Zabo’s whole body throbbed in pain as his consciousness returned, reminding him he was at the mercy of a ruthless noble, who viewed him as nothing more than entertainment. That bastard could’ve gone for his actual targets, but the cocky bastard found some time to still fight me. Now I’m gonna die.

As Noah hauled his body around without a care in the world, Zabo could feel a slight warmth as they entered a building. He noticed the cold, sterile air around him, tinged with the faint scent of chemicals and disinfectant. The harsh lights cast a long shadow of Noah’s figure and with Zabo’s own shadow trailing closely on top. While only inches away from his head touching the floor, Zabo felt the light rebound off the metallic surface directly onto his face.

As his vision cleared, the futuristic aesthetic of the place became apparent. Sleek machines crooned, and digital screens blinked with streams of data. This wasn’t some back-alley hideout. He was in a high-tech laboratory.

Kajima Labs.

Damn trust a Voltaire to be able to just walk into the biggest company in Havana and act like they own the place. Although, in a way, the Voltaires did own everything, everything worth owning in this city. The power they wielded was terrifying, far beyond anything Zabo had ever imagined. And now, somehow, he had interfered with their business.

Once again, Zabo’s vision slowly dimmed. Damn it, body, stay awake! I wanna see what’s inside. Unaware of what had happened within the confines of the laboratory, he had reawakened, feeling less weak than before. His body still felt like lava, with every minor twitch of his muscles brought a wave of agony.

The fresh night breeze brushed through Zabo’s thick dreadlocks. The realization that they had left the lab settled in. Noah’s voice cut through the haze of his thoughts. “Finally awake, huh?”

Zabo turned his head to see the young Voltaire standing over him, his expression unreadable. He realised he was leaning against a brick wall, sitting down. They were right beside the entrance of Kajima. His wounds had stopped bleeding thankfully, yet it was strange. He could still feel the sensation of losing blood, like the hole caused by Noah’s attack was clogged up haphazardly, causing it to leak. Zabo didn’t need to be restrained; the injuries he sustained were stronger than any shackle.

He wanted to ask what was going on, what had happened, but the words died in his throat. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. Whatever was in store would not end well for him.

Watching his hopeless face, Noah called out to his men, who were lingering by the entrance. The five of them, bruised and battered from their earlier encounter with Zabo, looked at him with undisguised venom. Noah gave them a curt order. “Take him back home.”

Home? Zabo’s confusion deepened, but Noah’s men did not give him any time to dwell on it, as they yanked him up and snapped cold metal cuffs around his wrists. No chance of escaping right now. I’ll just have to comply. When I get the chance to recover my aura, I’ll make a break for it.

They pushed him along, the two with super strength he had beaten gripped onto his shoulders using their powers, Zabo could’ve sworn he could hear his bones breaking under the pressure, but oddly he didn’t feel a thing, they reached a waiting SUV, shoving him into the backseat. The door slammed shut behind him, and the vehicle started moving almost immediately. Zabo looked out the window as they left the towering structure of Kajima Labs behind, the city’s gleaming skyscrapers reflecting the gleaming moon. Everything looked so normal, so completely indifferent to the fact that he was being driven away from his home by a group of men who probably wanted nothing more than to finish what they started back in the alley.

Zabo could feel every pair of eyes focused on him within the car, their hatred rooted deep in their scowls. He could tell they were itching for an excuse to retaliate for the beating they’d received. Trying to break the silence with an attempt at antagonizing them, Zabo forced a smile and asked, “So, what do you guys do for fun around here?”

The response was stony silence, broken only by the sound of the tires rolling over the smooth pavement. Zabo glanced around at the five men, each one looking as though they were barely restraining themselves from ripping him apart. The driver finally spoke up. “You’re lucky we’re not allowed to touch you.” He looked towards his rear-view mirror to look at Zabo with his flared nostrils before returning to the road with a harrumph.

Okay, not the best icebreaker, he thought, leaning back in his seat. With a sigh, he gave up trying to engage them. Instead, he focused on himself, trying to recover. He could feel some of his aura returning, the energy slowly trickling back into his body. But he wasn’t nearly strong enough to make a break for it, not yet, at least. He conserved what little he had regained, biding his time.

He had to get away. Noah would regret letting him live.

But then a nagging thought crept into his mind, one that had been bothering him ever since he’d first come face to face with Noah Voltaire. Why didn’t he kill me? Zabo had been certain that calling Noah an inbred would have signed his death warrant. The insult had slipped out in the heat of the moment, and afterward, he had been sure Noah would kill him for it. Yet here he was, still alive, albeit barely.

Goddamn it. Why did I say that!? He started knocking his head in self punishment, which resulted in a few amused looks from Noah’s henchmen. Zabo knew better than to provoke someone as dangerous as a Voltaire. But then again, it wasn’t as if it was the first time Noah had heard that insult. Considering all the rumors about noble families and their... interesting family trees. It must’ve all been true. Zabo nodded in realization. Poor guy. Elektra is probably his aunt or something.

Nobles could do what they liked; it wasn’t his problem. But now, he thought with a wry, sarcastic smile, I just have to let Noah know it was all a misunderstanding, right? I’ll be let out with a smile.

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He sighed audibly; the sound breaking the oppressive silence in the SUV. His thoughts drifted back to Noah’s earlier words, the mention of Mia and Ell being tracked gnawing at him. Were they in danger because of him? Had he put them at risk by getting involved with all of this? He prayed, silently and fervently, that they would somehow survive, knowing Noah was most likely still looking for them.

But as much as he worried for them, Zabo knew he had to focus on his own survival right now. He had to figure out a way out of this mess. The thought was a bitter one, but it was true. He couldn’t help anyone if he was dead.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain from both of his shoulders that caused him to shudder. What the hell, why am I feeling pain now? He gnashed his teeth, trying to bear the pain, as his eyes drifted towards the two men who had hurt him. Their eyes seemed excited, waiting for an excuse to get revenge. Yet somehow exhaustion overwhelmed all his senses. His eyelids grew heavy. Before he knew it, he had drifted off into a fitful sleep.

When Zabo awoke, the SUV was slowing to a stop. He blinked, trying to beat away the grogginess. I’ve been passing out way too much. What the hell happened? The men who had been so silent before were now murmuring to each other. Zabo glanced out the window and felt a fresh wave of dread.

The vehicle had pulled up to a massive estate designed with an intricate architecture made of cobblestone and marble. The house stretched far and wide, an imposing structure surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens and other buildings that Zabo could only assume were part of the estate. A tall gate loomed ahead, and beyond it, a footpath led up to the vast building.

One of the men shoved Zabo toward the door. “Out,” he ordered curtly.

Zabo got dragged out of the SUV, his hands still cuffed, and guided through the gate and along the path to the entrance. The house loomed larger with every step, and a growing thought pounded in Zabo’s mind. I’m fucked.

They reached the front door, and as it swung open, a familiar face greeted Zabo, one he hadn’t expected to see during their holidays.

Elektra stood in the doorway, her eyes widening in surprise as they fell on Zabo. Her casual shorts and crop top didn’t disguise her serious demeanor. Her bitch face doesn’t stop even at stop at home, huh?

“What is he doing here?” she asked, her tone tinged with disbelief.

One of Noah’s men stepped forward. “Lady Elektra, do you know this boy?”

“Yeah,” Elektra’s gaze narrowed, trying to assess the situation. She couldn’t understand why he was here. She finally made the connection to what could’ve happened, but the possibility seemed outrageous. How could this useless guy have gained the interest of her brother? A brother, who had shown no interest towards his own sister.

Elektra crossed her arms, her eyebrows raised. “What did you do to get involved with Noah? I didn’t think you were stupid enough to mess with him.”

Zabo said nothing, the venomous looks from the surrounding men reminding him to stay quiet.

“Noah said he should be put into the cell,” one of the men said.

Elektra waved a dismissive hand as she opened the doorway for them to enter. “I don’t care. Do what you need to do. Noah called me all excited, saying he found something groundbreaking. When he should be looking for that damn kid. I took an interest at first, but to find out it’s just this guy. How disappointing.”

Her words stung, but Zabo kept his face impassive. There was no point in arguing with her. Elektra had always looked down on him, and that wasn’t about to change now. Zabo had to hide his true abilities while living in the academy. No one knew what he was truly capable of.

“Well, quit standing there. Take him to the cellar.” Elektra ordered. Turning away, she climbed up the grand staircase, but paused halfway, glancing back over her shoulder with a smirk. “You’re lucky, gopher. You’ll have a friend to keep you company in that cell.” She laughed as she continued up the stairs, the sound echoing through the grand lobby.

Down a flight of stairs, the men dragged Zabo. The temperature dropped as they descended. The lavish surroundings gave way to something much more ominous, a dark basement with thick stone walls and iron bars, designed to punish those who have wronged the noble family. Zabo saw a small, open room. The only thing there was a chair made of metal, a sea of blood stains covered the floor surrounding the chair. They pushed him through the long corridor into a single barred cell at the end.

One of the men pulled out a key. Unlocking the door, he shoved Zabo inside with a rough push. The cell door clanged shut behind him, the sound reverberating through the cold, damp space. Zabo stumbled forward, catching himself on the wall as he tried to regain his balance.

“Enjoy your stay,” one of the men sneered through the bars. “But don’t get too comfortable. You won’t be here long.”

“Once I’m out of here, you and your buddies are gonna be eating dirt like last time.” His words seemed to strike a nerve, but they quickly came over with laughter. He watched as they walked back down the corridor, their footsteps echoed, as they left him all alone.

The cell was small and dark, with barely enough room for him to stretch out. A thin, dirty mattress was shoved into one corner, and a small, rusted sink and toilet occupied the opposite side. The only light came from a single dim bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Zabo rubbed his wrists, the cold metal of the cuffs biting into his skin. His entire body ached, yet the injuries he had sustained felt oddly dull. He caressed his side where Noah had struck him. The feeling of soft flesh and warm blood made him shiver. “Damn it, I need to heal.”

His thoughts were interrupted by a low, raspy voice from the shadows.

“Who are you?”

Zabo jumped, spinning around to face the source of the voice. His heart pounded in his chest as his eyes darted through the dark corners of the cell. For a moment, he saw nothing, just shadows clinging to the cold stone walls. But then, from the murky darkness, a figure stepped forward. The single lightbulb from outside the cell flickered, catching on a pair of unnervingly bright gold eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.

Zabo’s breath caught in his throat. “What the-”

The rest of the words died on his lips as fear seized him. The figure moved closer, the golden eyes never leaving Zabo’s face. What the hell is that? He could feel it in his bones. There was something wrong with that thing. Something that defied the laws of nature.

He tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. The walls of the cell pressed in around him, and his legs felt like lead. Trapped, he realized Elektra wasn’t joking, and his mind raced. She had said he’d have company in this cell, but Zabo hadn’t imagined it would be anything like this. He looked towards the figure and realized what he was looking at.

A scream ripped from Zabo’s throat, raw and desperate, echoing off the stone walls of the cell. The sheer terror of the situation overwhelmed him, crashing over him like a tidal wave. Sharing a cell? With that? This was madness. He wasn’t just sharing a cell; he was sharing his last moments.

Zabo realized he would not survive this. He wasn’t just sharing a cell with a man; he was sharing it with a bomb set to explode any minute.

And he was going to be the only casualty.