MICHAEL
¿Quién tiene el control del juego?
A single damn "Take cover!" was all it took for hell to break loose. The sound of those guns firing felt endless. Until it wasn't. An infernal silence followed, and no one dared to break it. It's one thing to be the butcher—and a whole other to be the poor damn deer in a massacre. That's exactly what this was.
—Are they gone? —someone nearby asked.
I lifted my gaze to look. They had vanished like fucking rats. The murmurs and groans of pain didn't take long to rise. Obviously, the ones near the windows, pressed against the edges, were hit the worst.
—Are you okay, Mich? —my mother asked, scanning me with her eyes. Her worried face said it all.
—Yeah, Mom —I replied casually.
She hugged me tightly, while my eyes searched for Ibagon and Ludwig. Chaos. Pure, complete madness. The screams didn't stop—if anything, they were getting louder. Some people were already on their phones, calling for help. Probably the police, or ambulances.
I spotted them through the crowd. I pulled away from my mom just as my dad showed up, his expression softening when he saw us. He didn't hesitate a second to pull us into a hug.
—You have no idea how scared I was that—
—We're fine —I cut him off—. Thankfully, we were far from the windows.
—I don't know what I would've done if—
—But it didn't happen —this time my mom interrupted him—. Thank God… it didn't.
The sound of sirens was already overtaking the area. When I looked back again, they were gone. Paramedics started pouring in, some with police officers. My parents and I stepped outside. The cold night breeze slammed into me, and my skin reacted like it was warning me of an enemy nearby. Probably because there was one. If it was madness inside, it was worse out here. The media was already showing up to cover what would surely be labeled as the most tragic—or exotic—event in all of Switzerland.
An officer approached us, informing us that before we left, we had to give statements and, if needed, undergo a medical check.
—I'll be back —I said, spotting Nefertary in the distance, her expression twisted with confusion.
—Where are you going? —my mom asked, grabbing my arm.
—I won't be long. Just going to check on my friends —I could see the internal struggle in her eyes, but eventually she gave in.
—Fine. But don't take too long —I just gave her a fake smile.
I moved away, dodging people in my path until I reached them.
—What the hell happened to you? —I asked, noticing Mathias's shoulder soaked in that crimson liquid.
—We were playing a game to see who could get hit first, I thought you—
—Nefertary —her mother cut her off, her face a complete wreck—. This is not the time for jokes. He needs a doctor.
—I already told you it's not that bad, it doesn't even hurt that much.
—Still, have it checked. We'll decide after —her father said.
—And where the hell is a doctor in this place?! —that came out more like a command than a question.
—Nefertary, please, watch your—
—'Watch nothing'. My boyfriend has a higher chance of surviving than those parasites over there, and they're wasting time trying to save the dead instead of the living —she muttered through clenched teeth. Her mother's face went pale. Mathias's… well, he looked about as stunned as I did—either confused by her reaction or just completely caught off guard. His father seemed frozen, like he truly couldn't believe what he had just heard come out of her mouth.
A paramedic passed by. I stopped him and pointed him to Ludwig. He gave me a strange look, scanning me briefly before turning to the actual injured one.
—Come with me.
I let go of him so he could go to Mathias. We all followed to one of the ambulances parked in the corner of the lot, where they were treating people with minor injuries. Another man joined to help check Ludwig's left shoulder, the one covered in blood. We stayed a bit further away, giving them space.
—Call Steven. Tell him they've got Demir —she whispered to me, and I noticed that worried look in her eyes. 'Worried??? Nefertary Ibagon, actually worried?' My brain took a second to click it all together. Shit, the plan's gone to hell—and now we're into something even bigger.
Without a second thought, I stepped away from the group and pulled out my phone. I found his number and hit call. It rang for a few seconds before he picked up.
~Yes?
~Everything went to shit, Steven.
~What do you mean, sir?
~They got Demir. Probably Vladi too. So you can imagine how she is right now. Get everything ready. We won't be long.
I hung up and returned to where Nefertary stood.
—He's lucky —the medic said while checking Ludwig—. The bullet just grazed his arm. He might feel some pain, but nothing a few painkillers won't fix.
—Told you it wasn't that bad. Now the priority is—
—Resting, Mathias —his father cut him off.
—No —he got up from the stretcher and walked past everyone until he was right in front of Ibagon—. We have to go. Before it's too late.
—But..
—He's right, Nefertary. We're running out of time —I cut in.
—But you're not okay.
—I'm fine. It was just a scratch —she hesitated a few seconds, then nodded.
—And where exactly are you two going?
—To meet a friend. We had plans before coming here —his father let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh.
—Do you hear yourself? You nearly died and the only thing you care about is some goddamn party, Mathias… I can't believe this. You're not going anywhere.
—Why? Because you say so? Just like you've always been so 'involved' in my life. I'm going to that 'goddamn party' to celebrate that I'm not dead, and how pathetic it is to see my father giving me orders.
That was the last straw for Mr. Ludwig, who slapped his son. Mrs. Ziegler pretended to be shocked by the scene. Mathias took a second to process what had just happened, then looked back at his father. His eyes were full of pain and rage, but his face remained completely indifferent.
—In the end, Father, you're still the same as always —he muttered through clenched teeth.
With that, he walked away, followed by Nefertary, and I followed right behind. We could still hear Mr. Ludwig shouting his name, which made me glance back. Mrs. Vanessa was trying to calm him down. 'Is there any teenager out there who's actually free from family drama?' As we kept walking, I spotted my parents, who hadn't noticed me yet—thankfully. I wasn't in the mood to stage another dramatic scene just to slip away from them. We could've used one of the other exits around the property, but that would've looked suspicious, so we went for the main one—right through the journalists dying to interrogate everyone about what had happened.
Ibagon had handed me the keys to a car parked about six kilometers outside the property. So there we were, three kids in the middle of all that chaos, walking like nothing had just gone down.
—How did it all happen? —I asked, trying to break the silence.
—No idea. What I do know is that rat bastard is going to pay for it, and if he even laid a hand on Osoclu...
—I think that already happened —I said. She shot me a disapproving look.
—The call and the gunfire weren't a coincidence.
—They weren't —she paused—. The idiot told me he had Demir, thanked me for handing him Hildebrandt too, and told me to enjoy the gift he'd sent.
—So Vladi was just a coincidence… or dumb luck —I added.
—Most likely, Lorenz. He must be the one who planned your father's murder too, Nefertary.
—There's no doubt about it. That useless parasite sees me as a threat. Otherwise, he wouldn't be going through all this trouble.
Before I could say anything, my phone started vibrating. I pulled it from my pocket and answered.
~Yeah?
~We've got the location. We're already on our way.
~Wait —I handed the phone to Ibagon.
—Yes? —she asked Steven—. You can head there, but keep a safe distance. Don't do anything until I arrive —she hung up and gave it back to me.
—How did you get their location so fast? —Ludwig wasn't the only one thinking it.
—They tracked Osoclu's phone. Obviously, this is all intentional.
—But why go through so much trouble? What's the point then? —I asked.
—Isn't it obvious, Michael? They want war, chaos—and if possible, to take us down too.
Mathias's words were clearly the truth. We've always been at war. The only difference now is... we're officially on the battlefield.
✧────── ༉───✦───༉ ─────✧
We had about thirteen minutes left before reaching the place where Demir was being held. Before that, we'd changed clothes at a gas station. I was driving as fast as possible. The atmosphere was tense, especially every time Nefertary asked how much longer. 'Apparently, every monster has a weakness.' No doubt I'd just figured out what hers were.
When we arrived at the meeting point, I pulled the car over to the side of the road. I was the last one out, joining Nefertary, Steven, and a few other men standing around her.
—What do you have for me? —she asked him.
—Most likely, he's being held on the third floor. We estimate they have about as many men as we do. For now, we've got them surrounded… they obviously know we're here… the thing is… —he left the sentence hanging.
—Go on —she ordered.
—It's just… why haven't they attacked us yet? —she smiled at the question.
—It's obvious they were waiting for me. And why keep them waiting now? —she paused and looked around—. Get your best weapons ready. Load up with extra ammo, because tonight, gentlemen, we live or we die —that twisted smile spread across her face at the last word—. May our dear Lucifer watch over us.
With that, one of the men opened a car trunk and began handing out weapons. Mostly HK MP5s, Glock 17s, and Benelli shotguns, all with extra ammunition.
Nefertary approached the vehicle and grabbed a silver Walther PPK. She picked two more guns and hid them at her waist. On top of that, she took two daggers and tucked one into each of her boots. I went with a Desert Eagle .50 AE. This baby was made for a day like today. Ludwig chose a customized HK USP 9mm. Ibagon handed him two extra magazines.
As we advanced through the Swiss Alps, we could already make out the abandoned warehouse. Nefertary gave Steven a signal. He nodded and split off from the group. Ibagon raised one hand and then closed it, a silent order: stop and crouch. Now we were all watching Steven's shadow heading for the power switches. A few of our men covered him from behind. Seconds later, the power went out, and we pressed forward, led by none other than the mute swan herself, followed by Ludwig and me.
Once we reached the back of the building, Nefertary used her left hand to give signals, directing each man to a different position. The three of us stayed together: me in the lead, Ibagon in the middle, and Ludwig watching our backs.
—Three, two, one. Let the show begin —she whispered just as music started playing in the background—
Love is God for the freaks
We're a mess but we're sweet
Holy hell, crooks and thieves
We don't pray on our knees
It ended. Two men appeared right after. I didn't hesitate—I pulled the trigger and nailed both in the head. Their bodies dropped like dead weight, and the hallway echoed briefly with the shots before being replaced by gunfire from other directions.
As the song kept playing, we moved forward, coming across more intruders. We took them down as we moved through each hallway, painting them in that crimson liquid dripping from the dead.
I spotted one target and fired. The sound of the gunshot was music to my ears. Even though I missed and hit a window, the melody of it wasn't lost on me.
We had made it to the second floor. A few of Nefertary's men met up with us. She gave a quick signal for them to take another route. Without hesitation, they obeyed.
Just before we reached the top floor, they had a trap waiting for us. If it hadn't been for a guy who went ahead and caught the bullets meant for us, it would've been a disaster. We took cover on the opposite side of the hallway, which limited their view. When we returned fire, it turned into a full-on shootout—bullets smashing against walls and anything nearby, except bodies.
—Stop —she said, and we did—. How many rounds do you have?
—Six —Ludwig replied. I checked my weapon.
—Four —I finally said.
—Good. Let's stop wasting them.
—What about you?
—One.
The moment she said that, I knew we were screwed. Even more so when we heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I looked at Mathias, he looked at Nefertary, and she returned the look. Then I looked at her, and she broke away from Ludwig and met my eyes. I knew exactly what she meant. It was simple: we had no other choice but to wait. Wait until they were close enough to shoot.
We didn't need much time—just a few seconds. Ludwig was beside me now. I raised my gun and took aim at one of them. Mathias did the same with the other. I gave him a small nod, a sign to shoot on three. While my mind counted down, my breathing was pure chaos. When the moment came, we both squeezed the triggers. The bullets flew faster than the eye could follow, hitting their marks without error.
One of them dropped instantly. Blood spurted from his skull the second he hit the ground, splashing across the tiles. The other bullet hit the second man in the collarbone, making him stagger, but not fall. Mathias didn't hesitate—he fired again, this time hitting him right in the jaw. A thick burst of blood exploded from the wound. Fragments of bone flew out of his face like they never belonged there, like some damn volcanic eruption, decorating everything around him.
Now he looked like some deranged mannequin with bulging eyes. His jaw hung grotesquely as that red liquid gurgled in his throat, struggling to escape. Seconds later, he dropped like a leaf torn from a branch.
—Definitely your best one —I whispered.
Gotta admit, for someone who was a shaky little kid just months ago, the guy had leveled up impressively.
'What drives him so much?'
We waited… yeah, we waited. Silence on the other side. Still, we didn't move forward. Nefertary stepped in front of us, pulled something from her pocket, and threw it. It hit the ground with a thud, like a ball—but heavier, smaller. Whatever it was, it gave away their position. The hallway erupted again.
—Where the hell is Steven when I need him? —Ibagon muttered under her breath.
Silence followed… but only for a second. Suddenly, wild gunfire broke out. Nefertary shot back. Someone screamed in pain. I pulled her to the side so I could see and aim, and that's exactly what I did. One. Two. Two men dropped. Another bullet grazed one of them. My gun was now officially useless. I glanced at Ludwig, stepped aside, and he took over—firing at the three who were still standing. Last I saw, they were using their fallen comrades' bodies as shields. When Mathias fired the third shot, I swear terror crept up my spine.
—How many left? —I whispered.
—Two —he whispered back, but his voice was deeper than usual.
Can't blame him. One damn bullet for two armed bastards, and they had more rounds than we did. He steadied himself, took a breath, and fired. Nothing. No movement. Nothing at all.
—We need to get the hell out of here —I said.
—I'm not leaving without Demir —Ibagon snapped back.
I was just about to look at her when my eyes caught movement at the end of the hallway—figures behind her. It was Steven, no doubt, with more men. I looked at Nefertary, but she was already giving the order to move forward. And they did. We stepped aside to let them pass, and they finished off the two remaining bastards. The path was clear. Ibagon's men handed us fresh weapons, and we headed for the stairs—finally reaching the top floor.
We pushed forward a little before the chaos erupted again. I can honestly say Ibagon's playlist was long gone—nothing but our breathing, our pulses, gunfire, and screams of pain filled the air. I don't know how long it lasted until some of our men moved up, calling out, "Clear!" as they went. In the middle of the room, we froze.
There was a body hanging.
At first, I thought it was Demir. But as we got closer, I saw he was wearing a suit. His build didn't match Osoclu's at all.
—Vladi?! —Ludwig said.
And yes… it was him. Hanging from a rusted hook, head tilted to the side, body swaying slightly, with a thin stream of blood dripping from his chest—like a path water would take down a rock, ending in a puddle on the cold floor. Nefertary stepped closer to retrieve what looked like a note, but it was lodged inside the corpse's open mouth, pinned with what seemed to be a small dagger through his tongue. She removed it like it was nothing—'just another day at the office'.
—"Tick tock, tick tock, the fire's coming and death is already with you."
She read it aloud, sending another shiver—'for the third or tenth time'—down my spine, locking my jaw tight.
—We have to get out of here, Ibagon —I said, fully aware this place could blow at any moment.
—I'm not going anywhere —she replied, slow and clear, like the words were foreign to her.
—Do you not get it?! This is gonna go boom, babe, any damn second!
—So? That just makes it more exciting, Lorenz.
In that darkness, I saw the twisted smile form on her face. She placed the note back where she found it and continued forward.
—You're not gonna say something? —I whispered to Mathias. He just looked at me and shrugged.
—Since when are you so afraid, Mich? —he said, walking on.
Just what we needed—another lunatic to match Nefertary. No doubt, the guy had snapped. I sighed and moved to join the rest. I wasn't about to be the only idiot bailing out or running home to mommy.
We reached what looked like an office, but the door was jammed. There was noise coming from inside.
—It's Demir. Open it now, Steven.
—How are we sure it's him? —I asked. Regret hit me hard when I saw her annoyed-as-hell face.
—Right, maybe it's the damn ghost of the property they managed to capture, honey —as sarcastic as ever.
Steven did his job. He shot the lock, opened the door carefully, and revealed Osoclu—hanging, tied up, and clearly beaten. Some guys rushed in to untie him.
Ibagon ran straight to him and, before he could say anything, she kissed him. 'Some people really do get all the damn luck'... while others… I glanced sideways at Ludwig, who instantly tensed. His jaw clenched harder than usual. His fists were tight, but he didn't move. He had 'no right to claim her'.
—мой северный полюс —he said softly, breaking away from her—. We need to get out now.
—That's what I said...
—They activated the bomb when the door opened —he cut me off, finishing the thought.
—How many minutes do we have? —Nefertary asked as we moved quickly into the hallway.
—I don't know. They didn't share that part with me.
—Can you walk on your own? —she asked, noticing his limp.
—Yes. Just hurry.
We picked up the pace. For a split second, I saw him glance toward a window, and instinctively, I did the same. It all happened so fast—like flashes. Osoclu lunged at Mathias. Then came the gunshot, followed by Ibagon's scream, and more shots from our side. Blood started pouring from his body.
I rushed over as Ludwig shifted to catch Demir in his arms. I checked for a pulse—fading with each second—until he began coughing, expelling blood like a thick syrup staining his lips.
—Take… care of her… for me —he whispered with his last breath to Ludwig, who sat frozen.
And honestly, who wouldn't be? I was just as stunned. There's a difference between killing someone you don't care about and watching someone you shared moments with die right in front of you.
—NOOO! —Nefertary screamed as his head slumped to the side in Mathias' arms—. No, no, Osoclu, you can't... you can't do this to me.
She shook her head as tears streamed down her face, as if they already knew the path to freedom.
—Nefertary… —I said, feeling no more pulse. She shook her head again.
—No… no, he promised me he'd always be by my side. —She looked at Mathias—. Is this just a dream, Ludwig?
He held his breath. I could see the sorrow—his empathy for her.
—Serene… this is… this is real.
She kept shaking her head over and over. 'Have you ever seen a monster look vulnerable?' Because I've had the misfortune of learning exactly how they can be wounded… how even the worst of us can become nothing but pathetic, fragile humans.
—We have to go, miss. We're out of time.
—No. I'm not leaving without him. I can't leave him. —Her gaze stayed locked on Osoclu, like he was just asleep.
—Can we take the body? —Ludwig asked, voice trembling.
—It'll slow us down. We need to leave now—we don't know if we have seconds left.
It was just the four of us—well, three really, since we'd have to carry him. The others had gone after the guy who shot Osoclu.
—Nefertary...
—No. I'd rather die than leave without him, Mathias.
—Lorenz.
I stood and grabbed Ibagon from behind so she wouldn't resist too much, even though she kicked and struggled, forcing me to hold her tighter.
—Let go of me! —she screamed—. Let me go, Lorenz!
—He won't, not until we're all out —Mathias said, getting up and signaling Steven to help me.
—You can't do this to me, Mathias! Don't you love me anymore?
—That's exactly why I'm doing this. —His voice almost broke on that last word—. Get her out of here.
She refused to move at first. But we held her with enough force that eventually, she let us drag her—more than walk—while we sprinted down the hallway, Ludwig behind us.
We rushed to the second level, dodging bodies in the corridors, our footsteps echoing alongside our gasping breaths and Nefertary's curses. When we hit the first level, I felt a small wave of relief—but not enough. Not until we were outside and at a safe distance. When I spotted the exit, my legs kicked into overdrive, and my right arm practically flung Ibagon like a broomstick. Steven on the other side made it easier.
As we stepped out, that cold breeze hit my face. It sent a slight shiver through me, but more than anything, it felt like relief. We ran, moving farther away until we were six meters out on the grass. We stopped. Five others weren't far behind—no doubt I would've done the same in their place. I let Ibagon go and dropped to one knee just as the explosion hit.
I stood up and turned to face the wreckage, watching the collapse, the echoes of structures giving in, and another wave of boom.
Nefertary's silhouette caught my attention. She walked forward slowly… until her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the grass. Her eyes stayed fixed ahead. Her face had gone pale. Her hands curled into fists. She didn't move. Tears streamed silently down her face, unapologetic and free. I waited for her to say something. But she didn't.
Just silence… and pain.
Pain I never thought I'd witness so soon.
So there it was… the monster completely shattered.
'Even demons have something to lose.'