I saw myself, standing barefoot on the earth.

A dense fog covered the valley, blending with the thick flora. Navigating this sector was nearly impossible. No—it was impossible. It was impossible. So why?

I knew this valley. I knew this fog. I remembered everything.

Soon, I would run down that slope.

Soon, I would commit treason.

In the distance, gunfire echoed like the rumbling of a storm.

In the distance, the fire of a flamethrower lit up the gloom.

Screams. Screams and more screams.

And then—chaos.

The forest itself turned against us.

In every moss patch, in every plant, in every flower, an enemy lurked.

Facing the constructs in this place was madness. The plants devoured flesh and metal alike.

Vines wrapped around ankles and tore off legs.

Fire consumed the forest. But after every patch of vegetation was reduced to ashes, the fog descended—cold and thick—and soon, another patch of greenery emerged, alive, hostile.

In the distance, I finally saw myself.

Our battalion was retreating at full speed. But no matter how fast we ran—it wasn’t enough.

One by one, we fell.

One by one, we became fertilizer.

Soon, only two of us remained.

I ran.

The flamethrower ran.

But my rifle was light, and his fuel tank was not. Soon, I left him behind.

I heard his screams. His pleas.

Fifteen steps away, I stopped.

Our enemies were nearly upon us.

I raised my revolver.

Aimed at the tank.

Click.

"This is what I am."

—Kai..!

A voice echoed in my consciousness.

—Kailen!

The voice was childish. Annoying. Strange. I didn’t remember anyone with a voice like that in the army. Who could it be?

—Kailen! Kailen, wake up! That man is being mean to me.

Someone shook my shoulders, and I finally left the world of the fog. I was back in the van.

Olaf was making faces at Summer, clearly irritating the girl.

—Enough, Olaf.

I sat up, stretching my joints. My right arm ached like hell, and so did my hips.

—How long was I asleep? —I asked Kan.

—About nine hours. It’ll be morning soon.

—How is everyone? —This time, I directed my question at Olaf.

—All good. We're running a little low on ammo, though.

—How far are we from the town?

—About three more hours of travel. —The driver was the one who answered.

I closed my eyes—I needed to meditate.

—Are we leaving the way we came? —The driver asked.

—No, first we’ll pick up the gorillas we left at the settlement.

—And then we leave the way we came?

—Probably not. It depends.

—What the hell do you mean? What the fuck does it depend on?

—On what I see when we pick them up.

—Kid, quit messing with me. I just want to get my reward. I don’t care if you want to play butler, but do it on your own time.

—If you really want to get paid, you’ll stick with the group. Otherwise, you’re free to leave… on foot.

Something was bothering me. The feeling that we had been used was growing stronger by the minute. I couldn’t say where it came from, but the paranoia Kan had shown down there was starting to make sense. Even if I had no solid proof for my theory, I preferred to follow my instincts.

—When we get to town, make sure to fill up the tank. By any means necessary.

—Is that really wise? —Kan asked cautiously.

—There’s a chance we’ll have to take a detour. Would you rather do it with a full tank or half-empty?

Silence fell over everyone. The arguments stopped.

The driver stepped out of his seat to inform the other group about the plan while the rest took the chance to stretch.

—Are you okay, Kai? — Kan asked

—Yeah, a bit sore, but I’m fine. Why do you ask?

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

—Your hands haven’t stopped shaking.

I looked at my hands, only now noticing it.

They were trembling. Just like that time.

I clenched my fists tightly.

"This is why I must chase my freedom. I must become stronger. I will never again leave my life in someone else’s hands. I have to do everything I can… for my freedom."

Slowly, my hands stopped shaking.

"For freedom."

—I’m fine —I repeated, letting out a sigh—. Like I said, it’s just exhaustion. Soon, we’ll be able to eat and sleep in a decent bed.

We both stepped out of the van, with Summer following closely behind me. Her tiny hand clung to my shirt as she walked right behind me.

—Well… eating might not be an option for me. I’ll have to go hungry for a few weeks. I just hope they let me rejoin the corps.

—Ah, right, you’ve been gone for a while. Your mother reached out to me, saying you needed help. Never imagined it would be… this. Why wouldn’t they let you back in?

Kan tried to smile, but the expression broke before it could fully form.

—I’m sure the one who sold me out has already started spreading rumors about me. I’ve been thinking about it, and something similar happened when I joined the corps. A veteran disappeared, and all kinds of rumors started circulating about him.

He stopped, lowering his gaze for a moment. His voice grew deeper, almost a whisper.

—They found him dead a month later… in a cell belonging to the fanatics of the Sisters of Metal.

—We’ll do what we can. If you can’t go back to your job with the Enforcers, I’m sure you’ll find something else.

He looked at me with an expression that cut through me. A lopsided smile, heavy with resignation.

—Relax, you don’t need to worry about me. I know I’ll have plenty of work in the future.

Summer remained quiet the whole time. Her expression barely changed, except when she had to eat the instant rations we brought or when Olaf entertained himself by teasing her.

We set off again soon after. A little over three hours passed before we finally reached the town from which we had launched the expedition. The vehicles were worn down, in need of maintenance and a fuel refill. We were also low on supplies and ammunition, but no one seemed concerned… except me.

I headed to the hostel where the gorillas were staying.

—I have young Summer. You’ll be boarding with me. Soon, we’ll be heading east to try crossing the abyss at the next bridge, near the industrial waste zone of the Inos Corporation. Any questions?

Both gorillas shook their heads and made their way to the vehicles without a word.

"Damn it, why are they still so prepared to fight?"

That was my problem. When we arrived here, the gorillas seemed carefree, unbothered. But as time passed, they started to change: they became more tense, more reserved. Now, seeing them again, they gave me the same feeling as an animal on the hunt.

They were ready for battle.

And whatever had put these monsters on edge… was something the rest of us wouldn’t be able to handle.

I could only hope I was wrong and that all this extra preparation was for nothing.

I lingered in the hostel’s reception, lost in thought.

What else could I do? Was I even making the right decision? The trip back was already going to be long, and now I’d added a couple more weeks to it.

Was it necessary?

If I analyzed it logically and assumed the worst, I had to consider the following:

They had sent two Exterminators. That title wasn’t given to just anyone. They were true killing machines, raised by the great families and a few select factions. Raising one of them was so complex and restrictive that it was easier to build an entire army.

That said, if I was right and they were Exterminators from the Von Feuron family, it was fair to assume their rival family would send a force of equal or even greater strength. And if it was greater, then no matter what I did… worrying about it wouldn’t change anything.

The real problem was that they hadn’t attacked yet. And they wouldn’t be able to when we entered the Lower City either.

Logically, the attack had to happen here, in the Pits.

If we tried to go back the same way we came, we’d run into densely populated settlements—perfect spots for an ambush. I doubted they’d care about civilian casualties.

That’s why taking a detour was the best option. The next zone was practically deserted, with only a few industries still operating, most of them fully automated.

"Bah, it’s just a few more weeks. It’ll be worth it."

I convinced myself with that. There was no point in doubting so much.

—Good to find you here, young master Kailen Neuvak.

A thick, drawling female voice pulled me out of my train of thought.

—Just Kailen. I have no connection to the Neuvak family.

Toshi stepped forward and dropped onto the couch across from mine. Reika remained standing to my right, just at the edge of my peripheral vision.

—Is there a problem?

—We were wondering... what’s the girl's name?

Under Toshi’s intense gaze, Summer hurried to hide behind my arm. She even shifted her position, sitting on my left, farther away from Reika.

—Her name is Angie.

—No. You’re lying.

—That’s the only name that concerns you.

—I want to know her real name.

—Angie —I repeated, my tone firm—. That’s the only name that concerns you.

Reika licked her lips.

—You wanna play rough, pup?

—On the contrary. I want to rest. If there’s nothing else to discuss, I’ll take my leave.

I made a move to stand up, but Reika grabbed my shoulder forcefully and pushed me back down.

The damn wound burned like hell.

—What’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to sabotage the mission?

—We have a deep problem with the great families. We have been…

—Like everyone.

—What did you just say!?

—I said you’re not the only ones the great families have screwed over! You want revenge? Take a number, because the line is long.

I tried to reach for my revolver, but Reika was faster. She caught my movement and landed a punch straight to my jaw.

—Calm down, pup. The Neuvak family is high on our enemy list. Your worst mistake was getting rid of your escort… thinking a young master would be dumb enough to fight on his own.

What they were saying made no sense.

Unless…

A manic laugh escaped me.

—Wait… You two… A pair of idiots. Do you really think those brutes are here to protect me?

—We saw you giving them orders. You can’t deny it.

—No way… This is ridiculous.

The words came out loud, but more to myself than to them.

—Don’t play dumb. We know you were drafted into the army and used an alias to join this mission. Is that girl part of your family? Why did the Neuvaks send you to find her?

—What the hell are you talking about, aliases?

And then it clicked.

—Wait a minute… You think I’m my brother Viktor?

—We know you’re Viktor. He was the only high-status Neuvak drafted.

—Like hell I am! I was forced to take his place.

—That’s what you say, but we don’t believe you. There’s no record of your name in the army.

I lowered my head, resigned.

—No way… Of all the shit on this earth, being mistaken for that prick Viktor is the worst insult.

—Enough pretending.

I huffed, ran a hand over the back of my neck, and gestured toward Reika.

—See this, bitch?

Reika took a glance and frowned.

—Looks like a tattoo… a cut one?

—It’s my family’s mark. And if you look closely, underneath it is my serial number. You know… just in case they forget I’m their “future heir.”

My sarcasm finally hit them.

—Look at this symbol. —I took Summer and pulled back her collar—. It means that you two, a pair of idiots, want revenge on the great families and don’t even know who you’re attacking.

I paused, letting them take a good look.

—We both have this because we’re at the bottom of the barrel. We’re filler. Disposable tools.

I lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before exhaling the smoke calmly.

—I’m nothing more than a pawn they threw into the war… Do you really think they’d give a shit if you kill me?

—Then why would your family send those Exterminators here? You’re still suspicious.

I took another drag.

—Never even heard of them. I don’t know much about Neuvak’s forces either. And even if they were part of them… I have no idea what my grandfather thinks. The old man never even spoke to me. —I let the smoke out slowly before taking another hit—. If you want to know, ask him yourself.

—That doesn’t explain wh—

—Enough of this bullshit. Do what you have to do. I have no other way to convince you that you’re wrong.

They exchanged glances. Some sort of silent understanding passed between them.

—We’ll let you go, but you’ll have to hand over your brother.

I shook my head and took another drag from my cigarette.

—Now you’re just grasping at straws. I have no way to help you kill him. Don’t get me wrong, I’d really love to… but I’m a realist. If I even get close to Viktor, I won’t see the light of day again. I just can’t.

—You think we won’t kill you?

—I think that no matter what you do to me, what the Neuvaks would do would be a million times worse.

I locked eyes with Toshi.

—If we’re done here, I’ve got more important things to do. And don’t bother showing up for the transport. From now on, you’re on your own.

I tried to stand up. Reika moved to stop me again… but this time, she felt the cold barrel of a gun against the back of her neck.

—Don’t you dare touch lil’ bro.

My backup had arrived. Kan gave me a thumbs-up, and I nodded back "I really owe to this bastard."

—Let’s go, Summer.

The little girl nodded, and the three of us walked out of the place.