Chapter 1
Ren was heaving as he carried a bucket of water into the meagre, untidy infirmary when he saw four soldiers pointing their guns on his sick sister's head.
Instantly, the bucket fell from his hand, the water pouring over the floor as he ran over to Mira's bed and knelt in front of the soldiers, "Please, what has she done? I will take responsibility for whatever it is. P-please, j-just take your guns away from her." He pleaded with the soldiers, his hand holding onto his sister's for a semblance of reassurance.
"It's not what she did, but what you have done," Reed's voice spoke coldly behind him.
Ren instantly froze, his hands falling away from his sister's. Slowly, he turned to face the commander. He knew his sin without being told.
Zarek and Lynx.
He had always been bullied by those two soldiers, and a few minutes ago, he got in a fight with them and ended up denting their faces with the sharp bottom of his metal bucket.
He knew he would pay for it somehow.
"Commander, I'm sorry -"
"You're not permitted to speak, yet," Reed shunned.
Ren bit his lips, his head lowered in front of him.
He hadn't thought of the aftermath of his actions, but there had been little to no time to think. Their world was a jungle, you either kill or be killed. For now, Ren was in killing mode, and he wasn't sorry about it.
"You've injured two of my men. You know the rules; anyone who harms my soldiers shall be banished... unconditionally. Tell me, Ren, would it be wrong if I sent you and your dying sister out of those tall gates?" Reed questioned, stepping closer to Ren, his shoes appearing in front of Ren's lowered face.
Ren gritted his teeth; everything was wrong. These days, there were no longer laws that protected the rights of humans... who was he kidding? There were no more humans, he is the last of that species.
With swallowed anger and grief, he cleared his throat and looked into Reed's brown eyes.
"You're not wrong, Commander. But I was just defending myself; if not, I would have been killed," Ren replied quietly.
Reed slowly nodded, "I know that. Still, you could have called for help."
Ren chuckled humourlessly, "I've tried that for many years, Commander: calling out for help. I never got any. Today, I saw that they had planned to end me; for my sister's sake, I had to survive." He stated with a deep frown etched on his face.
Reed squatted in front of Ren, staring into Ren's green eyes.
"You're at fault, yet you speak so firmly. Do you not fear for what might happen to your sister?" Reed questioned.
Ren balled his fists, "I'm sorry, commanded. It won't happen again." He apologised.
For Mira's sake, he had to be sensible; being strong-headed would only lead them out of the base's gates.
"I will not send you or your sister away," Reed offered Ren his hand, offering to help him stand.
Reluctantly, with a heart full of distrust, Ren gave Reed his hand and let the commander help him to his feet.
"Thank you, Commander. It will not happen again," Ren bowed his head.
"Unfortunately, your sister cannot receive any more serums," Reed mentioned.
Ren paused. He knew Reed couldn't forgive him so easily. "Please, Commander, punish me, instead. It was I who broke the law." He pleaded desperately.
Reed chuckled, "I'm not even trying to punish you." He gave a signal to his men and they removed their guns from Mira's head, marching over to stand behind him.
"You have injured the two soldiers whom I sent to infiltrate the Faction12 gates as spies. How do you think we get all these serums? You think the captain gives it for free?" Reed chuckled.
"You should know this by now, Captain Axton Conan purges beast-bounds, not treats them. The serum he produces is strictly for strong allies, which we are not. The ones we got? We bought them from a weak link in his Faction." Reed explained the situation.
Ren was starting to understand the severity of the situation. It wasn't that Reed didn't want to administer the serum to his sister; it was just that there was no longer available serum, and the means of getting it had been destroyed by no one but himself.
"But, don't lose hope, all hope is not completely gone," Reed tapped Ren's shoulder.
Ren's eyes glowed with hope, "There's a way?" He asked, hope bubbling within him.
Reed nodded, "Yes. You, Ren." He stated.
"You are the only hope of our people. For your sister." His voice bore a tone of foreboding, sending a cold, dangerous shiver down Ren's spine.
"W-what do you mean, commander?" Ren stammered, hoping that the thought in his head wasn't what Reed was about to say.
"You will go in place of my injured soldiers to Faction12; you only have two days to return with the serums, or you already know what happens, not just to your sister, but to every beast-bound in this infirmary," Reed stated.
"Renault..." Mira's weak voice was heard from behind.
Ren instantly turned and ran over to her, sitting on her thin bed, "It's alright, Mira. I told you I'd do anything for you; after all, I'm at fault this time. I injured Zarek and Lynx; it was supposed to be them going on this mission, but I have to take responsibility for my actions, Mira. For you I'd do anything, as long as it's humanely possible," He gently spoke to his sister.
"Your brother is sensible, Mira. You should be glad you have him by your side," Reed stepped closer to Mira's bunk as he spoke.
Mira shook her head, "No... don't go. I'm already dying..." She paused and coughed, "You've heard of the captain's ruthless tales, do not deliver yourself into his arms, Renault, please." Mira pleaded, her breath was ragged, rough, and her hands were trembling in Ren's.
"They say Axton never blinks when he shoots a child. Mercy is a word he's erased from his dictionary." Mira whispered weakly.
Ren shut his eyes and shook his head. He was scared, too. Scared he might never get to see his sister again. However, not going is just as dangerous and life-threatening as going.
Mira would die if he stayed back: he had to try, he had to.
"Follow me, Reed; it's just a few hours till the guards shift posts in Faction12 gates," Reed said and walked away, leaving Ren to decide his sister's and many others' fate.
With a bittersweet kiss on his sister's forehead, he stood and gently removed her weak hands from his, "I will be back in two days, Mira. I promise." His voice shook in the end but he straightened his back and turned away from Mira.
Sometimes, some goodbyes are for the best. One had to step out of their comfort zone to find more comfort, staying too long in a place stunts growth and productivity.
He was doing it.
He was going to Faction 12, to Captain Axton's base. The most powerful and resourceful base among the twelve Factions. Theirs was Faction 7, but they were more recognised as Base7. They were the third strongest Faction, yet, they had nothing compared to Faction 12.
Axton had it all. He was that ruler: ruthless, fiercely loyal to order, and as rumour might have it... he was also a killer.
That was the man Ren was about to enter his territory, a devil.
"This way, Ren. The commander needs you now," one of the commander's men used his gun to point Ren to the commander's tent.
"Okay," Ren nodded and gulped before he followed the soldier's direction and headed to Reed's tent.
This was the beginning of Ren's unexpected adventure.
He was walking into the lion's den, into the eye of a storm.
Into Captain Axton Conan's world. And the devil was waiting.
