Chapter 6 : WINGS
Unit 1 — The Girl Who Refused to Break
George stormed through the house, each step pounding like thunder. Anger twisted with fear in his chest. What if she tells someone about me? The thought of Sofia escaping clawed at his mind, and suddenly, his gaze sharpened—John. Without hesitation, he dashed to John's room.
John lay asleep, oblivious to the storm unfolding around him, unaware that the house had turned into a cage of shadows and terror.
Then—Sofia struck. She lunged from behind, wild and desperate. George caught her easily, his grip like iron. Relief, not fury, flickered across his face for a brief second.
"You insolent fool … How did you escape my paradise?" His words were calm, almost casual, but the menace behind them cut deeper than any blade.
Earlier that day, George had left to meet Edward, leaving Sofia alone. Now, alone but defiant, she faced another threat—a man, or perhaps something far worse, attacking her from the darkness. His jaws clamped toward her neck with horrifying precision. Sofia twisted instinctively, narrowly avoiding the strike. The creature's momentum betrayed him, and he collided with a metal pole, collapsing unconscious in a grotesque heap.
Her heart raced, every beat echoing in her ears. How do I escape from here? she thought, scanning the nightmarish hall. Then her eyes fell upon the man's teeth, grotesquely embedded in the metal pole. A grim, desperate solution presented itself. This is the only way.
With a deep, trembling breath, she leaned close. Her teeth clamped onto the jagged metal, pulling with all her strength. The taste of iron filled her mouth. Her hands tore and split under the strain, but she refused to falter. Finally, she wrenched a piece free. Clenching it between her teeth, she used it to cut a short section of the rope binding her wrists. Just enough. She was free—but the hall of horrors still held her prisoner.
Every shadow seemed alive, twisting and stretching like dark fingers. Then she sensed a presence behind her. Panic surged. Spinning around, she came face to face with a towering figure, its form nearly nine feet of unnatural muscle and shadow. It wasn't George—not entirely human. Its eyes glowed faintly, and its breathing was a low, wet rasp.
Sofia sprinted, her fear propelling her forward. The creature hesitated, as though sensing a stronger presence nearby. And then—something darker, even more grotesque, crawled from the shadows. Unhuman. Unthinking. Malformed. She kicked at it desperately, but her blows passed through nothing.
She ran, lungs burning, until a door loomed ahead. Yanking it open, she intended to flee upstairs—but agony struck. A creature's teeth clamped viciously onto her foot. Her scream pierced the darkness, echoing off the walls, unanswered. She tore free, the sharp pain ripping through her toes—two fingers lost to the bite. Blood welled and dripped, but she refused to look back.
Shaking, trembling, and bleeding, Sofia stumbled toward the house door, only to pause. Doubt and guilt crashed over her like a tidal wave.
I'm the reason… Why is John suffering all of this? But can I… can I escape with him?
Her gaze drifted to John's room. He slept peacefully, oblivious. A glimmer caught her eye—a linear band. Swiftly, she wrapped her wounds, not knowing what lay ahead. Determination hardened inside her. I will capture George. I will find a way out. I will survive.
A broken shard of glass became her weapon. She faced George when he reappeared, his expression calm, almost amused.
Narrator: In present
"FUCK YOU!" she screamed, lunging with every ounce of strength. Her blade struck his foot. He retaliated with brutal precision, punching her repeatedly. Darkness swallowed her consciousness, and the cold seeped into her bones.
When she awoke, cold air caressed her skin, and a thin beam of light cut through the darkness. A sharp whistle echoed. George's calm, terrifying voice followed.
"Same room… same as the day I first brought John here."
"What the hell do you want?" Sofia demanded, voice hoarse but defiant.
"First… I must tell you something important about your family."
Sofia's heart clenched, dread pooling in her stomach.
"What is it?"
"Your village… Ironrest… has been destroyed. Bombed."
The weight of his words crushed her, her knees nearly buckling.
"And… it's likely the other branches of Wings behind this," she whispered, tears forming, fury mixing with despair.
"Other branches of Wings?" she repeated, disbelief and horror mingling in her voice.
"Yes," George replied, his voice steady, calm, yet carrying the weight of inevitability. "Now… it is time to tell the history of Wings."
Unit 2 — ROOTS OF THE WINGS
George and Sofia sat facing each other on wooden chairs.
The only difference was simple—and cruel.
Sofia was tied.
The ropes cut into her wrists, her body aching from everything she had already endured. George leaned back comfortably, studying her face like a surgeon studying a patient before cutting.
"Wings…" George muttered slowly, almost tasting the name. "Even I'm confused about where to begin."
He leaned forward.
"So listen carefully. Don't ask questions. Don't interrupt me. Just listen."
Sofia clenched her jaw but said nothing.
"Your family," George continued, "is one of the Ten Pillars of the Underworld. The Wings."
He paused, letting the weight of that sink in.
"The Wings aren't just one family. They're divided into twelve branches. And those branches are split into three categories."
He raised one finger.
The Upper Level
"The elite. They handle the most important missions… contracts that decide the fate of cities."
He named them slowly:
1. Ironfather
2. Bloodheirs
3. Nightlords
4. Stonecloaks
"These are the ones who live above everyone else."
Then a second finger.
The Middle Level
"Still important. Fighters. Spies. Support. The backbone of every war."
5. Ashborn
6. Frosthands
7. Ironveils
8. Viperfists
"They bleed so the upper level doesn't have to."
Then his voice dropped.
The Lower Level
"Useful… once. Disposable now."
9. Shadeclaws
10. Thinbloods
11. Shadowcage
12. Duskbron
George's eyes locked onto Sofia.
"And that's where you come from. Duskbron."
Sofia's breath hitched.
"At the beginning," George went on, "Duskbron wasn't weak. Your father was a strong fighter in his time. Once, your branch stood higher."
Then his mouth twisted into a cruel smile.
"But your father ruined it."
The words hit harder than a slap.
"Your mother wasn't Jord Wings' first wife," George said casually. "His first wife—and her child—were killed."
Sofia's eyes widened.
"Because she couldn't give birth to a boy."
The room felt colder.
"That decision destroyed Duskbron's position. After that, your father broke. Drinking. Gambling. Bad friends. Worse habits."
George leaned closer.
"He gambled away four villages."
Sofia's chest tightened, her breathing uneven.
"Then he married your mother."
George tilted his head.
"And you probably wonder… why am I doing this to you?"
He smiled.
"It's because of your grandfather."
Sofia froze.
"Ezekiel Wings."
The name fell like thunder.
"A legend. That's what they called him. The man who started the legendary Wings legacy. A warrior who never lost."
George's voice trembled—not with fear, but rage.
"He defeated one of the Underworld's pillars… and took their place."
He leaned in, eyes burning.
"The pillar he defeated was WILLSON."
Silence.
"Yes," George whispered. "My family."
His jaw clenched.
"I saw my father cry. Beg. In front of me."
George's fists tightened.
"They still killed him."
Sofia felt her stomach twist.
"Silas Wings—Ezekiel's first son—lived with us," George continued. "A spy. He called me brother."
His voice cracked.
"That son of a bitch."
George stood up.
"Then came the day Ezekiel Wingsattacked WILLSON… together with Henry Vale—the son of a legend."
He stopped walking.
"Vale," he said softly. "Do you know who they are?"
Without waiting, he answered.
"At the beginning of the Underworld, there were no rules. Then came the Big Three."
His voice grew heavier.
"Vale. Frost. Knox."
"They created order. They chose ten families. The Ten Pillars."
George turned back to Sofia.
"Vale chose WILLSON."
A pause.
"But when we grew too powerful… they replaced us."
His eyes darkened.
"They chose Wings."
He spat on the floor.
"Everyone calls them legends. But to me—they're all bastards."
George exhaled slowly.
"My people saved me. Hide me."
A cruel smile returned.
"I became a doctor. A torturer. A cult leader."
He laughed quietly.
"When they finally found me, they said I wasn't a threat."
George stepped close to Sofia, crouching in front of her.
"Now I will destroy everyone."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"And you…"
He smiled.
"…are only my first step."
He stood straight.
"My game starts now."