Like before, the Commandos' lasers point to everywhere in the auditorium. It doesn't take long before the lasers converge on us. The symphony of gunfire begins, with them as the conductors and us as the reluctant audience.

My ears have gotten used to the loudness by now. My barriers endure the onslaught with little signs of compromising integrity. The bullets simply scrunch up into a flat piece of metal when they hit them. Xiao is still conjuring up his blood marker, beads of sweat travelling down his face as Jaxon sits against him half-unconscious.

"Kira! What's our next move?"

She sits fairly still leaning back against the barrier. Her hands don't even shake as she makes adjustments to her top-break revolver. "Their guns aren't the only thing we'll have to worry about. Be vigilant, and be patient. I have a plan." She replaces all of the bullets with a different kind, ones that have a sparkling red hue on their casings.

I point to them. "If I may ask...?"

She gives me one of her reassuring smiles that I've grown to love, and wish to see more of.

"You'll see."

Suddenly, the auditorium lights switch off. That must be the work of the Commandos. Oddly enough, they should know by now that sorcerers can see in the dark. I pay no mind and keep waiting. Makira urges the others to do the same, especially Harmony who already has a raging fireball primed in her hand.

I should mention that my projected barriers are transparent, but only on one side. We can see them, but they can't see us. Using that feature, I pay very close attention to VAT 69's formation. The twelve operators have now split up into three evenly-sized groups. The front-most operators in each group take out a small, grey and cylindrical gadget that I'm not familiar with. They pull the pins and toss them near us, causing puffy clouds of smoke to emerge and spread from the rolling canisters.

"Ah, smoke grenades?"

"M83 TA, to be exact," states Makira. "A few minutes and they'll cover the entire auditorium. Tell everyone to keep their heads down."

I send a quick telepathic message to all my friends with a bit of focus. "Done."

"Right, where was I? Ah yes, they have thermal imaging goggles that can detect heat signatures even through your projections. Come closer."

Makira pulls me in and brings herself to my ear. I can feel my cheeks getting hotter.

"W-what are you doing...?"

"You'll have to relay my plan to the others. We can't let the Commandos overhear."

"Oh. Obviously."

>>

She doesn't think I saw her blushing. How cute.

Kiah's blue eyes light up with determination. Her inai faintly glows as she uses her telepathy. One by one, everybody in our large group acknowledges the message with a nod of their own.

My breathing starts to release vapour, much like fog. I find it a touch amusing to see such a phenomenon happening in tropical Malaysia. The first part of the plan is under way.

Frost starts to form on Harmony's fingertips and spread its sharp edges around her hands and arms. Her skin now has a blue tinge. Thermal imaging detects infrared waves instead of light, thus a person's heat signature can be detected through smoke. At the moment, Harmony doesn't have one.

Our heat manipulator exits her cover and tiptoes to the side of the auditorium, her feet forming small patches of ice everywhere she steps. 

"Kiah, can you sense her?"

"Harmony's almost in position," she replies with a finger on the side of her head. "She should be right behind them in a few moments."

I give one last look at Marshall—my revolver. The cylinder is filled with six of my special red bullets. I give the wheel one last spin and push it back in place. I wipe my right hand and grip the revolver's engraved wooden handle. While I was breaking down in Kiah's arms, she taught me a bit of her breathing techniques. 

I count to 3 and inhale. I count to 3 and exhale.

"Now!"

I jump out of cover and fan my revolver's hammer across the auditorium. All six of the bullets burst out in flames and form a fiery wall that almost reaches the high ceiling. I duck back behind the projected barrier. The fire's blinded their thermal imaging, causing the Commandos to scatter their shots into the sheet of brightness within their goggles.

"Harmony!"

The wall of flames gets sucked out into Harmony's hands. By the time that's happened, all six of us have sprinted towards them and closed the distance dramatically, leaving VAT 69 little room and time to deal with our channeled powers and drawn weapons.

I unfold my naginata and swing the dull end straight into a Commando's face, knocking him and his rifle down onto the ground. His friend at his side tries to aim his submachine gun at my body, but I quickdraw Marshall and pistol-whip him on the side of his head. He drops to one knee with a pained shout before I knock him out with a soccer kick to the jaw using my prosthetic.

Our new acquaintances Hafiz and Roxanne are dealing with their own set of Commandos. The confident one in the pairing commands her flowing black hair at a Commando's weapon and yanks it out of his hands before smacking his face with the stock over and over until he collapses. Her partner Hafiz seems to have an electrical essence like that of Ramya, judging from the blue sparks around his hands that can be seen through the darkness. He flicks a ball of electricity towards another operator's shotgun, disabling it from shooting. He seizes the opportunity by kicking the Commando in the liver and taking his back while his opponent is hunched over. He puts him in a rear-naked choke and Roxanne subdues him with strikes to the head.

Yet another one of the trained specialists rushes me with a pistol in his hands. He aims the pistol right to my head but I swerve myself out of the way as a bullet whizzes past. The gunshot rings in my ears. He kicks away Marshall before I could do anything with it.

I grab his wrist in an effort to try and pry his gun away. We struggle as the gun starts to discharge its bullets everywhere around me and kicking up trails of dust. It's only a matter of time befor–

...

Fuck... my stomach...

I keel over. An unimaginable stinging pain overwhelms my senses. I start coughing, only to witness my own crimson blood spewing out onto the floor. 

>>

I hear the gunshot of a pistol somewhere near me. Amidst all the other sounds of gunfire, I don't know why this particular one caught my attention. I look at the source of the sound. My heart jumps out of my chest.

"MAKIRA!"

I grab hold of her assailant with my telekinesis and fling him across the auditorium with all my strength. I almost trip over my own feet trying to run as quickly as I can. I prop her up in my arms as she's kneeling on the ground and wincing, hands pressing down on her gut.

"Oh no..."

I look down at her abdomen. She's been shot.

Her black hoodie is stained red from where the bullet had went through her body, and the stain is growing fast. My breathing becomes ragged and unsteady at the state of her. I touch her cheek and hold her icy hand.

"Makira, ju-just wait. Stay strong. We're getting you help. Can you hear me?"

She gives me a barely noticeable nod and squeezes my hand. Her heartrate is skyrocketing and her own breathing is a lot worse than mine. Blood is oozing out of her teeth and trails down her chin. Her skin's gotten pale from all the blood loss already. It's a scene of nightmares.

The auditorium sprinklers activate. Everyone else makes their way to Makira eventually after the last Commando is done with. Harmony crouches down by my side, hands on her head.

"Oh my fucking God. Wait, maybe I can cauterise her? Or maybe... fuck, don't know le, she's bleeding so hard oh..." She channels some fire from her hands.

"No no no, stop! Only a doctor can do that. You'll end up hurting her even more. Where the hell is Xiao!?" 

I start hearing some more footsteps from outside the entrance. Those must be the guards Roxy told us about.

"Woi, Xiao! Come here la! Makira's bleeding!" Ramya shouts. He bolts all the way to Makira and takes a quick look. His eyes widen and he shakes his head. Xiao takes off his mask and utters his command word.

"Kembali semula." / "Return."

>>

I hover Makira's body over to Xiao's bed. The bedsheets turn red instantly.

"Get the bandages, gauzes, everything that Xiao might need to help her. Come on, move it!" Everyone rushes to get the medical supplies. I lean over her and grab her hand. She squeezes it back.

"Hurts... so much..." She coughs another speck of blood onto her hoodie.

"Oh rubbish, Makira!" I snap, albeit a bit louder than I intended. "Take the pain for now! You'll survive, you always do, right!?"

Hafiz comes back with some gauzes while Casey and his clones pass Xiao rolls of bandages and an assortment of other supplies.

"Not this time..."

"Bullshit!" I yell and cup her cheeks.

Her fingers start twitching. She lifts the arm resting on her stomach and brings a bloodied hand to caress my face. She lifts herself up by the elbow with a loud grunt—symbolising the last of her dwindling energy. The room is met with sombre silence.

"I couldn't have wished for something more..." she looks around with a growing smile of hers, "than to depart from this world... surrounded by friends..."

First, my sense of worth was taken from me. Now, the love of my life is expiring right before my very eyes. Both taken from me by none other than the enemy.

It's all too much to handle for one person.

Tears well up in my eyes as Makira shines her bittersweet smile on me.

"I'm grateful that my last moments were accompanied by you... Kiah, dear."

Her pitch black eye rolls back. Her cold grip on my hand loosens.

>>

Sabrina Al-Makira binti Wan Salman passed away at 11:07 PM. She was 27 years old. Her body was buried shortly after within the compounds of the Highland Towers. We held a lengthy funeral for our dear leader and comrade in the drizzling rain as she was being lowered into her grave. If there were a list of people that deserved heaven based on their merits, deeds and sacrifices, Makira wouldn't be far down.

Her tragic death affected us all. It hit Xiao and Ramya especially hard, for those two knew her the longest. Xiao let down his stoic face for just a moment to grieve. Ramya, who didn't always have the nicest words for Makira, nonetheless had streams of tears going down.

Roxanne, Hafiz and Jaxon paid their respects to Makira as well. She was the brilliant and kind soul that organised their breakout. Without her, they would still be inside JAKIS's cages.

Harmony and I knew her as more than a leader too. She was the veteran who brought balance to our carelessness. She was the calm mind who guided us beyond our wild ideas and nature. With her at our side, there was always a sense of security and assurance, not to mention her kindness. Even though she wasn't with us for long, we'll remember her for our entire lives.

Her passing affected a certain one of us the most. 

It broke Kiah.

I knew she was very close with Makira. I'd never seen Kiah that grief-stricken before last night's funeral. She didn't say a single word to us during or after it.

When I passed her room last night, she was bawling into her pillow and tossing around in her bed. I found it better to let her be.

"Hey mate, I just wanna say I'm really sorry about your friend. She seemed like a great woman."

"We appreciate it, Roxy. You need anything else? Hafiz?"

He shakes his head. "Takpe. Thanks for the help."

"Then I wish you two good luck in leaving for Australia." I shake both of their hands. "Be careful. I really hope you make it."

I watch them exit the Highland Towers into the narrow and bendy roads, their backpacks filled to the brim with all the extra things I've given them. They disappear into the early morning fog while interlacing fingers.

I've taken care of Jaxon already. I gave him some clothes and food since he looked like a skeleton when we first found him. He's recovering well. It's always great to have another sorcerer to watch our backs. I'll have to get the info of JAKIS from him eventually, but his health is the priority for now.

I turn around. To my surprise, Kiah's already woken up while I was busy tending to our two brief comrades. She's sitting at Makira's desk. The books and stationery there are neat and untouched just the way they were before we left for the Putrajaya Religious Complex. 

"Oh, morning Kiah. Didn't see you there. You, um, want anything?"

Her blue eyes used to have spirit in them. Not anymore. They're dead, and staring a thousand-yards forward.

"No."

I sigh and pull up a chair opposite her. The last time I had to console someone was when Cassandra's pet hamster died.

"You wanna take a load off your chest? I'm here, Kiah. Anytime."

"Thanks," she says in a weak raspy voice. Some of her messy hair gets in the way of her face, a stark contrast to her usual routine. "Makira's gone, Casey."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Haji Yusoff will pay. All of JAKIS will."

"We can think about that later. Now's not the ti–"

"I want nothing more than to watch him scream for mercy while I choke him with his own intestines. I'll feed him his own heart through his broken jaw and force it down his throat. Him, JAKIS, his blind followers, everyone."

Now that starts to worry me.

"That's–wow, that was graphic."

"I know you think I'm being hyperbolic right now, Case. I'm not. I swear on my fucking life, I won't hesitate to kill them. I'll kill them all."

I keep silent after that. How do I even reply? Kiah's just laid out her intention of going on a murdering spree. I could barely convince her to mind control a receptionist before.

"Okay just, calm down, Kiah. You're not thinking straight."

"You'll see soon," she says, pointing a finger at me. "You'll know soon enough that I'm serious about this."

"Don't go down this road. Please, for your sake and for ours. You won't do any good going for blind revenge."

"You think I can't pull this off?"

"Oh for Christ's sake, just listen to yourself! This is insane! You can't just go around murdering peop–"

She slams her fist onto the desk. The sound whips across the entire floor like a cane.

"They sure don't give a shit about doing that to us! I'll give them a taste of their own fucking medicine!"

She glares right through me. Her eyes aren't blue anymore. They're not red either, so this outburst isn't Qatila's doing. They're turning purple. 

Is she really the same person I knew all these years?

"Kiah, what's gone to you?" I ask in the softest tone I can manage. She's properly scaring me now. I take a few steps back from her for good measure. "You used to be so calm and rational. You... you'd never even think of hurting people, let alone..."

She takes a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"When Makira was being lowered into her grave, I realised that you can only go so far in a revolution without spilling blood. Tyrants will never look at pacifists as reasons to change their beliefs. Most of the time, they won't look at them at all." 

Her inai starts burning the same purple as her eyes. The spiral design fades away to reveal scale-like markings on her skin. They go way past her arms and extend across her neck, even up to her left eye. The inai transitions into sharp lines on each of her ten fingers as it reaches her hands. Her palms are bare.

She clenches her fists. Her sharp nails pierce her skin and blood drips down.

"Each and every one of them will die."

>>

That's it for Chapter 24 of Kisah Masyitah Rukyah. The tragic and sudden death of Makira was a thing that I've planned for long before this chapter came around. To be honest with you, I felt very emotional myself writing her death and Casey's words on her impact to the group. I always split my personality apart and assign them to my characters, so Makira passing away was like a part of me doing the same.

I hope you lot are just as excited as I am on Kiah's future. Expect to see much more angst, tragedy and rage stemming from the twisted telepath. I'll see you in the next.

(Special thanks to ChaChaRex for making me discover Doubt by Twenty One Pilots! I listened to the song quite a bit because the vibes it gave out were so fitting with what I intentioned this chapter to exude. Not sure if that sentence makes sense XD)