Brisa

Silence lingered in the great hall. Its tall crystal windows were wide open, allowing a gentle breeze to caress Brisa’s hair. Her eyes locked on the courtyard and the dying moon. Did Maria make it?

A heavy arm wrapped around her. Ronner stood still by her side with his gaze locked on her. He seemed to analyze her slightest movements. If the rumors were true, he could read people’s thoughts and drill into their brains. Ronner caressed her face and brushed her bangs with odd tenderness. He had been too silent.

Brisa was stiff, trying her best not to shake or shiver. He kissed her cheek and sniffed her hair. His fingers trembled on her waist as if trying not to dig his claws into her skin and rip her clothes apart. It had been weeks since the last time he had forced her to do his will.

The big doors slammed open when Belo stormed into the hall, his face devoid of color.

“Sir! I apologize for interrupting you, but this is urgent!” he shouted, standing upright near his eyesight, the closest he would dare to be.

“The hell you want?” Ronner asked in a monotonous tone, without taking his eyes away from Brisa.

“I don’t know how to explain this, but—”

“Hold your tongue, motherfucker!” Skado yelled as he broke into the room, his suit covered in fresh blood. “I have bad news for you, Ronner.”

Brisa’s heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst. Ronner released her and turned to face Persen’s son.

“The fucking maid escaped, and . . . “ Skado clenched his fists and let out a grunt.

Ronner fixed his eyes on Skado and walked toward him, tilting his head as he tried to read through his soul. “And what?”

Skado didn’t say a word until Ronner stood right in front of his face.

“The Anglish boy is dead,” Skado said, his face hard as stone.

Ronner blinked. He turned to look at Brisa as if searching for answers, and then his eyes locked on the marble floor. He rubbed his chin and scratched his head. “Did you kill the boy?” he asked, his voice dancing with tension.

“Yes.” Skado nodded with a scowl.

Ronner’s eyes darted at Skado like arrows. “Why?”

“He delayed us with his stupid antics, causing the maid to escape.” Skado’s voice filled with contempt. “The fucking kid deserved it!”

“I see,” Ronner said with a calmness that sliced the air. He smiled and brushed his hair backward. He began pacing through the hall, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he came to a halt in front of Skado. “So, Zeo is dead.”

“It doesn’t ma—” Skado began.

But Ronner’s fist smashed into his face.

The powerful impact released a shockwave, shattering the crystal windows, and sent Skado flying like a bullet against the wall. His body penetrated the concrete, causing the wall to collapse on him like a domino.

“Fucking idiot! Are you stupid, motherfucker?” Ronner bellowed, his voice resounding throughout the hall like an angry lion roar.

When Skado tried to sit up, Ronner charged at him. He jumped and landed on his stomach with his knee, and then another fist met Skado’s jaw.

He landed two more punches until Skado stopped the third. He spat blood at Ronner’s eyes and retaliated with an uppercut. The blow stunned Ronner for a second, and Skado tried to get up.

Blinded, Ronner used his head like a hammer and struck Skado’s nose, crushing his bridge.

Skado missed a punch at his face, giving Ronner an opening for a heavy jab that crushed Skado’s mouth. A tooth flew away with a torrent of thick blood that bathed the floor.

Skado answered with a knee strike to Ronner’s groin and a hard punch to his cheekbone.

Ronner didn’t let go of Skado. He was like a vicious beast trying to tear his prey apart. He didn’t seem to feel pain anymore. Blinded by raw instincts, Ronner buried his fangs in Skado’s neck, penetrating his muscles. Skado let out a grunt of pain. The first one anyone had ever heard.

Skado scratched Ronner’s face, trying to reach for his neck to choke him or stab one of his eyes, but failed miserably. Instead, Ronner shoved his thumbs into Skado’s eye sockets and pushed forward.

Skado screamed and desperately tried to shove Ronner away with all his strength.

His eyes began to bleed, slowly crushed, and a smirk drew across Ronner’s face.

Viper wrapped his arms around Ronner from behind and yanked him off his younger brother. However, he struggled to hold that unleashed monster.

Ronner headbutted him, opening a cut on Viper’s forehead, and bent over, catapulting the Doman brother against the wall, which collapsed by the impact.

“Ronner, please!” Brisa shouted when Ronner’s fists began glowing and spitting cobalt sparks. She was shaking, with tears welling up in her eyes.

Ronner froze and glanced at her over his shoulder. His face, eyes, and hair were soaked in thick warm blood. His suit was a ragged thread around his exposed chest, where multiple lines flowed with red.

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Viper helped his brother to sit up and glared at Ronner.

Ronner pointed at Skado and roared, “I should fucking kill you, you stupid inbred bastard.” He turned to Viper. “The next time, I’ll bathe myself with your fucking brother’s entrails. First and last mistake! Do you hear me?”

“Are you really gonna threaten us, Ronner?” Viper asked, standing upright with his chest puffed forward.

“No, this is not a threat. This is a warning, stupid cunt!” Ronner wiped the blood from his mouth and spat on the floor beside Skado’s feet.

Skado chuckled as he staggered, trying to stand up, aided by his brother. “You need us, asshole.”

“Last mistake,” Ronner said, his voice calm, but his eyes dismembered his soul. He whirled to face Brisa, who stared at him and trembled like a leaf.

He sauntered toward her, panting as the fury flowed out of his body. Ronner locked his red and blue eyes on her. The stench of blood and sweat sent shivers down her spine. “You didn’t betray me, did you?” he asked calmly.

Brisa took a deep breath and shook her head. She had never felt death so close.

“Good . . . “ Ronner smiled and strutted to the door. He removed his remaining clothes and used them to wipe his face.

Brisa watched him disappear, wondering how she would tell Remnya about her dear friend.

*°*°*

A tender moon cried over the garden, the last witness to an unnecessary crime. Brisa brushed the crystal windows with frozen fingers and stared into the darkness, knowing what lay ahead. She barely knew the boy. She didn’t even know his voice, but thinking about Remnya’s reaction crushed her heart.

“You don’t have to see this,” Belo said, standing by her side.

Brisa swallowed, her throat closed with a knot. She knew it. He had saved Maria and given her and everyone a dim light of hope. The least she could do was make sure the boy had a dignified farewell. He would’ve loved to be with Remnya for the last time, even if his eyes had shut forever.

She took the first step, and Belo followed her.

A chilly wind brushed her long black hair, tangling over her wet eyes. She was alone that night; the man accompanying her was just a shadow. It felt like an endless walk until she caught a glimpse of the scene.

Her heels slowed, and her steps hesitated, but she kept going forward. The time stopped when she halted before the young boy.

There he lay on a pond of darkened blood, white as a ghost, quiet as a statue. A sprinkle of moon sparked on his still-open green eyes. Unable to hold back her tears, she crouched next to Zeo and touched his rigid, cold hand.

This will destroy Remnya . . .

Why God? Why is it always the innocent who suffer the most?

Brisa gestured at Belo to leave, and alone, she wept in silence, holding his hand with all her strength.

“Zeo, was it?” Brisa whispered between sobs. “I know it’s not much, but I promise you . . . I’ll make sure to get Remnya out of here.”

“It’s a promise, Zeo.”

She stared up at the sky. The moon faded behind the mansion, leaving a trail of gold above the stars.

For a moment, she believed Zeo’s hand twitched, but of course, it was her mind playing nasty tricks on her.

Silence.

It happened again.

His hand twitched under the pressure of her fingers.

Brisa widened her glistening eyes and stared at Zeo’s expressionless face. No way . . . She leaned closer and rested her right ear on his blood-stained chest, where a deep slit had dried up.

No sound.

She closed her eyes, trying to stop the raging stream from flowing from her eyes.

A beat.

Brisa froze.

“What is this?” she murmured. “This can’t be . . . “

Another beat.

He was dead; no way it was his heart. But then, the beats continued, steadier and stronger. Brisa sat up, scanning Zeo’s face in search of any trace of life, but he was stiff, his eyes blank and motionless.

“Zeo . . . “ She sniffled. “Are you still clinging to life?”

An explosion shook the ground under her feet.

Brisa heard a screech so intense and brutal it made the night shiver.

Zeo let out a deep gasp.

Brisa flinched away, dropping on the soil with her widened eyes locked on Zeo. He gasped for air and coughed while blood erupted from his mouth and nose.

He groaned, twitched, and cried as his skin recovered its colors.

“He’s alive!” Brisa screamed, full of terror and relief. “He’s alive! He’s alive!”

Belo sprinted toward her. “No way!” he shouted, halting over Zeo and resting his head on his chest.

“Hurry! Take him to the doctors now! We can still save him!” Brisa ordered and helped Belo to lift Zeo’s convulsing body.

Brisa ran as fast as she could, trying to match Belo’s pace as he carried the boy. Her heart and legs burned. She felt like fainting but never stopped. Was that a crazy dream or nightmare?

It didn’t matter. Brisa had to see him alive. She couldn’t lose him again.

*°*°*

Brisa sat in the waiting room of the mansion’s hospital, shaking like a leaf, her black dress stained with red. She prayed in silence, glancing at the emergency room every second. The minutes felt like hours.

The door opened, and Ronner stepped out of the room, his face still bruised with stripes of darkened blood. He sauntered over to Brisa and pulled her off her seat by the arms. He hugged her and stared deep into her eyes.

Brisa’s lips quivered as she scanned his face in search of answers.

He caressed her face and asked, “Do you believe in miracles?”

Brisa didn’t have the words to reply. She froze under his gelid gaze.

“Well, they do exist.” He kissed her cheek and smirked. “The Anglish boy is alive!”

Her eyes flooded as she let out a whimper, and a painful smile drew across her face. “How?” she mumbled between teeth.

Ronner shrugged. “He should be dead. Skado tore his heart and lungs apart. Yet, his regenerative capabilities are beyond our comprehension. I had believed he was a failure, a simple hybrid with no talent, but.” His smile grew wider. “His Anglish nature has woken up! This is magnificent!”

Brisa’s brief joy quickly faded, giving way to her worst fears. His words only meant one thing, another subject for his sick goals. “You seem happier than ever . . . “ she whispered.

“I am! Not only Remnya with her crimson fire. Zeo is special too!”

“What can an Anglish do?” Brisa squirmed in his arms.

“Regeneration, telekinesis, air manipulation, those are just some of their potential abilities.” His heavy eyes melted her hopes. “He’s an oddity. Such skills only develop in pure Anglishes. This is the first time I know of a hybrid with such power.”

“So, what are your plans for the boy?” Brisa was terrified of the answer.

“Initially, I just wanted to use him to force Remnya to cooperate and awaken her power, but with this, I believe he’ll be useful to create Netomic cells.”

“Netomic? What is that?”

“You see, Netomics are cells created from the blood of certain organisms, such as Nephilims. Once developed, they are injected into someone’s body to enhance his natural abilities.” Ronner squeezed her waist and pulled her against him. “Whose body do you think that will be?”

Brisa lowered her gaze and shook her head.

Ronner giggled. “With Remnya’s help, Sagan will finish developing the first batch of Netomics, and once that happens, I’ll go through the first process of enhancement.” He stared at his hand as if marveling at his own skin.

An intrusive thought filled Brisa’s head. She wondered if there was the slightest chance he died in the process, but then she realized there were two more monsters: Viper and Skado.

Before he could read her thoughts, she rushed to fake a smile and said, “I’m glad for you, Ron.”

Ronner tilted his head and beamed at her. “The future is shining for us, Bris. I’ll be the greatest warrior on earth, and you . . . “ He held his soft face between his hands. “You’ll be the lady who stands by my side on my journey. You’re my lucky charm!”

His words made her shiver, but a strange feeling hastened her heart. She would never forget how much he had hurt her. However, he sounded so honest, she felt even more terrified.

“Ron . . . what do you want from me now?” she asked, wiping her last tears.

“You’ll be the new lady of this mansion,” Ronner said casually, his voice soft like a feather on her skin. “I’ve decided it. You’ll be my wife.”

*°*°*