Zeo

The familiar flavor of blood filled Zeo’s mouth, along with the reek of that corpse rotting nearby. His irritated eyes locked on Ronner, who stood by an unconscious Remnya.

“Given your refusal to speak, I was forced to use more effective methods,” Ronner said, caressing Remnya’s face. Her soothing breath contrasted with the nightmare unfolding around her. “As you can see, she’s unharmed. We put her to sleep painlessly.”

“Leave her alone!” Zeo roared, twisting his body with brutal strength. The veins of his neck bulged as boiling blood raced throughout his body. “Fucking coward! Do anything to me, but don’t hurt her!” Zeo’s wrists and ankles bled due to his extreme force against the sharp metal. There was no pain, only a monstrous fury.

“No matter how much we torture you, you won’t speak. I know that.” Ronner giggled as he walked toward him. “But, it’ll be a different story if your beloved girl is at stake, am I wrong?”

Zeo muffled a groan as the steel cut deeper into his skin. He didn’t care about his life anymore; he had to get Remnya out of there.

“He’s a stubborn one, isn’t he?” Ronner shook his head ironically and gestured at Skado.

“We’ll test the magnitude of his stubbornness,” Skado said as he lifted his hand, aiming it at Remnya. A hissing sound filled the air. Sparks spat from his fingers as a ball of energy grew into his palm.

Zeo widened his eyes, his face gleaming with cold sweat.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to speak,” Ronner said, burying his fingers into Zeo’s jaw. “Otherwise, Skado will destroy one of her legs.”

“No . . . “ Zeo murmured, trembling while his body fought to break free. “Don’t do it!” His throat burned as he emptied his lungs.

“Don’t worry, we won’t kill her.” Ronner patted his head and ruffled his hair. He chuckled. “But she won’t be able to walk for a while.”

“Perhaps,” Skado added, glancing over his shoulder at Zeo. “We should wake her, so she can witness how her dear friend watches her get destroyed and does nothing.”

Zeo stopped fighting, his body stiffened, and silence invaded his mind. Everything went blank.

“Tell me where Maria is, and we’ll release your girl.” Ronner kneeled in front of Zeo, a smile dancing above his lips.

“Please . . . “ Zeo wanted to cry, but no tear escaped his eyes. That well had gone dry.

“10,” Ronner started, his voice cutting through Zeo’s flesh and bones.

9

Zeo’s soul burned. Knives of fear and desperation slowly destroyed his spirit.

8

If they found Maria, their hopes would vanish forever. He knew there was no way she could reach out to Debrin Kavram in less than one month. He couldn’t tell them yet.

7

But how could he allow Remnya to go through this?

Either choice led to hell, and he was, once again, powerless, weak, and useless.

6

How much he hated himself.

5

No matter what Remnya says . . .

4

I’m weak and a coward.

3

Silence

2

No.

1

Fuck no!

I can’t fail her again, no!

Remnya, I love you, and I’ll protect you no matter what! I made a promise!

The lights began flickering, and chunks of concrete crumbled from the roof. A sudden earthquake shook the ground, raising a massive dust cloud that filled the air.

“STOP IT!” Zeo’s voice was a monstrous roar rumbling throughout the room.

Skado stumbled as he shot his energy at Remnya.

Two spectral arms emerged from the ground beneath Skado’s feet, causing his energy to explode against his face, pushing him away, stunned.

Like a tentacle, a ghostly hand sliced through the air and wrapped around Skado’s neck, sending his body against the ground with a vicious thrust that shattered the floor.

The second one snatched Ronner’s neck, shoving his body against the wall with inhuman force, cracking the thick concrete like glass.

“Fuck!” Ronner shouted, gasping as he gripped the invisible force trying to end his life.

“FUCKING DIE!” Zeo’s voice was an unrecognizable growl. He didn’t look human anymore. His eyes had gone white, and every vein in his body bulged as if to blow up.

The titanium restraining his arms and legs exploded into thousands of pieces.

Hellish fury clouded his reasoning. His mind was a tempest craving for blood, death, and destruction. The hand holding Skado increased the pressure against his neck. Skado’s eyes glistened, turning red, while his skin turned purple.

The one around Ronner’s neck pushed even harder, yet the monster never lost his twisted smile. “Impressive, little Anglish,” Ronner mumbled, slowly pulling the inhuman force away from his throat.

Zeo let out a deep roar, releasing all his energy in a last attempt to murder that wicked beast.

Before the hand could cut through Ronner’s neck, an electric glow engulfed his body.

Everything around him exploded into massive branches of electricity, destroying the spectral arm pushing against his neck.

The shockwave blinded Zeo and sent him several meters away, burying his body against a wall. He felt his skin burning while arcs of electricity covered the whole room, avoiding Remnya by inches. Skado didn’t run the same luck; arcs of electricity landed on his body, penetrating his skin.

Both ghostly arms disappeared, turning into green vapor. Zeo let out a groan of pain, almost fainting as every bit of energy drained out of his body.

“Amazing,” Ronner whispered, marveling at the damage Zeo had caused him. Marks of fingers circled his neck in deep red.

Skado coughed blood as he staggered to stand up. His neck was worse; two holes bled from where the spectral fingers dug deep. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been enough to crack his neck. He glared at Zeo and lifted his hand, ready to kill him.

“Wait!” Ronner ordered, strolling toward Zeo, who lay still on the ground. “As you can see, no matter how strong you get, I am beyond any of your abilities.” He leaned closer and caressed Zeo’s chest with his fingertip, where the electricity had cut through, leaving a dark red trail from shoulder to hip. His skin was smoking. “That was close. You almost made me kill you.” Ronner chuckled. “Please, Zeo. Don’t push your luck anymore. Speak now.”

Zeo tightened his lips. He felt no pain but could perceive the smell of his burnt flesh. Blood soaked his whole body, a dense red filling his mouth and eyes.

He thought of Maria, her sweet smile, and her courage to protect them. A tear trailed down his cheek.

“Last second, last chance.” Ronner’s voice was ice.

I’m sorry, Maria . . .

Everything turned into horrible darkness.

“Debrin Kavran.”

Ronner widened his eyes. “What?”

“Debrin Kavram’s hideout. That’s where Maria’s heading,” Zeo murmured, his voice trembling as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Ronner blinked, disbelief in his dilated eyes. His face turned pale like a ghost. “Debrin Kavram . . . How?”

“Magenta told her everything . . . “ Zeo’s heart shattered, guilt tearing his insides apart. His whole soul screamed at him: Traitor, coward!

“Tell me everything you know about it now!” Ronner yelled, snatching Zeo’s neck and shaking him violently.

Zeo felt nothing; his heart, brain, and soul had merged into one. Words slowly flowed out of his mouth, revealing every detail.

“This can’t be . . . “ Ronner clenched his fists and let out a groan of anger. “Fuck! This can’t be possible!”

Ronner yanked at his hair and stormed toward the door, gesturing at Skado to follow him. “We can not waste any more time! Let’s go, fucking idiot!”

Skado glared at Zeo, his hands trembling as he seemed to fight the will to stay and kill him. His eyes flashed with bloodlust, but he darted after Ronner.

Shame crawled in Zeo’s body as he forced himself to look at Remnya. “I’m sorry, Maria, but I have to protect her. I have to!”

Remnya slept, unaware of the monstrosity unfolding around her.

Zeo tried to stand up but fell to the ground; his legs felt like noodles. He dragged himself toward Remnya, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He gripped the metal structure and pulled himself off the floor. He wrapped his arms around Remnya and squeezed her body against his, tears burning his eyes and cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Remnya . . . but you’re everything to me. Forgive me for what I’ve done.” Zeo dropped to the cold floor and leaned against the platform, breathing heavily.

Ghastly silence filled the room, yet Zeo believed to hear screams in the distance as if the souls who had lost their lives in that place called at him. Zeo didn’t care anymore; exhaustion forced him to close his eyes.

Either minutes or hours passed.

Belo broke into the room and rushed next to them. He used a remote control to deactivate the locks holding Remnya. With nervous care, the man disentangled her from the platform and eased her onto the floor. Finally, he approached Zeo and leaned a hand on his chest, feeling his heart.

“Hold on there, boy, I need to take care of the young lady first,” Belo said, rushing to wrap his arms behind Remnya’s knees and back to pick her up.

“Is she ok? Where are you taking her?” Zeo asked, new strength filling his voice as he glared at him.

“She’s alright. Once the anesthetics wear off, her body will be back to normal.” Belo tightened his lips. “As far as she knows, she’s only been sleeping. For her own sake, I suggest you don’t tell her anything about this.”

Zeo stared at him for a moment and nodded. “Take care of her, please.”

Belo bobbed his head and darted out of the room.

*°*°*

Ronner

Ronner ordered the Doman brothers and his men to meet him at the Great Hall. His eyes glowed with fury as he paced around, sweating and mumbling curses. He promised to make Maria and Zeo pay for the terrible chaos they had caused.

The men gathered around him, silent and nervous.

He halted in front of the crystal windows and stared at the crescent moon rising above the horizon. Taking deep breaths, he allowed the fury to flow out of his tense body.

A cold silence.

Finally, he whirled to meet everyone’s eyes. “I’m guessing most of you already know why you are here,” Ronner said, oddly calm. “We must act fast, although it might be too late now.”

“We still have time,” Viper said, walking forward. “It’s only been three weeks. No way a lonely girl could cover that much distance in such a short period of time.”

Ronner scoffed, shooting a contemptuous glance. “It’s not about the time she takes to reach Kavram, it’s about the time we take to find her. We need to cover a large area, with the risk of drawing unwanted attention to us.”

“We can still do it,” Skado interrupted, twisting his lips. Blood had dried under his clothes. “I’ll personally offer to lead this hunt. She’s my prey, and I believe you’d want a disposable ally to risk his life for you. Am I right?” Skado smirked, his words and eyes full of venom.

Ronner stared at him for a moment, and then a cynic smile drew across his face. “It seems fair that you make up for your stupid mistakes, but you won’t lead shit. I’ll assign my own men for every expedition. You will follow.”

“What?” Skado gave him a dirty look and took one step forward, his boot slamming against the marble floor. “I’m not your fucking servant!”

Viper stepped in front of Skado, shoving his hand against his chest and pulling him away. “It’s fair,” Viper agreed, glancing at his brother. Skado had his glare locked on Ronner, the veins on his forehead bulging with anger. “But I have a request.” Viper straightened his back. “I want the recruits from Karx to join us in this search. They’re experienced fighters who will be of great help to us. Plus, they’re disposable. If they die, we won’t lose much.”

“You got a point,” Ronner said, nodding. “I’ll send the recruits from Karx to assist you. The rest of my men and I will remain here. No way I’d risk leaving this place unprotected now.”

Skado gritted his teeth as blood dripped between his clenched fingers. Viper remained calm as usual, his stone face unreadable. “I got no objections,” Viper added. “You need to take care of the Nephilim, the Anglish, and your soon-to-be wife.” Viper turned around, sweeping everyone’s faces with his gray eyes. “Does anyone object to the decision of our boss?”

The men exchanged worried looks, their faces revealing the terror crawling in their skin, but no one dared to say a word.

“Very well,” Ronner raised his voice, folding his arms as a smirk danced above his lips. “I’ll assign ten parties led by a trusted soldier of mine. Viper and his stupid brother will be assigned to different groups for logistical purposes.” He sneered at Skado, whose swollen face was about to blow up. Ronner kept eye contact with him for long seconds before resuming his speech. “However, the maid shall not be harmed. At least until she’s brought to me. No one will touch her until I say otherwise. Failing to do so will lead to severe punishments. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Everyone shouted in unison, except for Viper and Skado, who just nodded.

“Questions?” Ronner asked, pacing around his men, scanning their faces in search of hesitation.

A deep silence.

“Why does the maid need to remain unharmed?” Skado asked between gritted teeth.

“She’s the last person alive who has information about Magenta’s secret fortune and testaments. No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t figure out where all her money went after her death. There’s no trace of it in any bank of this city.”

“What if I just force her to speak?”

Ronner chuckled. “No. I’m the only one who can ask the right questions, so do as you’re told.” He looked at Skado with contempt.

Skado swallowed, burying his fingernails into his palm, and nodded.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Ronner roared, and all his men chanted his name.

Debrin Kavram . . . I’ll show you what I am capable of. This time, it’ll be very different.

*°*°*