Zeo

As soon as the word Hunters left that woman's mouth, Zeo understood he only had one chance to survive. Her claws penetrated his neck while her fingertips began to cut the oxygen to his brain.

But it wasn't his first time dancing with death. He breathed slowly, calming his heart, and focused on his unresponsive vectors.

"I got nothing to tell you," Zeo said, snatching her wrist with both hands and trying to pull it away.

Her expression darkened, and her purple eyes glowed with contempt, but he spotted a weakness: the left side of her abdomen was bleeding through her clothes.

Before the woman could decide his fate, he threw a kick to her wound. She used her left leg to block it, giving him a brief opening; the skill restraining him wavered momentarily, and Zeo took his chance.

A boom of energy traveled through his vectors, reactivating them, and a spectral arm emerged from the ground, trying to reach the woman's head.

She diverted it with her free hand, but Zeo's second vector snatched the arm holding his neck and tried to sever her wrist.

The woman released him and crushed his jaw with a punch. The impact felt heavy like a boulder and sent him to the ground with a mouthful of blood, though he quickly recovered and bounced back on his feet, ready to fight for his life.

She cradled her wrist and stared at him in disbelief. "You've already put up more of a fight than your friends." She smirked and cracked her knuckles. "But for how long?"

"Until you disappear from my sight," Zeo spat, taking a defensive stance.

The woman shook her head. "Isn't it ironic? An Anglish fighting for The Hunters." She scanned him from head to toe, giving him a disappointed look. "You're fighting for the ones who eradicated your kind. How pitiful."

"I don't give a shit about The Hunters!" Zeo roared, glaring at her and analyzing her body for a weakness, but there was none. Unlike fighters like Edo or Pyon, she had complete control of the battlefield and covered every opening.

"The boldness of a young man, I see." She brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Unfortunately, you're not leaving this place until you speak."

Zeo observed the horns on her head and grimaced with disgust. "You're just another Nephilim, aren't you? You don't care about Hybrids or Humans. Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because the fate of three Hybrids depends on you. If you speak now, I swear on my dead brothers and sisters that I shall spare them."

Silence.

A gust of cold wind scratched Zeo's bruised cheek. "Who are you?" Deep inside, he wanted to believe that woman was honest and did not intend to end their lives. "I can tell you don't belong to The Hunters, so who are you?"

"Please, don't make me repeat myself." She closed her eyes and opened her arms while a vortex formed around her, lifting debris, scrap metal, and dust. "This is your last chance to speak. Why are you, Hunters, here?"

Zeo understood that reasoning with her wouldn't be possible. She was his enemy, and no matter what, he couldn't trust her. Besides, he had a mission to protect Amy, and nobody in the world would stop him.

"Zeo," he said firmly, locking his pupils on her bleeding wound. "Azlanin Zeo."

The ground shook, and a shockwave traveled through the land as he charged at her impulsed by his wind. His vectors rose before the woman as he closed the distance between them. One vector searched for her left leg, while the other shielded his body as he drew his gun.

"Zeo?" The lady let her guard down for a split second, giving Zeo a chance to seize her ankle.

He yanked her leg toward him, and she shouted, "Wait!"

His vectors violently sent her to the ground, burying her body in the dry soil. Zeo jumped on her, placing both legs on each side of her body, clenching his fist to smash her face.

"You're Remnya's friend!" the lady exclaimed when Zeo jerked his arm in her direction.

Her words forced him to stop inches away from her nose. "Remnya?" He stared at her with dilated eyes. "Did you say Remnya?"

"You're her friend, Zeo, aren't you?" She put her hand on his chest and pushed him away with a violent motion of her arm. Zeo fell on his rear and whipped the ground with his back. She stood, looming over him, and spoke calmly, "I met Remnya."

Zeo blinked in deep confusion, put his hands on the ground, and sat up to scrutinize the face of that lady one more time.

"Remnya talked about you, but she never described your appearance. All I knew was The Hunters held you hostage, so I never imagined to find you out here, of all places."

"If you know Rem, that means you're from Karx." Zeo narrowed his eyes. "You must belong to Debrin Kavram's army!"

The woman remained silent for a moment and took a deep breath. "Why is her friend fighting for The Hunters?"

Zeo hesitated. Part of him refused to answer, but if she genuinely knew Remnya, perhaps, just perhaps, she could be trusted with a dim piece of information. "If what you say is true, and you learned about me from Rem herself," he gritted his teeth, "you should already know I have no sympathy for The Hunters."

"Then, young man, please, explain to me why you are here, working for them when she is out there training so hard to save you."

Silence.

"I'm not working for them," Zeo muttered between his teeth and glared at her. "And I don't need to be saved."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I have no time for this!" he shouted, clenching his fists while deep anger and frustration filled his veins. "Remnya and I have chosen different paths. Her goals aren't my goals. Her dreams aren't my dreams. Her life choices have nothing to do with me anymore!" Words left his mouth full of poison and resentment. "So, with all due respect, lady. What the hell do you want from me?"

She never took her sharp eyes from him and seemed to process his reaction in judgemental silence. When she spoke again, her voice had a hint of melancholy. "I want nothing from you, young man. The only reason I am here is to save as many innocent lives as possible."

"Then tell me, where are my teammates? They're mere slaves. They have nothing to with the Hunters nor this stupid war."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." She pursed her lips. "One of them was eager to reveal your location and everything about your mission."

"What?" Zeo's jaw dropped.

"He is loyal to The Hunters." The woman drew a tiny device from under her coat and showed it under the dim light. "This is used for direct communication with The Hunters' Headquarters." Zeo stared at the metal piece intently. "Unlike the one in your neck, this tracker keeps records of conversations too." She crushed it in her hand. "Good thing I disabled it as soon as I met your friends."

"You took that from . . . " Zeo muttered, knowing the answer.

"The only boy in your group."

"Arkor . . . "

"I already know you all came here searching for Hybrids, but I wanted to confirm that information with you." She crossed her arms. "I also know The Hunters are coming since he sent off an alarm as soon as I ambushed them."

"That bastard!" Zeo punched the ground, wishing he had taken Arkor's life when he had the chance.

The woman stepped closer. "Perhaps, are you trying to dessert, young man?"

"I won't answer that unless you show me proof you know Remnya." He clenched his fists, glaring at her. "If you do that, I'll tell you what I know."

She nodded nonchalantly, grabbed a cell phone from her waist, and tossed it at Zeo, who caught it midair with his vector. "Check the last photos," she said.

He gave her a sidelong glance and then scanned the device. It was unlocked and had a wallpaper with teddy bears drinking tea. Hesitatingly, Zeo opened her photo gallery, and his pupils dilated when he witnessed a familiar face: Remnya and that woman smiling together.

His heart stopped, and the whole world seemed to freeze around him. Seeing Rem's face after such a long time helped Zeo realize how much he craved to hug her again. He gritted his teeth and gripped the phone tightly.

The woman walked up to him; her deadly aura had vanished. "My name is Ozura," she placed her hand on his shoulder, "and we really need to talk, Zeo."

The night fell still as he swallowed his pride and processed the sudden turn of events.

Fate seemed to smile upon him one more time. Or perhaps, was it another illusion?

Zeo chose to believe.

He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, knowing his friend had never given up on him. "Okay." He took a deep breath of hope. "I'll tell you what I know."

*°*°*

Remnya

Remnya placed a mattress on the grass near the creek and prepared a comfortable bed for Brisa. Her sister slept with her when the weather was benign, and bugs didn't bother her. Nonetheless, Remnya slept on the ground as promised until she saved her friend. They lay down and stared at the starry sky while fireflies surrounded them, along with the sounds of the forest.

News had arrived in the morning, but no one had told her anything. Even Merle ignored her when she asked, which triggered even more questions in her head. But whatever it was, Remnya felt ready to face any upcoming challenge.

She observed a stranded cloud passing by and then turned to Brisa. "How long has it been now?" she asked, resting her chin on her hand.

Brisa thought for a moment and replied, "Over ten months."

"Oh! Ozura said Hybrid babies take longer to be born."

"That's true, but Zaoly will be born this week. I know that." Brisa crossed her arms over her abdomen and sighed. "It's been a long journey."

"It has . . . " Remnya fiddled with a tiny flame on her fingertips. "What's the first thing you will do when everything is over?"

Brisa turned to her, her eyes displaying a tender hint of hope. "I'll find a job and a place to live for you and Zaoly. After that, I'd like to visit my father's grave since I never got the chance to do it."

"Is he resting in Rexton, right?"

"Correct." She smirked. "But I bet you don't even know where that is."

"Of course I do!" Remnya scowled. "Rexton is a country located in the south of Razdef, our country!"

"Oh, very good." She giggled and lay on her side, staring at Remnya. "My hometown is called Green Valley, and it's so much prettier than Crysalton."

"So . . . " she twirled a strand of hair. "We should move there!"

"That'd be nice."

Remnya smiled. "Nebran is in Rexton, too, right?" Brisa nodded, looking surprised. "That's cool. I've always wanted to visit the Kingdom."

"We got a lot of places to visit—"

Heavy footsteps shattered the calm of the night, and a deep voice called their names. Remnya sprang from the ground and sharpened her senses, ready for the unexpected. Brisa stood behind her nervously.

A stocky man emerged from the shadows, and Remnya recognized it was one of Debrin's warriors. He stopped before them, panting, and spoke, "We're leaving this place."

"Why?" Remnya widened her eyes.

"Captain Merle has confirmed our suspicions. The Hunters have tracked us down." He grabbed the mattress and put it over his shoulder. "Go get your belongings and get on the trucks as soon as possible." He turned his back to them and rushed back to the camp.

Remnya and Brisa exchanged worried looks and picked up the pillow and blanket from the ground. "I guess Zaoly will be born on the road," Brisa faked a smile.

"Good thing we have people who can deliver babies." Remnya squeezed the pillow between her arms and then grabbed Brisa's hand. "Let's go."

Back in the camp, everyone ran in all directions, carrying their belongings, loading the trucks, and shouting orders to coordinate their departure. However, Merle stood still in the middle of the chaos; his gaze lost in the dark horizon.

Remnya rushed to his side. "What happened?"

"Those cunts found us again." He chugged his liquor bottle with anger. "It was a matter of time, anyway."

"Where are we going?"

"Joan will decide. You just follow him."

"What about you?"

"I'm staying here, of course." Merle cracked his knuckles. "A captain never abandons his ship."

"Alone?"

"Stop asking stupid questions and go!" he roared, pushing her away.

Remnya staggered and balanced her body not to fall. Frustrated, she hissed and glared at him, wondering why she even cared about that alcoholic brute. She returned to Brisa and led her to one of the trucks, asking her to wait there while she returned to help the warriors.

She found Joan securing the house door with twisted metal bars. "What about Debrin's belongings?" she asked as he placed multiple explosives around the entrance.

"There's nothing of value for them in there."

"What about his garden?"

"Plants will grow again." Joan pointed at a piece of thick titanium on the door. "Can you, please?" Remnya understood what he meant and melted the bar with her hand, welding it to the metal frame under the wood cover.

When everything was ready, Joan destroyed the lamps hanging from the trees and smothered the last campfire. In the distance, the engines roared in unison as the exodus began, leaving a dust cloud behind the convoy that advanced toward an unknown destination.

Joan beckoned Remnya to follow him, but she stopped to contemplate Debrin's camp for the last time. A strange nostalgia filled her chest, and she wondered if he would ever return and what he would feel if The Hunters destroyed his cozy place.

"I bet it won't be the first time," Remnya murmured, walking to the garden to pick up the last pumpkin.

Finally, she rushed to the vehicle where Brisa waited, an old blue SUV, and noticed it was cramped with luggage and at least thirteen people inside. "It's full," the driver said, closing the door.

"But my sister is there!" she yelled at him, knocking on the windshield.

"Don't worry. We'll protect her," a woman said as she rolled down a window. "We're all part of a big family now, remember?"

She wasn't entirely convinced by her words and circled the SUV, looking for Brisa's face, until she found her sitting in the middle. "It's okay, Rem. I'm comfortable here," Brisa assured her, waving her hand.

Remnya bit her lower lip. "I'll be right behind you!" she shouted and bolted toward the next vehicle, where ten people traveled.

"There's some space in the back," the driver said. "Hurry up!"

She jumped on the truck bed, squeezing herself between metal boxes and her pumpkin. The truck rumbled and advanced through the rocky terrain, causing the luggage to hit Remnya's face with each bump.

The camp shrunk on the horizon, and within seconds, it disappeared. Only the headlights following them mitigated the darkness, illuminating the dust cloud rising behind them like brown fog. Remnya gripped the steel cage and accommodated herself to look forward, trying not to lose track of the red lights of Brisa's SUV.

After ten minutes, the convoy increased its speed, and the road bumps almost catapulted Remnya out of the truck. The wind hit her face violently while the vehicle ahead shot dirt and pebbles at her face, forcing her to squint to be able to see.

Someone opened the back door and climbed to the roof. Remnya recognized him: a sniper called Sadio. He squatted skillfully and beckoned her to his side. Remnya gripped the truck with all her strength and crawled to him.

"We'll be ambushed soon," he said calmly, and Remnya gulped. "I need you to shoot anyone you see hiding in the trees. Destroy everything in sight if necessary."

"What about Brisa?" Her heart kicked in her chest.

"She will be fine. They're all seasoned fighters. You need to focus on our truck now, understand?" Remnya hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "If we coordinate our attack properly, they stand no chance against us."

"Do I have to kill them?" Remnya muttered, and a shiver ran down her spine.

"By all means, do it." Sadio reached for the truck bed and grabbed two canon rifles. "Use this too, so you don't waste your energy unnecessarily." He shoved the gun in her hands.

"Understood." Remnya bobbed her head while sweat rolled down her forehead. The only life she had ended was Persen's, but it hadn't been intentional. Could she even follow such orders?

She gripped the gun with one hand, dragged herself back to the truck bed, and waited.

The minutes moved like hours, and clouds began to cover the sky, slowly engulfing the stars. Remnya ducked as entwined canopies passed above her head, and tree branches hit the windshield.

A gunshot blared in her ears as Sadio fired into the darkness. She shot blind glances until something smashed their truck on the side with brutal force.

Remnya moved her gun aimlessly as a second and heavier blow lifted the vehicle from the side. Sadio lost balance but snatched the back door and impulsed himself back on the roof.

"Are you okay?" she asked, but a battery of gunshots from the truck windows muffled her voice. The blasts deafened her, and in the heat of the moment, she summoned a fireball in her hand to illuminate whatever they were attacking.

Remnya discerned a masked man looming over her, but a massive explosion illuminated the night before she could react.

Everything shook, and their truck turned over. Boxes and twisted metals smashed Remnya's body as the world rolled around her.

She buried her knee in the soil, and crimson fire covered her body, protecting her from the multiple impacts. She overheard screams and grunts of pain from every direction until her eyes adapted to her surroundings.

The truck was on fire, turned over in a ditch while Debrin's warriors faced glowing silhouettes that emerged from nothingness and vanished in the darkness. Remnya realized Brisa was ahead of them and searched for her vehicle, but there was only chaos nearby.

Remnya stood with both hands engulfed by fire and glared at three Hunters who surrounded her, their faces displaying hatred and lust.

"I got no time for this. I need to find Brisa," she murmured and clenched her fists, increasing the temperature of the whole forest.

"Be careful," the masked man said, his voice penetrating like sharp steel. "That one is the crimson fire."

"Alive or death?" a woman asked.

"Alive if possible. Otherwise, her head should be enough."

The time stopped, and Remnya thought of Brisa and Zeo, swearing in their names that she would survive, no matter what.

There was a short silence.

And then, crimson covered the night.

*°*°*

: March 18