THE NEXT FIVE days passed by much faster than Devora had initially anticipated. Julius Cain's words had struck a chord in Devora. He had spoken so dearly of his son that it allowed Devora to see him, someone she once thought was a cruel monster, in a completely different light than before. In the bones, Cain was still a father before he was anything else. He adored his only living kin.

After knowing what was truly inside the terrifying man's mind, Devora wore to protect Markus with her own life. After all, Cain still had a chance to make things right with his son. Markus ought to know how much his father cared for him.

"Father told me to stay with you today," Markus stated, his fingers fidgeting around the hems of his small blazer as they walked towards the arena in preparation for the start of the match.

The rest of the team were already in their respective positions, guarding each designated area as previously assigned. Nathan, on the other hand, had been too worried about Devora's safety to leave her side, something she thought was refreshingly cute. When he had insisted on coming along with her, she couldn't deny how her heart had skipped a beat and cooed.

"This has something to do with the recent threats against him, right?" The young boy continued to ask.

Devora frowned, her forehead creasing as she struggled for a reply. It hadn't been her plan to explain to Markus about what was happening within the company. After all, it would be best for the child to grow up clueless about the way his father's earnings came about. Learning about murders, assassination plots, and the dark side of government politics wouldn't exactly make for the best education for a young sprout.

However, Markus was too astute for his age. He already knew.

"We're just here to keep you safe, buddy." Swooping in to her rescue, Nathan smiled gently at the boy. "Your dad wanted to keep you out of trouble and away from any possible fights. You mean a lot to him."

"Mhm," Devora made a sound of agreement. "He might not seem like it but he is concerned about you. After this tides over, give him a chance. Talk it out."

Markus stayed silent, his tiny hands clenched into fists down his sides as he marched forward like the true soldier his father had trained him to be. His fidgeting had stopped, easing to a halt as they appeared in the room that held the event's battles. Just like that, the young, scared boy was gone and was replaced with a poised mask Markus always wore.

Just like how Devora had remembered the place to be, the area was filled with so much life and pure noise that the air positively buzzed with energy. Men and women were seated in the stands, all cheering loudly as the jumbotron buzzed to life. It started with an unclear pixelated image before visible words started to form, listing all the names of the fighters down one by one in order.

From where she stood, Devora bit on her lip lightly in anticipation. Her eyes were not fixed on the television but rather the crowd, scanning for any suspicious activity that might prove to be of threat.

"Oh no," Nathan murmured from beside her.

Although the crowd seemed just as normal as the previous fighting event did, Devora's eyes were still met with a surprise when she turned back to face the screen. The names on the board were bright, crystal clear. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, hissing when she realized who was pitched up for the fight.

All at once, her heart dropped.

♕♕♕

The names of the fighters dashed across the television screen, causing Leah to jump slightly in her spot. Her rifle leaned against the wall, one of her hands holding it in place. The metal was cool to touch against her bare skin, cold and unnerving just like how a weapon of death should be.

It unnerved her to be back in the arena again despite what she had claimed in front of her friends and older brother. If there was one thing that scarred her greatly — other than her younger sister's death — it would be how she had killed someone in front of a seemingly endless crowd of onlookers.

"Will you please stop jumping around?" Travis snapped in a whisper, eyebrows furrowed as he adjusted his grip on his rifle. "We're supposed to be scouting for trouble up on the higher ground, not dancing and attracting as much attention as possible."

"I can't help it, Travis," Leah admitted. Her fingers reached up to toy at the dead skin on her lips, peeling it and drawing blood.

Travis watched his younger sister, his frown deepening once he realized why she was acting this way.

"Is it because of Matilda June?"

At the sound of her name, Leah flinched. That was all Travis needed to confirm his suspicions.

"It wasn't your fault. You were forced to do it. Kill or be killed, remember?"

"I do," Leah answered. Softly, she continued, "But it doesn't mean I like doing it. In front of others, I try to play it cool but it scares me, Travis. I don't want to do it again. A mission is fine but killing an ordinary, innocent girl in front of a cheering crowd? I feel like a villain. I feel like him."

She didn't say his name but both siblings had a moment of mutual understanding. It wasn't Julius Cain they were talking about. There was someone more sinister, crueler than their superior.

"Hey." Placing a hand on his sister's shoulder, his thumb gently rubbed circles, attempting to calm her down. "It's going to be alright. Once we save Cain's life, we'll have bargaining power. We can leave this place, all of us."

"They'll hunt us down, Travis," Leah reminded. "They'll hunt us down and kill us all. Just like what they did with... with Tammy."

The crowd roared to life, shouting and cheering even louder than before. Lights flashed on the jumbotron as names started to appear. The match-ups were finally displayed for everyone to see and Travis's blood burned in his veins.

"Don't worry," he assured, his eyes glued to the screen coldly. "I plan to return the favor."

♕♕♕

"Why are we even here?" Dallas yawned, stretching his body to soothe his muscles as Candice stood quietly next to him.

She hadn't talked much in the last few days and Dallas was too used to the constant chatter and jokes when he was around Travis. It felt weird to be away from his new partner and instead trapped with a cold ice block of a human that once left him for the dead.

"I mean, look at him!" He gestured to Cain. The man was standing a short distance away, just a little out of earshot. "He's obviously not going to be in immediate danger. He has a slash to his face and he's still breathing and somehow impossibly attractive. He doesn't even need our help."

"Do you ever shut up?" Candice finally snapped. She didn't even spare him a glance and Dallas was a little stunned by her curt response.

However, he continued to speak, trying to coax more words out of her.

"Ah, you finally said something," he joked but was met with silence. "I've been wanting to ask for your advice for a while but you never seemed to be in the mood to talk. Think you can hear me out before we quite possibly die?"

Again, Candice didn't even flinch. She stood silently, wordlessly peering down at the stage below them like a battle angel gazing down from heaven to the war below.

"You know, Candice. I think I might actually li—"

The roaring of the crowd broke Dallas off mid-sentence. Through the noise, Dallas still caught the sharp hiss that elicited from Candice's lips. She took a step closer towards the glass window, her face cool after the wash of surprise faded away.

Dallas spun around, searching for the item that had caught Candice's attention.

Right in front of them, hanging above the stage, names started to flash across the screen of the jumbotron in rapid motion. Immediately, Dallas felt the air rush from his lungs. The alphabets were so clearly written across the screen in bright, big, neon green blocks that he can't even pretend he was hallucinating it all.

His blood ran cold as he scanned the names. For the first time in many years, he felt fear in his veins.

E. Wright vs B. Kelly
J. Train vs V. West
C. Rose vs U. Conway
T. Lane vs L. Gray
C. Clair vs L. Lane

————

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