Vengeance is one of life’s great motivators. - KS Brooks (Lust for Danger)

* * * *

There is only a single window in this small dark room—acting just like a prison.

Dirty brown hair fell around the face of the sole occupant within, with tired blue eyes gazing up at the tiny window high up on the wall—too small, and too high for him to to get out of his prison even if he wanted to.

How long has it been since? How many months? Or has it been years?

He doesn’t know. Not any longer.

Time has no meaning for him any longer.

Each day, just like clockwork, his captors took him out of his cell and put him through routine training—methods that he is all too familiar with. But no matter what they did to him, no matter the whispers that were whispered into his ear—that he’d been abandoned, and that his people—his friends were all dead, he didn’t let up.

He clung stubbornly to his morals. To his memories. To the morals and rules that all of them—he and his friends have agreed on and created so long ago when they first created their home.

And just like clockwork, each night, he wrapped his thin arms around his knees; curled up in the most comfortable place on the cold, stone floor that he could find. Eyes never moving away from the single source of light coming from the window that he can see.

“I won’t forget… I won’t…” He whispered. “I will never forget…for as long as I live. Angela. Jun. Lleucu. Zest. Sera. Alisa. Jamison. Yunan. Terra. Senri. Yuna…” And then, once more, he repeated those names—so that he wouldn’t forget, “…Angela. Jun. Lleucu. Zest. Sera…”

* * * *

~Waters of Aurora; March 231~

Sera leaned against the side of the rooftop of the boathouse, enjoying the gentle sea breeze.

It is night; and thus, only minimal lights were turned on within the boathouse. The rest of the occupants were no doubt already asleep. The Black siblings have settled in well faster than Sera had anticipated.

Sera looked down at the photo clutched within her fingers, mismatched eyes tracing the faces of the people within—-all smiling; all standing outside a familiar building.

“I won’t forget. I won’t.” Sera whispered, eyes tracing the faces of the people within. “I promised that I will live on for all our sakes. But it’s easier said than done…”

A long, distant memory surfaced to the fore of her memory just then.

“The name’s Christopher—”

Blue eyes met with heterochromia eyes. “Promise me. You’ll live on, no matter what. Do you understand me?”

Sera closed her eyes, willing the memory away. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Chris…” she whispered.

A slight sound at the entrance of the rooftop caused Sera to look up sharply. “Who’s there?”

There was a slight pause before a figure emerged from the shadows, revealing it to be Claudia. She’s still dressed in her sleepwear, with a jacket thrown over it.

Sera relaxed. “Can’t sleep?” she questioned, even as Claudia made her way over to where Sera was.

“Something like that.” Claudia managed a weak smile, tilting her head backwards to see the stars in the sky. She held her hand up above her face; so that she was peering at the sky via the gaps in between her fingers. “I wonder how long it’s been since I can be so relaxed like this?” She murmured. “Never having to worry if I’ll wake up to see the sunrise tomorrow, or even worry if I’ll even wake up to see one brother missing. This world isn’t fair for the Gifted, huh?”

“People fear things they don’t understand,” Sera said at last. “It’s always been this way.”

Claudia gave a weak smile. “…Why did you let us come with you?” she asked suddenly; and beside her, Sera gave Claudia an assessing gaze. “You don’t seem like the type to trust easily; even for fellow Gifted. Neil and Kailey told us a bit.” She added, seeing the look that Sera gave her.

Sera was silent for several moments, turning around so that she was resting her forearms against the railings of the boathouse; staring out at the dark waters of the sea—almost like seeing something fascinating.

“I don’t know,” Sera admitted at last. “But I’m not that heartless as to leave you three to fend for yourselves. You don’t know how the hunters work, and how to avoid them. If I leave you three alone, you’d likely end up dead by the end of the month.”

Claudia’s lips quirked. She hasn’t spent a lot of time with Sera, but she has taught herself to be observant and can see what a person doesn’t say. Sera might come off as harsh and even unfeeling. But it is just what she wants people to think and see her.

Neither Sera nor Laura have said much about Sera’s past as part of Blade. But Claudia and her two brothers have been going to Timo’s café for long enough to know a little about that legendary street gang.

They were so famous that even the common people knew about them.

It’s most probably why Sera had been trying to keep a low profile. Claudia is also certain that there must be other Blade survivors too.

“I wonder how long it has been?” Claudia pondered out loud. “It’s been so long that I almost forgot what freedom feels like.” She stared at her clenched fist. She looked at Sera who looked as if she wasn’t listening, but Claudia knew that she was. “My brothers and I… We were held in an experimental lab before we came to Aurora.” The only indication that Sera gave that showed that she was listening was a slight twitch of her fingers. “You’re not surprised?”

“I had been in the underground scene nearly all my life,” Sera explained. “You tend to hear things. And there have always been rumours about the experimental labs owned by the hunters that held and tested the Gifted. Besides, I saw the number on Ness’ arm. I figured you three must be held in one at some point and escaped. And no experimental lab worth their salt would admit to having lost their ‘test subjects’.” She had a sneer on her face at that last comment.

Claudia gave a small smile. “It was Cecil who helped us—me and my brothers,” she explained. “We ended up at Aurora and tried to piece our lives together. But then, the hunters came, and Ness nearly died at their hands.” Her eyes flashed with anger with that memory. The anger only subsided when she recalled how both Laura and Sera said that those hunters were no longer a concern or a cause for worry.

“The Gifted will always be hunted down and persecuted for our abilities, Claudia,” Sera said matter-of-factly. “It’s been that way for years, if not decades. Centuries even.” She let out a long exhale. “I wonder when it has been that way? When was it when humans had sunk this low, and made it look so natural?”

Claudia has no idea what to say.

For several moments, both girls remained silent; with the only sounds being that of the wind and even the sounds of waves crashing against the side of their boathouse.

And then, the sound of a ringtone pierced through the air, nearly causing Claudia to jump.

Beside her, Sera reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a silver cell phone, pressing it to her ear. Due to their close proximity; and the fact that most Gifted have sharp senses, Claudia could hear every single word that the person on the other end of the line is saying.

“Sera?”

“Alexis?”

“Hey. Sorry to disturb you at this hour. But you got time to talk?” A male voice spoke on the other end of the line, sounding rather disturbed and concerned.

“What’s up?” Sera questioned, flickering her eyes towards Claudia, and back to the sea in front of her.

“Sera, do you remember Raul?”

Claudia frowned, even as Sera furrowed her brows. “Raul? Yeah, I remember him. He’s one of Alan’s, isn’t he? Part of Dragonfly at Azura. What’s wrong?”

Alexis was quiet for several moments on the other end of the line. “I got some bad news,” he said at last. The change in tone caused Claudia to tense. “I’ve been keeping an eye on hunter activity for a while. The upper echelons of the underground are worried for some time now, especially when hunter activity is on the rise. And after what had happened with Blade, the entire underground is in a huge uproar.”

“I am aware of it,” Sera answered. “The…Premier had sent word to all the Gifted amongst the underground to lay low. I’m a little concerned.” She admitted. “And with how the hunters somehow seem to know where the Gifted are, and what we could do… I got a feeling that the Hunter Council probably got their hands on the Gifted Registration List.”

Alexis let out an angry hiss like a cat on the other end of the line, and Claudia froze.

It is some kind of law passed decades ago around the time when the stigma and prejudice towards the Gifted began. All Gifted in the country since have to register themselves at the ESA, or face imprisonment.

And if the Hunter Council somehow got their hands on that list…

“I highly doubt this is the work of the head of the ESA if so,” Alexis said at last, sounding furious. “I’ve heard rumours about her in the past. She might be the head of the ESA, but she doesn’t support the hunters. I heard that she had been trying to push past bills that offered the Gifted more rights and support, but she kept getting blocked at every turn.”

“The hunters won’t want to lose their authority and power over Eldario,” Sera murmured. “Though given how at least a quarter of the departments within the ESA are loyal to them, and not to the head of the ESA, it makes no difference either way. Unfortunately for us, the Gifted Task Force just happens to be one of them. I’ve suspected for some time now that a good portion of their members might just be hunters. It’ll explain how the hunters even got their hands on the Gifted Registration List, and even how they always seem to know where all the registered Gifted are.”

Claudia flinched.

“That…won’t be good if so,” Alexis said, sounding worried. “But it does explain a lot of things. The majority of the Gifted in the country have gone into hiding either way, especially after what had happened with Blade. But for the few gangs with Gifted amongst their midst… Well, they’re scared. And last that I am aware of, hunters have been sighted in Azura. Where Raul is. And where Dragonfly is located.”

Sera had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going. “And?”

“You know how Alan is. And when the hunters came knocking on his door…”

Sera closed her eyes, knowing what had happened even without Alexis needing to say anything. She had encounters with the current leader of Dragonfly after the previous leader and the founder died. Sera had never liked the guy whom the founder had picked as his successor.

Too sly. And too cowardly.

She had never understood why the founder had picked him as his successor.

“He gave Raul up to the hunters, didn’t he?” Sera stated more than questioned. Beside her, Claudia stared at her with horror.

“He did.”

Sera pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to control her temper. “…I’ll set course for Azura in the morning. Send me the coordinates of their current hideout.”

“Save Raul, Sera.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t do any less. Alan got a lot to answer for.” Claudia shivered at the tone of Sera’s voice. If this is her getting angry, she would never want to get Sera seriously pissed at her. “I need you to do something for me, however. Find Larissa if you can. Tell her—tell them that I’ll take care of Raul.”

“I’m already on it. And Sera?”

“Yeah?” Sera responded even as she made her way towards the entrance of the rooftop, and made her way down to the first level. Claudia followed behind her silently.

“Try not to kill them.”

Both Sera and Claudia knew that Alexis wasn’t referring to the hunters in this instance.

“…I’m not making any promises.”

* * * *

Bang!

The occupants within the building all jumped as one when the door was kicked in so hard that it flew clean off the hinges and crashed into the opposite wall. Hands reached out for their nearest weapons but froze when they found they were unable to move.

“What the…?”

“I-I can’t move!”

“Don’t even try.” A soft voice echoed out; and all the occupants within the building waited with bated breaths as light footsteps that were almost soundless echoed before a petite figure appeared, mismatched eyes almost glaring at each of them in turn. Behind her were two others—a male with dark red hair and a girl with straight raven black hair. “You won’t be able to move even if you want to.”

“A Gifted?!”

“…Sera Kroix…” A voice croaked out from the fore of the room. As one, every single pair of eyes in the room shifted to the speaker. A brunette young man who is the leader looked plain terrified even as he gazed at Sera. “You’re still alive?”

Sera gave a rude scoff; before with a wave of her hand, the broken door lifted from its place on the floor and fitted itself in the doorway, slamming shut behind Laura and Tatius—the two who had followed Sera to the hideout of the Dragonfly gang the moment that they’ve arrived at Azura.

“Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” was all that she said, eyes never moving from Alan. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“…Raul.”

With that name, every single member of Dragonfly tensed. Sera’s eyes flashed dangerously before as one, every single member of Dragonfly collapsed to the ground like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

Click.

Laura looked from face to face, a gun visible in her right hand; her eyes warning them silently to not make any movements. “Don’t make any rash movements if you know what’s good for you,” she said silkily. “Like Sera, I don’t need my abilities to kill someone.”

Tatius stood beside her silently—but the threat was clear in his stance.

Sera meanwhile had walked up to Alan and pinned him against the wall, grabbing a fistful of his collar in her grasp. Because Alan is at least two heads taller than Sera, that is a feat indeed.

Alan froze when he met with mismatched amber and green eyes. He had met Sera Kroix before back when the previous leader was still alive. Blade and Dragonfly have been allies and friends since their founding. And even back then, Sera had never made any attempt to hide that she disliked and mistrusted him.

But this is likely the first time when Alan honestly feared for his life. The look in Sera’s eyes is one of murder.

“Raul was one of yours. You were supposed to protect him! Not sell him out!” Sera almost snarled her words out.

“I did what I thought was best!”

“By selling one of your own out?” Sera countered Alan’s rather weak argument. “I’m surprised that the Premier hasn’t sent anyone here yet!” The rest of Dragonfly flinched, and Tatius only frowned to himself at the unfamiliar name. Premier? “You know our laws! You were raised on it from the moment when you entered the underground life from day one like all of us did! You don’t sell your people out, no matter the reason!”

“All of us know what had happened to Blade!” Alan choked, even as Sera’s grip on his collar tightened, nearly cutting off his air supply. “It was the news around the underground for months! They said that hunters had come. If even Blade, arguably the most powerful and influential amongst us fell to them, what other choice do we have? I need to protect my people, Sera! I can’t sacrifice the lot of them for one person!”

Sera stared at Alan without saying anything for several moments even after he screamed at her, his chest heaving. Finally, she released her hold on Alan who collapsed to the ground, coughing harshly to get some oxygen back into his lungs, massaging his throat. He will not be surprised if he sees some bruises the next day.

Sera Kroix might be petite and looked as if she wouldn’t hurt a fly, but that girl has some monstrous strength! Like everyone in the underground society, Alan knew that Sera Kroix earned her reputation for a reason.

“Yusa must be blind or an idiot. Or both, to even think about appointing a coward like you as his successor!” Sera hissed with fury. Alan flinched with the venom in those words. “What is he even thinking to appoint you, I have no idea! You don’t deserve the title of being a leader. When you become a leader, Alan, you protect your people!” Sera pointed a finger at Alan. “You protect them to the very end, even if it means giving up your life!” Laura flinched; she had a pretty good idea what Sera must have tried to do when the hunters had come for Blade. “You don’t betray or sell out your people, Gifted or not! Because mark my words, Alan, if you had been one of mine, and you betrayed us, I would have seen to it that you would be dead by dawn.” Alan flinched; with the reputation that Blade and Sera have, he knew that every word was true. “We put up with enough shit from the common people and the hunters. The last thing we want are traitors amongst the underground.”

Tatius looked at the remaining members of Dragonfly who had all stayed silent throughout the beatdown that Sera was serving to Alan. “…He was one of yours,” Tatius said at last, speaking up for the first time. Every single head but Alan and Sera swivelled towards Tatius. The look of contempt and disgust were visible in jade green eyes. “You were supposed to protect him. Defend him. Watch his back. Like how he would have done the same for you. You disgust me.”

“…We were scared.”

“So are we all,” Laura said immediately. “But you don’t see the other gangs with Gifted in their midst betraying them. They went underground instead. You’re in for it now, Alan.” Laura directed the last bit to the leader of Dragonfly. “You broke the one taboo that no one amongst the underground should ever break: turn on your own. There is no place in Eldario that is safe for you now. If you want my advice, I’ll tell you and your gang to leave the country as soon as you can.”

Sera nodded in agreement. “The Premier won’t let this go. You won’t escape the Enforcers.” Tatius raised a confused brow with that statement, filing it away mentally to question Sera or Laura about it. “Alexis already knew about this, and no doubt that he had already informed the Premier. You’ll be facing her justice soon enough.”

There was silence for several moments.

“…I was never meant to be the leader. I never wanted to be one. But I tried my best, especially after Yusa died.” Alan said at last in such a small voice that even the three Gifted had to strain their ears to hear him. “I tried my best to fill in his shoes, but I didn’t have his charisma or his strength. Raul… He deserved better… When the hunters came, I was scared. I… We didn’t have the strength to go against them. I took the easier option. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Boss.” One of the Dragonfly members croaked out. “We were all scared. We threw Raul under the bus to save ourselves. We were his brothers. And we betrayed him.”

“Atone for it later. Once we get Raul back.” Laura said sharply.

Sera took a deep breath, calming herself down. “Where did the hunters take Raul?”

* * * *

“And you think he’s still alive?”

All of them were gathered on the ground level of their boathouse, listening intently to what Sera had to tell them upon returning from the Dragonfly hideout, with Laura and Tatius adding in their input occasionally. All three looked furious; even the normally emotionless Tatius.

The question was posed by an incredulous Neil who was the first to speak amongst their stunned crew.

For all that only a few amongst their number were involved in the underground, all of them knew how the underground works to a certain extent—being Gifted and all. The one thing that no one in the underground would do is to sell their own out.

It is something that is never done.

Even the underground had rules and laws governing them. Those rules aren’t a lot, and they aren’t exactly that unreasonable. One of the most important ones is to never turn on and sell out one of their own. Those who do that will be lynched alive by the others in the underground if so.

And with what Dragonfly had done to one of their own, it will only be a matter of time before word starts getting around. Every single person in the underground will be out for their blood.

“They won’t kill him,” Sera said heavily at last, exchanging looks with Laura who only frowned with concern. “Not immediately, at least.”

The others looked confused.

“What do you mean?” Ness asked, his brows furrowed with confusion.

Sera and Laura exchanged looks, a silent message passing between them before the two girls turned their attention back to the rest.

“You guys know of Blade’s reputation, I assume?” Sera stated more than questioned, and she received nods. “There is a reason why the hunters and even the ESA went hunting for the survivors straight after the attack on them. They—We have always advocated for protection and rights for the Gifted amongst the underground. It got better when the current Premier came to power. It is also why so many Gifted turned to the underground for survival, with the hand that we’re dealt out by the common populace.” There were identical scowls on their faces with that comment. More than one of them has been victims of the hunters and even the ESA. “We’re interfered with the hunters more than once. I made damn sure that Zephys will be a neutral ground for the underground and the Gifted alike even without our constant presence.”

“That’s why the survivors all went into hiding.” Claudia immediately realised what Sera wasn’t saying. “And why the underground is in such a big mess now, particularly those with Gifted. Blade. You—they are their protectors. And with the influence that Blade has, the hunters will find it difficult to move against the Gifted—especially since they need to survive amongst the underground as well.”

“In a way,” Sera admitted. “That’s why we all scattered. And Raul is one of the few people ever known to have actual contact with Blade.” She said firmly. “And if I know the hunters at all, they’ll want to know all that he knows about Blade and the survivors. Though I wish them good luck in trying to get Raul to say anything at all.”

“What do you mean?” Kailey asked, curious.

“…Raul might be part of Dragonfly. Or used to, at this point.” Laura grunted. “And even though the entire gang sold him out, Raul will know better than to do the same thing—especially with how the underground thinks of the hunters. Furthermore, he is also a Gifted. No Gifted would sell out one of our own—especially for those that reside amongst the underground.”

Claudia nodded, getting what Laura was driving at. “We put up with enough shit from the common people and the ESA,” she commented. “The underground are loyal to their own.”

“The threat of the Enforcers and the Premier are enough to make them toe the line.” Sera gave a low chuckle. “They won’t want to piss off the single most powerful person in all the underground. Especially not if they still need to utilise the services of the informants, and still gain access to the weapon vendors.”

“It’s a very roundabout relationship, isn’t it?” Kailey pondered out loud, ticking on her fingers. “The hunters hate the Gifted and know that the majority of the Gifted hid amongst the underground. And yet, the hunters can’t make a move on the underground, since they need to utilise the services of the underground, and can’t afford to alienate them all. It’s irony in itself.”

“What are Enforcers?” Ness questioned, a perplexed look on his face.

“Think of them like the ESA of the underground,” Sera explained. “Unlike most of those in the underground, however, they don’t belong to any gang. They report directly to the Premier; the head of the entire underground scene in Eldario. The Enforcers also run the black market auctions and maintain the balance of power. They’re the Premier’s eyes and ears. They kept a particularly sharp eye on the activities of the underground—making sure that human trafficking and slave auctions were never done on Eldario soil. It’s outlawed even amongst the underground; especially after the current Premier came to power. If you want to know more, you should ask Timo about it. I heard that he used to be an Enforcer.”

Every single pair of eyes in the room stared at Sera, dumbfounded for several moments. They are unable to link kind and soft-spoken Timo with an Enforcer—one of those that enforces the laws of the underground.

“He is?” They echoed as one.

“Yes, when he was younger.” Sera nodded. “He was one of the best, from what I know from rumours. I have no idea why he left either. You can ask him the next time we stop by Aurora.”

Laura snapped her fingers to bring their attention back to the original topic. “Thank you,” she said with a huff. “So Raul.” She directed this statement to Sera. “How are we going to find him?”

“I got a pretty good idea of how to find him,” Sera replied, walking towards the nearest window and looking out of it. She spied several magpies and ravens roosting amongst the branches of the tree; all gazing at her with their beady black eyes, seemingly waiting for her. She gave a small smile as she looked back at them. “Just follow the animals.”

* * * *

Raul coughed harshly, trying to ignore the sharp, metallic taste of blood even as he breathed harshly, golden eyes glaring up at his captors.

He could barely feel his fingers; with his hands being bound behind him in the chair that he is secured to in this tiny shack that he was brought to. Raul can’t help but feel that this seems like a scene right out of one of those action novels or movies that Yusa loves so much.

“Just make it easier on yourself already.” One of the hunters almost purred, tapping the flat edge of the dagger in his hand against Raul’s cheek; already with numerous cuts and wounds visible on the teenager’s face and body. “And tell us what we want to know.”

The hunter received his answer immediately by Raul's headbutting him in response. Though Raul got another fist in his gut for his answer by one of the other hunters, and he coughed harshly; having gotten the wind knocked out of him for several moments.

“…I have more pride and loyalty than that.” Raul rasped harshly, even as sweat-soaked black bangs covered his eyes partially. “Even if I know where they are, what makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”

“Your gang all but threw you at us when we came knocking.” The hunter who had gotten headbutted growled, rubbing at his forehead. “Yet you stayed loyal to people who would sooner sell you out? People are the same everywhere; they’ll do anything for the right price.”

“Not the underground.” Raul rasped immediately, golden eyes shifted from one to the other. “And especially not Blade. We will never sell our own out.”

“Dragonfly says otherwise.” The other hunter sneered. “Just make it easier on yourself, and tell us what we want to know. We might give you a painless death if so.”

Raul’s golden eyes were strong and filled with contempt even as he glared at his captors. “You’ll have to kill me first. I won’t say anything! I won’t sell them out!”

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The lead hunter growled. “Fine, then die!”

Before any of the hunters could do anything, there was the sound of a loud bang before the door to the shack was thrown open. Then, the sounds of gunshots resounded through the air, along with that of screams.

Raul flinched, closing his eyes out of sheer instinct.

In a matter of moments, the battle—if one can even call it that, is over.

Sera Kroix replaced the safety on her gun, looking around at Laura, Tatius and Neil—the three that she’d brought with her to get Raul the moment they knew where he was being held.

“Are they all dead?” Laura asked, not looking up even as she exchanged the magazines of the gun that she had.

“No, I left one alive,” Sera said uncaringly even as she walked towards the only one still alive—which judging by the red armband around his left arm, was the lead hunter of the group.

Said hunter was groaning in pain, looking up through pain-filled eyes even as Sera walked towards him like a hunter stalking its prey. “Who…?”

He then coughed harshly even as Sera slammed one foot onto his chest, pressing the barrel of her gun against his forehead. His vision came back into focus, and his eyes widened when he took in the sight of Sera, and the three others behind her.

“…Sera…Kroix…” he muttered, feeling fear grip his heart. If there’s anyone that the Hunter Association had hoped had died that day, it is Blade’s leader. “You’re still alive?”

“Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Sera answered, heterochromia eyes never moving away from the hunter. “I knew that once you hunter morons have achieved your aim in destroying my group, you would move your aim to the Gifted of this country.”

The hunter glared up at Sera with all the energy he could muster. “You Gifted are just abominations! Freaks!” he snarled but was silenced immediately when Sera slammed her foot into his chest once more. He coughed harshly, coughing out blood. His breaths were short and ragged. “The…Hunter Council… They agreed with me. You Gifted are never supposed to exist!”

“Yeah, I heard that before,” Sera said uncaringly, even as the three behind her tensed and reached for their weapons. “But know this. When you hunt us down, you might very well end up becoming the hunted yourself.” The hunter’s eyes widened with fear when Sera released the safety of her gun with a flick of her thumb. “You have no qualms in killing the Gifted, even when they have done nothing but just simply live. Thus, I have completely no issues in killing you. Because you see, unlike them, you have sinned in my eyes.”

“S-Stop—”

Bang!

Neil looked away even as the sound of the gunshot resounded throughout the shack before being followed by the thud of a body hitting the wall behind him.

Sera replaced the safety of her gun before placing it back within the holster by her side, walking towards Raul where Tatius was already working on slicing through his bonds with the dagger that he had with him.

Raul coughed harshly even as his hands were freed, and he rubbed at his wrists. He squinted at Sera even as she approached. It took him several moments before his vision focused enough to recognise her, and his golden eyes widened with shock.

“…Sera?” Raul almost whispered.

Sera gave a small smile. “It’s been a while, Raul,” she said. “I didn’t think we’d meet again under these circumstances.”

* * * *

“Hold still.”

Raul let out a light hiss even as Kailey cleaned his wounds gently with a wad of cotton that had been soaked in some antiseptic lotion. The former then looked up at Sera who is currently leaning against the door of the room that they are in, watching them calmly, her hands shoved into her pockets.

The rest of the people whom Raul had only gotten a glance at when he was first brought to this boathouse before being ushered up to this room is no doubt somewhere on the first level—all giving Sera and Raul some privacy.

“Honestly, I was worried that we’re going to get there too late,” Sera murmured, eyeing Raul. “You got the luck of the devil.”

Raul cracked a grin before flinching even as Kailey started to bandage his wounds carefully. “I honestly didn’t think that you’re still alive,” he admitted. “I know that there are still survivors, of course. But with how infamous you are amongst our circle, I thought that if you’re still alive after Blade’s destruction, there would be rumours.”

“Precisely because of that,” Sera answered patiently. “That was the reason why I went deep underground. Only a very small number even knew I was still alive. I didn’t even let the other survivors know that I’m still alive.” She added.

Raul made a small sound of distress at the last comment, much to Kailey’s confusion. Apart from the late leader of Dragonfly before Alan, Raul had the opportunity to meet the main members of Blade—the inner circle. And he knew that if the few survivors there actually caught wind that Sera survived, and had neglected to inform them of this detail…

…Raul could just imagine Leroy’s reaction.

“Do I even want to know if you left Alan in one piece?” Raul said at last; his heart clenching when he recalled how his gang—his brothers whom he thought he could trust with his life, all but threw him to the hunters when they came knocking. He understood why they did that, sure. But it didn’t make things any less painful.

“Don’t worry, he’s still alive,” Sera said with a careless wave of her hand. “Though I doubt that he’ll be that way for long. He and your old gang.” Her eyes hardened. “If Alan is smart, he’ll go into hiding. You and I both know that the underground has no tolerance for traitors.”

Raul sighed and nodded sadly. “I can understand why they did what they did though,” he said, even as Kailey bandaged his left arm carefully. “There have been rumours going around for months now ever since Blade’s destruction. They said that the hunters were on the move again. It is probably why the gangs that I knew have Gifted amongst their midst have all retreated underground.”

“Regardless of the reason, there is no excuse for your gang to throw you to the wolves.” Surprisingly, it was Kailey who spoke. The normally gentle and quiet girl had a hardness to her eyes and her tone when she spoke. “I know a little how the underground works. They are supposed to be your brothers. Those whom you can trust with your life. And yet, they betrayed you.”

“They were scared.” Raul made a feeble attempt in trying to defend Dragonfly but found that he could neither muster the courage to do that nor even want to defend them. “Am I to assume that the Premier has already been informed?” He asked, directing this question to Sera.

“Most likely,” Sera admitted. “Alexis is the one to inform me of your capture about a day ago. I came as soon as I could. Honestly, I was worried that I was going to be too late, and all that I could do was bury you next to your leader.”

Kailey flinched, recalling the night when she and her twin brother had come close to staring death in the face if it wasn’t for Sera.

“Honestly, it is a little unusual to see you travelling with others though.” Raul cracked a small smile, ignoring the pain that went through his injuries when Kailey flinched. “Even back when Leroy and the others started following you around, it took them months before they could convince you to create your group. And those guys below… They’re Gifted, aren’t they?” He sneaked a glance at Kailey.

Sera sighed, ignoring Kailey’s questioning look at the unfamiliar name that passed Raul’s lips. “Yes, they are. And I can’t just abandon them. If I do, I might as well murder them by my own hands,” she said bluntly. “They’re in no way equipped enough to outwit or hide from a hunter. And honestly, things are getting a little out of hand in Eldario these days. I’m a little concerned.” She admitted.

* * * *

~Unknown Location; March 231~

Lucas Alescio furrowed his brows as he stared down at the few coins on his palm, then at the carton of milk he held in his other hand. He stared back down at the coins; but no matter how much he stared, the amount that he needed for the milk didn’t change.

With a heavy sigh, Lucas replaced the carton of milk where he had originally found it.

“I’ll get it for you if you don’t have enough.”

Lucas turned sharply at the sound of the voice behind him, onyx eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the guy standing behind him.

He had to be around Lucas’ age, if not just a few years older at best, with dark hair that was almost blue reaching to just below his earlobes, and dark blue eyes. He is well-dressed; being dressed in a white shirt with a black overcoat and black jeans, complete with a white scarf around his neck. Despite his coat, Lucas could still see the visible muscles on his body, and knew that this was a guy that had worked out often; possibly even being someone that was more than capable of taking on anyone in a fight.

And despite not seeing a badge anywhere on him, Lucas knew an ESA agent when he saw one.

“No thanks,” Lucas said quickly before leaving the shop, hoping that the guy wouldn’t follow him; already seeing the suspicious looks of the shopkeeper when he left.

Unfortunately for Lucas, the unknown guy followed him, having no issues with keeping up with Lucas. “You’re Lucas Alescio, aren’t you? I’m Leonid O’Boyle of the ESA. Can we have a word?”

“Stop talking to me!” Lucas hissed, eyes flickering around the neighbourhood even as he went towards where he’d parked his bike. “I still wish to live in this town. The people here don’t like the ESA.”

The unspoken words of neither do I went unsaid. Honestly, it isn’t like the town as a whole liked Lucas a lot either when he had first moved here together with his younger brother; but they did nothing to the two brothers and allowed them to live in peace. And for that, Lucas is thankful.

“I won’t take up much of your time.” Leonid insisted.

“No. Hands off.” Lucas was just as stubborn, already mounting his bike. “Look, I mean it. I have no issues with running you down.” He threatened.

Leonid sighed before taking his hand off the handlebar of Lucas’ bike. The younger teen wasted no time in speeding away from Leonid. It didn’t take long before he had disappeared.

Leonid studied the neighbourhood he was in. It speaks of despair, with torn posters and rubbish everywhere that he sees, complete with graffiti on the walls. And honestly, this town isn’t the only one in this state. Ever since the end of the war, there have been lots of places like this.

And with the entire issue with the hunters and the Gifted…

Honestly, it is a miracle that Eldario is still standing.

“…Laura…” Leonid murmured, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked skywards. “Would you be proud of your big brother if you could see me now?”

Will his little sister even be proud of Leonid for working for the ESA—the very organisation that one could argue is the source of the plight of the Gifted in this country?

Even if the current head of the ESA isn’t like her predecessors at all, there honestly isn’t much that she could do about the civil situation in Eldario at present, as her power and authority are minimal at best, especially when compared to the head of the hunters. It certainly doesn’t help that there are entire departments within the ESA that aren’t loyal to her but to the hunters instead. And to be honest, the fact that Leonid is even staying on in the ESA is partly because of Tiara.

Is it even possible to despise and hate himself even more than he did?

Some days, it felt to Leonid that it was.

* * * *

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Lucas Alescio opened the door to his run-down one-room apartment and almost slammed it shut again the moment he saw who was standing outside. If fact, he would have if not for the fact that a foot is stuck in between the door to prevent it from slamming shut.

“Look, I just want to talk. Just five minutes.” Leonid grunted, trying to keep the door open with his foot while Lucas was trying to shove his foot out of his door.

Finally, Lucas gave up and leaned against the doorway tiredly, almost glaring at Leonid as he did so. “How did you find me?”

“You’re not that hard to find.” Leonid shrugged. “I’ll be a failure as an ESA agent if I can’t follow your tracks.” If looks could kill, Leonid will be six feet under at this point. “Look, just spare me five minutes. That’s all.”

Lucas growled low in his throat before giving up, and opening the door wider to admit Leonid's entrance in his apartment. “My kid brother’s asleep,” he said at last, jerking one thumb back over his shoulder. Leonid spotted a small bundle of blankets cuddled up on a small camp bed that didn’t look comfortable in the least; with messy black hair sticking out. “Just keep your voice down.”

* * * *

Lucas scowled as he sat on the worn couch in his apartment, arms crossed, and glaring at the man seated across him as he told Lucas what he was there for. Honestly, he already had his suspicions when Leonid had started following him around.

After all, there are only so many reasons why the ESA would approach a Gifted these days. Though at least it wasn’t a hunter, Lucas comforted himself. He had been getting nervous, especially with all the rumours and news about hunter activity being on the rise, and was all set to pack himself and Misha up and leave.

“You want me to become a dog of the ESA.” Lucas’ scowl became more pronounced.

“That’s not what I—”

“It’s exactly what you’re implying.” Lucas interrupted. “Don’t kid yourself. We both know why you’re here. You’re one too, aren’t you? A Gifted.” Leonid said nothing, but Lucas continued, narrowing his eyes at the older male across him, “Tell me something. Do you feel proud, wagging your tail for the ESA the way you did? How many people’s lives have you ruined? How many have you killed?”

This time, Leonid can’t restrain the flinch that he gave with Lucas’ harsh words. He couldn’t say anything to rebuke him, as every word was true.

“Look Lucas, I understand where you’re coming from—”

“Like Hell, you do—”

“I have a younger sister,” Leonid said, and Lucas was cut off mid-sentence. “Or had in this case. She died a long time ago.” Whatever Lucas wanted to say at this point died on the tip of his tongue as he stared at Leonid. The older male had a sad and wistful expression on his face, “Like me, she was—is—a Gifted. She held the same Gift that I had over water; though she was more talented than I was at using it.”

“…Was it your parents?” Lucas asked at last; he was no stranger to hearing or even seeing parents turn on their kids just because they held a strange ability that they didn’t understand. It’s not an uncommon occurrence in Eldario, unfortunately; where the Gifted are enemies, or even unwanted to their fellow countrymen. And from the past tense that Leonid used, it is probably safe to assume that Leonid’s sister is no longer in the world of the living.

“No.” Leonid shook his head. “You can say that we were both victims in the hunters’ zeal in flushing out the Gifted.”

Lucas grimaced; even he knew how bad it was for the Gifted; even back when his parents were still alive. It was particularly worse for those living on the streets without family. Sometimes, even the Normals get caught up in the battles that broke out; hence increasing the animosity for the Gifted, as a result.

“Our parents kept our abilities hidden; even our hometown didn’t know that my sister and I were Gifted. As a result, the entire town paid the price for it when the hunters lost patience.” Lucas wisely decided not to ask ‘what happened to them?’ or something equally insensitive. “Not long after that, I was taken to one of the hunters’ training facilities. Laura was taken to one of the experimental labs instead. The ESA however caught word of my capture by the hunters, and the current head interfered; transferring me to one of the ESA’s training facilities instead. When I finished my training and became a fully-fledged ESA agent, the first thing I had in mind was to find my sister. But I was too late.” Leonid admitted, his voice cracking. “I couldn’t protect her. I was Laura’s brother, and I failed her.”

For several long moments, neither one of the two said anything. The only sound that could be heard was the light breathing of Lucas’ younger brother who remained asleep.

Lucas opened and closed his mouth for several minutes without saying anything. Finally, he found his voice, “…And you’re still an ESA agent?” he questioned incredulously.

Leonid gave a bitter smile. “Some days, I asked myself the same thing,” he admitted. “What am I still doing here? Why am I doing this? But in the end, the ESA is all that I know. All that I have left. Back then, when I first knew about Laura’s death, I confronted Tiara, even though logically, I knew that she had done her best.” He looked at Lucas with a critical eye. “The common populace wouldn’t know this; but it is common knowledge for those in the ESA, the hunters, and even the underground. The one with the true power in Eldario is the head of the hunters. The power of the ESA is a joke compared to the hunters. Tiara did her best to minimise the damage that the hunters caused. But any bills or protection that she wanted to award to the Gifted has never gone through thanks to the influence that the hunters had in Eldario. It certainly doesn’t help that the hunters as a whole detest the Gifted which in turn only fuelled the animosity and discord that the common populace had for the Gifted. It is why I stayed on in the ESA. If only to support Tiara. Even in the ESA, she doesn’t have many agents that she could trust fully. There are after all entire departments within the ESA that are loyal to the hunters, and not to her.”

Lucas stared at Leonid as he’d just grown two new heads, and the older male let out a light chuckle. Lucas let out a long sigh, rubbing at his temples. “You know, hearing you say all that isn’t convincing me to sign up with the ESA at all,” he said at last.

Leonid shrugged. “I would rather not give you any illusions about the ESA,” he admitted. “Besides, let me put it this way: you have a younger brother. If you’re anything like me at all, you probably wouldn’t care what happens to yourself as long as your brother is kept safe. Out here, out in the streets and living a life of uncertainty, you don’t know what is going to happen. How long do you think you can live like that? Living hand-to-mouth? Afraid that someone is going to find out you’re Gifted sooner or later? How long will it be before you or your kid brother is dragged into the street life?”

“Leave my brother out of this!” Lucas snapped.

Behind him, a light whimper could be heard, and Lucas turned his attention to his younger brother immediately. Thankfully, he didn’t wake and merely pulled the thin, ragged blanket over his head.

“I don’t want him involved with the darkness of this country,” Lucas said, but with a lower voice to prevent his brother from waking.

“He’s a Gifted too, from what I know. You can’t protect him from it forever.” Leonid pointed out. “All Gifted will be dragged into conflicts sooner or later. And yes, it is as you said, the ESA isn’t that innocent. But wouldn’t they be a better alternative than possibly starving to death on the streets, or even being hunted?” Leonid sighed and got to his feet. “That’s all I came to say.” He reached into his pocket and removed a name card before laying it on the surface of the worn table in between them both. “If you ever change your mind, give me a call. Just think about it, okay?”

* * * *

“I see.” Timo mused even as he passed a cup of coffee over to Sera. “Thank god that you got there in time.”

Sera nodded grimly. “Things are getting so bad now for the Gifted that it’s not even funny anymore,” she admitted. “It’s a sign of things to come if even the underground are turning on their own. Lots of the gangs are panicking because of Dragonfly. And I sincerely wish Alan and his gang good luck in trying to stay hidden in Eldario with the high tensions amongst the underground. If they still are in Eldario, they wouldn’t remain alive for long.”

Sera glared at the contents of her drink like it’d done her some great wrong when she recalled when she had confronted Alan and Dragonfly with Laura, Tatius and Neil.

“I did what I thought was best!”

“By selling one of your own out?” Sera countered Alan’s rather weak argument. “I’m surprised that the Premier hasn’t sent anyone here yet!” The rest of Dragonfly flinched, and Tatius only frowned to himself at the unfamiliar name. Premier? “You know our laws! You were raised on it from the moment when you entered the underground life from day one like all of us did! You don’t sell your people out, no matter the reason!”

“All of us know what had happened to Blade!” Alan choked, even as Sera’s grip on his collar tightened, nearly cutting off his air supply. “It was the news around the underground for months! They said that hunters had come. If even Blade, arguably the most powerful and influential amongst us fell to them, what other choice do we have? I need to protect my people, Sera! I can’t sacrifice the lot of them for one person!”

Sera gave a start when she felt a hand land on the top of her head and started ruffling her hair. She looked up only to meet with Timo’s kind brown eyes. The older man had an understanding look in his eyes.

“You made it in time, Sera,” Timo said quietly. “You saved Raul. That’s all that matters.”

Sera said nothing before she stared back down at her slowly cooling coffee. “Yes, I made it in time,” she echoed Timo’s words. “So why couldn’t I save them?” Unseen by Sera, Timo flinched. “Why are hunters—humans, able to commit such acts, and make it look so natural?” Sera let out a bitter chuckle, covering part of her face with her left hand; peeking out in between the gaps of her fingers. “What did they ever do to the hunters? Most of them aren’t even Gifted. They’re Normals. But to the hunters, as long as they run together with the Gifted, that makes them guilty by association. Tell me something, Timo, what wrong have we committed? What sin are we supposed to have done in their eyes? Angela. Jun. Yunan. And all the others. What have they died for?”

Timo has no idea what to say for several moments. For a while, the only sounds that could be heard were the soft music that he had playing from a record player nearby. Finally, Timo spoke, “…Sera, how long have we known each other?”

This question was random, and so out of the blue that it caused Sera to look at Timo with a puzzled expression. “I don’t remember. Seven years, give or take?”

Timo nodded. “You know, the first time I met you back at Zephys; before Blade’s formation, and even before Leroy and the others have started following you around; you got the eyes of someone drenched in cold rain,” he admitted. “And when you and Leroy and Jamie first told me about forming Blade, I was concerned that they pushed you into this decision. You had the eyes and even the air of someone who doesn’t care whether they live or die.” Sera’s eyes widened a slight fraction at this admission. “But then, gradually, I see life starting to come back to you. It got better when you met Zest, and he joined Blade. Your guys…” Timo smiled wistfully as he cleaned the countertop in front of him to find something to occupy his hands with, “They’re a bunch of interesting kids. I felt that way back then, and even now. They’ve never feared or hated you, or any of the other Gifted in your group.”

“…No, they never did,” Sera said after a long pause, cupping her hands around the cup of coffee in front of her. “…Maybe it would have been better if they had never met me.” She whispered.

Timo stared at Sera unblinkingly. “They would disagree with you,” he said bluntly. “You know that. Don’t disgrace their memory, kid.” Sera’s lips twitched. “Back then, even during Blade, it’s like you sometimes have the eyes of someone that has lost their way. It’s like you have no destination; no goal in sight. I fear for you sometimes. But then Zest came, and it’s like he’s your anchor. And then, after everything, it went back to square one. The day when you came in here with Neil and Kailey after months of going missing, I was terrified at the look in your eyes. It’s like you’ve given up on life entirely.”

Sera let out a long exhale, looking up at Timo. “I’m tired, Timo,” she admitted. “I don’t want to live if I have to continue taking the lives of others to do it. All the battles… All the fights… The deaths…” She sighed, cradling her forehead. “What is it for in the end?”

“That’s not you, Sera,” Timo answered quietly. “You’re never one to give up. And those guys with you now; can you bear to leave them alone? Isn’t that why you brought them with you? Because you know you’re their best chance at staying alive?”

“I don’t know,” Sera admitted. “I look at them sometimes, and I see those guys. I wasn’t trying to replace them or anything. It’s just…” She struggled with her words, before sighing. But Timo understood what she meant. “It’s only a few months since they died, but it felt like years.”

Timo nodded. “It felt like it some days,” he admitted. “Sometimes, when I hear the tinkle of the bell, I look up and expect to see Jun dragging Yunan and Terra in; or even hear Senri laughing or even Yuna singing. It’s almost difficult to believe that they’re dead. They were so full of life; all of them. Not something you’d expect from Eldario’s most notorious street gang.” He studied Sera, a small smile tugging at the ends of his lips. “You said you wanted to make a safe place for them; for those that didn’t have a home to return to. You succeeded, Sera. Even now, without your constant presence, Zephys is still neutral ground. A safe place for the Gifted.”

“That’s still debatable some days.”

Timo studied Sera silently. “Have you ever grieved for them properly at all, Sera? Since their passing?”

Sera shook her head. “I wasn’t able to,” she admitted. “I was a little more concerned with getting Zest the medical attention he needs before returning to Zephys after that and looting out all the attackers. And also to ensure that they won’t be repeating it a second time.”

Timo wisely decided not to ask any further. With Sera involved; and especially as it’s her people who were caught up in it, he knew that if Sera ever got her hands on the attackers; none of them would be leaving Zephys alive.

Though he still wonders to this day just who is crazy enough to target Blade or Sera? Those kids were just kids in appearance only. They’re tough and can handle themselves. Their reputation is there for a reason.

Everyone in the underground—even the ESA and the hunters, knows that. Especially the hunters.

Timo stopped cleaning the countertop. “…You know the old custom that we used to have in this country?” he asked quietly, and Sera looked up; surprised with the sudden change in topic. “If you have a wish or something that you want to forget, write it on a piece of parchment or paper, place it in a glass bottle and send it out to the sea.” He recited the ancient custom that he had heard about from his parents as a young boy. “And then, someday, it might just come true. It might be one way for you to put your past behind you. I know your guys, Sera. They won’t want you to continue living in the past, and be shackled to it. You need to move past it.”

Sera was silent; acting like she hadn’t heard Timo. Finally, she looked up at the older man.

“…Do you have a glass bottle?”

* * * *

The sun is already slowly setting; orange rays slowly giving way to dark when Sera arrives at the seaside.

She had made sure to take an alternate route so that she wouldn’t run into any of the others who had gone to stock up on their supplies whilst she had gone to visit Timo. Even after months, she hadn’t yet told any of them about her past; though she was certain Laura had probably known parts of it from Reina. Neil and Kailey as well. As for Raul, he probably knew the most; but had respected her need for privacy, and hadn’t said a single word, no matter how much the others have asked.

The sound of the waves was relaxing; with Sera watching as the waves receded back before rolling forward again; with the cries of the gulls above her acting like a soothing lullaby. She looked down at the small glass bottle clutched in her left hand, with a roll of paper visible within it.

She closed her eyes briefly, letting the strong winds blow into her face; bringing with it the strong, salty and familiar smell of the sea. “Can sins be forgiven this way?” she whispered to herself. “I’m sorry—”

—I’m sorry for not being able to save you—

Sera flung her left arm forward, and she then watched as the glass bottle whirled in the air; with the rays of the sun bouncing off the glass before the bottle then landed with a small splash in the sea. She watched even as the waves took it further out.

It might just be an ancient custom that used to be practised in Eldario, and it might even be a form of superstition. But somehow, even as Sera watched the bottle get carried further away by the waves, she felt lighter.

“If we have the chance to be reincarnated, let’s meet again,” Sera whispered, eyes never moving away from the small glass bottle as it bobbed away.

A glint of something caught her eye just then, and she shifted her eyes towards the left only to see the familiar shape of a glass bottle bobbing away on the waves. Sera doesn’t even need to utilise her superior sight to know that there is a roll of paper tucked away within it.

She glanced to the side only to see a boy maybe only a couple of years older than her standing not too far away. Almost like sensing Sera’s eyes on him, the boy turned towards her with a raised brow before his eyes shifted towards the sea and then back again.

He cracked a small smile at Sera. “I didn’t think that there is still anyone who remembers the old custom that used to be practised here,” he admitted. “I only remember hearing about it once from my parents before they passed away.”

“…A few of us do,” Sera admitted. “It is still practised in some of the rural parts, though.”

“I guess.” The boy shrugged, a small smile tugging at the ends of his lips before he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Lucas Alescio,” he introduced himself.

“Sera,” Sera murmured. People are still searching for her after all. It’ll be silly to give out her full name to someone whom she’d only just met. Her first name is pretty common. It is her last name that isn’t.

She somehow also managed to hide her shock at hearing his last name. Alescio… He’s probably…

“Pleasure.” Lucas inclined his head to Sera. He turned his attention back towards the sea again. “You know, saying that I will protect someone with my last breath is easy. But when it comes down to it; doing it is easier said than done,” he murmured. Lucas raised his right hand upwards until it was at his eye level; peering through the gaps of his fingers at the setting sun. “My parents left my kid brother to me when they passed away. ‘Protect Misha,’ was what they told me. I haven’t been the best big brother in recent years… But that guy has a point. If I want to protect him, this is one sure way. I have to stop living in the past.” Lucas smiled.

Sera’s eyes widened a fraction with those familiar words.

She remembered a time when her Gift suddenly grew overwhelmingly strong to the point that she could barely control it; much less prevent herself from hurting her people—her friends.

She had hidden herself away for nearly two weeks as a result.

And then, who should appear but Zest?

No matter how she had tried to hide, she had never been able to hide from him. He somehow always knew where she was and what she was feeling, and even knew when to back off and give her space, and yet, would always be there when she needed it.

“I can’t control it,” Sera whispered fearfully, watching even as the items that weren’t nailed down to the ground were starting to tremble. Even the broken windows in this broken-down shed that she had hidden herself away were starting to rattle in their frames.

“You can.” Zest gripped hold of Sera’s chin, but not hard enough that it would bruise; forcing her to face him as he knelt before the younger girl. His other hand held onto her right forearm. “You can control it. You’ve been doing it your whole life. Remember what you told me before? Gifted control their abilities with their emotions. You’re not unfeeling; despite what our enemies believe. You feel more than anyone I knew. You feel anger more than anyone I’ve ever seen. You’ve always been angry. You were angry all the time, Sera. Probably even before Leroy and the others stepped into the picture. You just hid it behind a mask of nonchalance so that others couldn’t see it. But underneath that, you’ve always been angry. I know. I understand that. Because I’m the same way.”

Sera stared straight into Zest’s red eyes; not seeing anything but understanding.

Out of everyone that she had ever known; Zest is the only one to ever truly understand her. He understands the side of her that she kept hidden from everyone—the side that just wanted to rage and scream at the world that had abandoned her, and had let her down.

And it is true what Zest said.

Sera can’t deny that the anger and hatred have always been within her; just bubbling beneath the surface and threatening to resurface at any minute.

“You’ve spent your whole life hiding it so you wouldn’t be hurt again,” Zest said, releasing his hold on Sera. “And I understand that too. I see myself in you sometimes, Sera. That is why I followed you. There is something more to you than just anger and pure rage. People will leave; that is a fact. People will hate; that is another fact; especially in this country. But Sera, I’m not going anywhere.” He said determinedly; causing Sera to look up from where she had let her eyes fall to the ground below them. “I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me. So don’t be afraid to be who you are. Don’t be afraid to show who you are.”

‘Zest…’ Sera mused, staring at the waves of the ocean. ‘Will you still stay by my side, like what you’ve said? Even after everything?’

“Sounds like you’ve made up your mind then,” was all that Sera said, and Lucas smiled and nodded.

“Sera!”

Both of them turned at the sound of the voice only to see Tatius walking towards them, a frown on his face as his eyes landed on Lucas.

“Tatius.” Sera greeted.

“Friend of yours?” Tatius questioned, studying Lucas momentarily before turning his attention back to Sera once more. Lucas almost felt as if he was getting x-rayed by those assessing green eyes, and felt nervous.

“Well, I guess I’ll make a move.” He quickly decided. “I’ll see you around?” He directed this question to Sera, trying to ignore the penetrating gaze as he did so.

“Maybe.” Sera shrugged.

Lucas nodded to Tatius politely before leaving the area as fast as he could.

Both of them waited until they could no longer hear the sounds of Lucas’ footsteps before Sera let out a small sigh. “How did you find me?” she asked.

“Timo called,” Tatius admitted. “He sounded a bit worried.”

“…I’m fine.”

“Is that your default answer for everything, Sera?” Tatius questioned with a raised brow. “You don’t sound fine. You sound so tired. Like you’ve given up on everything.” Tatius can now understand why Timo was worried.

Sera said nothing for several moments, wrapping her arms around herself even as she stared out into the distance.

“I feel that way sometimes,” Sera admitted at last just as Tatius thought that she’ll ignore him. She sighed, sounding so lifeless. And somehow, Tatius didn’t like hearing it. “I’m tired. Goddess above, I’m so fucking tired.”

Tatius stared at Sera, wondering what he should say, or even do. Granted, out of all of them, it is probably him and Laura that are the closest to Sera, outside of perhaps Raul and Neil. Not something that the others did, but because it is them—Laura and Tatius, who understood Sera’s ruthless side, and why she has to do certain things.

It is also why Tatius and Laura are the only ones apart from Neil that Sera had brought with her when they went to rescue Raul.

Sera had always been strong—or at least, she seemed that way to Tatius. Hence why he feels helpless, bewildered and utterly alone right now.

She always seemed to know what to do, no matter the situation.

Like when his brother was poisoned, or when Raul was held captive. Sera had always been their rock. She had always been steadfast and strong, even when there was nothing else to cling to. And from the little that they knew about Sera’s history, Tatius understood why she seemed that way.

And to see her so…tired is almost bewildering.

“I can see why Timo is worried now. And even Raul.” Tatius said at last.

Sera gave a grim smile in answer. “It’s only been months since Zephys and everything,” she admitted. “Yet it felt like years. Forcing myself to keep moving. Keep running. Finding something to do. I felt like if I had a moment to myself, I’d crack. And then at some point, I didn’t realise when it was when I’ve…given up on everything. I’m tired.”

Tatius stared at Sera, Raul’s words before he had departed after Timo’s worried phone call rang about in his head.

“I haven’t seen her for a while. Not since Blade’s demise. But even the strongest person in the world had a limit. Blade was everything to her. They were her friends and family. The first ones to accept her. I can’t imagine what losing them must have done to Sera. At this point, I don’t think Sera even remembers how to cry anymore.”

“It is no wonder you are tired, Sera,” Tatius said at last. “Being angry at everything… Isn’t it tiring?” Sera gave him a questioning look, and Tatius gave a small smile. “The others can’t tell, but I know, and I can see what people don’t say. I’ve had enough practice doing that.” With how Tatius and his two siblings have grown up, one amongst the three of them has to know how to read body language if they want to get out of the lab unscathed. “From the very first moment when we’ve met you, you’ve been angry,” Tatius admitted. “At first, I thought that it’s us you’re mad at. And then later, I thought that it was the hunters. Later on, I realised that it seemed to be your default emotion. You don’t seem to know anything but to be angry.”

Sera’s eyes widened with those strangely familiar words.

You’ve always been angry. You were angry all the time, Sera. Probably even before Leroy and the others stepped into the picture. You just hid it behind a mask of nonchalance so that others couldn’t see it. But underneath that, you’ve always been angry. I know. I understand that. Because I’m the same way.

Sera scuffled the sand beneath her shoe. “Sometimes, anger can help you survive,” she admitted. “That’s what I’ve been doing all my life. Just trying to survive. But it’s as you said. I’ve been angry for too long. At some point, I don’t even remember how to feel anything but anger anymore. Zest… He was the only one who could make me feel something other than anger. He made me feel alive. But then…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

Tatius closed his eyes momentarily. It is as he thought. It is no wonder Raul and Timo were both worried.

“We’re here, Sera. Can’t it be enough?” he asked with a small voice. What can he say to make her feel better? What can he say to not make Sera give up? All Gifted are dealt a shit hand in life; that is an undeniable fact. But it seems like Sera has been through worse than the average Gifted. What had happened to her before they met her? “We’re not going anywhere. Whatever that you decide in the end, we’re in it with you—until the end.”

Sera almost cringed at the familiar words coming out of Tatius’ mouth. If Zest isn’t still alive; she’ll think that Tatius is Zest coming back from the dead to haunt her.

But Sera, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me. So don’t be afraid to be who you are. Don’t be afraid to show who you are.

“You’re just like him,” Sera admitted, and Tatius looked confused. “You’re a lot like Zest. He said the same thing to me that you are saying now. He’s…the only one that I really and truly trusted with my life. The only one that I didn’t have to hide anything around. I can be myself around him without fearing that he’ll leave me. Abandon me.” Sera admitted. “He didn’t change even when he knew I was a Gifted, and he saw what I could do. And I loved it.” She gave a grim smile. “People always ended up leaving me or even ousting me to the hunters when they saw what I could do. And I honestly don’t blame them. There was a point when I couldn’t trust myself to not hurt anyone accidentally.”

Tatius fought hard to control his facial expression to not show his shock.

He knew that Sera was a powerful Gifted. He hadn’t seen it in action yet except for those few moments back when they stormed the Dragonfly base, and Sera had used her Gift to pin those guys to the wall. Even back then, he could tell that Sera was holding back.

Just how powerful is her Gift that she was this close to losing control for a time during what must be her adolescent years when her Gift was slowly developing and maturing?

Sera looked at Tatius; her lips twitching as she did so. “I’m fine now,” she said, almost as if reading his mind. “I got my Gift fully under control now.”

“We’ll stay with you, no matter what,” Tatius said again. “Surely you must know that? We’re not Blade. We can’t replace them. And we won’t. But finding a new family. New friends. They would want that for you, won’t they? If the positions have been reversed, wouldn’t you want the same for them?”

Sera was silent. Tatius’ words were so similar to Timo’s that she wondered for a moment if the older man had coached Tatius on what to say to her.

“Live on.”

Blue eyes met with heterochromia eyes. “Promise me. You’ll live on, no matter what. Do you understand me?”

Sera watched the waves in front of her silently. ‘Can I be selfish for once in my life?’ she begged silently.

A light breeze blew just then; making Sera feel like fingers are caressing her hair—the same way that he always did to calm her down.

Sera fought hard to prevent a smile. No matter what, no matter how many years it has been… No matter how long it had been since he had died, it always felt like he was right there with her all this time.

“What do you want to do though, Sera?” Tatius asked quietly. “I told you; we’ll follow you, no matter what. What do you want to do?”

Sera stared at Tatius for a long time without saying anything, an insane plan forming in her head.

She must have been spending too much time with Leroy or even Zest before the destruction of Blade. This plan sounds like something that one of them would have come up with.

Sera gave a small smile. “…If you guys say you’ll stay with me, then there’s something that I want to do,” she said at last.”

* * * *

“…I’m starting to understand what people mean now when they say that you’re not the average person,” Laura said that night on the rooftop of the boathouse, staring at Sera like she was seeing the latter for the first time. “I swear… No one else would come up with a plan this insane. And the funny thing here is I definitely could see it working out; especially if it’s you carrying it out.”

“Well, none of us want to continue living like fugitives forever.” Tatius pointed out from Laura’s other side. “If it improves lives for the Gifted as a whole, why not?” He shrugged. “We’ve put up with this treatment for years. Enough is enough.”

Laura sighed before turning her attention back to Sera. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while,” she accused, and Sera raised one brow. “This plan… It isn’t something you thought up out of the blue. A boathouse as a base—something that we can use to keep moving around to prevent detection…” She trailed off slowly. “I’m guessing Blade?”

Sera nodded. “It was something that those from Blade had initially wanted to do at some point within the last year, but you know what happened to them.” Laura and Tatius both flinched. Sera twirled a lock of her hair in between her fingers. “So I’m carrying on for them. That’s why… Let’s create a group—”

“Let’s create a group—a gang, or whatever you wish to call it—”

“The situation with the hunters is getting out of hand.” Sera tried her utmost best to push her memories down. But judging by the looks that both Laura and Tatius are giving her, she isn’t succeeding. “We can’t ignore it either way—”

“I want to help the Gifted. No one should suffer like we did—”

“To protect the Gifted? Those like us?” Laura piped up.

“Why don’t you do what you could, rather than dwell on what you couldn’t, Sera?”

Sera shook her head, much to Laura and Tatius’ surprise. “To do what most couldn’t and wouldn’t,” she corrected; the conversation that she had with Zest a long time ago coming to the surface of her mind. “And if it includes the Gifted, so be it.” She had a small smile tugging at the ends of her lips. “Think of us like vigilantes in a way.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while.” Laura pointed out with a frown.

Sera shrugged. “Like it or not, we can’t let the current situation in Eldario stand,” she pointed out. “The ESA is one thing. The hunters are a big problem right now not just for us, but for the Normals. And if we let them have free reign, then we might have another civil war brewing on the horizon.”

Tatius nodded. “If what had happened to my brother and even Raul is of any indication, then yes, the whole situation is spiralling out of control,” he admitted. “None of the others have said anything, but I know they’re anxious about it.”

Silence fell between the three for several moments before Laura sighed. “Well, it’s true that we can’t leave things as it is.”

Sera gave a small smile; a look entering her eyes that caused Laura and Tatius to be on guard immediately. It is a look that spelt both mischief and scheming. But Hell, anything was better than the lost and dead expression that Sera had been carrying around for months now ever since they’d met her.

“If we’re going to be treated like the Devil by the ESA, the hunters, and even by this country itself, then let’s do something to warrant that reputation,” Sera stated.

Laura and Tatius exchanged looks between themselves.

“We’ve told you.” Laura said firmly, “and I know for one that the others will agree with me. You helped us. You saved us when you didn’t have to. You put your neck on the line to help us and give us a second chance at life. We’ll follow you to Hell if we have to. If this is what you want to do, then we’re in this with you.” She sucked in a breath. “The Gifted… All of us… None of us deserve the hand that we’ve been given. Much less you.”

Tatius nodded, agreeing with Laura. “So, what should we name this ‘group’?” he asked, drawing quotation marks in the air. “If this goes according to plan, it wouldn’t take long at all before we start drawing the attention of the ESA and the hunters. Let’s come up with a good name then.”

“So what should we call ourselves?”

Sera gave a small smile, recalling the almost identical question that Alisa had once asked back when they decided to start their gang. ‘Not Blade,’ she decided. ‘That name is because I want each of them to stand up for themselves; powerful enough to stand against their enemies. Sharp and unyielding like in our name. But that’s not the purpose of this one.’

“So why did you start Blade to begin with? You always have a reason behind the decisions that you make. So why did you make this one?”

The name for their would-be group came easier to Sera than she thought it would, even as she turned her attention back to the two with her.

“…Aegis.”

Aegis. Protector.

Will you agree with this path that I’ve taken, Zest?