-V-

I hadn't asked Nina why she had felt the way she did and the rest of the walk had been quiet. Eventually, and reluctantly, I was returned to my cell. That night they brought me a razor and a washbowl full of water. Nina wasn't a bad person after all. I didn't think that most of the people were, they just had their difference of opinions, too bad it had to end in war. We had questioned rebels before back in the army. They said that they were fighting for freedom. From the oppression of the Emperor. That they just wanted to know that they could think and feel for themselves. I wonder if Aludrad had told them the real reason they were fighting.

Aludrad was planning something big, he had come into my cell and asked me if I wanted to participate. It had been bothering me how much he trusted me. If he was really like Nina did he sense something in me that even I wasn't aware of, or was that what he wanted me to think. I said no. He left without an argument.

Nina showed me a newspaper. It had my face on it. "POW Slaughtered by Rebels," is what it read. My family really thought I was dead now. The government was using me to promote their propaganda. It read:

"Early Yesterday morning the body of High Lieutenant Ryu Hito was found in a ditch outside of Wiava, off the 81st highway. Lt. Hito was reported by the government as a POW earlier this month. His parents, in tears, reportedly told General Koe to 'Get those bastards that did this to our son.' Let's all hope that this war ends soon."

I wasn't too angry, because there was no reason for them to think I was alive, but they outright lied about the body.

The rebels were moving their base, Wiava was no longer safe. They tied my hands together behind me and pushed me out the door. We started marching. Miles on end we marched, sometimes taking the subway, sometimes the abandoned highways. Eventually we came to our resting point, the old ruins of the city of Wyndia and they set up camp. The night was peaceful, not much happened. I was guarded all night, of course, but slept well for laying on an old cobblestone road in Wyndia with my hands bound behind me. No dreams that night.

I awoke slowly, it was daylight. Fear, I could feel fear. I jolted up and looked around. The rebels had all of their guns pointed at something – at Aludrad? No, Aludrad was halting someone.

"- don't step any closer, boy, you don't know what you're getting into," Aludrad was saying to a person that I couldn't see.

"You don't understand! I'm going to kill you all," the person shouted.

Nina was standing quietly behind Aludrad. Her face serenely focused on the trespasser.

"You are all criminals, animals, dirty bastard animals," it was the voice of a boy. There was something about that voice. "Get out of my head," he screamed. "No, you don't understand a damn thing! Who do you think you are?"

I pushed myself around the guards trying to see what was going on. It was a young army officer by the clothes. I couldn't get a good view of the face, though. Wait, I know him…

"Alec," I breathed.

Aludrad turned and caught my eyes for a moment before shouting, "He's going to fire," the rebels' guns came alive with thunder.

"No, stop," I screamed. "Stop firing." No one could hear me over the gun blasts. I ran forward pushing down a rebel with my shoulder. "Stop!"

"That's enough," Nina shouted and the guns stopped. Then, the mangled remains of Alec hit the ground.

Alec...

Ladon.

I ran to the body. I stared hard at the face trying to believe that it wasn't true.

Nina turned sharply and looked at me, fear stricken.

Alec...

Ladon!

I HAD SAVED ALEC FOR NOTHING!

I turned to Aludrad. "You murderer," I shouted. I walked towards him ready to kill, ready to destroy, but I stopped something called to me.

LADON!

Aludrad turned away slowly as I tore away from my ropes. I needed power, I needed strength, to kill him.

Something called out to me. I turned to a metal container. The Verotoxin?

I lunged at the container and ripped it open. I heard guns click behind me, but that didn't slow me down.

"No, wait," Aludrad said to his men. My body was convulsing.

LADON!!!

I pushed the needle into my skin. My veins turned red, muscles pumped – thoughts are becoming hard, erupting, HATE!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHH!

Power. Strength. Divinity.

Kill.

Stop this, a voice inside my head.

A woman shrieking. Men dying. Bullets ripping. Claws tearing.

Murder!

You will obey me, Mr. Hito.

Obey none, kill. KILL!

Stop killing? No, kill! REVENGE! Blood!

Stop killing!

Growl!

STOP KILLING!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!