"No! Don't leave me!"

Sofia awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. The roof above her head was aged and tattered, as were the walls of the small shack she found herself in. Her hands were still shaking, and the bed sheets she lay on were drenched in her sweat. She took a deep, long breath and slowly let it out to calm herself.

The same old nightmare, she thought. After all these years, I thought I would have grown stronger, but... No time for distractions. Where am I? What happened before I lost consciousness?

She held her head in her hands. Pain jolted her brain as she recalled the scenes she had witnessed. She turned to the side and saw that strange man leisurely sharpening his knives in the corner of the room; a slight smile appeared briefly on her lips before disappearing just as fast. She carefully left the bed only to realize that her clothes were gone and only a nightgown dressed her body. She recalled that night's events, and blood rushed to her face, tinting it in a hue of red.

She found a broken floorboard and gripped it tightly before rushing towards the man. She swung it with all her strength, aiming for his head. Felix seemed oblivious to the attack but had already seen it coming. Sofia's movements were fast and precise, but he was even quicker. He deftly evaded the blow before swatting the broken piece of wood aside. He grabbed both her wrists, and they both fell on the bed.

"I know I wasn't expecting to be thanked," Felix said. "But this is overboard, don't you think?"

Sofia was pinned under his weight. She struggled to free herself to no avail. Their heads were close, and she could feel his breath on her skin. The shape of his lips made her recall some memories, and her blush intensified. She turned her head to the side in embarrassment.

"You expect me to thank you for stripping me?!"

Felix looked surprised, but soon, a mischievous smile graced his lips.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, but I better enjoy it while I can."

She could feel his gaze wander over her body. Only the thin fabric of her nightgown separated them. She could feel his body heat hover just over her. Her emotions were complex: shame, embarrassment and a hint of temptation. Her breath quickened ever so slightly, and her pupils dilated.

Felix saw the change and chuckled. He let go of her hands and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her. Sofia was puzzled by his actions. She had expected something... more.

"I don't mind continuing from last night, but we have some business to attend to before that."

His tone was cold and harsh, starkly contrasting his earlier casual attitude. All traces of emotion left her face, only to be replaced by a grim look. She knew what she had done and was unashamed, but she couldn't escape the consequences. She had expected the worst from him, but all she received was a helpless smile.

"We are currently in an abandoned house in the town's slums. I made sure your employer couldn't find you here. As for your clothes, they were bloody, so I changed them. That's all."

Sofia was stunned. She wasn't expecting this, so she couldn't help but blurt out, "Why?".

"Why did I save you?" he replied pensively. "A good question, but honestly, I just felt like it."

Sofia stared at him, lost for words. A multitude of emotions battled in her heart. She had always tried to suppress them and be cool-headed and cold-hearted, but Felix's reply made them erupt.

"What do you mean, 'I just felt like it'!" she said with tears of fury in her eyes. "I betrayed you! I stole from you! I even helped the Boss send killers after you, and you help me just because you 'felt like it'!?"

She was panting hard. Her throat grew hoarse from all the screaming. She pushed Felix down, hitting his chest with her tiny fist. Although the blows were weak, they felt heavy. Felix said nothing. He only looked her in the eyes while hot tears fell down on his face. Years of repressed emotions crashed on him like a hurricane, and he took them all.

"I tried so hard!" she said amidst her sobbing. "So hard to be strong. So hard to live in this shitty world. I did things people aren't proud of, but I needed to do so to survive. I'm not ashamed, for I have survived! They are all dead, but I'm still alive! They cursed me a failure, but where are they now! Just dust in the sands of history! Yet you... you! You just did it because you 'felt like it'! You have no idea how hard it was..."

She buried her face in his chest, still sobbing. Felix embraced her slender body while running one hand into her hair, patting her head. He stared at the ceiling; only her weeping broke the silence.

"Neither do you," he muttered under his breath.

His words woke her from her stupor. She raised her head, livid with shame. She freed herself from his embrace before hiding beneath the sheets, curled up in a ball.

"Who's the 'boss' you mentioned?" Felix asked while getting up.

She took deep breaths to calm down before crawling out of the sheets and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"The division leader of the Raging Beasts gang," she replied.

"Never heard of them. I thought this town was ruled by the three pillars."

"That's old news. They are the new rising stars of the underworld. Ever since the armistice, they gained ground, snatching territory after territory. This town fell to them almost two years ago."

"The Kingdom must be in on it."

"Well, the governor profited quite a bit from it, at least."

"I figured," Felix said pensively. "To rise so fast must mean they have quite the backing. What's your role in all of this?"

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"Why get involved? What's in it for you?" she said with doubt in her eyes.

Felix stared into the depths of her violet eyes. Heat rose from her chest, tinting her face in a shade of scarlet. She broke eye contact, embarrassed but somehow aroused. She tugged on the edge of her nightgown, futilely trying to hide her slender legs with the thin fabric. A hint of a smile crept on the corner of Felix's lips, enraptured by the cute gesture.

"I need to get my stuff back, remember?" he said jokingly.

She pouted, obviously dissatisfied with his answer.

"I know you could have taken them back anytime you wished, but you didn't. What are you really after?"

Felix burst out laughing. Sofia was taken aback. She frowned and had the urge to slap him but refrained.

"Beautiful and smart!" he exclaimed. "Well, you must be for a woman to survive in the underworld."

"Ha! Don't look down on women! They are much stronger than you men think!"

"Don't I know it," Felix said softly. His gaze grew unfocused as he lost himself momentarily in memories. Her soft voice brought him back.

"Don't dodge the question."

Felix took a moment to recollect himself before letting out a deep breath. His stern expression sent a shiver down Sofia's back. His earlier joking demeanour was gone.

"The thugs I killed mentioned that your boss was gathering relics."

"You're a relic hunter?"

Sofia jumped out of bed, barely trying to cover herself, and rushed for the daggers Felix had left on the floor. Before she could reach them, however, Felix had already wrapped an arm around her from behind while restraining one of her arms.

"Why do people always assume the worst?" he said with a tinge of sadness.

"If you're not, why would you seek them?"

"You don't know much, do you? Ever heard of the Cult of the Moon?"

"What is a 'Moon' supposed to be, anyway?"

"The day will soon come that the world will know of its radiance."

"That doesn't explain anything!"

"I suppose it doesn't, but it doesn't matter. Just know that my goal requires those relics."

"Why should I help you?"

"You owe me," he said confidently.

She sighed in resignation.

"Why do I feel this way?" she said, burying her head in her hands. "I've always kept people at a distance, never asking anything of them to not be betrayed, yet why do I feel I can trust you? We are strangers at best, yet it feels like the world is forcing us together."

Felix simply smiled in response but was conflicted inwardly. He glanced at his sword resting against the cabin's wall.

You are closer to the truth than you believe, he thought.

"So," she said after a moment of reflection. "What do you propose we do?"

******

On a hill not far from town stood a stronghold. This stronghold was a relic of a war so long ago that most records had been erased over time. It was surrounded by the Acrean Forest, making it relatively hidden. This was now the Raging Beasts division headquarters.

Although the place had seen better days, it was still quite functional, as the gang had poured a lot of funds into its restoration. Despite being nighttime, the place was still bustling with activity as guards patrolled the wooden walls, looking towards the sea of trees.

However, the patrol was relatively lax, as the gang members were mere criminals and not trained soldiers. Since they had already reached an agreement with the governor, most gang members thought patrolling was a waste of time; as such, the walls were mostly just a place to kick back and drink.

Deep inside the stronghold stood a man over two meters tall. The man was in his bedroom, amusing himself with his newest catch. In addition to his love of food and alcohol, the man also had an insatiable lust. He lived only to fulfill his desires. The man had a despicable habit. Every week, he would go into town to look for new prey. Once he found a woman or two who struck his fancy, he would bring them back forcefully into the stronghold to enjoy them until they broke. Even worse, the man was mainly interested in young married women.

While he took them away, he would also order his men to abduct their husbands. He would then force them to watch as he violated them. Sometimes, when he took back more than one, he would force the men to fight each other to the death while their wives watched, promising to free the victor. Of course, he never kept those promises.

The guard outside his door entered as he was toying with his newest prey. While he stared with envy at the naked woman on the bed, the guard spoke, "Boss! Sofia has come back. Should I let her in?"

The Boss frowned at the interruption and stood motionless over the woman's body, thinking. He was quite fond of Sofia. She had been a great help in the negotiations with the government as her charm gave them an edge, but more than that, he had always wanted to bed her but wasn't brave enough. He was all too aware of the power of her charm and wouldn't take the chance to fall under her control.

"Let her in," he said to the guard.

Less than a minute later, Sofia entered the room. Unperturbed, she looked at the almost lifeless woman under the Boss. Unfortunately, such a scene was all too common with that man, and she had gotten used to it.

She recalled the first time she witnessed this scene, four years ago. At the time, she was inexperienced and had hidden behind her brother. It took her almost a week to recover. As she recalled her brother, a look of sorrow flashed. Sofia was the first to speak, seeing that the Boss was too busy at the moment.

"Boss, have you received the item?" she asked.

The man sat on the bed, still naked, and stared at her. Sofia looked away as she had no interest in the thing between his legs.

"I did... quite interesting for a relic. Before that, however, only one of the men I sent to you has returned. What happened to the other two?"

His stare seemed to be burning a hole through her. Trying to maintain her calm, Sofia muttered, "Dead."

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

A chill ran through her spine as cold sweat poured out of her pores. It took every ounce of courage for her to meet his gaze. The man before her was a beast in every sense of the word. He was a predator that wouldn't feel anything, simply crushing her where she stood. She chose her following words carefully.

"They are both dead. The target killed them both."

The man stared into her eyes. Although the Boss seemed like a brute, strength alone wasn't enough to lead a gang like the Raging Beasts, especially considering the number of enemies they had made. Cunning was also necessary. With years of experience and sharp instincts, the Boss could mostly tell when someone was lying. As such, Sofia mainly told the truth. The man still had more questions, however.

"Then, why are you still alive?"

Sofia swallowed nervously. This was the decisive moment.

"He took a liking to me. You know about my charm. He simply couldn't bring himself to hurt me."

Everything she said was true, although some of the details were omitted. The Boss also seemed to buy it.

"I see," he said, reflecting. "In that case, I have another mission for you. I want you to find out where he got that sword. It shouldn't be too difficult for you."

Sofia finally let out a breath of relief. Everything was going well.

"Boss!" Sofia said. You promised to let me see my brother if I ever got hold of a relic. I've fulfilled my part of the deal, and now it's time for you to do the same."

The boss' expression grew cold.

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" he said. The aura of an apex predator permeated the room as terror washed over her.

"I may favour you a little, but that doesn't mean I owe you anything. Be grateful that I haven't done the same to you as that woman over there." he continued as he pointed to the unconscious woman on the bed.

Sofia's expression sunk as despair overwhelmed her. She fell limply on her knees as she thought that she wouldn't ever see her brother again. Ever since they left their home, her brother was all she could rely on, and now she had lost him. She felt truly alone.

She lay unmoving on the floor until she heard a voice coming from the other side of the door.

"Time for Plan B, it seems."