KNOCK
KNOCK
Jarek knocked on the wooden door of a rather large house.
A woman in her late forties answered it.
"Hello there, Mrs. Semetra. Is the chief inside?" Jarek asked.
She didn't answer immediately.
She looked less than pleased to see him.
"He had some business to attend to."
"How long has he been gone?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe an hour."
She studied him for a moment.
"Is there a problem?"
"I hope not."
Jarek shrugged.
"Anyway, your husband owes me. I'm here to collect it."
"I don't know much about your dealings, so I can't help you."
"Fine, then do this instead."
His expression grew more serious.
"Bury it. Every last coin, and every piece of strange-looking metal you can find lying around."
"Why should I do that?" Semetra asked, her brows furrowing.
"You already know our 'dealings' aren't exactly honest."
He glanced past her into the house.
"It'd be best if there wasn't any proof of them."
Semetra sighed.
She knew about the arrangements they had made, and she knew they would end badly one day.
"Alright."
She nodded reluctantly.
"I appreciate the warning. You can go now."
She started to close the door.
"Wait..."
Jarek stopped it with a single word.
"Do you have a gun?"
"What?"
"Preferably a small one."
"Of course I don't have a gun," Semetra replied, worry creeping into her voice.
Jarek glanced around.
No one was nearby.
"I'm ninety percent sure the chief keeps one in his study."
He lowered his voice.
"Under his seat."
Semetra's eyes widened.
"I can go get it myself if that's easier," Jarek offered.
"No."
She shook her head.
"I'll get it."
The door closed.
A few minutes later it opened halfway.
Keeping most of herself behind it, Semetra handed him a silver-colored handgun, barely larger than the palm of his hand.
Jarek turned it over, inspecting every side.
This is practically a relic. You'd think he would've bought himself something nicer with all that money.
In one swift motion, he raised the pistol and aimed it at Semetra's head.
She didn't flinch.
Jarek flicked off the safety.
Click.
He squeezed the trigger.
Nothing.
"You could've at least given me a single bullet."
"I don't know why you suddenly need a gun."
Semetra folded her arms.
"You're lucky I gave you one at all."
She wasn't wrong, and he knew it.
"Alright."
Jarek slipped the pistol into his trousers.
"Thanks."
He turned to leave.
"Oh... and please don't shoot me with the other gun you're hiding."
Semetra's eyes widened again.
She did have another handgun concealed behind the door.
She'd never intended to use it.
Jarek continued toward the main road without looking back.
He continued until one of Dorvel's gates came into view.
As expected, a Solax vehicle was stationed there.
Jarek slipped into a narrow alley.
This is definitely one of your worse ideas.
He closed his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled.
Then he stepped back onto the road.
Grabbing a young man by the arm, he pulled him into the alley and pressed the handgun against his head.
The man froze.
"I need you to do one thing for me."
Jarek raised a hand to his eye.
Carefully, he slid a fingertip beneath an almost invisible membrane.
The thin layer peeled away.
Instantly, his eye looked different.
It was now a deep amber, catching the light like polished glass.
The young man stared in stunned silence.
The two eyes on Jarek's face no longer matched.
Jarek flicked off the safety.
"Now you're going to run over to those men in purple by that vehicle..."
He gestured toward the gate.
"...and tell them exactly what you just saw."
The man nodded frantically.
Unsure of what was happening but far too terrified to argue, he sprinted toward the vehicle as instructed.
Jarek switched corners, keeping the vehicle in sight.
Sure enough, some of the soldiers headed in the direction the frightened man had pointed.
"Only three..."
He frowned.
"That's not a good number."
His eyes drifted back to the vehicle.
Why are they still stationed at the gate?
The soldiers spread out as they searched the alleyways.
This is going to be a painful waste of time.
CLANK
Jarek kicked an abandoned metal cup.
It skidded loudly across the stone.
The soldiers immediately rushed toward the sound.
The moment the first soldier rounded the corner, a handgun was pressed against her head.
Before the others could react, Jarek seized the second soldier by the arm and slammed him into the wall.
His foot came crashing down onto the soldier's ankle.
CRACK
The bone fractured beneath the impact.
THWACK
A fist slammed into Jarek's face.
Another followed.
He raised his guard just in time before driving a punch back at the attacker.
The third soldier slipped aside, grabbed him, and drove his forehead forward.
THUD
The headbutt staggered Jarek.
Only for a moment.
He lunged at the third soldier, wrapped both arms around his torso, and lifted him clean off the ground.
His forearms shifted upward, locking around the soldier's neck.
His fingers tightened.
The soldier struck at Jarek repeatedly, but the grip refused to loosen.
An elbow suddenly crashed into Jarek's ribs.
The female soldier.
Before he could react, she drove another strike into the back of his knee.
Jarek dropped to one knee, his grip still locked around the third soldier's neck.
He tightened his hold, refusing to let go.
The female soldier did the same, wrapping her arms around Jarek's neck in an attempt to choke him.
It became a battle of attrition.
Whoever gave out first would lose.
That changed the moment the soldier with the fractured ankle drew his handgun.
All eyes widened.
Jarek smiled.
"Sto—"
The female soldier's warning was cut short.
Jarek released the man he was choking and snapped his head upward.
THUD
The back of his head slammed into her chin.
He lunged toward the handgun.
BANG
"..."
BANG
BANG
BANG
The sharp cracks echoed through the streets.
People screamed.
Panic spread instantly as civilians scattered in every direction.
Among them ran a man with mismatched eyes.
Now it should look believable.
Jarek glanced at the blood running down his arm.
Behind him, the soldiers remained where they had fallen.
Two clutched gunshot wounds in their legs, cursing through gritted teeth.
The third was still on the ground, desperately trying to catch his breath.
***
A wall guard hurried into the room.
"I apologize for intruding, but—"
He stopped.
Chief Ibhrax was slumped over the table.
"Don't worry about him."
Acrantha barely glanced his way.
"He's fine. Just resting."
She folded her hands.
"I suggest whatever you were going to tell him, you tell me instead."
"There were gunshots near the west gate."
Acrantha's expression darkened.
"People are panicking. As far as I know, no culprit has been found."
The guard stepped toward the chief, reaching to lift him.
"I didn't say you could touch him."
Acrantha's voice was calm but stern.
"He's clearly ill. I'll take him to—"
A soldier moved instantly.
A handgun came to rest against the guard's head.
"You move another inch..."
The soldier's voice was flat.
"...and you'll be in a worse state."
Silence filled the room.
Another soldier entered, Iodi following close behind.
"We found something."
He handed Acrantha a photograph.
"Jarek is most likely an alias. According to witness descriptions, this is probably him."
Her eyes immediately settled on the man's mismatched eyes.
"He's an escapee from the Solax Weed Facility."
"How?"
For the first time since arriving, Acrantha hesitated.
"Is he a..."
"No."
The soldier shook his head.
"Apart from his eyes, he doesn't possess any of their known traits."
"The last record we have lists him as a ferryman... nicknamed—"
***
"...The Ledger."
Faelan turned the page.
"Not the worst I've been called."
"I swear this place gets worse every time I come here..."
"Damned tall grass..."
"Just updated V2's map."
"Still can't believe Solax is that large..."
Faelan frowned.
He had started reading Jarek's journal to pass the time.
So far, it felt more like rambling than a journal.
"...Fifty-one minutes..."
Ria called out from the back seat of the vehicle, sprawled in a position that looked anything but comfortable.
She had started announcing the time ten minutes earlier.
It was obvious she had grown bored of waiting.
"I doubt he's coming back," she added.
"Why do you think that?" Faelan asked, despite having the same suspicion.
"He told you all that stuff because he knew he wouldn't be here."
She shifted onto her other side.
"He seemed certain of it."
Faelan couldn't deny that it made sense.
They hadn't heard anything from Kalen either.
Part of him still wondered if he should have gone to see Mr. Lior.
But more than anything...
Raja87 lingered in his mind.
Jarek confirming they existed had come as a shock.
Even after everything, some part of him had still believed they were nothing more than a story.