After my family kicked me out, I stayed in the room, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. Amelia stepped outside, saying she had some paperwork to finish before escorting me to the van. I knew it was just an excuse to give me space to process everything. But I didn't need time; I'd already made up my mind. If my own family abandoned me when I needed them most, then I had to let them go too. So, I pushed thoughts of them to the back of my mind, where they belonged. Right now, my focus was on surviving court.

I was pretty sure that Mr. Smith had already influenced the jury, judges, and lawyers against me. When Amelia returned, she confirmed my thoughts. Though she assured me that even if they were corrupt, she'd find a way to get me out. Honestly, I wasn't sure I believed her promises. But she was my only hope to avoid jail, so I had to trust her, whether I liked it or not.

After our conversation, she escorted me to the van parked behind the station. Two guards stood on either side of the van, and they roughly hauled me inside. Amelia said she'd be right behind us, following in her car. We exchanged brief goodbyes, and the door slammed shut behind me with a heavy clang.

I wasn’t alone in the van. Four officers sat close by, eyes locked onto me, watching like they expected me to do something. I couldn’t help but wonder why they needed so many guards. Then I remembered what Amelia had said right before I left— “for security,” she’d called it, just in case I tried to make a run for it. I guess I understood; they were only doing their jobs, probably following orders. Still, if they’d only sent one or two, I might’ve actually thought about making a break.

“Think we could take them?” Bagley’s voice popped into my head, eager and itching for a fight.

“I’m not killing cops,” I muttered back in my mind, firm but irritated. “If I go down that road, the whole city’s gonna be after me, not just Mr. Smith.”

“Look at it this way—more souls for us to collect.”

I shook off his voice, pushing it out of my head, and leaned back, trying to catch a few minutes of sleep before facing the court. But sleep wasn’t on the agenda. Just as I started to relax, one of the officers smacked me hard across the face, jarring me awake. “Stay awake,” he snapped, his voice sharp, leaving a sting on my cheek that was more than just a physical hit.

Instinctively, I reached up, touching the spot he’d hit, feeling the pain buzz under my fingers. Then, as if that slap wasn’t warning enough, two of them pulled out their guns, pointing them directly at me. I flinched, pulling my hands up in surrender without even thinking. Meanwhile, the third officer calmly pulled out a laptop, setting it down on his lap, like he had all the time in the world.

My gaze darted from one officer to the next. There was something dark in their eyes—bloodlust, plain and simple. These guys didn’t just want to escort me; they wanted me dead. But why? It didn’t add up. “What’s going on here?” I asked.

The only answer was a fist slamming into my stomach, knocking the air out of me and doubling me over. Before I could catch my breath, they were on me, batons in hand, striking again and again. Pain shot through me, each hit making it harder to move, to think, until all I could do was curl up, bracing myself against their relentless blows. It finally ended when the guy with the laptop held up a hand. “That’s enough, guys. The boss wants a word.”

One of them grabbed me by the back of my shirt, pulling me up so I was face-to-face with the laptop screen. There, staring back at me with cold, calculating rage, was a bald man in a dark suit. I didn’t need to ask who he was; I already had a good idea. But I had one question that needed answering.

“What do you want?”

“Skipping introductions, Mr. Osman? Doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead in a few minutes anyway. But yeah, just so you’re clear—I’m exactly who you think I am,” the man on the screen sneered, his voice low and cold. “And these gentlemen here? My soldiers.”

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I glanced at each one of them, taking in the faces Amelia had warned me about. So, these were the ones under Mr. Smith’s thumb. There was a brief flash of panic, but mostly, I felt steady. Oddly steady. Normally, I’d be falling apart in a situation like this. Maybe that talk with my family had settled something in me.

Then, my focus shifted to Bagley, who pressed a finger to his lips. “Stay calm. Let him talk,” he said in my head. “Just stall him. I’ll find us a way out.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. What exactly do you want from me?”

Another officer swung his baton, hitting me across the face. I gritted my teeth, clutching my jaw. Something was definitely broken.

“You don’t ask the questions, scum,” he spat, his voice laced with contempt.

“Easy there, Don, isn’t it?” Mr. Smith said coolly. “No need to rough up Mr. Osman just yet. He doesn’t understand his position. Let’s make it simple, Mr. Osman: What does a lion want from the hyena that killed its cub?”

I glanced over at Bagley, and he just nodded. I got the hint—stall for time. So, I put on a show. A little desperation, a bit of trembling. I forced a few tears and softened my voice. “Mr. Smith, please, I had no idea… if I’d known he was your son—he attacked me, and I was just defending myself…”

Mr. Smith’s face didn’t change, but there was a chill in his eyes. “One moment you’re bold, the next you’re begging? Cunning, I’ll give you that, Mr. Osman. But my son’s dead because of you. Whether you knew it was him or not, the scales still need balancing.”

“Keep him talking, Zak,” Bagley’s voice pressed urgently in my mind. “I’m close to a plan.”

I did as Bagley instructed. "Laws of nature? I don't quite get it, sir. If there's a payment involved, last I checked, I've only got £300 in my account."

He didn't look amused. "Joking when you're about to die? Either I misread you, or you're dragging this out on purpose."

Then Bagley leaned in and whispered the plan into my ear. I glanced around quickly, a small smile forming. "You judged me right, Mr. Smith. And yeah, it's the latter."

I grabbed Don's baton and yanked him toward me. With all my strength, I hurled him at one of the officers pointing a gun and holding a laptop.

Chaos erupted. The other guy aimed his gun at me, but in that moment of confusion, I did the old twist and pull, snatching the gun from his grip. He threw his hands up. I hesitated—shooting an unarmed man didn't sit well with me. But then I remembered what Bagley said earlier. These guys would've happily pulled the trigger on me, just another day's work for them.

I tried to fire, but the trigger wouldn't budge. Damn, the safety's on. That slip gave Don and the others time to regain their senses. I quickly pulled the guy with his hands up, using him as a shield. His colleague fired four shots into his back. Ouch.

"Shit, Linda, you killed Joseph!" the baton officer screamed.

Joseph dropped dead at my feet, but it gave me enough time to switch off the safety and fire two shots at Linda's shoulder and abdomen. I was aiming for her head but looks like I need more practice.

The laptop guy threw his laptop at me, hitting me in the head. I stumbled for a second before recovering, but he was already on me, pinning me to the ground. His arm crushed my neck while he tried to pry the gun from my hand. We wrestled back and forth, seconds feeling like minutes. My eyes reddened, face turning blue. Yet somehow, within me, at the last moment, I found the strength to fire repeated shots into his side and chest.

Unlike when Joseph dropped dead, I could store this guy's soul. Though the sight of it happening left Don dumbstruck. "What the hell are you?" he gasped.

"I'm your death," I replied. Then I fired five shots into him. He fell, and I stored his soul. Only Linda was left. Before moving to her, I absorbed the souls of the laptop guy and Don. A euphoric urge enveloped me.

Linda was crawling toward the gun, clutching her bloody shoulder. But she was slow, and I was quick enough to kick it away.

"We won't let you live," she spat. "You and your family will never see the light of day. Mr. Smith will make sure of it."

I looked at her, no remorse nor emotion visible on my face. "I don't care anymore." I fired a single bullet that pierced her skull, then stored and absorbed her soul.