Jonas could hear the voices of his companions calling out to him, trying to wake him from his deep slumber. The only reason he had yet to open his eyes and assure them of his safety was that he wanted to burn his dream into the back of his eyelids so that he didn't forget the things he saw.

However, he heard the desperation in their voices, felt them surrounding his body, and knew he couldn't wait any longer. His blue eyes opened, and the darkened ceiling revealed itself, along with multiple faces hovering over him, all with reddened eyes: Yuki, Simon, Johnson, Ralph, and Pete.

"I'm alive," Jonas coughed and ran his hand over the spot where the Maldread had ripped his heart out. "The Maldread?"

"Dead. Completely dead," Simon sighed. "We thought you were dead too."

"I was for a few moments," Jonas sat up and noticed all the dried blood and grime covering his body; his clothing was in shreds, and his hair was thick with filth.

"How did you do it?" Yuki narrowed her eyes.

"I think the question is, what did he do?" Johnson met eyes with Simon, and they came to an agreement with their gazes: they wanted to distract Jonas a bit longer before they had to break the bad news about Ahmed and Jaden.

"My Original Sin is to control my blood. I explained this before. I let the Maldread consume my heart because I planned to kill the monster from the inside. I used Sin Sorcery—True Sin to expand my heart until it crushed the beast's windpipe and suffocated it to death," the explanation sounded wild and unbelievable, but those who were listening nodded with understanding because they knew how crazy Sin could be.

"How did you grow a new heart?" Pete asked. They were all dying to know how their leader had instantly regenerated a heart within seconds—a feat that seemed impossible even with Sin. "There was this golden light, and your heart just magically appeared," Jonas wasn't sure how to explain what happened because he was unsure of the true answer. He thought back to the dream, and although most of it had faded away, he did recall when the Man of Light had shot forth a golden light and given Jonas a new lease on life.

"I got lucky," Jonas told half-truths and half-lies because he wasn't supposed to talk about the Man of Light. "I dreamed about my former master, and he healed me. I'm not sure what it means, but I'm alive and well, regardless."

"You said your former master was a powerful Sinner, right? You also said he was capable of healing," Simon nodded and realized that Jonas' dream might've happened. "It seems that he's powerful enough to heal you from great distances, and he even sensed that something was wrong with you. Very powerful, indeed."

"I agree," Jonas stuck out his hand, and Johnson pulled him to his feet. "That old quack is an asshole, but he came in clutch this time," he took a look around the room and grimaced at the horrible sight. It was like a gruesome battlefield, with corpses, blood, and body parts littered across the room. Jonas had difficulty telling who was who because the Maldread had killed so many slaves and low-level fighters. "Howard and Thomas are both dead?" Jonas didn't see them, so he assumed they had bitten the bullet.

"Garth, Xiao Lin, and the rest of the other gang leaders are dead too," Ralph had taken a tally. "We lost about sixty percent of all the slaves and fighters that we started the riot with," there had been over forty people that fought to escape the Hurts gang, and Jonas noticed less than half of them were remaining.

"Where's Ahmed?" Jonas noticed that his old friend was missing from their group. He saw his friend's faces fall, and his stomach clenched as his heart began hammering from anxiety. "Where's Ahmed?"

"Jonas, I'm sorry. Ahmed didn't make it, "Simon bit his lip and pointed at a corpse near the wall. "The Maldread tried to kill me, but Ahmed pushed me out of the way and took the blow. He sacrificed himself," but the teen wasn't listening because his ears were ringing and had stopped working, and there was a glazed look in his eye. Jonas slowly walked over to the body belonging to his dearest old friend. He hadn't noticed because there were so many dead people, but Ahmed's clothing, long ashen hair, and thick beard were unmistakable from the rest of the corpses.

Jonas bit his trembling lip and fell to his knees at the side of Ahmed, whose eyes were closed, and if the young man hadn't known better: he would have thought his dear friend was just taking a nap. Tears were building up in his eyes as guilt flooded his heart, and he suddenly recalled a part from the dream: Ahmed telling him it was all his fault.

"Ahmed," Jonas' voice broke, and he could no longer hold back the tears. They erupted, and hot liquid streamed down his cheeks as he tried to speak. "I'm so sorry, Ahmed. I'm so sorry," he whimpered as the realization of his friend's demise hit him with full force. Red liquid began dripping on Ahmed's clothing and skin, and Jonas wiped the tears from his eyes only to realize he was crying blood: he had unintentionally Sinned.

"Jonas," Yuki called out in her most delicate voice, and she was teary-eyed because her heart hurt to hear him cry. "It's not your fault. You know it's not your fault. Ahmed would never blame you for his death because he knew the risks."

"Just stop, please," Jonas didn't want to hear her reasoning. He knew that Ahmed would proudly die sacrificing himself for a friend and knew the old desert warrior wouldn't blame him. "Ahmed hadn't seen the surface in hundreds of years. He was going to escape and be free for the first time in forever," Jonas turned to face her, and she bit her lip because the bloody tear stains painted a menacing and miserable picture on his handsome face. "I was going to get him a job," Jonas choked. "He was going to be free!"

"Jonas," Simon tried to assure him. "Don't you remember what Ahmed said before we tried the escape plan? He said he didn't long for the outside world but would risk his life to help his friends escape—don't you see, he did just that. Ahmed had a warrior's death and died for his friends to escape. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be me because that killing blow was for me, and he pushed me out of the way. It's my fault more than it could ever be yours," a fresh wave of tears had built up in the corner of Simon's eyes, and they slowly fell down his cheeks as his lip quivered.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Johnson's eyes were watery, and he shook his head in frustration. "We lost one more," he pointed to the nearby corpse with fabric covering up the face. Jonas was so absorbed in his pain over losing Ahmed that he hadn't realized another crew member was missing. He turned his head with trepidation and recognized the body's skin tone and clothing, and his heart gave another lurch as he pulled the fabric and revealed Jaden's cold, dead expression.

"Jaden," Jonas punched the stone floor, and two knuckles broke from the impact. "How did he die?" Fresh bloody tears streamed down Jonas' face as new feelings of guilt and sadness filled his heart.

"He tried to land the killing blow on the Maldread, but he wasn't quick enough to dodge out of the way. He died quickly," Pete had watched the death of his young friend, and it played freshly in his mind.

"He had such a bright future ahead of him. He was going to be a baseball player," Jonas shook his head. "It's not fair. It's fucking bullshit."

"I know," Yuki put a hand on his shoulder. "He was a good kid and deserved better than dying from the Maldread in some God-forsaken sewer. Jonas, you know that Jaden was ready to die. He wanted to make the sacrifice, remember? He was faster than everyone else, and I think it's better that we respect—"

"Jesus Christ, Yuki, give it a rest," Jonas had lost control of his voice. "No one wants to die. That goes for Jaden, Ahmed, and everyone else murdered here. I don't care what they said during our meetings or the heat of battle because it's all bullshit. Ahmed didn't want his goddamn heart carved out, and Jaden didn't want to be half decapitated. Stop trying to give their deaths grand meanings because the truth is that everyone here died a meaningless death."

"Sorry," Yuki's hand left his shoulder, and she backed away quietly. She wasn't angry with Jonas because she knew he was in pain, but it hurt to fail in trying to comfort him; perhaps she didn't have the nurturing instinct to be able to help someone in tremendous pain. Yuki felt she was better off leaving well alone and allowing Jonas to grieve however he needed to, so she slunk away until she was no longer the focus of those who were mourning.

"You're right, Jonas," Theo spoke up. He wasn't crying because he hadn't known either Ahmed or Jaden for very long, but he still felt upset at their deaths. "Nobody here wanted to die from the Maldread. However, we knew beforehand that not everyone would make it. We were all prepared for that."

"Theo, stop yourself," Johnson clapped his shoulder. "Not every moment needs a pep talk or some feel-good grandstanding. Sometimes it's okay to shut up and cry," Theo could see that Johnson was still fighting tears from behind his bushy eyebrows and beard. Theo nodded and went quiet, but he didn't cry.

No one spoke for the next few moments. Jonas was kneeling next to the corpses of his two friends while crimson tears continued to pour down his face. He had never experienced feelings of loss like he was going through; his parents never really existed, so their deaths didn't count; Drake leaving him sparked bitterness and competitive desire more than feelings of despair and sadness. He wasn't sure what to do with the guilt wreaking havoc inside his heart or the images of Ahmed's ghost blaming him.

"Listen, I don't want to be insensitive," a man timidly broke the silence. "I'm sorry for your loss, and I appreciate you all getting me out of that cage, but I want to leave now because I can't stand being here anymore when I know the exit is so close. If it's all right with you, I'm going to type the password and exit through that door," many of the surviving slaves and fighters nodded their heads in agreement. They appreciated Jonas for killing the Maldread and felt sorry he lost his friends, but they all wanted to leave the Hurts gang more than anything. For some, it had been the most excessive suffering with their eternities.

"Go, you don't need my permission," Jonas's voice was husky and dry. "Thanks for your help, and I wish you all luck."

"Don't take anything from strangers, don't go out at night, and don't get blackout drunk," Johnson reminded. The fighter who had spoken up nodded and turned to leave, and nearly everyone in the room followed him. When he reached the door, he typed in the password until the light on the pin pad turned green. His eyes filled with wonder and excitement as he pulled open the door and revealed a narrow corridor that twisted out of sight.

"Let's go, but get ready for a fight," however, there were probably no Sinners guarding the bars or casinos, so the group of fighters and slaves would have an easy time getting back to Little Wrath City and the surface. The people leaving had a pep in their step, and they didn't look back as they finally made their way to freedom. Most would never forget Jonas Ariel, the teenager who had fought a Maldread and broke them free from years of slavery.

The crowd noise died down and left a small and intimate group consisting of Jonas, Simon, Johnson, Pete, Ralph, Theo, Yuki, and Bannji. They didn't speak to each other, and they sat among the dead bodies, mourning the losses of their friends, and occasionally their eyes would drift over to the exit. It didn't seem they were in a hurry to escape, even though they had sacrificed so much to open the doors of freedom.

"What do you want to do with their bodies, Jonas?" Simon was the first to ask. "We can bury them here."

"Not here," Jonas shook his head. "We're taking them to the surface, and they're getting a proper burial. Non-negotiable."

"That's a good idea. Does anyone know what religion Jaden belonged to?" Johnson asked. "For Ahmed, I don't know how a middle eastern Jewish funeral is supposed to look."

"I think Jaden was a Christian, so I supposed an ordinary funeral should be fine," Pete sighed and clapped Ralph on the shoulder. "Big guy, are you okay carrying one of our boys?"

"I'd carry both if Jonas let me," said Ralph. "Is everyone ready to get the fuck out of here?" His face was still sad, but they heard a hopeful note in his voice that inspired most of the group to get up and stretch. Jonas knew the rest of them wanted to leave, and they were being polite by waiting so long when the freedom they fought for was so close they could taste it. He sighed, wiped the bloody tears from his face, and stood up.

"I'll carry Ahmed. Ralph, could you take Jaden up with us?"

"Of course."

"Might be a stupid question, but is there any way to steal some money from Howard or the rest of the gang leaders?" Theo asked because he knew he had no funds for when he got back to the surface. "They all have their hell phones on them, right?"

"It's not a dumb question," Simon was the smartest of the group and took an interest in all things technology. "They build hell phones with anti-theft software that can detect the life force of their owners, and when someone dies, their phone will self-destruct. Then all their digital assets will be seized by the government unless they have a phone app called Inheritance. If you have Inheritance downloaded and pay a monthly subscription, your assets will be protected and passed down to a person of your choice. I don't think Howard Hurts left any of us in his will."

"That's unfortunate," Theo clicked his tongue while thinking of the hundreds of thousands of Sin Stones lost to them forever.

"None of us have to worry about money," said Johnson. "Jonas has employment all lined up for anyone who wants it."

"I'm not a Sinner, though," Theo wouldn't have mentioned money had he thought there was a job waiting for him once they left.

"That doesn't matter," said Simon. "None of us are going to leave you high and dry. It might take a few months, but Johnson and I will help you get your Sin Scars. We won't leave you until the day you do," his words made Theo smile warmly and nod his head.

Everyone was almost ready to leave when a foreign noise attracted their attention, and multiple eyes glanced over at the doorless entrance to the Hurts gang headquarters. Brow wobbled through the door, looking very messy and confused, while his swollen jaw was pink and puffy from where Jonas had kicked it.

"What the fuck," there were too many things going on for him to take all at once. His ponytail bobbled, and his yellow eagle eyes danced around the room as he glanced at all the dead bodies, gore, and the group of survivors huddled on one side of the room. Then his eyes bulged as they fell on the Maldread, and although he had never seen one before, he had heard of their appearance, and he subconsciously stepped backward. "What the fuck happened, Jonas? What the fuck did you do?"

"What does it look like happened, Andrew," Jonas cleared his throat and smiled devilishly at his former manager. "I knocked you out, so we could go through with our escape plan that we had made in secret. Then while you were sleeping, our riot had an all-out brawl with Howard Hurts, Thomas Vale, and a bunch of other gang leaders who had shown up with them after the fights. Then a fucking Maldread showed up and killed everyone. I killed the Maldread, and now we're here."

"Did he mention that the Maldread killed everyone?" Johnson chuckled at the stupid expression on Brow's face.

"Howard Hurts?" Brow looked around in disbelief, but Jonas pointed to a corpse in a suit.

"Dead. Everyone is fucking dead. Howard, Thomas, Xiao Lin, and Garth. That's just the four biggest assholes."

"We lost Ahmed too, and Jaden," Simon glared at Brow like he was daring him to say something clever."

"Unbelievable," Brow was numb and was still in disbelief, but he was starting to feel frustrated because the realization of Howard Hurts' demise was setting in. "You mean to tell me that after I finally get my position back, I'm back to square one?"

"Yes, Brow. Keep up. You're no longer a Vice President or employed by the services of the Hurts gang," Jonas rolled his eyes and stepped close enough to Brow that they could feel each other's breath. "In other words, you're back to square one."

"God fucking-fuck, Jonas. You ruined everything!" Brow shouted.

"Careful, Andrew," Jonas' voice was eerily calm, and there was a murderous glaze across his blue eyes. "Did you miss the part where I killed the Maldread?"

"Where the fuck did that thing originate? I don't believe a Maldread just showed up, killed everyone, and then died at your hand. A Maldread is something that entire government armies show up to destroy, and it isn't a creature capable of being killed by a teenager."

"I don't give a fuck what you believe. I did you a courtesy by explaining what happened, and now you're on your own. We're leaving, and if you dare try to stop us, Andrew, I'll break your fucking neck," Brow could hear a dark and devilish tone in Jonas' voice that told him to be careful, or he might lose his life.

"Relax. It's done and over with," Brow took a step back and shook his head. "I know you could all kill me, so I'm not even going to try to get you to stay. Let's just go our separate ways, right?" He looked hesitant at Jonas.

"I don't know, Jo," said Pete. "I say we finish the job and kill him too."

"Come on, Jonas," Brow was starting to look nervous. "I know you hate me, but I was also good to you too. I gave you benefits and helped you move up in the Hurts gang."

"You left me to die and got lucky that I was ultra-talented. You gave me benefits because it benefited you to do so. Don't stand there and pretend you treated me kindly out of the goodness of your heart. We really should kill you, Brow. How many people died because of you? How many innocent people did you enslave? If I let you go now, you'll just go to another gang and do the same thing."

"No, no," Brow was feeling very nervous. At first, he thought Jonas wouldn't kill him because of their recent goodwill toward each other, but his survival instincts were on fire because of the situation, and the conversation did not seem to be going well for him. "Listen, Jonas. I'll stop being a gang banger. I'll just go to the surface and become a talent scout somewhere. It's just like you said."

"I don't know, Andrew. You aren't very trustworthy. However, I'm not going to kill you today simply because I don't feel like spilling any more blood right now. However, if I hear that you're in a gang or enslaving people: I'll finish the job. Do you understand?" Jonas glared at Brow, who bit his lip and nodded his head.

"Good enough, Jonas. Thank you," he sighed a deep breath of relief and pelted off toward the exit door. Andrew Browner disappeared around the bend and was no longer Jonas' concern.

"You sure you don't want to kill him?" Johnson looked a bit disappointed. "That asshole treated us like shit."

"I'm going to try to believe that he'll change for the better. However, he'll probably go back to being a criminal, and it kills him. It's his choice on how he wants to live from now on and has nothing to do with me. Karma gets everyone at some point," and Jonas spread his hands out to gesture toward all the dead people around them who had committed atrocities against humanity.

"Then let's go. I can't stand another minute down here," Ralph scooped Jaden into his massive arms while Jonas slowly made his way to Ahmed, picked him up, and tried his best not to cry again.

Jonas led the way, and the group followed him out the entrance hall, past the metal doors, through a twisted hallway, through another door, and into a large room filled with rock music, slot machines, and confused drunk people. Ten minutes prior, an entire group of bloody and emancipated people had come through the backdoors, beat the security guards unconscious, grabbed a bunch of alcohol, and ran like their life depended on it. Ten minutes later, a second group was coming through, led by a teenager holding a dead body, followed by a massive seven-foot man and a rag-tag group of people.

Most of the people there had nothing to say, and they just continued playing the slots and drinking their liquor while unintentionally setting themselves up to be thrown in cages. No one tried to stop them as they made their way through the bar, and because security had tried to reach leadership to no avail, the ones who weren't unconscious had locked themselves in the staff room.

It didn't take long for them to leave the bar and casino, and eventually, they came to the familiar spiraling road of Little Wrath City, which began with doors and ended with giant man-eating crocodiles.

"Which way?" Jonas wasn't surprised that nobody cared about their group's appearance. Dead bodies and dirty people were a common sight in Little Wrath City.

"Do you remember how you got here?" Simon asked.

"I took the entrance protected by the Von Trip gang. I think it was this way."

Along the way, people occasionally pointed at Jonas and whispered, and he figured they recognized him as the undefeated Comeback Kid, formerly enslaved by the Hurts gang. It took nearly ten minutes because of the crowding and the occasional brawls, but they finally came to a metal door that had a sign above it glowing with green neon light.

"Von Trip. It's this one."

It was surreal how over a year had passed since Jonas last walked down the long dark tunnel that led back to the abandoned sewage plant on exodus street. Nothing had changed in his absence, and their group walked single file down the damp pathway.

"This leads to an old sewage plant, right?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, it's a hideout for the gang. Somebody new will have to take over now that Billy is dead," Jonas' voice was stiff from lack of emotion.

"I wonder why the government abandoned it?" Theo's voice echoed off the sewer walls as he stared at the river of water running next to them.

"Modern toilets in Hell don't need waste disposal anymore. They just make shit disappear—literally," Pete recalled a conversation he had in the past. "They're still converting a ton of them because it's expensive, but in a decade or so, sewage and plumbing will be a relic from the past."

"Great conversation, guys," Yuki shook her head and sighed. She was tired of being surrounded by men.