Psssssss!
"Ah, looks like we've arrived," Thorne groaned, reclining on his throne.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Someone knocked on the trailer, and Thompson flinched, blood dried on his skin leaving faint marks.
CLANK!
The door flew open. Evelyne stepped out first, followed by Raito, who grabbed Thompson by the collar of his rugged shirt.
"Where… where are we going?" Thompson muttered.
"You underestimated Obsidian's power," Raito said, throwing Thompson to the ground and standing tall beside the door. Thorne slowly emerged, arms open, calm and commanding.
"Name," Thorne demanded.
"Thompson… just Thompson," he stammered, crawling back in fear.
"Thompson. Join us." Thorne's voice was smooth, almost inviting.
Thompson laughed, disbelief mixing with defiance. "Me? Are you kidding?"
Raito stepped forward, axe glowing, but Thorne raised an arm, stopping him. Then Thorne joined in the laughter, deliberate, cold.
"That's right," Thorne said, cutting off the mirth. "You're still team Therma, which I find… curious, considering you're the reason it falls."
"Like I said… that'll never happen," Thompson replied, voice trembling.
"Are you sure about that?" Thorne's tone darkened. He pointed behind Thompson. A soldier handed him a pair of binoculars, which he passed to Raito. Raito guided Thompson to face the distant horizon and forced the binoculars to his eyes.
Then Thompson saw it: H.O.T. looming in the distance, a fortress of concrete and towers, guards patrolling atop its walls. The massive black gate opened, and a car of four exited, headlights piercing the night. Guards waved goodbye, smiles on their faces.
"No… no way," Thompson stammered, shaking off the binoculars. In frustration, he bit Raito's arm. Raito groaned as Evelyne unsheathed her scythe, swinging toward Thompson.
"Evelyne!" Thorne commanded, halting her motion. The blade hovered an inch from Thompson's neck. "Control your emotions," he continued, voice calm yet razor-sharp.
Evelyne glanced at Raito, whose forearm still bore Thompson's bite. He mouthed, It's okay. She withdrew, sheathing her scythe. "Apologies, Father," she said, bowing slightly, regaining composure.
"Scared?" Thorne asked, nodding subtly. Raito drew back his other arm before…
CRACK!
Raito struck Thompson to the ground, sending him reeling. Thorne approached, holding his bloodied face in one hand, inspecting him with detached curiosity.
"Looks like Raito held back… though I'd say he's quite capable of worse, especially considering you bit him like a zombie," Thorne remarked.
"You sleep now. We won't kill them yet; don't want you missing out," he finished, releasing Thompson's head.
"No…" Thompson whispered as consciousness slipped away.
Blink… blink… blink.
Thompson's vision cleared. An Obsidian soldier stood tall, surveying the H.O.T. base.
"Sir! He's awake!" the soldier called, running toward the trailer.
"Keep your eyes on Therma, idiot," Raito commanded.
Thompson looked right, spotting Raito being bandaged by Evelyne.
"Perfect timing," an Obsidian soldier said, holding a walkie-talkie to Thompson's face. "They know you're captive. We negotiated your return. They want to check if it's you… go on."
"Hey… it's Thompson… from… Therma B… I'm three clicks from you," he muttered, catching his breath. The walkie emitted static before a voice returned: "Therma B? We were just about to head there. What happened?"
Inside the car that had left H.O.T., four people sat tense—two girls and two boys. The vehicle came to a stop at a T-junction, just after the intercom conversation with Thompson.
The one holding the device turned to the others.
"So… what do you all think?"
The girl sitting behind spoke first.
"His voice… he's probably captive. Which means—"
The boy beside her cut her off.
"Obsidian's already there."
Silence fell over the group. Then the driver broke it.
"Here's the plan. You two head back and warn them that Obsidian is on the move. The rest of us… we'll go after Thompson."
They split up. Two went through the creek while the car took a left toward Thompson, reporting back to both him and Obsidian.
At the hilltop, Thompson was now fully conscious, gagged and terrified. Four Obsidian soldiers flanked the car as Sarah and Phillip exited cautiously, hands raised.
They froze the moment they saw Raito and Evelyne standing beside the tied-up Thompson. Evelyne stepped forward. Sarah followed suit.
"Is he here?" Sarah asked, voice trembling.
"Where's the other two?" Evelyne countered.
"What other two?" Sarah's eyes widened.
Evelyne's gaze bore into hers before she turned to Raito. He pushed Thompson forward, and Phillip caught him. Thompson shook his head violently, muttering incoherently.
"Know what happened to Therma A?" Phillip asked him.
Raito's voice cut through cold and merciless.
"I destroyed it."
Sarah and Phillip stared in disbelief. Thompson nodded aggressively, tears streaming down his face. Phillip removed the gag.
"IT'S A TRAP!!" Thompson screamed.
From inside the trailer, Thorne's deep, terrifying laugh echoed.
"CALL BACK THE OTHER TWO!"
Sarah stuttered, legs threatening to give out.
"I… I can't—they're out of range!"
"No way… Therma," Thompson whispered in disbelief.
"Thorne! I'll join Obsidian only if you won't attack Therma!" Thompson cried, stumbling toward Evelyne before collapsing to the ground in tears. Sarah and Phillip exchanged fearful, broken glances.
"No… no… no way he's actually here…" they whispered, dropping to their knees.
Thorne emerged from the trailer. Sarah, Phillip, and Thompson could not see him yet.
"You made me work so hard for you to beg to join me. So you must pay the price," he said, voice dripping with menace.
"Please! Anything! I'll scavenge for you for a century!" Thompson begged.
"No," Thorne replied simply. "This is an easy task. Kill those two. Show your loyalty to Obsidian."
Sarah and Phillip, already in tears, sobbed harder.
"I… I can't! Please, spare us! We're only trying to survive… like everyone else!"
Thompson remained on the ground, pleading at Evelyne's feet. She looked down, expression cold.
"Then why do you call yourselves Therma?" she demanded. "Tell me the truth before he forces you to kill."
"Because… to rebel against your attempted rein on Aesthetic City," Thompson confessed through his sobs.
"Father, I have another idea on how Thompson and his friends can prove loyalty to us," Evelyne shouted, stepping toward the trailer.
"Simply magnificent," Thorne murmured.
DARKNESS.