Snowflakes slowly fell from the gray sky as life continued its course in our small town; however, unlike usual, the inhabitants were much more tense and nervous due to rumors about drug addicts going mad and attacking people. Some even claimed to have seen a giant wolf in the southern districts of the city. The police forces remained silent on the matter; nevertheless, everyone was on edge during this time of year when people would normally be joyful in anticipation of the holidays.
It was four hours before the tragedy between the executioner and his victim, the moment when the threads of destiny would intertwine and seal their fates.
The smell of dried blood lingered in the air, mixed with a faint stench of decaying flesh. Whimpers were audible, along with the steady sound of water drops falling: plop… plop… plop…
It was then that I slowly opened my eyes, still confused and a bit dazed. I cleared my throat, which felt drier than ever, as if I hadn't drunk water in years.
That's when I realized where I was: the prison inside the police station… so we had indeed failed… And that's when I saw the source of the dried blood smell: my tibia, injured by Grid during our escape attempt. Perhaps it was thanks to adrenaline, but the pain had been dulled at first; yet now, I felt it sharply, that vivid, stubborn pain tearing through my leg.
By breathing steadily, I managed to ease the pain, even if only slightly; it helped a lot. Finally, I became clear-headed enough to take in the situation as a whole. There were six cells in total. Five of them were occupied: first, mine, in the middle of the room, then the ones to my left and right, each containing a man and a woman. Behind me was Haru, who, like me and the other prisoners, had her hands chained behind her back. She was crying, murmuring something:
"Is this how it ends for me? Without even seeing my son again?" she whispered.
Without lingering too long, I turned toward the cell across from mine and guessed who was inside. His purple eyes glowed in the dark with a light full of rage and a thirst for revenge.
— "You awake, Manu?"— "Yeah, I just regained my senses. I'm in a pitiful state."— "I'll quickly summarize the situation: they locked us up here, in this prison. It could have been worse."
He said, laughing for a brief moment before looking at my injured leg. I could see the guilt deep in his eyes.
— "What? You staring at my leg? I knew you had that kind of fetish."— "Your leg? You mean what's left of it? Even dogs wouldn't like that."
We both burst into laughter; after all, in the most desperate situations, all you can do is laugh. Once you hit rock bottom, what else can you do?
— "Alright, let's stop laughing. What's the plan?"I asked as I scanned the room. It was a prison made of a well-known material: sacred ivory, a substance that accumulates ether. Though it looked perfectly normal, it was hard enough to withstand any impact or attack from a Level 0 Awakened. Naturally, anyone above that level could break it effortlessly; that's why such criminals are either killed or incapacitated to extract information. In any case, things were not looking good for us. It seemed the prison bars were made of the same material.
— "You still hope to escape?"
A soft, almost melancholic voice reached our ears. It was Haru, looking at us with a vacant expression, nearly devoid of life.
— "Why? Does it bother you that you got caught in your own game?"Shin replied in a deep, calm voice. One could feel his hostility like a bomb ready to explode at any moment.
— "I told you not to do it, didn't I? In any case, I'm not asking you to forgive me, and I don't regret it. If I had to do it all over again… I would… as long as my son survives…"
She looked broken, almost dead inside, an empty shell with a mind crumbling rapidly.
I wanted to retort, to ask her if that really guaranteed her son's survival. Was she stupid enough to trust those who had stabbed her in the back? Stockholm syndrome, I guess… but Shin would handle that reply for me.
— "So your son's life is more important than the lives of everyone in this city?"Shin retorted, giving her a piercing look. Almost indifferent, she laughed for a moment. Her laughter echoed through the "dungeon" we were in; her mind was truly on the verge of breaking.
— "Do you think you know what it's like to lose your family? Everyone you love? And to live every day in fear of losing the last one you have!? No, you have no idea! You don't know anything! Yes, his life is worth more than all the people on this planet!"
She launched into a speech full of sadness and hatred, but was she wrong? After all, some lives can hold more value to us than others, though that's only true on our own scale… Continuing that reasoning wouldn't get her far. Now, the question is: would Shin comfort her or just ignore her?
— "What a pathetic woman you are… I expected more from you. I regret trusting you and trying to help. From now on, I'll have to do things my way."
He said as he stood up; his movements restricted by the handcuffs behind his back.
— "Kid, I don't know what you plan to do, but it's useless. We've been here for over a month; we've tried everything."
It was the man to my right speaking. A chubby, bearded man with a few freckles on his face. He looked like a drug dealer.
— "He's right, Shin. Give up. It's better than clinging to vain hope. You'd better accept your fate."
Haru added, but Shin's determination only seemed to strengthen.
— "Hahaha!"
Shin's demonic laughter echoed throughout the room, waking even the prisoner who was still asleep.
— "Fate, huh? As if something so laughable could stop me from paving my path to destiny! You failed? So what? Step aside and let me show you how it's done!"
He turned his gaze to me, signaling the moment I had been waiting for. With some hesitation, I launched myself.
In the darkest, bluest sky, stars shone like a thousand lights, with the full moon at its center, silently watching over the city where mankind's madness had chosen to run wild.
In the once vibrant city, blood and flames had made themselves at home, and they hadn't forgotten to invite terror, madness, and, of course, death.
Just minutes ago, a series of explosions had ignited in the black night, sparking flames of destruction, clearing the clouds, and revealing the beauty of the night.
The police and special forces, all busy at the station, rushed out as fast as they could to understand the situation. Unfortunately, the more they tried, the less they understood what was happening.
Tom, without hesitation, dashed to rescue the victims, followed immediately by his colleagues. Despite her age, Céline didn't hesitate to take flight to assist, heading toward the accident sites in hopes of helping in some way.
At the center of it all, in the depths of the police station prison, Shin smiled. His plan was in motion. He had accounted for everything.