Zeo

Amid the inferno devouring the forest remnants, an imposing figure emerged like a God Of Death, clad in a distinctive uniform with aggressive gold shapes and emblems contrasting the deep black Aramix of his coat, boots, and cape that waved like the flag of doom. His sole presence sent shivers through the ashes of those who had just perished in an unjust battle.

"Lord Azmon," Marakudra murmured, pushing herself from the ground, aided by Zeo's arm.

Burning hatred revolted Zeo's stomach as he observed the monster who, he knew, had always ruled their lives.

Two prominent horns protruded from Azmon's ash blonde hair that fell over his shoulders, swinging wildly against the burning wind. His deep ocean-blue eyes drilled into Zeo's soul, freezing him in place until he stopped before them.

"My lord," Mara said, burying her knee into the ground and lowering her head. She snatched Zeo's arm and yanked him with her, forcing him to kneel. Zeo thought spitting at that bastard's face was more fitting but obeyed his captain.

Silence.

"It seems like our dear Debrin played his cards masterfully this time," Azmon said, his voice soothing like velvet, and gestured at Marakudra to stand up. Zeo helped her to ease from the ground and allowed her to use his shoulder to keep her balance.

"I apologize, my lord. Unfortunately, we were unable to catch Merle Zalah." Mara gritted her teeth, not daring to look Azmon straight in the eye with her bruised, swollen face.

Azmon chuckled and returned a pitiful look. "I'm rejoiced to see you alive, Mara darling." He moved closer and grabbed Marakudra by the chin, forcing her to stare at him. "Your army served its purpose. No need to feel sorry about it."

She widened her eyes at his words. "I apologize, my lord, but most of my army has been—"

"I know." Azmon twisted his lips into a gelid smirk, deep wrinkles filled with someone else's blood drawing across his pale face. "That's why I sent you on this mission. First and foremost, I needed to test what our friends from Karx were capable of. Now I've confirmed Debrin won't hesitate to sacrifice his own people if it comes to snatching a pitiful victory from us."

"My lord . . . " Mara clenched her fists, and her eyes displayed a spark of hatred. "Did my whole army perish so that you could test the enemy?" Her voice trembled.

"Dear Mara." Azmon leaned closer, his long thick nose touching hers. "I would sacrifice the whole world if that meant achieving my goals." He kissed Mara's cheek, tasting her blood. "Now, be thankful I allowed you to live another day. You're a good servant," he whispered in her ear.

Marakudra froze, her pupils flickering as if she held back her killer intent. Zeo observed her in silence and tightened his grasp around her arm, advising her not to do anything stupid.

"Now, please return to your landing point. A plane should arrive soon to carry the remnants of your army back home." Azmon turned his massive back to them and began to walk away, leaving a gloomy aura behind his Nephilim tail.

"Azmon," Zeo called without thinking, driven by his inner instincts. "Lord Azmon," he corrected himself and lowered his head.

Azmon stopped and gave him a sidelong glance. He scanned him from head to toe and waited for the words that would seal his fate.

"Forgive me for speaking to you, but I need to know, and I don't think I'll have another chance to ask you." Zeo lifted his gaze at him and clenched his fists. "Our fates . . . Remnya's and mine, have they been written before we were even born?"

The monster remained silent for a moment, and then a condescending smile pulled at his thin lips. "You've probably heard I am the one who wrote your fate, haven't you?"

Zeo's pupils dilated.

"I'll just tell you one thing if that helps ease your unrestful heart, young man." He closed his eyes and made a long pause. "You were destined to be here, at this precise moment and place, asking me this question from the day you were born."

A cold shiver ran down's Zeo spine.

"I knew of your existence since the day your parents died, as I know of the existence of thousands of others children born from Nephilims and Anglishes. In this endless war, they're all destined to live and die for the greater good."

"Why?" Zeo gritted his teeth. "What's your goal?"

. . .

"Peace."

That was his last word as his steps vanished in the distance. The hot wind carried embers and ashes that scratched Zeo's face as he remained petrified, digesting those contradictory sentences.

Silence.

"Snap back to reality, kid. I need your help here!" Marakudra roared, gripping his arm.

He stared at her, wondering if his plan would still work. "Captain," he whispered, taking a deep breath. "Why do you fight for this man?"

Marakudra spat a mouthful of blood. "I don't fight for him." She glared into the distance where Azmon had disappeared. "I fight for myself and my legacy. I couldn't care less about that arrogant bastard." She buried her claws in Zeo's shoulder and turned to him. "But like you, I have no choice but to follow his commands until I can earn my freedom."

"Freedom, uh?" Zeo almost pitied her. "What do you want freedom for?"

Marakudra hesitated for a moment. "Certainly not for me."

Zeo witnessed a hint of humanity in Marakudra's deadly eyes for the first time.

"I want freedom . . . for someone else."

*°*°*

Debrin

Flames charred the corpses piled up throughout the ruins of The Hunters' Headquarters. Four captains had stayed to protect the place, yet it hadn't been enough to stop the fury of the man who emerged like a reaper amid the chaos.

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Debrin Kavram lifted his sunset eyes to the sky. A dense curtain of smoke lingered over the mountains, yet through his vectors, he could perceive the presence of crows and vultures circling the battlefield. He strode over the remnants of the soldiers who had charged toward him, commanded by their agonizing captains.

The sacrifice of his people had been worth it. Vladimore and his army could rest in peace, knowing their final mission was one step closer.

Debrin adjusted his backpack, a pink one with the face of a bear, where he stored every piece of information he could gather, plus a large batch of Netomics ready to use he had taken from the corpse of a captain. Opening a path through the flames, he headed toward the second building, searching for the last piece of information he needed.

Two soldiers reached out for Debrin's feet, begging him to end their misery.

A buzz cut through the air as his vectors pierced both men in the heart. Nobody deserves to suffer anymore, he thought. It'll be over soon. Ten more survivors pleaded for the same, and Debrin didn't hesitate.

The second building had been damaged by the explosions but didn't collapse. Debrin rushed inside and inspected the place, filled with the red glow of emergency lights and the wail of the alarms. He noticed two women hiding behind a broken metal desk and strutted toward them.

The oldest one let out a shriek of terror as he squatted in front of them. He put his fingers on her lips, silencing her, and spoke softly, "I need to find Maria Vramovic. Do you have any idea where she might be?" The younger woman nodded nervously and pointed toward an elevator on the other side of the hall. Debrin stared at it for a moment and asked, "That leads to the underground dungeons, am I correct?"

She bobbed her head.

"Thank you." Debrin stood up, and the older woman crawled under the desk in terror. However, he had never been interested in taking lives that didn't threaten his mission.

Since the elevator was damaged, Debrin decided to get to his destination through the ground. He sensed the presence of survivors under his feet and located his next objective. Focusing his strength on his right fist, Debrin punched the floor, shattering the metal and concrete into hundred pieces, and then opened his hand to release a beam of energy that perforated the earth.

Flames and smoke spurted out of the hole as it dug the path toward the underground floors. Debrin jumped inside and reached a large corridor covered in darkness. However, he didn't need his eyes to see. Guided by his vectors, he reached the hideout of the survivors.

Debrin charged his energy on his fist and punched through the steel door, opening a hole for him to pass through. On the other side, ten armed soldiers waited for him. Their faces displayed fear as they raised their weapons nervously.

"There is no use in fighting a losing battle, much less losing your lives for a man who has deemed you worthless pawns." Debrin took two steps forward, and everyone stepped back, some aiming their guns at his head. "Lay arms and live another day. I just came here for one person."

"You won't get away with this, Kavram!" A large man shouted, firing his weapon.

The canon bullets impacted Debrin's head and exploded, sending many soldiers to the ground with the shockwave. Though, such a reckless action had no effect on Debrin, who stood still unharmed.

A vector pierced through the man, from his feet to his heart. He collapsed motionless under the terrified look of his companions.

"I won't repeat myself." Debrin walked forward, glancing at the soldiers who moved aside, lowering their heads and weapons, opening a path for Debrin to pass through toward his objective.

In the last room, Debrin sensed the presence of the person he needed. Crushing a steel door with a powerful kick, he arrived at his destination. About twenty persons hid there, or rather, were held hostage. He scanned the faces in front of him; many displayed terror while others grimaced with hatred. But one of them showed a hint of hope.

"Long time no see, Maria Vramovic," Debrin said, standing in front of her.

"Debrin?" Maria said, her jaw dropping as her eyes dilated with confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"You need to come with me." He rushed to scan his surroundings to recognize the witnesses and leaned closer. "You hold a valuable piece of information."

Maria gasped, her lips trembling. "Are you here for that?"

"That's just one of the many reasons I am here." He folded his arms. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd be alive."

"Zeo saved me . . . again." Maria lowered her gaze and clasped her hands. "He swore loyalty to them in order to protect me."

"That makes sense." He scratched his chin. "Back then, when you left our camp. You claimed you had one more mission to fulfill, yet you didn't speak the truth."

Maria averted her eyes and tightened her lips.

Debrin continued, "Believe it or not, that little piece of information might make a huge difference in the upcoming war."

"Can it, really?" she murmured.

"Hopefully. At least, it'll save several lives. That's more than enough of a reason to make good use of it."

"What do you want me to do?"

"You need to come with me. Now."

Silence.

"I . . . " Maria hesitated. "I need to wait for Zeo. I can't just abandon this place without him." Her eyes glistened with anxiety and concern.

"Unfortunately, there's no time nor choices." Debrin let out a deep sigh. "You will come with me right now."

"I can't," she whispered, the words barely leaving her trembling lips. "Besides, it's Lady Magenta's secret . . . She—"

"What is it that you're hiding, woman?" a girl interrupted. Debrin turned to see a hybrid woman walking toward them, her piercing glare buried in Maria. "Go with him! Don't you want these pieces of shit to pay for what they did to us? How long are we gonna be living under their boots?"

"But, Alayna . . . " Maria hesitated as tears welled up in her eyes. "This is a promise I made to Lady Magenta."

"Wasn't she a victim of these bastards too? Wouldn't she be happy if there's the slightest chance to have her revenge?"

Maria hesitated and locked her eyes on the ground.

"So you're Alayna," Debrin said, scanning the tall and malnourished woman beside him. She had been a warrior, no doubt, but her appearance revealed the humiliating treatment she had suffered.

"And you're the infamous Debrin Kavram, uh? I must say I expected a different kind of monster. You're a lot less threatening than they claim you to be." Alayna stared deeply into his eyes. Several scars crossed her face, neck, and arms, and her dress was torn apart.

"Ronner mentioned you before," Debrin said.

Alayna grimaced in disgust and spat on the floor. "Yeah? Well, I'm glad that piece of pig meat is rotting in hell now."

Debrin shrugged, and his eyes returned to Maria. "Listen to me." His pupils glowed in the darkness. "There's no more time. It's your choice whether you come with me willingly or not. Either way, we're leaving this place."

Tears rolled down Maria's cheeks, and she wiped them with the back of her hand. "All you care about is destroying The Hunters, isn't it?"

"No," Debrin assured her firmly. "I want to end the war, and I'll do whatever it takes to save whatever is left of humanity in this decaying world."

"You're not someone to be easily fooled. Let alone by someone like me." Maria glared at him. "You knew I was hiding something from you when I left the camp that night."

"Of course I did." Debrin folded his arms. "That's why I tracked you down to ensure the rumors were true."

"Why didn't you stop The Hunters when they found me? Why did you allow them to kill the remaining soldiers of Ronner guarding the mansion? WHY?" she shouted, her eyes spitting fire.

Debrin remained silent, stood, and turned his back to her. "Enough talk. We're leaving. Azmon is on his way." He began walking away.

"Let me come with you," Alayna asked, rushing next to Debrin. "If there's anything I can do to destroy these bastards, I will."

Debrin gave her a sidelong glance. "Did your infatuation with The Hunters already fade?"

"What?" She recoiled in frustration. "What do you know about me?"

"Only what Ronner told me. Alayna Ledakyan, an aspiring member of The Hunters."

"I admired and respected them, yeah, that's true." She buried her nails in her palms and trembled with anger. "But that was before I learned who they really were. Before I found out they used me and my army as puppets to kill Ronner. I'll never forgive them for that!"

He stared at her for a moment and shrugged. "As you wish, but I can't guarantee your life."

"That's fine. Anything is better than being their fucking pet." Alayna walked to Maria and snatched her arm. "Let's go!"

Maria didn't try to resist and allowed Alayna to drag her to the door under the confused look of the remaining prisoners. Some begged Debrin to take them with him, but he ignored them and used his vectors to knock everyone unconscious.

*°*°*

Next Chapter: January 21