the ESA to inform you of the actions we would be taking as a form of courtesy. Nothing more.¡± ¡°No hunter will do what you¡¯re claiming Walden did.¡± Albert insisted. Elijah however could see the distinct signs of a lie. This man is aware of what Walden has done. ¡°Even we have rules!¡± ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t resist, even though her twin was giving her warning looks. ¡°I saw the aftermath of the hunters¡¯ works over the years, Mr Nicolosi. It turned even the stomachs of some of my teammates, and we have seen things that would give the average person nightmares.¡± A very light sound¡ªalmost like that of a human¡¯s groan¡ªtoo light to be picked up by a normal person, but to Elijah, he picked it up easily. His eyes went towards the air vent in a corner, and he frowned to himself. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯re just the messengers here.¡± Elijah grasped his sister¡¯s arm, shooting her a warning look. He has no wish to have to fight his way out of Helmut. ¡°But a word of advice here, Mr Nicolosi. There is always someone more powerful and skilled than you. If you cross the wrong person, you might find yourself by the side of the Goddess sooner than you think.¡± With his piece said, Elijah grasped his sister by her wrist and stalked out of the room without a second look back before Albert or any of the hunters in the room could say anything in response. There was silence in the room for several moments after the departure of the ESA agents. And then, Albert Nicolosi grasped a wine bottle on a table near where he stood, hurling it across the room, with the bottle smashing against the opposite wall and spilling the contents everywhere. ¡°Sir¡­¡± ¡°To have the blasted ESA coming in here and questioning me¡­!¡± Albert snarled, an ugly look on his face. ¡°And that fool, Walden! I warned him! I warned him, and he still got taken off guard! What kind of hunter is he if he got himself bested by Gifted?!¡± ¡°Sir, if it indeed is Sera Kroix which we assume to be the leader of Aegis, even Walden can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Albert barked at the hunter who had spoken, and the latter flinched. ¡°Seems like we need to move our plans up.¡± An almost maniac glint appeared in his eyes. Chapter 26 ¡°Revenge is a poison, D¨¨mi. Drink it and you can destroy your enemies, but you will die long before you see them take their last breaths.¡± ¨D ¡°Sorry.¡± Taylor apologised, the moment that both twins were out of Helmut. It isn¡¯t a lie to state that they¡¯ve practically run as fast as they could to get out of the town. ¡°I know you said to leave it to you, but I just can¡¯t stay quiet.¡± Both twins walked towards Elijah¡¯s car parked just outside Helmut; but also far away enough that the hunters won¡¯t catch sight of it. Even still, it didn¡¯t stop both twins from examining every inch of the car to ensure that they hadn¡¯t been bugged or even had a tracker planted on said car. Elijah even went as far as using some scanning device that Taylor is certain her twin might have taken from R&D. ¡°Forget it.¡± Elijah sighed, once he was satisfied that they hadn¡¯t been bugged. If truth be told, he really should have expected this coming from his sister. It¡¯s not like either of them has tried to hide the fact they have no love lost for the hunters either. They just don¡¯t broadcast it the way Allen and Jonan did. Goddess only knows how many times he¡¯d seen Lucas reprimand those two regarding their very obvious disdain for the hunters. People have disappeared and been killed for less. ¡°But the hunters are up to something. The underground, and especially the Abyss have been strangely quiet for the past year.¡± Taylor nodded slowly. While it¡¯s not exactly something that the twins broadcast, they were street kids, and were raised in underground society before they joined the ESA. It is one of the reasons why Elijah had such a vast network of contacts amongst the underground, and even why he is so skilled in information gathering and hacking. ¡°Considering our current allegiances, they were unwilling to tell me much.¡± Elijah sighed, getting into the driver seat, with Taylor sliding into the side passenger seat. ¡°Not that I can blame them. But whenever the underground goes silent like this, it means that something is up.¡± Taylor snorted. ¡°Ten bucks it has something to do with Aegis.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Elijah gave his twin a look. ¡°I¡¯m not fool enough to take that bet,¡± he scoffed, and Taylor grinned. ¡°But the hunters are idiots if they want to mess with the Abyss and the underground, considering their stance on the hunters.¡± He turned the ignition key, starting up the car engine. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why the hydra is the symbol of the underground. Cut one head off, and two more grow in its place. For the underground, taking out the leader won¡¯t stop everything.¡± He exchanged looks with his twin. ¡°And we both know that.¡± Zalfari and Zephys are prime examples of it, after all. Even after losing the original protectors¡ªthe gangs that once ruled those places with an iron fist, it didn¡¯t lessen the amount of influence and authority that those places once held back when Whirlwind and Blade were still in charge. Granted, Zephys is now technically neutral territory, as no gang is fool enough to try to claim what was once Blade¡¯s territory. But it doesn¡¯t mean Zephys is unprotected. Far from it. ¡°Nicolosi too definitely isn¡¯t telling us the full story back there.¡± Taylor pointed out grimly, and Elijah nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bet that he knows exactly what Walden had been doing, and just left him to it. And considering that most of his victims were Gifted or even the children of Gifted¡­¡± ¡°Plausible deniability,¡± Elijah grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s using the loopholes in the law that protect the hunters by declaring Walden a former hunter. If I¡¯m a betting man, I¡¯ll bet that Walden was never kicked out. I¡¯ve never heard of a hunter leaving their service, to begin with, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m starting to think that joining the ESA is a mistake, Brother,¡± Taylor muttered, furrowing her brows. ¡°We could have found another way to find out what exactly happened to Chris¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing this for a reason.¡± Elijah cut her off. ¡°We¡¯re in this too deep to turn back now.¡± Taylor nodded glumly. ¡°I know,¡± she murmured. ¡°Shall we go back? We need to report to Lucas.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s.¡± Elijah took one glance back at Helmut, recalling the sound he¡¯d heard in that room when they were speaking with Albert Nicolosi. It might be nothing, but something told Elijah that this isn¡¯t something he can brush off. Elijah only shook his head, making a mental note to hit him up. Maybe he would be interested to find out just what the hunters are hiding. It took only a matter of moments for the car to pull out of park, and they were soon speeding down the road back towards Zhane City. Several long minutes passed after the car had disappeared out of sight before a lean figure emerged from behind the nearby oak tree that had concealed him from sight. Lleucu only sighed as he looked up at the skies before looking back over his shoulder at Helmut. He clenched his hand into a fist. ¡°Seems like they¡¯re up to their old tricks again, huh?¡± He murmured. ¡°Brother¡­ Wes¡­ I¡¯ll avenge you, I swear it.¡± Chapter 27 ¡°The devil was a monster, but I would become his nightmare.¡± ¨D Kerri Maniscalco, Capturing the Devil * * * * It is getting late. Tiara has no idea what time it is, but judging from the hunger pains that she is feeling, she is sure that it must be well past ten in the evening by now, if not later. She leaned back into her chair, eyes gazing upwards at the ceiling, just willing herself to take a short break for just a few moments. For the past year and a half, it has been like she is being pulled into several different directions. And yet with each year that passed her by, it seems like the hunters only gained more power and influence, with the ESA¡¯s influence and power waning. If this goes on, it honestly won¡¯t be long before the ESA will just become a puppet of the hunters. ¡°¡­Maybe you were right after all, child¡­¡± Tiara murmured, recalling the last time when she had actual physical contact with her own blood relative. The last surviving one. ¡­What even would her brother and sister-in-law say to her if they knew that their last wishes for their only child weren¡¯t followed? Tiara is almost certain that both of them would be waiting by the sides of the Goddess to exact vengeance on her once her time in this world is up. A very distinct chime from her cell phone echoed around the silent office just then, startling Tiara out of her thoughts. She immediately reached for her spare phone that she¡¯d tucked in her bag, answering it, but not removing the phone from her bag at all. Pretending to be busy reading some reports even as her eyes flickered towards the surveillance camera in the corner, Tiara made sure that those reports were concealing half her face. ¡°Sera? Is that you?¡± There was silence for several moments. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while.¡± There was a slight pause. ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m at headquarters, though.¡± There were the sounds of a light chuckle on the other end of the line. ¡°I should have expected this from you. I met Karl awhile back, and he told me that even he¡¯s finding it difficult to get in contact with you.¡± Tiara hid a smile. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I can, and fighting in my own way. Just like you and Karl both.¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°I never did believe that you were dead, even when news about Zephys and Blade reached our ears. I knew that you were still alive, somehow.¡± There was silence on the other end of the line. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t able to do anything.¡± There was a sigh. ¡°I said from the start that you were on a sinking ship. The ESA isn¡¯t what it once was. You have to play by the rules of the hunters. It¡¯s not what you wanted to do when you first took on that post. I told Elijah and Taylor the same thing years ago when they first told me they intended to join the ESA to find their answers. And I¡¯m telling you this now. We can¡¯t use the democratic way anymore to fix things.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Tiara let out a sigh. ¡°I tried. I did. But you were right. Karl said the same thing to me back when he turned in his agent pass after¡­everything. I think that despite everything, the path that this country¡ªcivilians, Normals, and even Gifted alike will follow, is going to be your path, Sera. I know that you¡¯re behind Aegis. And I got an idea what you¡¯re planning to do.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You¡¯re not going to try to stop me?¡± Tiara chuckled. ¡°Will you listen to me if I do?¡± There was silence. ¡°I thought not.¡± Tiara turned around in her swivel chair in such a way that her back was facing the surveillance camera. ¡°Probably because I went through that war, and even the subsequent fights that followed that I¡¯m tired now. I went the democratic way because I didn¡¯t want to see any more bloodshed in this country. I still have nightmares from the time when I went to bust down the facilities of the Nonary Project. If there truly is evil in the world, then that is it. But I think in the end, it is violence and bloodshed that is the answer to freeing Eldario from the grip of the hunters, and giving us back our pride and freedom. If you need to shed blood, and possibly the lives of people to wake the sheeple from their dream, then so be it. There will always come a time and a day when we need to face up to our own fears and demons, find the path that we believe in, and walk it to the end, regardless of the outcome. And the people of Eldario? I think they¡¯re living in a beautiful dream for long enough. It¡¯s time to face up to reality.¡± ¡°Auntie, when I was a kid, one of my very first memories is when my father read me a fairytale long ago. In it, I remember there was a hero who slewed the Demon King. But I think real life isn¡¯t that simple. Heroes are people too. They become heroes because they kill the bad guys. The world isn¡¯t always fair. Especially in Eldario. And people like me¡ªlike us? We don¡¯t get good and happy endings. If I¡¯m going to go down either way, I¡¯ll do it my own way. Even if the world curses my name for generations to come, I¡¯m going to walk the path I believe in, and make the decisions I believe are right, regardless of the consequences.¡± ¡°Yeah, you do that. Your father¡ªEugene did the same thing, too. He doesn¡¯t care if he has to die for his convictions and beliefs. As did your mother. I honestly shouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re going to do the same thing.¡± Tiara gave a small smile. ¡°Our family aren¡¯t cowards.¡± ¡°That we aren¡¯t.¡± Sera agreed. She was silent for several moments. ¡°You have my apologies in advance. I¡¯m most likely going to make things difficult for the ESA going forward.¡± Tiara chuckled. ¡°No, I expected it when Aegis first made their appearance,¡± she reassured. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for the Gifted in the country. But you¡­ Maybe you could.¡± There are times when Tiara envies Sera for the life she is living. She might be technically wanted by the hunters and even the ESA. But unlike Tiara, she had freedom. She isn¡¯t shackled by restraints for the life that she wants to live. ¡°Off the record, I permit you to do what you must. Not all the ESA agents are loyal to me. I knew from the start even from my time as an ESA agent, that most likely, hunters have infiltrated the ESA. And with the amount of influence and power that they have right now as an independent organisation¡­¡± She trailed off slowly. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Tiara was silent for several moments. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this one day, Tiara. I know you will. I am choosing to leave before I do something I¡¯ll regret, and which I¡¯ll be unable to face myself for. And if I¡¯m you, I will do the same thing before you¡¯re in too deep to leave.¡± Karl¡¯s words from so long ago echoed in Tiara¡¯s mind. Not for the first time since her old friend had turned in his agent pass and had chosen to be an informant, Tiara wished that she had the guts to follow him back then. ¡°Don¡¯t get caught, Sera. The Goddess be with you.¡± There was no reply, and Tiara knew that Sera must have cut the line. Encrypted calls or not; even Tiara knew better than to stay on the line too long with Sera. Sighing, Tiara finally got to her feet, picking up her bag with one hand, and picking up her coat with the other, leaving her office without a second glance back. With the late hour, Tiara wasn¡¯t surprised that the building was relatively devoid of agents outside of those currently on patrol or watch duty. Finally, Tiara only found herself relaxing when she was in her car, having locked the doors. She then reached into her bag once more, drawing out a cream-coloured envelope, and sliding out the letter from within. She had likely read it multiple times since she¡¯d received it three days ago from a runner within the underground, and Tiara could likely recite the words in her sleep by now. Even still, she still took some comfort in the words written by Karl. This might be the last letter I¡¯ll be writing to you, Tiara. Take care of yourself. And Sera, too. If I don¡¯t come back, I¡¯m asking you to take over for me. We fought decades against the hunters. An invisible war, in a sense. But in the end, it amounted to nothing. Our enemy is too powerful, and we¡¯re fighting within the rules back then. I think it might be the reason why we never managed to get one up on them. But Sera and her group? Her generation? They don¡¯t play by the rules. And for the first time, I¡¯m seeing hope in them. It is my belief and my hope that they can end this cancerous tumour that has taken root in Eldario for generations. Our pride and our freedom. I want that for our people and our country¡ªfor a country that has long forgotten what it means to live life on their own terms and to make their own judgments and decisions. I¡¯m willing to fight to the death if that is what it takes. I think that this old body of mine can handle one more fight. One more war. Eugene died for his beliefs and conviction. And I will do the same. To the death if necessary. ~Karl Tiara sighed, kneading her forehead with her knuckles. ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me, you old pervert,¡± she murmured, already seeing her vision blurring before she hurriedly blinked her tears away. She then tugged at the silver chain around her neck, opening the silver locket to reveal a photograph within. A photograph of a much younger Tiara, a handsome man with raven locks and mismatched eyes, and even that of a baby who looked very similar to the man. Tiara felt a lump form in her throat. ¡°Brother¡­ Watch over Sera,¡± she whispered. Chapter 28 ¡°Revenge is a poison, D¨¨mi. Drink it and you can destroy your enemies, but you will die long before you see them take their last breaths.¡± ¨D * * * * It is late at night, with the waves lapping gently against the sides of the boathouse being the only sounds that could still be heard. With the hour being what it is, Sera isn¡¯t expecting anyone else to still be awake. Hence why she is surprised when she heard the sound of the door to the rooftop opening, and Kailey stepped out to join her on the roof. Both girls said nothing for several long minutes, though Sera was relatively certain that Kailey was seeking her out for a reason, especially at this hour. Considering the time, it is likely something that she doesn¡¯t want to reach the ears of the others, and especially not Neil. ¡°Something you want to ask me?¡± Sera asked at last, even as the minutes ticked by, and Kailey said nothing, merely settling herself next to her against the railings, just staring out at the pitch blackness, and letting the wind blow through her hair. ¡°We met that guy, Leroy, not that long ago. And even Alisa.¡± Kailey said at last. Sera only made a noise in her throat to show that she was listening. ¡°And I heard from Raul before that with Blade, there is at least one more confirmed survivor, though none of us have ever met him before. But we heard Raul talked about him enough. Even Letha.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Honestly, most of those in the underground, and even the civilians, would have heard of him. He has a pretty infamous reputation. Nearly on par with yours.¡± ¡°Kailey, just get to the point.¡± Sera got tired of listening to Kailey go around in circles. Though now that Zest had been brought up in conversation¡ªalbeit indirectly, she had a feeling she knew what Kailey wanted to talk about. And to be honest, Sera is already half anticipating for at least one of the others to approach her regarding this topic sooner or later, especially those that were formerly from pure civilian lives. Zest didn¡¯t exactly have the cleanest reputation, even amongst the underground circles. Not to mention that Sera didn¡¯t exactly keep it a secret¡ªthe kind of relationship that she had with Zest. That, and Sera is fairly certain that Leroy or even Alisa would have said something to Aegis when they were in the Abyss. Even back during her days with Blade, more than one of the others had mentioned off-handedly more than once about Sera and Zest¡¯s relationship and the kind of direction it was taking. Kailey twiddled with her fingers¡ªa habit that she had when she was nervous, even as she fidgeted on her feet, before finally managing to find her courage. ¡°The reason why you constantly disappeared during the days when we have nothing scheduled¡­ You¡¯re meeting Zest, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kailey said, almost stumbling over her words as she tried to bring it out as fast as she could. ¡°The Black Demon?¡± Sera sighed. She hated the moniker that Zest had ¡®earned¡¯. Sure, his reputation helps during their Blade days. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Sera still disliked the moniker that Zest had earned, not to mention his rather infamous reputation amongst the Abyss and the underground. ¡°¡­I hate that nickname,¡± Sera muttered beneath her breath. ¡°To be honest, if not Leroy or Alisa, I was already half anticipating for one of you to approach me about Zest sooner or later. He¡¯s the only confirmed Blade survivor so far that none of you have met, after all.¡± Kailey sighed. Sera had always preferred the straightforward and blunt approach. It is how she¡¯d always dealt with them, and Aegis had appreciated her frank and forthright manner. In that case, Kailey knew that Sera would prefer it if she just came right out and spoke what was on her mind. ¡°You¡¯re dating him, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kailey asked, bringing the words out in a rush. ¡°We all suspected it for a while now. But the duel at the Abyss, and then how you disappeared for at least three days after the duel pretty much confirmed it for us. That and Raul had all but stated that even during your Blade days, many have suspected that something is going on between you both.¡± ¡°And if I am?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not good for you.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Sera¡¯s face was cold and unsmiling. Even under the darkness, Kailey could tell that she¡¯d better pick her next words very carefully. ¡°I-I heard rumours about him in the past.¡± Kailey was careful with her words. ¡°Even amongst the civilians, there¡¯s a whole slew of rumours about the Black Demon. I heard a little about the entire situation revolving around him from Raul, Letha, and even Leroy. He was¡ªis, the person you trusted the most back in Blade.¡± Probably even now, Kailey thought to herself bitterly. ¡°He earned his reputation for a reason, from what is said.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°Whatever he does, Sera, you¡¯re just going to accommodate him, and let him do whatever he wants, regardless of how much he hurts you. And you won¡¯t be able to see it, because you¡¯re in love with him. And probably even harbouring some guilt for what had befallen him, and Blade. You don¡¯t say anything, Sera. You never did. But we all can tell.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Sera sighed a long, deep sigh that seemed to sink deep into her bones. ¡°Guilt? You think that I¡¯m dating Zest because of some misplaced guilt?¡± she questioned Kailey. ¡°I don¡¯t do things that I don¡¯t want to, Kailey. You know that.¡± ¡°I do, but I also know you. And even the rumours about Blade. Especially those revolving around the Black Demon. Even before he joined Blade.¡± ¡°Why do you think those rumours are true?¡± Kailey frowned. ¡°You saying it isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Not totally.¡± Sera waved a hand about. ¡°There¡¯s no smoke without fire, so even I admit that Zest did earn his reputation for a reason. But there are also similar rumours about me. Do you think that all those rumours are true?¡± Kailey spluttered. ¡°That¡¯s different! I know you¡ª¡± Sera held out a hand to stop Kailey¡¯s protests, a cold look visible in her eyes. ¡°You know me, and you think those rumours about me are either false or blown out of proportion. You don¡¯t know Zest, and you¡¯ve already decided?¡± Sera smiled a cold, thin smile¡ªone that sent shivers down Kailey¡¯s spine. ¡°Assumptions can be your undoing, Kailey. It is those assumptions about Gifted¡ªpropaganda started by the hunters that are the reason why Eldario is in the state it now is, and even why we started Aegis. Don¡¯t assume, Kailey. Make your judgment based on logic and facts. Learn more about Zest before you make your judgment.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not denying that he¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°He is.¡± Sera agreed. ¡°As is all of us. I don¡¯t deny that Zest had earned his reputation long even before he joined Blade. But there is a reason behind it. I¡¯m however not going to break his trust by telling you about his past. And anyway, this isn¡¯t about his past. This is about me and him. And I¡¯m going to now give you some advice that you don¡¯t want to hear.¡± She said sharply, and Kailey sighed. ¡°Stay out of what isn¡¯t your business.¡± Kailey wanted to groan. Everyone knows how stubborn Sera can be. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like we particularly care who you fuck,¡± she said bluntly. ¡°But this is the Black¡ª¡± She cut off her words hastily when Sera fixed her with a frosty glare, ¡°I mean, this is Zest that we¡¯re talking about. And I know you like him. Really like him, if I have to guess. But after everything that happened with Blade, I¡¯ll be surprised if none of you are fucked up in the head.¡± Leroy and Alisa have admitted as much. ¡°And I¡¯m not saying that like it¡¯s unreasonable. I know nothing about the gang culture, but Letha and Raul have said enough about it to us that we understand it. If my crew was set upon by hunters and nearly all of them died, and then followed by what happened next, I¡¯d be fucked up too.¡± Kailey paused to let her words sink in. ¡°I¡¯m also not saying that you both should never date. But maybe not now? Maybe once things settle a bit?¡± ¡°With all due respect, Kailey, my love life and who I fuck is none of your business.¡± Sera¡¯s voice was tight in the way that it always is whenever she¡¯s holding back from saying what is on her mind. At this point, Kailey could take a vague guess as to just what Sera really wanted to say to her. Probably nothing very polite. ¡°I don¡¯t interfere in wherever it is that you disappear off to whenever we have one of our free days, so I¡¯ll appreciate it if you show me the same respect.¡± Kailey flinched with that mere mention. ¡°I¡­ We¡¯re just worried, Sera.¡± ¡°And I appreciate it, but I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Sera retorted, annoyed. ¡°Zest and I are both adults. If there¡¯s anything that the attack on Blade has taught us, it is that life is too short. And we already both agreed to take things slow precisely because of what had happened in the past.¡± ¡°Which is great, but I still don¡¯t think this is a good idea. You¡¯re so in love with Zest that you¡¯ll let him get away with shit that he really shouldn¡¯t get away with¡ª¡± ¡°Kailey¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªand while I don¡¯t know him, I also know enough of what had happened in the past to also know that he¡¯s also so desperate to be loved that he¡¯ll let you get away with stuff that you shouldn¡¯t get away with¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡ª¡± ¡°At this point, this relationship is a walking red flag.¡± Kailey continued like Sera hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°And you are both going to end up more broken-hearted than you were at the beginning.¡± Sera pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off any incoming headaches. ¡°Kailey, I¡¯m only going to say this one last time. Mind. Your. Own. Fucking. Business.¡± Her voice is low and dangerous, and at this point, Kailey knew better than to push Sera any further. ¡°Whether we end up brokenhearted or not is up to us. Okay? Stay out of my personal affairs.¡± Kailey chewed on her bottom lip nervously, but she honestly didn¡¯t have the guts to push any further. Especially in regards to Sera¡¯s personal life¡ªnone of which she knows a lot, anyway. The only ones who do in Aegis are just Raul and Letha. And maybe even Tatius. ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know enough about yours and Zest¡¯s relationship to pass judgments. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Kailey struggled to find the right words. ¡°What does it mean to like someone? What does it mean¡­to love someone?¡± Kailey suddenly found the darkness very fascinating. Sera didn¡¯t answer for several moments. ¡°I wonder?¡± she mused. ¡°When I first realised I like Zest¡­ When I realised I loved him¡­ It was when I realised he was always there for me. He accepted everything of me. He listened to me. Whenever I found a new book, or even something that I like, my first thought was always to share it with him.¡± Sera raised her head upwards to look at the stars above them. ¡°Does the person you like constantly appear in your thoughts? Can you see yourself spending your life with them? Can you trust them fully? Bare the vulnerable parts of your soul to them? Are you constantly thinking of them?¡± Sera didn¡¯t bother to wait for an answer. ¡°The truth is that it¡¯s easy to fall in love. But to maintain that relationship¡­ That spark¡­¡± She raised her hand upwards so that she was partially concealing her view of the night sky above her. ¡°Being in love is the hard part.¡± Kailey was silent for several moments before she finally turned to face Sera. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask?¡± Considering Sera¡¯s intellect, there is no way that she wouldn¡¯t know what Kailey is worrying about. ¡°I told you and the rest long ago that what you do during your personal time is your own business.¡± Sera shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re all adults, and I trust you to do what is best for yourself.¡± She pushed herself off the railing. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You should turn in soon.¡± Kailey didn¡¯t respond, only watching as Sera left the rooftop, closing the door behind her. Sera¡¯s words constantly echoed around her head repeatedly. Does the person you like constantly appear in your thoughts? Can you see yourself spending your life with them? ¡°¡­Jonan¡­¡± Kailey murmured. ¡°Do I love you?¡± She let out a huff. ¡°Of all the people in the world, why did I end up falling for an ESA agent?¡± Chapter 29 ¡°Don''t get burned by revenge as a dish best served cold.¡± ¨D * * * * Leonid is solely regretting following Lucas on whatever harebrained scheme he had cooked up in his mind even as they walked through the streets of Zalfari. Both ESA agents were in their street clothes. Even so, they didn¡¯t miss how there were several pairs of hidden eyes on them even as they walked through the town. Even the ESA knew about the attack on Zalfari a few years ago, and how the previous guardians of the town were killed in said attack. The Premier however didn¡¯t waste any time in appointing a new guardian. And it seems like in the two years that followed, the new guardian not only managed to restore Zalfari to its former glory. They even managed to grow Zalfari even further. Even amongst the ranks of the ESA and the hunters, Zalfari is a place where they are to tread carefully, as it¡¯s one of the strongholds of the underground. It isn¡¯t a lie to say that nearly every inhabitant in the town has ties and connections to the underground and the Abyss. Honestly, it¡¯s a damn miracle the underground didn¡¯t declare war on the hunters after the attack on Zalfari that also ended up wiping out Whirlwind. ¡°I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this,¡± Leonid muttered beneath his breath even as he followed Lucas, palming his side for the umpteenth time where he had his gun concealed. ¡°If we walk out of here missing our skin or something worse, I¡¯m only going to say ¡®I told you so¡¯.¡± Despite Lucas having his back to Leonid, the latter could almost see Lucas rolling his eyes at him. ¡°We¡¯re just here to get some info.¡± Leonid wanted to groan. ¡°Remind me to give you a crash course on how the underground works,¡± he grumbled. Or rather, he¡¯ll get either Elijah or Taylor to give Lucas that lesson. ¡°The Black Cat¡­¡± Lucas murmured, looking from the slip of paper in his hand to the bar that they were currently standing in front of. It is a two-storey tall building with a standing signboard outside it that has the logo of a black cat face with golden eyes and the name of the bar written beneath it. ¡°Here it is. Like Elijah told us.¡± Outwardly, it looks like any normal bar that one can find in Eldario. But Leonid isn¡¯t fooled. Throughout his years in the ESA as an agent, he learned how to read the signs of whether an establishment has connections to the underground or not. Even if he wasn¡¯t aware of Zalfari¡¯s connections and reputation with the underground, Leonid would be able to tell that The Black Cat is likely one of the safe houses of the Abyss¡ªor even one of those places where mercenaries and bounty hunters can go to receive jobs. There are places like that scattered all over Eldario¡ªsome of them hidden in plain sight even. Only members of the underground will know how to look for the signs. Zalfari however operates out in the open and is widely known as Abyss territory. Only the insane and suicidal will try to pull anything in there. And while officially, hunters and ESA agents aren¡¯t exactly forbidden from stepping foot in there; they would be watched extremely closely from the moment they entered. Leonid¡¯s flight or fight instincts kicked in overtime even as he followed Lucas into the bar, with a bell tinkling somewhere in the establishment as they did so. It is a Friday night. Thus, Leonid wasn¡¯t surprised to see the bar crowded. On the slightly elevated stage in a corner, there was even a singer playing a guitar whilst singing into the microphone. The chattering died down upon their entrance; even as nearly every single pair of eyes in the bar were fixated on their arrival. Leonid wanted to groan even as those same pairs of eyes followed their trek even as they walked over to a corner of the bar where a young man was seated, nursing a drink in his hand. If they ever managed to get out of here unscathed, it is going to be a miracle. ¡°Are you Ethan?¡± To his credit, Lucas managed to ignore all those pairs of eyes trained on their backs, directing this question to the young man seated in the corner. ¡°Elijah sent us.¡± The lips of the informant quirked even as he looked from Lucas to Leonid, and back again. ¡°He told me that you¡¯ll be coming.¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°I think I know what you both are here for, but do take a seat.¡± He gestured with his chin towards the two empty chairs in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, Leonid spied on how the bartender behind the bar looked ready to march in their direction. But a quick, subtle shake of the head from Ethan stopped him in his tracks. The music and the murmurings started up again. But there were still several pairs of eyes trained on their table; even if they tried to not make it look obvious. ¡°I have no idea how much Elijah had told you¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, he said nothing. He just implied that I might want to hear you out at least.¡± Ethan cut Lucas off, leaning back into his chair and studying both ESA agents in front of him with a look that made Leonid feel as if he was getting x-rayed. It made him feel like with just one look from the informant, every single secret or thought that he ever had was being made known. ¡°Something about Aegis?¡± There were quick looks in their direction once more. Honestly, at this point, Leonid wouldn¡¯t even be surprised anymore if the entire bar were listening to their conversation. Even the singer on the stage is barely paying attention to his performance. ¡°I¡¯ll go straight to the point then.¡± Leonid had to take his hat off to Lucas. His best friend either had balls of steel, or he just didn¡¯t care or didn¡¯t notice that the attention of nearly the entire bar was on them. ¡°Aegis. Do you know who they are?¡± ¡°At this point, everyone in the underground knows of them.¡± Ethan shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Even the civilians do at this point. That group hadn¡¯t exactly been keeping quiet for the past year. The case with The Butcher only made damned sure that if there is anyone in Eldario that doesn¡¯t know who they are¡­ Well, they do know now.¡± Ethan shrugged, lighting a cigarette before inhaling it. Lucas and Leonid winced at the mention of that infamous hunter. The death of Walden will likely join the already increasing mountain of unsolved cases that are attributed to Aegis. And while the newspapers in Eldario will know better than to outright write any pieces that speak out against the hunters; it is apparent from the articles by the reporters that none of them hold The Butcher in a very good light. And for good reason. ¡°Do you know who the members of Aegis are?¡± Lucas asked again. Ethan said nothing for several moments, only taking a puff of his cigarette that he was holding in between two fingers, inhaling and then breathing out a stream of smoke into the faces of the two ESA agents. Much to their credit, neither one of the two flinched or even coughed. ¡°I wonder?¡± Ethan said at last. There was something in those green eyes that made Leonid wary. ¡°Considering that Elijah is the one that referred you both to me, and I do respect him enough at least to give you both a free card, I am only going to give you one piece of very good advice.¡± Ethan stubbed his cigarette into the ashtray on the table in between them. ¡°Stop digging into Aegis. And if you do, don¡¯t use underground resources. Losing your skin is going to be the least of your worries if you do.¡± ¡°You can tell us something at least, can¡¯t you?¡± Lucas ignored the implications of Ethan¡¯s words. ¡°Like Aegis¡¯ leader, Zero? I can pay you anything I need to. I just need some information.¡± ¡°Pay me? You think this is a matter of money?¡± Ethan is starting to get annoyed, even as he narrows his eyes dangerously at Lucas. ¡°I might be an informant, but even I had rules in how I operate. Only the suicidal would want to cross the path of Aegis and Zero. The last one that did¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that she was used as an example of what would happen if someone crossed Zero.¡± There was a faint snort from someone in the bar. ¡°Is Zero¡­ Is Aegis¡¯ leader a man or a woman? Are they a Gifted?¡± Lucas pressed. ¡°I¡¯m only going to say one thing about Zero¡ªand it¡¯s honestly information you can find easily if you just ask the right people.¡± Ethan was silent for several moments before speaking. ¡°The Abyss might be patriarch run for the most part, and it¡¯s still a male-dominated society. But occasionally, we do get women that can easily kick our asses. The current Premier for one is a woman. And from my experience, it is women that can be the most dangerous people of all, especially amongst underground society.¡± ¡°Zero¡­ Is Aegis¡¯ leader a woman?¡± Leonid wanted to know. Ethan scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I can. I will not say anymore. Not even for Elijah¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°You can tell us something, surely? What Aegis is doing now, it isn¡¯t right¡ª¡± ¡°Tell me something. You both are Gifted, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ethan cut Lucas off, albeit rudely. ¡°Why are you even with the ESA?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Ethan let out a long exhale like he was exasperated. ¡°As an informant, I had my ear to the ground, and I had access to lots of information that even most of the regular informants wouldn¡¯t have. So I know a bit about how the ESA works, and had my own opinion on your current chief. I give you that she is decent at least, and is one of the few non-corrupted government officials I know of. But the truth of the matter is that it is the hunters who are the ones really in power right now. And everyone and their grandmother knows that at least a good half of the ESA is under their control. Your chief is a figurehead at best. And you and I both know how the hunters feel about the Gifted. Why are you helping them? Turning against your own?¡± Somehow, Ethan¡¯s words are really familiar. And if truth be told, Leonid had asked himself that question countless times over the years. He had long grown jaded with the ESA. And if not for Tiara and a few others, Leonid would have turned his back on the ESA long ago. Though like any ESA agent, Leonid knew as well that there is no such thing as resignation from the ESA. Much like the hunters, the only way out is through death. Serving the ESA is for life. ¡°What Aegis is doing isn¡¯t exactly right, either¡ª¡± Ethan shot a sharp look over the shoulders of the two ESA agents before turning his attention back to Lucas. ¡°How is the ESA any different then?¡± He wanted to know. ¡°What is the protocol right now when it comes to apprehended Gifted?¡± He didn¡¯t stop for an answer. ¡°You turn them over to the hunters, isn¡¯t it? What do you think happens to them? To those Gifted?¡± Leonid grimaced. He had actual first-hand experience of what those ¡®apprehended Gifted¡¯ go through, and even he is unable to deny the truth in Ethan¡¯s words. ¡°How many do you think will survive?¡± ¡°Then you think Aegis has the right idea?¡± ¡°When the legal law system in Eldario does nothing but protect the hunters, then I think Aegis has the right idea.¡± Ethan wasn¡¯t phased. ¡°We probably will never know just why they¡¯re doing the things they did, but I got a vague guess for the reason. Way too many people¡ªGifted and Normals alike, have died at the hands of the hunters and even the ESA. Maybe to you, Aegis is the bad guy because you¡¯re the ones trying to apprehend them. But to us, and even the Gifted of the land, they are our protectors.¡± He set his glass down on the table with a light thud, his eyes cold. ¡°When the supposed protectors of the land have now become the Bogeyman, then it becomes a real problem.¡± ¡°Elijah said something similar,¡± Leonid admitted. A ghost of a smile crossed Ethan¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, he would,¡± he agreed. ¡°Whether he is an ESA agent or not, Elijah was once one of us. Whatever his reasons are for joining that goddess-forsaken organisation that you call the ESA, he will never turn on us. Neither would Taylor.¡± Lucas only frowned with that reminder. Though honestly, it isn¡¯t like Elijah had kept it a secret just who had his allegiance, and it definitely isn¡¯t the ESA. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic.¡± Lucas interrupted. ¡°You won¡¯t tell us anything, will you?¡± It was a statement, not a question. The smirk on Ethan¡¯s face answered Lucas¡¯ question better than anything else could. While Ethan Simmons is one of the few informants who occasionally accept jobs and requests from ESA agents, he is picky about the kind of people he accepts said jobs from, and what kind of information he is required to supply. Ethan will never turn against the people of the underground for one, and he is extremely crafty and cunning, having earned his reputation for a reason. ESA agents who had dealings with Ethan in the past had mentioned how dealing with him is a double-edged sword in essence. You never know if he is going to turn on you. ¡°My allegiance is to the underground. To her. To Zero.¡± Ethan said at last. ¡°She earned her reputation for a reason. All those in Aegis did. If you¡¯re so determined to make them your enemies, then you¡¯d best prepare yourself. There is no person insane enough to want her and Aegis on the warpath against them. If you want to take on a member of the most feared gang in Eldario, you¡¯d best prepare to put your very life on the line. I will not help you. Neither would anyone from the underground if they even got a lick of sense. I am not about to end up on her shit list. I will not turn on her. Not for anything. And neither would any other informant. We know better than that. Not especially now that that woman is in town, and on the warpath.¡± There was silence for several moments, even as Lucas glared, but Ethan didn¡¯t back down. If anything, the informant seems rather amused with Lucas¡¯ reaction. ¡°Lucas,¡± Leonid warned him in a voice low enough that only his best friend could hear him. ¡°I will find out who Zero is,¡± Lucas swore. If anything, Ethan only looked more amused. ¡°I wish you luck trying.¡± He then looked over Lucas¡¯ shoulder, and his smirk only widened. ¡°And I also wish you luck in leaving this place alive and in one piece.¡± ¡°What?¡± All sounds in the bar came to a stop just then. As one, Lucas and Leonid turned around just in time to see two figures approaching them¡ªwith the crowd in the bar parting ways to allow them to pass. They¡¯re a male and a female pair; with their faces blank even as they approached Lucas and Leonid. From the deference that the others in the bar were giving them, Leonid could warrant a guess that they might just be the guardians of Zalfari. ¡°Leroy. Alisa.¡± Ethan remained seated where he was, even as he nodded to the pair as they approached. ¡°The barkeep called you? I could have handled it.¡± Alisa only nodded at Ethan¡¯s words; her gaze flickering across Lucas and Leonid. Both men tensed, one hand on their sides. All their fight and flight instincts were kicking in overtime. ¡°Trouble?¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± ¡°ESA?¡± Leroy murmured, even as his gaze turned accusing as he turned his attention towards Ethan. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± ¡°Intel.¡± Ethan shrugged. ¡°They want information on Aegis.¡± Leroy and Alisa narrowed their eyes as one, even as their hands fell to their sides where Leonid spied the tell-tale bulges of a gun holster at their hips. And he would bet that the pair before him had other concealed weapons on their person as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Ethan was quick to reassure the pair. ¡°I saw what happened to the last fool who tried double-crossing her. I¡¯m not as foolish. I¡¯m in no hurry for a repeat performance.¡± He met with Leroy¡¯s eyes fearlessly. ¡°That, and whether you believe me or not, my allegiance is with her. I¡¯ll do anything for her. I will never betray her.¡± ¡°I am honestly starting to wonder at this point just what she did for you,¡± Alisa muttered, and Ethan only smirked. ¡°Who are you both?¡± Lucas was looking back and forth between Alisa and Leroy. ¡°Zalfari¡¯s guardians?¡± ¡°Sadly, for you both, that is, yes.¡± Leroy nodded curtly. ¡°You¡¯re both fools if you think I didn¡¯t have eyes on you both the moment you stepped foot in my town.¡± His smile was cold and didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Leonid O¡¯Boyle and Lucas Alescio.¡± Whisperings started to echo around the bar like hissing fires. ¡°¡®Alescio¡¯?¡± ¡°He just said ¡®Alescio¡¯, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°A relative of that man¡­?¡± Lucas was bewildered and taken back by the sudden venom-filled glares and whispers that were suddenly thrown his way. Alisa sighed, ¡°Leroy, don¡¯t start.¡± She gave her companion a look, combing a lock of her hair behind her ear. That small action caught Leonid¡¯s attention, and his gaze was immediately drawn towards the distinct blade tattoo visible on her under-wrist. ¡°That tattoo¡­¡± Leonid murmured absently. ¡°You¡¯re survivors of Blade.¡± It was a statement, not a question. No one, civilian or underground member, is insane enough to use Blade¡¯s symbol if they¡¯re not a member themselves. Lucas turned sharply towards Leonid with that comment. ¡°¡®Blade¡¯? That infamous street gang? Eldario¡¯s most dangerous gang?¡± ¡°You know your stuff,¡± Leroy noted. ¡°Sadly, for you ESA agents and the hunters, that is¡ªthere are survivors. You didn¡¯t get all of us that night.¡± A cold smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes spread across his lips. ¡°I also have a certain message from Zero to pass on to you,¡± Alisa added, and both ESA agents immediately turned their attention towards her. ¡°¡®The children are fine¡¯,¡± she quoted. ¡°¡®Children¡¯?¡± Leonid parroted in confusion. It only took Lucas several moments to realise what Alisa meant. ¡°The missing children that were held captive in the basement of the Butcher,¡± he realised. The same children that Team Alpha and Team Delta were looking for. ¡°We¡¯re taking care of them right now. They will have a choice in what they want to do once they¡¯ve recovered. Whether they want to return to their former lives, or if they want to try carving out a life for themselves in the Abyss¡ªit will entirely be their choice. And we will do everything in our power to ensure they are protected and able to live their own lives.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be allowed¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ethan who had remained silent throughout everything slammed his hands down on the surface of the table. For the first time since meeting the informant, Ethan looked angry. ¡°¡®Can¡¯t be allowed¡¯? What gives you the right to decide what happens to those kids?¡± ¡°We just want to make sure that those kids will be taken care of.¡± Lucas backtracked, seeing how angry Ethan looked. ¡°And you think we can¡¯t do it?¡± Leroy looked angry as well. ¡°If anything, I¡¯ll say that they¡¯re better off with us than with you lot. At least we look after our own.¡± Lucas looked as if he wanted to argue, but Leonid stomped on his foot to silence the former. He still wanted to walk out of here alive and in one piece, thank you very much. ¡°Don¡¯t argue,¡± Leonid warned Lucas, speaking in a voice low enough that only Lucas could hear him. ¡°You ESA agents are all the same. Same as the hunters.¡± Leroy¡¯s lip curled. ¡°You¡¯re all poison. So caught up in your own sense of righteousness and justice that you¡¯ve forgotten exactly what it is that you¡¯re fighting for.¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes widened a slight fraction with those words. ¡°I have no idea whether you¡¯re trying to fool yourself or us. You and I both know how Eldario and the current legal system works. Even the current laws for the Gifted is a joke at best. No one in Eldario cares about them. The only place they could even call home at this point is the underground.¡± He let out a slight exhale. ¡°I think the both of you have overstayed your welcome. Kindly show yourselves out.¡± Leonid knew a warning when he heard one, and nodded. ¡°Come on, Lucas. Let¡¯s go.¡± Leonid didn¡¯t even wait for Lucas to agree; he merely grasped Lucas by his upper arm and nearly pulled him out of the bar. He didn¡¯t let go until they were out of Zalfari. ¡°I can walk!¡± Lucas was annoyed, finally pulling his arm out of Leonid¡¯s grasp and rubbing at it. ¡°Elijah and I both warned you,¡± Leonid said sharply. ¡°We told you not to shoot your mouth off in there. And more importantly, to never ever say anything about the ESA, or Goddess forbid, the hunters! The fact that they allowed us to walk out of there alive is a Goddess damned miracle!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lucas sighed with frustration, kneading his forehead with his knuckles. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I just got¡­frustrated in there.¡± Leonid let out a snort. ¡°Yeah, from what I heard about that informant, he tends to bring out the worst of people,¡± he remarked. ¡°And that is exactly what makes him so good at his job.¡± He let out a light exhale. ¡°The thing with the underground, Lucas, is that there is one absolute rule amongst them. And not just them, but also the Gifted. ¡®Survival of the fittest¡¯.¡± He met with Lucas¡¯ startled eyes. ¡°It is why they have a system like the Pit, and even duels to the death. Leftovers from a system that had existed long enough. Back when Eldario¡¯s underground scene is extremely cruel and ruthless and lawless. If I hadn¡¯t dragged you out of there, we wouldn¡¯t be leaving alive.¡± Lucas was silent as he contemplated Leonid¡¯s words. ¡°Zero¡­ They know who they are,¡± he said at last. ¡°If they do, they sure as hell are not telling us.¡± Leonid shrugged. ¡°Whatever information that we can uncover about Aegis and Zero definitely won¡¯t be coming from the underground. It¡¯ll be a death sentence.¡± He warned Lucas with his eyes. ¡°The Abyss and the underground¡­ They don¡¯t give second chances. That was a warning earlier. From Ethan. From the new guardians of Zalfari. From all of them.¡± ¡°Zero¡­¡± Lucas murmured. ¡°Just who are they?¡± * * * * In The Black Cat, Ethan watched the doors of the bar even as it swung shut behind the pair of ESA agents even as the taller of the pair dragged his shorter companion out. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the pair had hightailed it out of Zalfari. Sighing, Ethan met with the grim gazes of Leroy and Alisa. They knew that this day would come; when ESA agents or even hunters come poking about in Zalfari about Aegis. ¡°Someone should get the word out to Sera,¡± Ethan said at last. ¡°She needs to be warned.¡± Leroy sighed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Chapter 30 ¡°For a moment, a desire for vengeance rises in me. Once, she laughed at my humiliation. Now I could gloat before hers. This is what power feels like, pure unfettered power. It''s great.¡± ¨D Holly Black, The Wicked King * * * * Achoo! Karl only watched at the countertop in Cross Cafe as Timo tossed Sera a few napkins from where he stood in his usual place behind the bar, cleaning a wine glass with a soft cloth. ¡°Cold?¡± Sera only sniffed as she blew her nose into the napkin, shaking her head. ¡°Probably someone talking about me,¡± she muttered irritably. Considering the late hour, the cafe is relatively empty save for the three of them¡ªa fact that Sera is thankful for. It isn¡¯t every day that she can see, let alone meet with the man who had raised her, considering what Karl does for a living. The ice cubes in Karl¡¯s glass made a light sound even as he picked up his drink, tossing it back, and giving a light grimace as the liquor burned the back of his throat. ¡°I doubt I need to warn you. I¡¯m going to guess you already know,¡± Karl said at last, half turning in his seat to face Sera. ¡°Hunter activity is on the rise. From word from my contacts, the hunters are also panicking, especially after what you did to The Butcher.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret it,¡± Sera said immediately, and Karl only shrugged. He never did think that she did. ¡°I would have taken him off the streets sooner or later anyway. Rumours about the way he works had been the topic of discussion amongst the underground circles for years. If truth be told, if not for potential issues with the hunters, Larissa would have put out a hit on him years ago.¡± Karl said nothing, only raising his glass to Sera wordlessly. The underground circles would likely be throwing parties the moment the death of the Butcher had hit the papers. As would the Gifted community. The latter had been living in fear of the hunters, and especially the Butcher for years. One less hunter for them to worry about is one good thing, in Karl¡¯s opinion. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to be making your move soon, aren¡¯t you?¡± That was a statement, not a question. Karl was silent for a long time after Sera¡¯s statement. ¡°You know, for a long time, after everything that happened with Blade, I was worried that you¡¯re going to sink,¡± Karl said at last, staring at the surface of the countertop that he is seated at, like he¡¯s seeing something particularly fascinating. ¡°In underground society, you either sink or swim. ¡®Survival of the fittest¡¯.¡± He shook his head. ¡°What happened with Blade is enough to break even the strongest person. But you rose above all expectations.¡± He met with Sera¡¯s eyes. ¡°Everyone loses their way or faces hardship at some point, and it always has the potential to make a permanent impact on enemies. But the biggest testament to a person¡¯s character is what they do after that hardship.¡± ¡°Karl¡­¡± ¡°Anyone in your position would have run, Sera.¡± Karl pointed out bluntly. ¡°Or even taken the easy way out. You didn¡¯t.¡± Sera was silent. ¡°I wanted to,¡± she admitted at last, much to Karl¡¯s surprise. ¡°When Blade¡­¡± She trailed off slowly before shaking her head. ¡°And then there was what happened to Zest. Believe me, I wanted to die. I wanted to die with them.¡± She slowly curled her left hand into a fist. ¡°But then, I ran into Kailey and Neil. On a night when I returned to the town, and was planning to just end it all, I ran into those two. And something about them just speaks to me. Then before I knew it, I was doing all this. Learned how to live again. Aegis told me before that they wouldn¡¯t be alive if not for me. But the truth is that I needed them more than they needed me.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°They taught you how to live again. Live for something.¡± Karl murmured, and Sera nodded. ¡°I understand that, kid. You know, back at the close of the war when I lost my best friend, and then your father, and even your mother¡­ I felt like such a failure. I wanted to die. But I couldn¡¯t. Because it was around that time when Tiara asked me to take care of you after¡­everything.¡± He grimaced, his face darkening when he recalled the state that Sera was in when they¡¯d finally found her all those years ago. ¡°You were my reason for living. Back then.¡± ¡°Karl¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been living on borrowed time for a long time, kid,¡± Karl admitted. ¡°If you¡¯ve decided to take on the hunters, then I can¡¯t just sit idly by.¡± His lips quirked with the look on Sera¡¯s face; the girl looked as if she was torn between tying Karl up or smacking him on the head. ¡°You got your role to play. I got mine. And don¡¯t you worry about me. If it¡¯s my time, it¡¯s time.¡± Sera only sighed. Karl can be as stubborn as her at times, if not more so. Once he had his mind made up, there was no talking him out of it, she knew. Not even her aunt could. ¡°Karl¡ª¡± Timo interrupted for the first time, but Karl shook his head, shooting the former a warning look. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Karl admitted. ¡°I lived through that horrible war. I fought in it by Tiara¡¯s side. And at the end, I was too much of a coward to stay by her side as she sought the reforms she wanted to make. Maybe if I had stayed by her side, things in this country wouldn¡¯t have become this bad.¡± Karl only shook his head. He knew the consequences of his actions. There is no point in second-guessing his choices. Not at this point. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save my best friend. I couldn¡¯t tell Tiara that I loved her. I couldn¡¯t save your father. I wasn¡¯t able to protect your mother.¡± Karl admitted. ¡°But most importantly¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡± Sera looked ready to argue that last part, but there was something in Karl¡¯s eyes that made Sera keep her mouth shut. ¡°I failed too many people in my life as it is. But this¡­ I¡¯ll make this right. For you, I¡¯ll do this. For you, I¡¯ll die if I have to. And I¡¯ll do it with a smile on my face.¡± Karl grinned at Sera who found it difficult to smile back. ¡°If I can¡¯t find any worth in my life by living it, then I¡¯ll find it by dying for it.¡± That last statement rang a chord in Sera¡¯s heart. It was one of the last things that Karl had said to her years ago. A phrase that Sera had always held close to her heart, and part of how she lived life on her own terms. ¡°You know, it¡¯s funny. I think I understand what your people see when they decide to follow you back then.¡± Karl commented. ¡°What Zest and all the others saw. Even what Aegis saw.¡± Sera gave no reaction. ¡°You won¡¯t give up, Sera,¡± Karl noted. ¡°You¡¯re willing to die for your beliefs.¡± Just like her parents did so long ago. And like what Tiara is willing to do. ¡° ¡°If a brat like you is willing to do that, then adults like us have to make sure those brats lived long enough to see those beliefs take place.¡± Sera scowled even as she tried to avoid Karl messing up her hair the way he always did even when she was a kid. ¡°I¡¯m already an adult, you know?¡± She pointed out, looking pointedly at her alcoholic drink on the countertop. Behind the bar, Timo tried to hide a smile. Karl let out a loud, barking laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. It¡¯s like I just blinked, and the small kid that I knew back then whom I taught how to fight is now a grown woman.¡± He smiled almost sadly. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t have anyone to live for. But you? You have Aegis. You have your people. You have Zest.¡± Karl slid off his stool even as he slid a wad of notes towards Timo to pay for the drinks. ¡°I pray to the Goddess that you both would be able to live a happy life together.¡± With one last ruffle of Sera¡¯s hair, Karl then shrugged on his coat and left the cafe, with the bell tinkling somewhere as he did so. There was silence in the cafe for several long minutes even as Timo cleared Karl¡¯s cup, with the only sound in the cafe being that of Timo washing the cup. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be okay?¡± Timo broke the silence at last, looking at Sera who looked concerned. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sera admitted. ¡°Karl¡¯s survived worse. He lived through that war. He knows how to survive. He was the one to teach me how the underground works, and how to survive amongst them. But what we¡¯re involved in this time¡­¡± She trailed off slowly before shaking her head. ¡°I pray to the Goddess that he¡¯ll be fine.¡± And yet, Sera had a horrible sense of foreboding that this might just be the last time that she would be seeing Karl alive. Chapter 31 It is so easy at times for a lonely individual to begin fantasising about what the people outside are saying about him and, in result, irrationally and fearfully, and sometimes angrily, fancying himself a villain.¡± - Criss Jami (Healology) * * * * Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Honestly, I might as well move my bed in here at this point, Lucas thought to himself almost miserably as he sifted through case files on his computer at Team Alpha¡¯s office for the umpteenth time, hoping to find something about Aegis at least. After that rather disastrous meeting with Ethan at Zalfari, it seems like even their usual underground contacts have gone to ground, and refused to respond to messages or phone calls. Elijah had been unusually curt with Lucas for the past month as well. And save for the ¡®crash course¡¯ that a particularly annoyed Elijah had given Lucas on how the underground works, and even how to work with them, Elijah had been quite frosty with Lucas since. A very unbiased part of Lucas could admit to himself that Elijah had cause to be this angry with him. After all, he¡¯d likely cost Elijah some of his underground contacts that aren¡¯t easy to gain to begin with. But more importantly, like what Elijah had shouted at him and Leonid both for over an hour, they both could have been killed, especially since they were not only dealing with Ethan, but also the new guardians of Zalfari, who even turns out to be survivors of Blade of all people! Lucas had dealt with many slippery suspects and criminals throughout his stint as an ESA agent. But none had given him as much trouble as Aegis. They¡¯re like damn ghosts! No one knows anything about them. No one knows who they are. The only thing that Lucas knew at the moment was that they were a group, and most likely comprised of Gifted, which explains why they¡¯re doing the things they are. And with the string of murders in their wake for the past few years, it is apparent that they are damned skilled. And very good at what they do if they can go in and out like damn ghosts. Even their website¡ªthe usual mode of communication for their clients to reach them is useless. Not even Louis and Elijah can hack into that site, and those two are the best computer experts in the entire ESA. Lucas groaned, resisting the urge to slam his head onto his desk. But considering that it¡¯ll achieve nothing but maybe give him a headache, Lucas resisted, instead burying his face into his hands. ¡°I need a damn vacation,¡± he groaned into his hands. The door to Team Alpha¡¯s office opened just then, and Lucas looked up just in time to see Louis entering with a stack of files tucked in the crook of his arm. The latter looked confused to see Lucas alone in the office. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Is Elijah not around?¡± Louis asked, looking around the empty office that is devoid of people save for Lucas. ¡°The lot of them are on their break at the moment,¡± Lucas answered. ¡°Elijah should be back soon enough. Do you want to wait for him?¡± ¡°No. I need to get back soon. I just need to drop these off for Elijah.¡± Louis placed the stack of files that he had been carrying onto Elijah¡¯s desk. ¡°Just let him know I came by.¡± While Lucas is very curious to know what those files are about, he also knows enough about what both Louis and Elijah do for their individual teams to ask. Just like how Elijah is their information analyst and intelligence agent, Louis plays a similar role for Misha in Team Delta. Apart from the team captains of both teams¡ªin this case, Lucas and Misha, Louis and Elijah are likely the only other agents in both teams to hold confidential and vital information. Little wonder why those two get along so well and often exchange information. ¡°Yeah. No problem.¡± Louis only raised an eyebrow as he watched Lucas turn back to his computer. ¡°What are you doing, anyway?¡± He was honestly curious. As far as he knew, Team Alpha isn¡¯t really investigating anything in particular recently. After the recent case with the Butcher, they¡¯re having some downtime, and thus, the team members were all catching up on filing their reports. The younger agent then froze when his eyes fell on Lucas¡¯ screen and he recognised the website that is currently reflected on the computer immediately. ¡°I-Is that Aegis¡¯ website?¡± There was even another program dragged next to the web browser that Lucas was using. ¡°Are you trying to track down some of Aegis¡¯ past clients?¡± Louis recognised that program as the ESA¡¯s archives¡¯ file. ¡°I¡¯m trying to, anyway.¡± Lucas sighed. ¡°Elijah had been pretty mad at me for what had happened in Zalfari over a month ago, so I don¡¯t think I want to ask anything of him at the moment until he¡¯s calmed down.¡± Louis winced, knowing what Elijah is like when he¡¯s angry. ¡°Aegis is amongst our list of cases, but it¡¯s not the priority. At the moment.¡± He added the last part. ¡°I just want to know more about them.¡± Louis was silent for such a long time that Lucas thought that he¡¯d left the office even as he turned his attention back towards his computer. Thus, he was startled when a hand came down onto his desk next to his hand, and Louis leaned over his shoulder¡ªlooking like he was looking at the screen. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear this from me,¡± Louis murmured. ¡°I know someone who hired Aegis before¡ªback before they became as well-known as they are now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucas gave Louis a startled look, but the latter let a light hiss, stepping gently onto his foot. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Louis hissed, his eyes flickering towards the corner where a surveillance camera was visible. ¡°Continue looking at your computer screen.¡± Lucas was quick to follow Louis¡¯ instructions. ¡°Like I said, I know someone. I can tell you where he is now, but whether he¡¯ll tell you what he knows will entirely be up to you.¡± The entire time, Louis was using his left hand to scribble an address onto a slip of paper on the desk. Lucas was quick on the uptake, slipping that slip of paper into his hand and then into his pocket before Louis stepped away from the desk. ¡°Be careful.¡± Louis mouthed before he left Team Alpha¡¯s office. As he walked down the hallway, he wondered if he should really be directing Lucas¡¯ attention towards his contact. It isn¡¯t wise to tangle with Aegis. Louis was so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely avoided crashing into Jonan around the corner, who was holding a disposable cup that likely contained some hot coffee. ¡°Whoa!¡± Jonan cried, taking a step back to prevent spilling his coffee all over Louis. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, man!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that I ran into you here.¡± Jonan gave a grin before latching out with his free arm and wrapping it around Louis¡¯ shoulders, ignoring the indignant squawk that the younger gave, as he held Louis close to him, turning him around so that their backs were facing the surveillance camera in the hallway. ¡°What in the Goddess¡¯ name are you doing, Jonan?¡± Louis squawked, trying his utmost best to escape from Jonan¡¯s octopus-like grip. But sadly, as Jonan was both older and taller than him, he wasn¡¯t able to. ¡°Just play along for a moment,¡± Jonan murmured in Louis¡¯ ear¡ªalmost too low for even Louis to hear him. ¡°I need your help.¡±