It's not the things that you say

It's just the look on your face

It's not the secrets that you keep

It's that they're buried so deep

And it feels like...

It feels like everything is farther from me now than it's ever been

Or maybe I'm a sucker for the pain

Holdin'on for better days


The guards froze in fear as they saw their comrade's body fall to the floor. Tala's eyes held a murderous intent towards anyone that dared to come near.

From behind the guards Boris strided in with a delighted expression on his face and clapping his hands. Stepping aside, the guards bowed their heads slightly. He sounded surprised as he exclaimed, "Who would've thought you had it in you?"

Tala's gaze was fixated on Boris as he cautiously rose to his feet, leaning against the wall for stability.

Moving closer Boris crossed his arms behind his back and looked at him with a raised brow. In a disturbingly friendly tone he asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Two years," He replied flatly.

He hummed in response. "I see."

Boris paced around, observing him. Under his orders he had Tala go through unimaginable suffering, just so he could test the boy's willpower. But despite the beatings and starvation he still managed to break his shackles. Not to mention murder an adult man. "What if I said I could give you more power?"

Tala remained silent, his eyes fixated on Boris' every move.

Boris let out a small laugh, he found it a little amusing to see him this fierce. "No need to be so guarded, my boy. I've seen what you're capable of. That was quite a display back there." He gestured towards the lifeless body on the floor.

"What do you want from me?" Tala asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

A wide grin formed on his face, this was exactly the type of motivation he sought. "Just your loyalty, Tala. Follow me, fight for me, bring the world to it's knees."

He met Boris' gaze with determination in his eyes. "I have no loyalty to you, nor do I intend to fight for you."

Boris' grin faltered for a split second, but he quickly regained his composure. "Is that so?"

Tala stood tall, his fists clenched and ready for a fight. "I won't bow to anyone."

The intensity in his gaze was what Boris was striving for, as now he knew Tala wouldn't just blindly follow orders. This exceeded his expectations, and he felt hopeful.

With a flick of his hand, the guards behind Boris moved to release him from his shackles. "Let's make a deal, you and I."

As soon as the metal restraints were off, he made sure not to show his relief. He intently listened to Boris's words.

"I can offer you immense power," Boris began. "But it demands something in return-"

At the BBA headquarters, few groups had gathered to submit their papers for the upcoming tournament.

Julia boisterously spun around her brother Raul as they strolled through the hallway. She was filled with bliss at the thought of competing again and having the chance to pursue what she loves.

"Would you mind calming down?" Raul asked somewhat annoyed.

"Aren't you thrilled though?" She responded excitedly. "We can step into the arena once more after such a long time!"

Raul rolled his eyes and conceded modestly. "Yeah yeah, I'm kind of looking forward to it."

They made their way to the registration desk and encountered White Tigers, All Starz, and Team Dauntless. Julia quickly grabbed up some of the forms that needed signing while Raul scrambled to keep up with her.

After handing them back at the registration officer she turned to Mathilda who was standing next to her now.

"Looks like we'll have some tough competition, huh?" Julia said cheerfully.

Mathilda nodded in agreement, "I'm curious to the other teams though." Looking around she noticed a bunch of faces that she recognized from watching the tournaments on tv.

Julia's face broke into a grin but before she could reply to Mathilda she heard someone call her name. When she turned, she saw a tall, dark-haired girl rushing over to her.

"I can't believe it! Are you THE Julia Fernandez?!"

the girl exclaimed.

A bit taken aback, Julia smiled back at her kindly. "That's me!"

Before Julia had time to say anything else, the girl grabbed her hand and stared at her admiringly. "I'm such a huge fan of yours! You're like my role model."

"Ah... I see," Julia chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Oh! Sorry," the girl replied, releasing Julia's hand. "I get so excited sometimes that I forget my manners. My name is Florenta Dalca."

Julia beamed at her and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Florenta. I'm glad you're a fan."

Florenta blushed a little and said, "I just can't believe I'm meeting you in person. You're like the best fighter ever!"

Julia laughed lightly and said, "I don't know about that, but I appreciate your kind words. Are you competing in the tournament too?"

Florenta nodded eagerly. "Yes, I am! My teammate David will be here soon to, together we are 'Grand Belladonna' . It's my first time competing at this level, but I'm really excited about it."

"That's great," Julia said with genuine enthusiasm. "I hope we get to spar against each other. It would be an honor."

Florenta's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You want to spar with me?"

Julia laughed at Florenta's reaction. "Of course! I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from each other and push each other to become better fighters."

Florenta's face lit up with excitement. "That would be amazing, Julia! I can't wait."

She paused for a moment and put her finger on her lips, then suggested "What about two days from now? Is that good for you?"

"That's perfect!" Florente replied happily.

"It sounds like it's decided then," Julia said, putting her hands on her hips with finality.

Mathilda and Julia watched as Florente moved between her teammates, and back to them. "Woah, she's something," Mathilda exclaimed in astonishment. Yet when she saw the competitive gleam in Julia's eye, she sighed. "You really only think about the contest now, don't you?" She said jokingly as she gave her friend a gentle jab.

"Maybe..." Julia replied with a grin.

"You're something else," Mathilda smiled warmly.

The girls walked outside together, giggling and chatting amongst themselves without really registering their surroundings.

A little ahead of them walked Tala and as he stepped out of the BBA headquarters, the skies immediately opened up with a heavy downpour. He quickly sought shelter underneath the stadium's columns where he leaned back against the cool concrete walls.

It had been two days since the big announcement, but FBSC's reaction seemed unusually mild and he hadn't heard anything from Rachel. He was grateful for the chance to recover; his wounds were healing and his headaches weren't so bad.

Once those three heard of the announcement, Brian insisted they compete in the mock tournament, but he wanted no part in it; so instead he had just signed himself in as a trainer while the other three could do their thing.

This stadium, he tried to block it from his mind, but the memories would come back every so often. After walking out of those doors nearly ten years ago and into the world, everything changed in a cascade of events. Was it worth it? There was never a question about that: they had won their freedom, and that was more than he could've ever asked for.

He wished he could have saved a few extra souls from the clutches of BioVolt if he'd acted sooner, had more strength. But this was a burden he had to carry alone, not the others.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, so he let out a sigh before lighting a cigarette. From his spot near the entrance of the stadium, he could see the people come and go. Some faces were familiar, others not so much.

But then he spotted Julia, her presence shining brighter than the sun. She was so strikingly different from everyone else that it was like she sparkling among them. At Least in his eyes she was.

She stopped for a few moments near the entrance to talk with a girl with blue hair - Mathilda, as he remembered. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her own hair. He murmured something under his breath along the lines of "Tease."

When she said goodbye to Mathilda she went to grab her umbrella before turning around and finding him watching her. Like a colt, she practically skipped over to him, beaming and grinning broadly. "Tala!" she exclaimed. "Did you register too?"

He answered simply, "Something like that."

"Same here!" She said excitedly as she came to stand beside him and their shoulders lightly brushed one another.

A quiet settled between them, the rain pattering gently in the background. Upon hearing about the tournament, she would most likely need to lengthen her stay for a few weeks more. There had been an abundance of rifts forming lately and he wanted no one to get caught up in it, particularly not her. Even so, he was thankful that his time with her could be extended- looking into her gleaming emerald eyes, seeing her comforting smile and her soft brown locks. It wasn't until he had realized that he was staring until their eyes met and hers locked firmly on his.

She watched him intently with a hint of a smile on her face; she had come to recognize this look on his face through the years. His expression wouldn't tell much but would say a lot simultaneously. Knowing him well, she steered the conversation away from its uncomfortable course. "This weather," she started off, "it can't even come close to last year when Mr. Dickenson hosted the meeting in Greece."

Tala shifted his gaze upwards to the ceiling and shook his head. "That was way too warm." He sighed

She smirked at him. "But Moscow's too cold." she replied playfully.

"Oh, come on," Tala shot back with a grin.

Continuing the light conversation, she asked him "What are your plans for this afternoon?"

Scratching the back of his neck, he contemplated her question. "No big plans," He sighed. "It's been pretty quiet lately."

Fiddling with her umbrella to disguise her excitement, she smiled and said: "Come on! Let's go for a walk." She opened up the umbrella with her right hand and took his left into hers.

Without giving him a chance to object, she grabbed his hand and started walking down the street. The wind blew a cold gust into her face; she struggled to hold the umbrella over both of them, but their height difference made it nearly impossible.

"You know you could ask for help, right?" he teased.

She grumbled something unintelligible in response. "As if you would ever ask for help yourself, Mr. Independent."

"Of course not," he grinned, but he still took it from her hands and she easily let go of it.

"Of course not," he grinned, but he still took it from her hands and she easily let go of it. As she talked about various topics, he led her down an uneven stone staircase into a small yet popular Moscow park - Novodevichy. Stepping down the staircase into the park, Julia stopped in her tracks to take it all in. Despite the rain, the park was full of life and colour; trees with golden and red autumn leaves, and the view from the pond of the Novodevichy convent - gold domes, red masonry at the top and white walls adorned with sculptures.

"Wow..." she breathed.

"Thought you'd like it," he said.

Julia ran down the path, her arms outstretched and twirling around as she did so, clothes drenched in rain but not giving a care. "Come on slowpoke!" she shouted on passing him by.

Tala sighed; over five years he had learned one thing: there was no arguing with Julia Fernandez; he would just have to be prepared for any consequences that might arise later.

As she dashed past the metal duck statues, she paused and went back to get a closer look. "Look, look!" She called him over, but then her attention was diverted by a flock of real ducks on the pond.

He caught up to her and stood next to her, the umbrella doing what little it could to protect them from the rain. But the giant smile on her face made all the difference.

He took a deep breath. If this could be everyday he'd give anything for that. Nothing could numb the pain like she did. But he had to remain realistic; until he was called again by Rachel he would try to make each moment count.

She wrapped her arms protectively around herself and shivered. He raised an eyebrow at her, asking if she was done running out in the rain. Her lip trembled as she looked back at him with big eyes. "But ducks," she said quietly.

"The ducks will still be here tomorrow," he reassured her.

"I know," her voice barely whispers. "But I don't want to go back just yet." She shifted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

He considered briefly before releasing a soft hum of agreement. He was planning on heading home eventually, but if Spencer was home he'd have to face the inevitable barrage of questions about what he had been up to lately. Though if he'd bring Julia with him, she'd occupy Spencer instead. It seemed like a win-win situation for both of them. "Let's get you fixed up with something dry first," he suggested.

The drive wasn't particularly lengthy, twenty minutes orso, but she insisted that he ramp up the heating until it was practically unbearable in the car. He could have made it in less time than that and risk a fine or two. But this time he decided to play it safe. As they drove along, he would glance over at his Julia who intermittently drifted off and awoke in fits of sleep, much to his amusement.

Finally they reached what seemed like a homestead. Free standing houses surrounded by tall wooden fences. Although it wasn't anything like the openness of Spain it still had its own charm. Getting out of the car her limbs still felt a bit shaky from the cold.

"You know, you're lucky I'm not some psycho murderer. You're just following me into my house like it's no big deal."

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't hide the grin on her face. "Yeah surely, a psycho murderer that takes five years to make a kill."

He chuckled at her response as they reached his door. After unlocking it, he led her inside, tossing his keys onto the table by the door. The inside had your typical farmhouse feel, dark wooden floors, white walls. The living space had the typical farmhouse look, with dark wooden floors and white walls. The living room was adorned with a large L-shaped sofa—not surprising, considering that four guys lived in the house. She tried to imagine how they all coexisted without any issues, but found it truly impressive that everything seemed normal, there has to be a catch to it.

Noting her amazed expression, he spilled the details quickly. "Spencer talked us all into, well,... hiring an interior designer." He confessed.

"Ah," she responded then burst out laughing. "It's no shocker."

Tala guided her towards the washroom, and by the time he had taken a few steps away from the doorway, she had already discarded her drenched wear and stepped into the shower stall. "You have no shame," he remarked in disbelief.

"Oh, come on!" She exclaimed, peeking out from behind the curtain to meet him with a smirk. "That's nothing you haven't seen before."

Admittedly, there was not much he could say to counter that. He exhaled deeply before responding, "Fair enough."

As the sound of the shower being turned on filled the room he heard her humming a tune. Julia had a way of making everything feel lighter, even if the world was a nasty place at the moment. Eventually he walked out to get her a set of dry clothing.

As he approached his bedroom door, he paused. The place he and his brothers had stayed for years still failed to feel like home. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and was greeted by a dull room—despite its absence of decor, it did have one item that served as his saving grace: a large bed. Although he'd be able to sleep on cardboard if needed.

He opened a drawer in the clothing cabinet and retrieved a pair of joggers and an ordinary t-shirt—not the most attractive ensemble but it would do.

When he came back into the bathroom, he heard her gentle singing. It sounded so beautiful. When he stepped into the bathroom, he could see her shape outlined by the shower curtain, and after years of coming and going, he still admired her figure. With a shake of his head, he put the clothes down on the sink.

"Your clothes are on the sink," he said.

"Thanks," she responded, her voice muffled.

Leaving the bathroom he stepped back into the bedroom, rifling through the shelves until he located the old notes he was searching for. Ever since Kai had arrived in Moscow he'd been prodding him about a certain piece of equipment, which looked quite similar to something he had sketched out before. Not wanting to do any actual work, he intended to lazily imitate it. Before he could open the binder, Julia had crept up behind him and thrown an arm around his shoulders.

"What'chu doin'?" she asked.

He showed her the notes he was studying, and her face fell. "Oh, that's what they teach mechanics nowadays?" she said mockingly, knowing damn well he was an engineer.

His left eye began to twitch at her words. He then carefully placed the book down and bent forward so that her feet were no longer touching the ground, swiftly lifted her up, and flung her onto the soft mattress.

Julia's face was full of surprise and confusion as if she had defied gravity for a second there. His hovering face just inches from hers seemed to have only added to it. Amused by her expression, he said "That's years of sleep deprivation."

She laughed, her eyes twinkling with delight. "What's another day, right?" Then extended her arms and placed both palms on each of his cheeks.

He could feel her fingertips tracing the curves of his face; every inch of his skin would tingle with her delicate caress. Neither of them wanted to place a label on whatever it was that existed between them. It was always just casual, and if she found someone else, he would be okay with it as long as it made her happy - that's what mattered most, or at least that is what he kept telling himself.

Turning on her back she shifted herself back into a sitting position facing him, slowly she leaned forward and met her lips with his. patiently awaiting his response. For a moment he hesitated, but then he gave in to the enticement and let his lips part, allowing her to deepen the kiss.

As their lips parted, she leaned her forehead against his, their breaths mingling. "Why do we keep doing this?" she whispered, her eyes searching his.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. "But I can't seem to stay away from you."

A small smile played on her lips. "Then don't."

With a gentle push on her shoulders he forced her on her back, his hands wandered over her body, tracing every curve and dip like he had done so before many times. She moaned softly as he kissed his way down her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. He knew all of her sweet spots, and he used that knowledge to make her weak in the knees. She had come to understand that although he rarely took the initiative, his other actions more than made up for it.

As he slowly trailed his fingers down her stomach, she arched her back in ecstasy. "Please," she begged. A faint smirk played at the corners of his lips as he continued to tease her, letting his hands wander lower and lower.

Subconsciously her hands made their way up his body and she started to inch her way up his shirt. He tensed for a second, but he allowed her to continue. She softly said, "I know, I know," as if it were a comforting statement. It had taken her years to get to this point with him and she knew it would always be this way. Her own understanding was that he had been covering up his many scars with a vast amount of ink. "Got any new ones for me to look at?" she asked.

Rolling his eyes at her curiosity he admitted defeat and took off his shirt. "Fine," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "But only if you promise to behave."

She grinned in response, tracing her finger from down his abdomen to his chest. "I always behave," she teased.

Their moment was interrupted by Brian's sharp voice echoing from the lower floor. "Oi! I know you're up there."

They both froze, their eyes meeting in a silent agreement to pretend they didn't hear him. But Brian was persistent, and his voice grew louder as he climbed the stairs followed by a flurry of swearing.

He slumped down next to her, and she put her hand over her mouth to muffle her chuckles. "I'm beginning to understand why you don't come here often."

As the door swung wide, Brian was revealed in the frame. Julia had hastily corrected her clothing while Tala shot a menacing look in his direction.

"What do you want?" His voice rumbled in the quiet space.

Brian knew better than anyone that Tala's anger could come in many forms, but he still pressed on. But not before he directed his words to Julia: "Hey, Julia - how ya doing?"

Julia gave an awkward wave. "H-hi Brian," she said gently.

He spun back to Tala. "Spencer wanted to know what we should make for dinner with four - five - people being present here." His eyes darted back to Julia for a moment. "You see," He paused for a moment. "We're not so used to having more people here than three."

Since counting to a hundred didn't seem to help him concentrate anymore, he opted instead for reciting the many laws of physics like a mantra. Eventually a he let out a heavy sigh, "Let Spencer do whatever he wants,"

Brian nodded and turned to leave before casting a brief, telling glance at the two of them. "Just fucking get together already," he added firmly, shutting the door behind him as he exited.

Tala slowly stood up and glanced around the room briefly, avoiding eye contact with her. Brian's words had struck a nerve and Tala felt them more deeply than he wanted wont be long before reality would strike back and this fragile moment of peace was certain to be disrupted when FBSC, its rifts, and their fiends showed up. Maybe there was a silver lining in what Brian said after all, it shook him awake. As Tala stole a glance over his shoulder at her, she seemed lost in thought as her fingers absentmindedly twisted her hair.

Was it wrong of him to keep her at a distance when he knew damn well what she wanted? The thought of ending things nearly destroyed his determination, but he needed something to fight for. He turned to face her and reached out his hand. "Let's go see what that oddball is cooking up this time."

Julia looked at him with big eyes and took his hand. She couldn't read him, but she knew that she wanted nothing more than to be close to him. The touch of his hand brought a familiar warmth to her and she found herself leaning into him as they made their way downstairs. She didn't want to get hopeful, but perhaps that was already too late.

Spencer was ready to give Tala a piece of his mind in the kitchen, but when he saw Julia standing beside him his face softened into a smile. "Julia!" he exclaimed cheerfully. She bounded over to Spencer's side and the two were soon happily chatting away like two old friends.

He slid into the seat between Ian and Brian, who both fixed him with looks of suspicion. He responded by crossing his arms in a defensive posture as their stares grew more intense. Growing increasingly uncomfortable, he finally said, "Alright, what's going on?"

Brian nodded at Ian from his slouched position in the chair. "Tell her what you told us," he said.

"I'm not a bean!" Ian snapped before turning to Tala. "There are rumors that one of the tournament teams is linked to cults."

Tala paid close attention, but didn't show it. "And your point?"

"We should take them out before they can do anything." Brian added.

The redhead considered it, though their plan could cause big trouble down the line. Plus, these two seemed determined to take on any enemies of the BBA, either out of loyalty or just wanting a good fight. "Do you have any idea which team it might be?"

"Does it matter?" Brian answered as he tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. "We'll just take on all of them—which brings me to this." He pushed the registration form towards Tala and pointed at the top information. "What's with you not signing up as a competitor?"

"Gut feeling," he stated simply.

Ian and Brian exchanged a worried look—they would follow Tala wherever he lead without hesitation, even to the depths of hell if they must. But when he acted on gut instinct, things could get ugly fast.

Still, Tala knew them well enough to believe they could handle whatever came their way, and comforted himself with the knowledge that all three of them were part of the BBA. But tensions were rising between them, and Tala knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them uncovered the truth about his involvement with the FBSC - something he desperately wanted to avoid. That was just who they were; despite their current appearance of innocence, in reality they were all dormant beasts.

He had to stifle a laugh when he glanced at his phone, overhearing Ian and Brian discuss their plans to beat their rivals. He was surprised to see it was Kai who had sent him a message. As he stood up with a sigh, he left the room and stepped outside, expecting that whatever it was could be quickly handled on the telephone.

"Leaving again?" Ian jested.

"Just having a cigarette," He murmured, keeping his true intentions hidden.

Leaning his back against the truck door, he felt the dampness of the air left behind after the rain had stopped. From the kitchen, he could hear a few chuckles - it was Spencer and Julia's laughter. It made him feel a little better; he knew that they were doing well. Their friendship was strong and growing stronger day by day. Even Brian seemed to have lost his hostile attitude to some extent. And Ian - he had changed so much in such a short amount of time. He took good care of himself nowadays, too.

Tala raised his phone and dialed Kai's number, waiting for him to answer. After a couple rings, the other end picked up. "Tala," Kai said in an indifferent voice.

He exhaled deeply but managed to say with a steady voice, "What is it you need?" His tone was passive.

Kai spoke calmly, "Meet me at the BBA office today."

Tala snorted with annoyance. "You couldn't have thought of this sooner? I was there this morning!"

"I'm requesting your presence," he replied, "not your opinion."

Kai had a knack for getting on his nerves so quickly. It was even more extreme now that Kai had taken over the business. He kept himself from clenching his fists as he tried to stay cool.

"Fine," Tala said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "I'll be there in an hour."

Kai seemed to always get his own way, in one way or another. Tala was caught between a rock and a hard place; unable to live with Kai, yet unable to live without him. He had lost track of the times that Kai had assigned him with tasks that his own engineers were unable to complete. It was maddening how Kai used his pride against him, confident that Tala wouldn't back away from any challenge thrown at him.

The moment he hung up, Tala felt a deep dread about his imminent arrival at the BBA office. He knew of the alliance between Hiwatari and the BBA and their joint efforts to tackle the FBSC through legal means. Of course, when you had Kai on board, so would Mr. Dickenson. The old man would meddle in a situation that was a whole lot more complicated than a few runs to the court. And Tala couldn't risk them discovering his link to the FBSC or anything regarding his agreement with them.

He took one last drag from his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and heading back inside. As he walked through the kitchen, he saw that Ian and Brian were casually playing cards while Spencer was being aided by Julia as she chopped vegetables for a meal. The atmosphere felt so comfortable and homely. But the moment he even felt a hint of a tugging feeling he dismissed it immediately, grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. "I have to go take care of something," he said over his shoulder.

"Everything okay?" Spencer asked, concern etched on his face.

Tala didn't answer, he just waved as he stepped outside.

He ignited the engine and reclined in his seat for several seconds. His ears slowly began to fill with a faint ringing noise and piercing shots of pain. He opened up the dashboard to find a small bottle, but as he grabbed it a note slipped out onto the floor.

It was the notification of his father's death he had received not too long ago. Everything seemed like an eternity away, though it likely hadn't even been two weeks since he first heard the news. With haste, he downed one of the pills from the bottle then chucked both back into the compartment before slamming it shut.

As he drove towards the BBA office, Tala fought to keep his emotions in check. He knew that he still had a lot of unresolved feelings about that day, perhaps more about Boris than his actual father who had died.

When Tala arrived at the BBA office, he took the stairs to the basement. He had been instructed to meet Kai and Mr. Dickenson at Judy's lab. To say that he wasn't looking forward to it was an understatement. When he walked into the room, both Kai and Mr. Dickenson were waiting for him around a long conference table.

"Ah, Tala," Mr. Dickenson greeted with a smile. "Good to see you."

Tala nodded and gave a half-hearted smile in return. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

Kai gestured for him to take a seat at the table. "I need you to draw something up," he said, getting straight to the point.

He gave the phoenix blader an annoyed look as he approached, and with a bit more force than was necessary, Tala dropped the binder on the table that he had brought. He figured that if he was going there anyway, he might as well bring it. "Nice to see you too," he said. Briefly his eyes went over to a legal document that was on the table, it was signed by Rachel. The FBSC probably didn't appreciated the BBA's little tournament

Ignoring his sarcasm, Kai turned his laptop to him and pointed something out in an autocad drawing. "Professor Tate needs something with a sufficient amount of output to keep a magnetic field in place."

He was surprised by the design she had presented to him. Though he lacked knowledge at that time, he was reasonably confident that the basics of this design stemmed from the BioVolt days, perhaps. Did Kai know? Mr. Dickenson certainly should have been aware of it. Tala let out a faint sigh as he anticipated the lack of information provided. It wouldn't be impossible for him to figure out, but it would take some time. For now, Tala decided to keep quiet and work on their request.

Mr. Dickenson began speaking in an apologetic tone: "I'm sorry to ask you this; you must already be busy enough."

Lately, the old man had been acting with extreme care, as though they were all made of glass. Why was he even apologizing for a question that Tala hadn't yet answered?

"Don't worry about it." Tala stated as he sat beside Kai and rummaged through the folder of files. Frustratingly, it lacked any kind of measurements; what did they expect him to accomplish? Building something that was ten Beyblades in size? Then, he opened a tab containing the schematics of a ship he knew well.

He slouched back with a sly smirk and crossed his arms. "Curious, would you rather build this on your yacht instead?"

Kai snickered and unclipped the binder, flipping through some of its contents. "Figured you must miss that vessel, seeing as you went out of your way to customize it completely."

"That's because you hire lousy mechanics." Tala countered.

Kai was recently appointed as director at the Hiwatari firm several years ago. One of their ships ran into trouble while navigating between Greenland and Norway—due to improper maintenance, had ruptured due to neglect, most likely on behalf of Voltaire who was trying to save money. Tala used an angle grinder to cut out the damaged area and filled it with whatever pieces he could find, such as nuts and bolts, which were welded together to hold them in place. It wasn't the prettiest job, but it lasted long enough for them to meet the towship half way.

"The poor man had a burn-out, because of you." Kai sighed.

Tala shrugged but said nothing in response. His attention was already devoted to the task at hand, although it still annoyed him when Kai treated him like a handyman. But he had to admit that he was intrigued by Judy's project.

The ship, supplied by Hiwatari Corp, was an old carrier vessel used for research trips to the Bering Sea. Its engines dated from WWII and, after forty years of service, were showing their age. But its structural integrity was mind blowing. Not to mention the cargo space it could hold.

Fortunately, she had made the calculation of how much was required: 0.5T, or 500.000 microtesla. It was a massive undertaking, since you'd need walls of 6mm aluminum to contain even one uT. But that was a problem for Kai's financial personnel to figure out.

Mr. Dickenson left the two alone in the room, and with his departure, Kai's upright posture shifted to something more comfortable. His eyes lingered on Tala for a few moments before he spoke. "Tala," He started softly.

He looked at Kai, eyebrows raised, in question. "Hm?"

"What's really going on?"

With a slight hint of annoyance, Tala returned his attention to the computer monitor. He didn't need someone assessing him right now. "I'm fine," he replied nonchalantly.

Kai chuckled, having known the redhead since he was a child. He was an expert at concealing his feelings and could deceive with such conviction that it made one doubt reality. But even Tala couldn't completely mask the physical signs of what he knew to be true. His eyes had grown dull and each time they spoke, Tala seemed buried in work. Kai did the same; it was how he knew that Tala was simply using work as an escape from something far worse.

These days, Kai was blessed with Hilary's presence in his life. He had put her through so much already that he was worried she would say no when he popped the question. At that point, he hadn't realized how much he needed her; it wasn't until she asked him out on a date that he understood his true feelings for her. From then on, they had come a long way. Tala, on the other hand, was being too stubborn to accept any form of help, but eventually he was going to need it.

Kai sighed, deciding not to push Tala any further. He knew it was useless to try and get the truth out of him, especially since Tala had never been one to share his feelings easily. "Let me know if you need anything," Kai said before standing up from his seat.

Tala remained silent, glancing at the time on his watch. Only when he checked did he realize that hours had already passed since he stepped away. He cursed under his breath, realizing he was running late and Spencer was likely fuming by now. To make matters worse, he may or may not have abandoned Julia with him.

He jotted down some important notes on a notepad before swiftly sending the file to his own email. With no further delay, Tala rose from his seat, much to the surprise of Kai.

"Do you need to be somewhere?" asked Kai curiously.

"I'll contact you tomorrow," Tala responded dismissively, ignoring Kai's question and exiting the room while making up excuses to tell his brothers.

As he walked through the corridor he passed the door to Tatsuya's office, suddenly his gut instincts told him to stop immediately and he froze in place. He sensed the exact same sensation as when he was near a rift, but way more condensed. Looking around briefly he saw nobody, at this hour the building had probably been completely abandoned already by the staff.

The door was slightly ajar and he peered inside to see if anyone was in there. Positive that the room was empty, he pushed the door open and stepped in. It was completely dark. But that didn't matter to him. The door was slightly ajar and he peered inside to see if anyone was in there. Positive that the room was empty, he pushed the door open and stepped in. It was completely dark. But that didn't matter to him.

He stepped into a side room filled with cabinets and drawers. Upon inspection of each cabinet, he discovered an array of artifacts. When he opened one or two drawers, he saw they were loaded up with ancient texts, slabs of stone, and little trinkets.

Instinctively he reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a worn, leather-bound book. He slowly opened it up, reading the first page which said "Ars Notoria", the words were foreign and he couldn't even begin to understand what it said. But somehow it had caught his attention. He took a quick picture with his phone so he could look into it later. Then, at the back of the drawer, something else caught his eye; a cloth was carefully concealing a small item.

A moment of hesitation passed through him, although he was still drawn to the cloth. His fingers touched it gently until he flipped it over and saw a dagger. He vaguely remembered Spencer telling him about Tatsuya showing them the item at the meeting he had skipped.

The obsidian blade was blunt and dark, which reminded him of the riftstone he found. The hilt had a green tinge from oxidation of the copper. When he touched it with his finger, he felt a sudden, sharp pain like a knife slicing through his palm—although he only so much as grazed it. Blood began to flow down.

"Fuck" He spat as he hurriedly used his other hand to press down on the afflicted area. He had suffered a lot over the years; bullets, knives, and being tossed around like a rag-doll by fiends, but none of that compared to this ache. It was like his veins were burning from the inside out.

He took several long breaths, steadying himself against the wall for support. His gaze soon locked onto the dagger laid out in the drawer - its appearance was brand new. The hilt and ornaments were easy to make out, while the blade shone an intense black, with an abyss of darkness reflecting from it.

The pain gradually subsided, so he hurriedly placed the rag back in its drawer and shut it. As he was about to leave, he heard someone enter the room. He instantly melded with the darkness as he hid himself in the corner.

From the other room he could make out Tatsuya and Mr. Dickenson's voices in a tense discussion. Their conversation seemed worried.

Tala listened in on their discussion carefully, trying to keep his breathing steady. The conversation was hushed but that wasn't a problem for his incredible hearing.

"...she is too fixated on using that, I fear it's going to double cross us in the long run." Tatsuya's voice was strained, and Tala could sense the fear in his tone.

A heavy sigh fell from Mr. Dickenson's lips. "I understand your concern, but we have to trust her on this. From my own experience she is handling it quite well, and.." He paused. "I probaly would have come up with the same idea."

"I trust your judgment." Tatsuya replied firmly.

"Have you find out more about the artifacts in the meantime?" Mr. Dickenson asked him.

"I have heard something," Tatsuya announced. "My informant told me about a Roma tribe, they may be the last people on Earth who know about the Gehennalis. Unfortunately they are very secretive. However, they did confirm that the dagger that was brought from the state museum is an artifact connected to them."

Tala's attention was instantly captivated. It seemed unlikely that the BBA would just sit and do nothing, and his theory that the tournament was a smokescreen only heightened his suspicions.

"The only confirmed Gehennalis thus far is Black Dranzer, yet Judy has discovered hints of more. Then there's the anomaly..." Stress was palpable in his words. "Things are getting out of control."

"William..." Tatsuya murmured softly. "I get that you're strongly against this thought but that man, he could po-"

"Rubbish." Mr. Dickenson said sternly. "Boris Balkov is off the table."

The air between them stilled while Mr. Dickenson carried on talking. "Tatsuya, we can never reveal that to any of them, that is our burden to bear."

The rest of the conversation, he blocked out as his hands were tightly clenched together. The FBSC had a tendency to go in circles but the BBA wasn't any better. It didn't matter either way though, because he already decided what he would do. All he had to do was find the source of the conflict and eliminate it. The mention of Black Dranzer gave him some hope; he had used her before, so he could use her again...But he was clueless as to her location and couldn't just go around asking, "Say, have any of you seen Black Dranzer lying around?"

Tala had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the two people leave. He looked around and, once he was sure they had gone, stealthily he exited the building. He'd never admit it, but the abbey's many advantages made sneaking around a lot simpler.

He stood in the darkness and took a deep breath of the crisp night air. He hesitated, debating if he should go back to the others or if he should just sleep in the workshop again. But each movement felt like an effort; exhaustion was pulling him under.

Just when he opened the door to the truck he received a message on his phone. He had a hunch as to whom it might come from at this hour.. a hunch that was confirmed quickly when he saw it's recipient. "Are you fucking kidding me." Running a hand over his face he looked over the text.

Hgzkov xsfixs lu Lfi Ozwb lu Eozwrnri rm gdl slfih

Nzeirml

Ivhvzixs

Uzrormt gl xlnkob droo ivhfog rm xlmhvjfvmxvh

Staple church of Our Lady of Vladimir in two hours

Mavrino

Research

Failing to comply will result in consequences

Rage and frustration roiled through him as he thought about Rachel. She had demanded that he make a three-hour drive in two hours and had threatened him when he couldn't. Now she was just trying to get under his skin. "The day you turn into a fiend I'd happily put a bullet in that face of yours, Rachel," he murmured to himself.


A/N:

Thank you Mkayverse for putting up with me while I redid this chapter more than I can count now 3

Poem: Art of Dying - Better Dayz