Remnya

A blast echoed through the forest.

Several flocks of birds rose to the sky, urgency in their wings as they vanished behind the clouds. The forest fell still, and silence filled the atmosphere like a dense mist, accompanied by the reek of blood and burnt flesh.

The glowing projectiles of a shotgun cut the air, searching for Remnya's head.

Time slowed as the faces of Zeo and Brisa flashed in her mind; if she died, all those dreams would come to an end. She had made it so far, and the weight of her promises rested on her sore shoulders.

No matter what, she couldn't give it up yet. Even if it meant going against her convictions, she had to survive.

Remnya gritted her teeth, hating herself for what she was forced to do. Crimson engulfed her hands and quickly spread through her body.

On the verge of tears, she waited for the right moment to retaliate.

. . .

Yet, the impact of that gun never arrived.

. . .

A shriek of pain blared in her ears, followed by a violent gush of wind that brushed her burning hair against her face, sparks floating before her eyes.

Silence.

When time resumed its natural flow, a trembling Remnya turned to witness the events unfolding behind her back. Three men lay still on the ground, their guns buried in the grass. Next to them, the massive figure of Merle loomed over their lifeless bodies.

Placing her hands on the burnt soil, Remnya pushed herself to her feet. Her heart raced in her chest as her dilated pupils searched for answers.

"That was close," Merle said, cracking his knuckles.

"What happened?" Remnya mumbled, locking her eyes on the corpses.

"Isn't it obvious?" He raised an eyebrow, giving her the look of a disappointed father. "Only that kid is left." Merle took one step toward the unconscious boy and raised his right fist.

"NO!" Remnya shouted, standing with open arms between him and the boy.

"That kid saw what you did. If we allow him to live, he'll spread the word, and then what do you think will happen?"

"Still!" Remnya panted heavily, trying to calm her heart. "Why did you have to kill them?"

"We can not afford to let fanatics like these live. Especially, not today."

"Fanatics?"

"These deviants belong to a cult called The Last Order. They believe Nephilims are the spawns of Lucifer on Earth." He laughed mockingly and shook his head. "These assholes attack savagely whoever has horns."

"Can you blame them?" Remnya clenched her fists and stared at the unconscious boy. "Our kind has caused so much pain."

"Innocent or guilty, they'll attack any Nephilim or Hybrid who dare cross their path. Plus, allowing them to live means the word about us spreading to nearby villages like wildfire. It'd be just a matter of time for The Hunters to find us." He folded his arms and looked down his nose at her. "Are you willing to take that risk, little Remnya?"

"Even if that's true, killing them is wrong!" she yelled, her eyes glowing with anger and frustration. "How are we different from them if we just kill anyone who we deem as too dangerous to live?"

"Would you risk Brisa's life because of your beliefs?"

"I. . ." Remnya swallowed and lowered her head, out of words. Even though her heart knew what she wanted, reality had never given her a chance to decide. Remnya was tired of seeing blood spilled wherever she went. That wasn't the path she wanted to follow; that wasn't the world her parents would've wished for her. She had to be better. . . for them.

"Listen," Merle stood next to her and leaned his heavy hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but unfortunately, things can't always be the way we would've wanted. This whole mission will fail if we allow any of them to live."

"If I hadn't been stupid enough to step into their territory, they would still be alive," Remnya murmured, her lips trembling as a lump closed her throat.

"True, and perhaps they would've found an innocent Hybrid girl and murdered her instead of you." Merle walked over to one of the corpses and kneeled next to it. "Come, take a look."

Remnya hesitated, the reek of death revolting her stomach. Yet, she knew she had to face reality, no matter how terrible or cruel it was. Dreams were just dreams, and nightmares were her loyal companion. Remnya dragged her feet toward the scene and stared at the lifeless eyes of a bearded man; he reminded her of the soldier Zeo had killed that night.

Merle snatched a necklace from the man's neck, severing the chain, and showed it to Remnya. "What do you see?" he asked, displaying two tiny horns that hung from the chain, much smaller than hers yet unmistakable. "Nephilim horns." Merle's expression darkened. "How do you think they got them?"

Remnya dropped to her knees and shook her head, refusing to believe the sight. Covering her face with both hands, she spoke through gritted teeth. "Why would they do this? Those horns are barely the size of my friend Amy's horns."

"People do horrible things out of fear or greed." Merle shook his head. "The size clearly reveals these horns belonged to a child not older than two. It's easier to end a Nephilim's life when they are still babies, after all." He narrowed his eyes, inspecting the necklace more closely. "Though, these didn't belong to a Nephilim. The round shape and brown color show they belonged to a Hybrid baby."

A cold shiver ran down Remnya's back. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her nails into her skin. "When will this madness end? When?"

"I don't know." Before the corpses, Merle sat next to Remnya and patted her head. "But I do know what we must do."

They remained silent for a long moment.

"Debrin and I have had enough of this shit. We will take The Hunters down and change the fate and reputation of our kind." He messed up her hair tenderly, his gaze lost into the horizon. "However, you need to understand that in order to protect those who need it the most, we must sacrifice a lot of things."

"Is that true?" Remnya lifted her eyes at him, her pupils flickering with fear and an ounce of hope. "Ending The Hunters will put an end to this endless cycle of violence? Will it?" Deep in her soul, she wished the answer was so simple, yet she knew that wasn't true.

"No." Merle's voice was a cold sword of honesty. His eyes locked on hers. "But it will be a beginning. The Hunters will go down, and so will Karx."

"What?" Remnya widened her eyes, the whole forest falling still.

"Karx and The Hunters are two sides of the same coin, Remnya. Nephilims, Hybrids, and Humans. The powerful fighting each other, while the innocent suffer under the crossfire." Merle narrowed his eyes. "We'll put an end to this pointless war."

His words echoed in the back of her head over and over, slowly forcing their way into her mind. She took a moment to process his revelation but couldn't decipher its meaning. "All I ever wanted was to protect my friends, my family. . ." Remnya murmured, her voice trembling and tears welling up in her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. . . I never hated anyone. . ." A tear trailed down her cheek as she lifted her gaze at Merle. "If there's a single, a small, chance to put an end to so much suffering. . . I want to do it. For Zeo, for Brisa, for everyone."

"The journey will be long, and the road will be tough." Merle stood up and stretched his hand at her. "But remember you're not alone, Remnya."

Remnya tightened her lips, bobbed her head, and took his hand, easing herself from the ground. "I understand," she said and turned to the boy lying on the ground. "Yet. . ." She walked over to him and stared at his unconscious face, now deprived of hatred. "Yet I can't go against what I believe." Words escaped her mouth sharply. "I want to walk this path, I really do! And I will never give up on my journey, but. . ."

Remnya narrowed her eyes and stared deep into Merle's cold gaze. "I'll never betray my heart nor those who fought for me. I am sorry if I am stupid and naive but, the least I can do is taking this kid, who hates me so much, to a hospital and give him a chance at life. Don't worry, I won't ask you to help me. I want to do it myself."

Merle's expression darkened for a moment, but quickly his scowl turned into a smile full of pride. "As expected of you!" He chuckled. "I guess it can't be helped then. We'll drop him at our next stop in Andras Village. They have a nice hospital and great inns to stay at."

"Are you serious?" Her jaw dropped.

"Of course!"

A faint smile forced its way across Remnya's face. "Thank you. . ."

Merle messed up her hair and stomped over to the boy. He picked him up over his shoulder and looked at Remnya. "Go retrieve your uniform from that tree, and I don't care if you didn't get any rest." He smirked. "Break time is over."

Clenching her fists, Remnya bobbed her head, savoring her small victory, and bolted toward the spot where she had left her clothes.

As she neared the tree, something on the ground caught her attention. Remnya took her jacket and boots from the branches and observed the package lying on the soil: a lunch box. Remnya took it between her hands and rushed to open it. Inside, she found a pumpkin pie with a note that read: 'Crimson eyes, don't die yet. DK.'

Remnya stifled a chuckle as her heart filled with a warm sensation. "Thank you," she whispered, adjusting her uniform, ready to continue her journey. Despite her sore muscles and exhausted mind, Remnya felt she was capable of much more.

The hopes and dreams of many rested on her shoulders, and the fire in her heart still burned with the same fiery flame those she loved had fed.

*°*°*

Zeo

Zeo woke up to the blinding lights of massive lamps towering over him atop metal pillars. He lay in the middle of an iron platform, surrounded by dense fog so cold it froze his bones and numbed the pain from his wounds.

Staggering, he stood up and witnessed the horizon fading ahead of him into the lingering night sky. The humidity in the atmosphere filled his lungs, along with the faint scent of dust and burnt coal.

He inspected his surroundings aimlessly, his worn shoes echoing against the floor, quickly replaced by an eerie silence.

. . .

"Did you sleep well?" a familiar voice whispered behind him.

. . .

Zeo turned toward the source of that sound.

Marakudra emerged amidst the fog, droplets soaking her uniform and buckled hair. With a confident smile plastered across her face, she advanced in his direction. Zeo flinched and lifted his clenched fists, locking his pupil on hers. Mara chuckled at his reaction and halted to scan his punished body.

"Do you understand the only reason you're still alive is because of me, right?" she said, folding her arms and twisting her thick lips.

"Should I thank you?" Zeo replied bitterly.

She giggled. "Unlike the stupid dogs under my command, I can see beyond trivial matters such as your inbreed nature." Mara winked at him and smirked. "I hadn't seen a crossbreed with so much potential in years. You put up quite a fight against Edo and Pyon, and from the records my men gathered, you killed that inbreed son of Persen, Skado Doman. Is that correct?"

"Why does it matter?" Zeo narrowed his eye and loosened his fists, unable to perceive the reek of death in her.

"A specimen like you would be of much better use alive than dead. I don't give a shit if my men are Nephilims, Crossbreeds, or Humans. Resources are resources." Marakudra sauntered over to Zeo, who stood still, holding his breath until she was right in front of him. She was one head taller than Zeo, and her upper arms were muscular and massive. Mara leaned forward, her irritating perfume of peaches burning Zeo's nostrils. "Do you want to save Maria, don't you?" she whispered in his ear.

Zeo widened his eye as his heart skipped a beat at her words. "Where's Maria? Didn't they take her away?"

Marakudra giggled and caressed Zeo's cheek tenderly with her fingertips. "She's safe for now, but her fate depends on you."

Zeo leaned away from her touch and scowled. "What do you want from me?"

"Zeo Azlanin," Marakudra started, her voice deepening and her eyes penetrating through his soul. "Half-Anglish, Half-Human. Fifteen years old, with the unique ability to manipulate the infamous Anglish's Vectors." She made a pause and straightened her back. "I want you to swear loyalty to me, right here, right now."

Her words paralyzed Zeo's whole body, and time seemed to slow down. He swallowed through a closed throat and lowered his gaze, staggered and conflicted by her request.

"If you accept my proposal, I'll grant you Maria's property, a nice room for yourself, servants, and more importantly, the status of a Hunter Soldier, the highest position most crossbreeds could only dream of." Marakudra placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned forward, her nose touching his. "What do you say?"

Zeo gathered the strength to speak, cold sweat rolling down his forehead. "What about Debrin Kavram? I am not going to reveal—"

"I don't care about that anymore," Marakudra cut him off. "We already located Debrin Kavram and his army." She beamed at him, a shimmer of gold sparkling in her fangs.

Shivers ran down Zeo's back like the cold hands of death. His heart kicked violently in his chest as he clenched his fists and thought of Remnya's beautiful smile.

Giving up his soul in exchange for an ounce of hope seemed like the easiest choice.

He could save Maria from hell.

And from the inside, he could find a new way to protect Remnya.

Though, selling his will and dignity to those demons meant the beginning of a path with no return.

A one-way journey to hell.

Innocent lives would perish at his hand if she ordered her so.

She would be the owner of his life and death.

"What do you say, Zeo?" Marakudra's voice echoed in the depths of his mind.

What was the price of his soul?

How selfish and stupid could he be to reject such an offer?

. . .

Despite the war in his mind, Zeo had always known the answer.

. . .

My fate. . .

. . . never belonged to me until now.

. . .

Zeo nodded.

"I accept."

Zeo nodded again.

"I accept this proposal."

Zeo nodded a third time.

"This is my fate."

Marakudra beamed at him, her coffee eyes sparkling with the joy of someone who had won without spilling a single drop of blood. "Kneel and swear."

Without questioning her request, Zeo kneeled. The face of Remnya popped up in the darkness of his soul, but he fought it away. Burying his nails into his skin, Zeo grimaced with anger and pain.

Leave me alone, Remnya. . . You don't fucking need me anymore."

GO AWAY!

I DON'T FUCKING NEED YOU!

GO AWAY AND LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE AWAY FROM ME!

Tears welled up in Zeo's eye, burning his skin as they rolled down his bruised cheek, sliding into his wounds.

We were never meant to be together. . .

"Go away, please. . ." Zeo murmured and leaned forward, grabbing Marakudra's boot between his hands.

He kissed it. "My soul belongs to you, Captain."

Marakudra gestured at him to stand up.

Zeo took a moment to gather the strength to look at her new fate and then rose like a new man.

Mara held his face in her hands tightly and wiped his tears with her fingertips. "This is your fate, Zeo Azlanin. Welcome aboard." Marakudra kissed his forehead, her lips cold and sticky, leaving a trail of saliva on his skin. "Give me your hand."

Zeo stretched his hand at her, his mind a void in his brain. Marakudra sliced his wrist with her sharp claws, drawing blood. She proceeded to do the same with her wrist, opening a small cut for her thick blood to flow out. Mara rubbed her blood with his, and Zeo felt his whole arm burning like fire.

Like Remnya's fire.

His head felt light, and his body staggered backward, only stopped by Marakudra, who held him tightly. "You need to rest now," she whispered in his ear. "When you wake up, everything will be over."

Like a robot, Zeo nodded and allowed his exhausted body and mind to collapse in her arms, knowing neither his soul nor his heart belonged to Remnya anymore.

*°*°*

: November 30