"By the way... How did you even defeat that monster?" asked Yuuma, trying to get up but failing. Unknown looked at him, swallowed his last bite and said, "Oh... I was ready to fight it. But the moment I struck its fangs, it fled. Creatures like that only hunt when they're sure."
Yuuma frowned, "Has he ever felt fear?"
Unknown looked back at him, and smiled, "I know it's weird not to be scared of something unthinkable, but I like to fight. I want to be strong. Being weak would be worse for me than dying."
Yuuma felt something he hadn't in a long time: respect… tinged with fear.
"What's your goal, Yuuma?" asked Unknown, keeping his voice low.
Yuuma recalled everything, his breath uneven by the memories. "Helix... I... I want to wipe its very existence." growled Yuuma.
Unknown smiled, sarcastically.
Bouvet Island, South Atlantic Ocean, Helix underground bunkers
Screams and cries echoed everywhere. The smell of rotting corpses lingered all around... Torturers were doing their jobs, passionately. Traitors, spies of Illuminati and the strongest politicians who opposed Helix were captured and sent to the Bouvet Island.
"Yuki.... You look beautiful..." proclaimed a torturer, stepping closer.
He looked at her furious eyes and said, "But... you're quite dumb... There was no need to fight against hundreds of soldiers. Your fighting techniques made it obvious you are an Illuminator... If you just acted like a normal devasted human, you would have received an easy death by a gun or a missile..."
As the torturer finished his words, he looked at Yuki's eyes once again, and said, "Well, I'll take good care of yours here... Better than anyone. From today, I'm your owner...."
Yuki spat at him, and roared, "I'm not a coward like you Helixers.... I'm here, on the deathbed, but I am not afraid. If I couldn't destroy Helix, my teammates will...."
The torturer wiped off the spit from his face and said, "Brave words, but bravery won't save you here...."
Smirking, he picked up an instrument and placed it in her mouth. A moment later, Yuki cried in agony, her tears mixing with her blood....
Yuuma and Unknown leaned against the thick branches, exhaustion dragging their bodies down. The night wind whispered through the leaves, carrying the distant screams like a bad dream. Both closed their eyes, letting the world slip away for a few stolen hours…
And when the first gray light of dawn broke over the forest, they stirred, eyes flickering open, unsure if the horrors of yesterday were gone, or just waiting for them in the shadows....