A dull throbbing pulsed in Izaki's skull as he forced his heavy eyelids open. His body ached, his limbs sluggish, his thoughts tangled.
"Ugh... where am I?" His voice was hoarse.
A relieved sigh cut through his haze. "You fainted while driving," Kazen muttered, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "These people saved us."
Izaki blinked, his vision adjusting to the unfamiliar faces surrounding him. A young man with bright eyes and a cocky grin nodded at him, while another, calmer in demeanor, crouched beside him.
"Thank you, guys," Izaki murmured.
The two men exchanged glances before grinning. "No problem, buddy," Ecro said with a wink.
Nesco, the one kneeling beside Izaki, examined him carefully. "You were in rough shape," he noted. "Who did you fight?"
Kazen scoffed at the question, his lips curling into a sneer. "Oh, right… that bastard—Cisco."
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Ecro and Nesco exchanged wide-eyed glances, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Wait. You defeated Cisco?!"
Izaki let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temple. "Barely. We almost lost."
Kazen, still rattled, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Nesco. "You know," he mused, "your name kinda sounds like Cisco..."
A strange tension settled over the room.
Nesco hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly before he nodded.
"He's my older brother."
The words slammed into Kazen and Izaki like a hammer.
"WHAT?!!"
Nesco lowered his head, his voice quieter now. "Yeah… Cisco was my brother."
A heavy silence fell upon them.
The weight of the revelation settled uncomfortably in Izaki's chest, but there was no time to unpack it now. He pushed himself up slightly, ignoring the dull ache in his muscles.
"Where's Hellesa?"
Hellesa & Zenix's Conversation
Hellesa stood with her arms crossed, staring down Zenix.
He studied her with an unreadable expression, then finally spoke. "Hellesa, your parents weren't ordinary people. They were legendary assassins. They could wipe out entire armies with ease."
Hellesa's jaw dropped.
"What?! My parents were assassins?!"
Zenix nodded. "Not just assassins. They were among the strongest. Feared by their enemies. Respected by their allies."
Hellesa's mind reeled. Her parents? Killers?
She barely had time to process before Zenix gestured toward her clawed weapon. "And that claw you wield—it belonged to your mother. Before she died, she entrusted one to me and the other to your brother."
Hellesa frowned. "Why? Why not just give it to me herself?"
Zenix let out a slow breath. "Because these weapons are deadly. You weren't ready to handle them back then. She wanted to make sure you received them at the right time."
Hellesa clenched her fists. The idea that someone else had a piece of her mother's legacy unsettled her.
"Then can I have the other one now?"
Zenix shook his head. "Not yet. Wielding both requires immense training. If you try now, you'll only hurt yourself."
Her frustration grew. "Then who's going to train me?"
Zenix smirked. "I will. I made a promise to your mother."
Before Hellesa could respond, a voice called out.
"Hey, Hellesa, are you okay?"
She turned to see Izaki approaching.
She softened. "I'm fine," she reassured him.
Izaki's gaze flickered to Zenix, his expression guarded. "Who's this guy?"
Hellesa gestured between them. "Izaki, meet Zenix. Zenix, this is Izaki."
The two men exchanged nods, tension thick between them.
"Nice to meet you," Zenix said.
Izaki didn't respond immediately. He had a bad feeling about this guy.
A Sinister Plan Unfolds
(Inside the council's chamber…)
Council Member 0 leaned forward, his fingers tapping the desk in slow, deliberate movements. "We need a plan to stop them."
Outside the chamber's grand windows, two figures stood near the building—a man and a woman.
Jim smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Ahh, I can't control my feelings."
Nemi rolled her eyes but smirked back. "Well, I am that beautiful."
Jim leaned in, voice dripping with confidence. "I'm ready to hook up with you. What about you?"
Nemi giggled, flicking her hair. "I'm ready anytime, honey."
Council Member 0's lips curled into a sinister grin.
"Perfect."
He turned to the guards stationed at the door. "Capture them. They will be our pawns in this war."
The guards nodded and moved without hesitation.
Council Member 0 chuckled. "With them, I have a plan that will turn this battle upside down."
Back at Zenix's Base
Zenix stretched, rolling his shoulders. "You all should rest tonight. Training begins tomorrow."
Izaki scoffed, folding his arms. "Training? Why? We're already strong enough."
Zenix let out a dark chuckle. "You think you know power? You have no idea what the true powerhouses of the secret organization are capable of."
Izaki narrowed his eyes. "How do you know this?"
For the first time, Zenix's smirk faded. His expression darkened, shadows flickering across his face.
His voice was lower now, almost a whisper.
"Because I was once one of them."
The air in the room turned heavy.
"A former council member of Meteosity."
Silence.
The implications of those words hung in the air like a thundercloud.
No one spoke.
No one dared.
Because this changed everything.
And deep down, they all knew—
The real battle was only beginning.