Zeo

Zeo hopped out of the car, a numb sensation traveling throughout his body. The burn across his chest was fading, and his arms and legs twitched as every muscle regenerated. He glanced around, witnessing total darkness, except for the scarlet glow of a full moon rising behind the shadows of the forest.

Ronner stretched his arm and cracked his neck. An eyepatch covered half of his face, hiding his gloomy expression.

"We'll continue on foot," Ronner said as he opened the trunk of his car. Zeo nodded, gazing into the mountain forest ahead of them. "You might need this." Ronner walked up to Zeo and shoved a shotgun into his hands. "Aim for the chest for a more effective shot."

Zeo gripped the weapon and fastened a leather strap around his torso, holding the shotgun tightly against his back.

Ronner grabbed a couple of Kevlar vests and tossed one at Zeo. Finally, he whispered something to the driver and the doctors, who nodded and bowed to him. They remained by the car while Ronner gestured at Zeo to follow him into their chosen fate.

Before taking the first step, Zeo lifted his eyes at the sky for a moment. The stars stared back at him, and the breeze caressed his hair.

That night, the boy would turn into a man.

Climbing down a slope, they left the road and broke into the forest. Only shy moonbeams seeping through thick canopies guided them through the darkness. Ronner had left all his electronic devices behind, fearing his enemies would be able to detect radio signals. However, Brisa's location seemed burned into his memory. Despite his feelings, Zeo had to trust the man who had caused them so much pain.

After one hour of fighting their way through unwelcoming vegetation, the forest opened, and the trees became scarcer, slowly replaced by short, thorny bushes. The terrain took a steep fall into a hill, and the soil turned into sand and rocks, making the ground slippery. Zeo balanced himself not to roll down into the abyss. Ronner went ahead, jumping between rocks with great agility.

Stumbling, Zeo made his way to the bottom of the hill, where grass grew again and dead oaks loomed nearby. Ronner stood still, scanning their surroundings for a while.

"I feel no one, but of course, they're waiting for us," Ronner whispered and crouched to caress the ground. He dug his fingers into the soil and frowned. "Figures. They're not as stupid as they look."

Zeo widened his eyes.

"They choose a place where I can't take full advantage of my powers. I can't conduct electricity through this dry, soft terrain."

Zeo scrutinized the landscape ahead. An endless plain faded into the mountains, an open field where they would be easy targets.

"Ronner, were you trying to use your electricity to attack them by surprise?"

Ronner chuckled. "No, kiddo. I was gonna use my magnetic field to detect their presence. All living beings emit radiation, and my body can react to it, but in order to do so, I need to use the ground as a conductor."

"We need to get closer," Zeo suggested.

"No. That's what they want from us." Ronner caressed his chin, glancing left and right. "Your skill could come in handy now, though."

"What can I do?"

"I told you, you can control Air."

"Yeah." Zeo twisted his lips. "But I have no idea how."

"I'm sure you can feel the vibrations in the air. Close your eyes, and try to perceive the changes in the atmosphere." Zeo let out a sigh of frustration. Ronner rolled his eyes and leaned closer. "Aren't you smart, kiddo? Plus, you know Remnya better than anyone. You know how her body reacts to the air. Maybe not directly, but unconsciously, your brain and vectors know it."

Zeo clenched his fists and nodded. "I will try."

"Do it!" Ronner glared at him.

Zeo kneeled, burying his knees into the soil, and closed his eyes. He tried to disconnect all his senses. Ronner stood next to him and murmured in his ear, "Feel the changes in the atmosphere . . . in the wind."

Zeo focused on the tender breeze of the night, trying to understand what it whispered to him. It was a whistle, a soft one, but uncompressible. He thought of Remnya and what she was going through. How much she had suffered, and he hadn't been there when she needed him the most.

How many times had he failed to protect her?

He couldn't protect her from Liam, Butter, and Orena. He couldn't protect her from Persen either. He had failed to protect her from Ronner and, finally, Skado.

Zeo remembered how much he hated himself for it.

"Connect your mind with it, dammit!" Ronner yelled in his ear. "C'mon, do you want to be a wimp all your life? Use your fucking brain and release that power!"

Zeo took a moment to digest his words and then nodded.

"Ronner, you're a piece of shit," he said through clenched teeth. "But you're right."

Zeo's head hurt from the turmoil released in his mind. He buried his fingernails into his skin until blood came out, dripping between his fingers.

The wait seemed eternal, and patience was turning into a double-edged sword.

Why can I never do anything to protect her?

WHY?

WHY!

Zeo punched the ground, and droplets of his blood spilled on the soil like a dense crimson rain.

Quickly, the earth absorbed his blood, and silence filled the night.

. . .

He felt it.

A vibration. A change in the atmosphere. Blood and earth merged into one, and his closed eyes saw something.

He didn't understand it, but he felt it. He saw it. It was something he didn't comprehend, but it was his, and it was there under his body.

"I see three," Zeo mumbled.

"What? Three what?" Ronner asked, widening his eyes.

"There are three powerful presences right underneath us." Zeo raised his voice, opening his eyes to glare.

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"Tell me where!" Ronner ordered.

"MOVE!" Zeo roared, bolting away from his spot as fast as he could. Ronner didn't question his words and did the same.

A large stream of fire erupted from the ground, right from where they had been standing.

The intense heat ignited trees and grass alike, and a mist of orange particles floated in the air like deadly fireflies. Ronner rushed to his fighting stance and charged electricity between his fingers.

A burning hole spread out on the ground, and from it, a female figure emerged among the flames, smirking.

"We meet again, darling," she said as tongues of fire swirled around her hips and chest.

Ronner's surprised expression faded, giving way to a smile. "Alayna. You were the last person I'd expected to see here."

Zeo gaped at her imposing figure. His heart raced in his chest, but he didn't move despite the sparks flying past his eyes. He could feel the fire against his skin but couldn't tell whether it was real or just his wind, feeling it.

The flames vanished as Alayna took one step forward. "I see you brought a companion." She scanned Zeo from head to toe. "An Anglish? Nice finding, I might keep him, if he survives, that's it."

Ronner laughed and licked his lips. "He already has an owner, but you might have a taste of his powers before I roast your nice tits with my fingers again."

Alayna's lips quivered, and the veins in her forehead bulged. "I knew you were stupid, but should you be walking into your death so casually?" Her right arm glowed in intense orange light. "Make it more interesting, asshole!"

A whip of fire hissed through the air as Alayna swung her arm and landed against the ground with a powerful strike.

Unfazed, Ronner leaped aside, dodging it with ease. "Kiddo," he whispered, loud enough for Zeo to hear him. "You already know where they are, right?" Zeo bobbed his head without taking his eyes away from Alayna. "I'll open a path for you. It'll only last for a few seconds, so you better be fast, you won't have a second chance. Using the same hole that bitch came from should lead you to them, am I right?"

Another whip of fire landed inches from Ronner's legs, leaving a trail of flames behind.

"Yes, I saw it. There's a whole maze of corridors underground," Zeo murmured, his heart kicking against his ribs.

"Once you get there, you'll be on your own. Use your powers wisely." Ronner charged a blinding electric arc that made Zeo squint. "Remember, feel the wind, and don't die like an idiot."

"Dying is the last thing in my mind." Zeo clenched his fists, taking one step forward, sweat rolling down his forehead. Alayna cackled and charged at Ronner with her arms engulfed by flames, leaving two trails of hell behind her.

They clashed into a massive explosion of orange flames, cobalt sparks, and lightning, releasing a shockwave that sent Zeo to the ground.

Alayna buried a fist into Ronner's stomach, pushing him away, but he retaliated with two quick lightning bolts, forming an X in the air.

Alayna leaped right and left, evading them before dashing at him again. Her right arm burned so hot it turned into a mass of plasma she aimed at Ronner's face.

Ronner crouched and backflipped, evading a deadly sequence of punches that opened the ground in half like the very gates of hell. Ronner giggled as he landed on his toes. Even with one arm and one eye, his speed and reflexes resembled a lethal jaguar playing with his prey.

Ronner used his electricity to propel himself back at her, leaving a cobalt stream behind him.

Alayna couldn't react, and faster than his lightning, Ronner crushed her jaw with a powerful fist, followed by a knee blow to her stomach. Alayna stepped back, stunned, and staggered, trying to regain balance.

He charged a plasma ball in his hand.

"NOW!" Ronner roared, releasing all his energy into Alayna's face.

A massive ball of cobalt plasma engulfed the night, and the shockwave hit Zeo like a freight train, but he refused to fall. Leaning against a rock, Zeo shoved himself back to his feet and then sprinted with all his strength toward the pit in the ground. Silence filled his mind as he ignored the fire biting his skin and the burning debris hitting his back.

Zeo overheard a scream of pain but ignored it.

Nothing else mattered.

He dived into the pit, and everything turned into darkness.

*°*°*

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Wish you could hear me, but it's better this way.

When all this ends . . .

We'll walk those streets together.

Free, finally.

And there won't be any more tears . . .

I promise you that.

My father always believed Crysalton was the city of opportunity, where dreams came true.

He died believing that.

I don't believe in dreams . . .

But I do believe in fate. I met you for a reason, and I'm so glad it happened.

If we never get to see each other again, at least, I hope you know how much I love you, you're my family, and I'll never forget you . . .

. . . My little sister.

. . .

*°*°*

Remnya

Soft lips kissed Remnya's forehead. The last thing she felt before silence and darkness engulfed her mind, sending her back into an endless dream.

Life seemed to fade away, but the tight grip around her body didn't allow her to leave.

Not yet.

She still had a mission in her life.

You need to live.

In the shadows, Remnya woke up with tears in her eyes and a weight oppressing her chest. A familiar perfume filled her nose, a tender vanilla scent that embraced her with nostalgia. Remnya glanced around, trying to recognize the room through her blurred vision.

A fluorescent lamp flickered and buzzed in the middle of the cracked ceiling.

Slowly, her brain began connecting the pieces of her past in that cruel puzzle of life and death. She lay still, trying to remember the sweet voice from her dream. That voice had told her so many stories, and somehow, it had given her the strength to wake up.

The dried blood staining her body was gone, and her clothes were dry and clean. Even her hair smelled of strawberries again. Why? When did she take a bath?

Remnya glimpsed at the reflection of a glass of water sitting on a nightstand next to her bed. That's when her body reacted, and thirst attacked her throat. Struggling with pain, Remnya tried to sit up, but her body felt as if it weighed tons; she could barely lift her arms.

After four failed attempts, she finally managed to lift her upper body, supported by her forearms. Her head felt like falling apart, and a numb sensation traveled throughout her back. She reached for the glass of water and drank desperately, putting out the fire in her insides.

When she finished, she was panting, and her heart ran several miles in her chest.

Something cold tickled her neck as she eased herself back on the pillow. Remnya caressed a gold pendant hanging from her neck and scanned it for a moment.

She recognized it, Brisa's pendant.

Silence invaded her mind, and the realization hit her like an avalanche of sorrow and anguish. All those words she had heard in her dream were real.

Tears threatened her eyes, and her whole body began trembling, trying to hold back the pain crushing her heart. Remnya didn't fully understand, but she knew Brisa was gone. She buried her face into the pillow, muffling her uncontrollable sobs.

Was she even alive? Uncertainty felt worse than death.

Fueled by anger and frustration, Remnya tried to get out of bed, but her legs didn't respond. She remembered she couldn't walk anymore. All she could do was cry and pity herself. Giving up seemed like a tempting option.

"No . . . " Remnya mumbled between sobs, biting her lips. "If I give up now, all their deaths will be in vain." Her eyes burned as tears raced down her cheeks mercilessly.

Remnya buried her fingernails into her thighs and forced her legs to move. Dragging herself toward the edge of the bed, Remnya gave a thrust forward, sending her whole body against the floor. The pain was meaningless. She lifted her upper body, supported by her elbows, and took a moment to consider her reckless decision.

Brisa's words still lingered in her mind. What could she do to protect her? She barely survived her fight against Skado when her body was still functional. Now, she stood no chance.

Leaning against the bed, Remnya closed her teary eyes, hoping, wishing a bright idea would light her darkness. She shrieked in pain and frustration and covered her face with both hands, trembling like the defenseless girl she was.

Remnya felt trapped, with nowhere to run. Powerless, at the mercy of a cruel fate, her choices weren't hers anymore.

And her sister, perhaps gone forever.

A metallic thud resounded throughout the room, bringing Remnya back to her senses.

Indistinct chattering came from the other side of the door, and then someone began slamming the steel furiously. Remnya recognized Sagan's voice but couldn't discern what he was saying. There was another voice, a deep one, yelling and cursing.

Clenching the mattress of her bed, Remnya lifted herself from the ground and focused on the voices.

"You can't do this!" Sagan yelled but was quickly silenced by what sounded like a punch.

Several clanks echoed in her ears as the locks of the door opened. A deafening screech screamed as it slowly opened.

A cold bead of sweat rolled down Remnya's forehead. Sagan stood on the other side, a terrified expression across his face, his mouth bleeding and half of his coat torn apart. Next to him, Remnya witnessed her cruel destiny.

Skado.

Her nightmare had just begun.

*°*°*