Loki kept watching the flames burn in the night sky. This was all a lie the mining, everything. All because our parents, or maybe even our grandparents, did something wrong, and we had to suffer for it.
"Hey, Loki. I think Joycelyn was right." Tars drew him from his thoughts. "Thinking about it, I don't remember how I even got to Camp 12."
Loki stared back at her. He tried to remember how he got to the camp, but there was nothing. He was just there, mining and doing all that. How did he get there?
"Hahaha! Haha!"
Laughter drew Loki's attention. Ken was already up, staring at the fire.
"So what?" Ken spread his arms wide. "So, what if we're paying for our sins? You all must accept reality as it is."
Loki looked at the faces of the rest of the members. Mary was still in shock from the sudden release of information. She knelt on the ground, staring at the sky as tears fell from her eyes. Pan sat watching Ken, no emotion in his eyes.
Then Loki looked at Tars beside him. She was staring at the fire and seemed lost in her thoughts.
"Tars, are you good?" Loki moved close and held her shoulder. He felt the strong urge to protect her. He pulled her into his embrace.
The wind blew. Ken's voice rang out again. "We survived, and that's what we should focus on now. Why cry and wo..."
"Did you hear everything they told us?" Mary shot to her feet and grabbed Ken by the collar. "Our lives were all just lies, you bastard! I had people I loved! I watched them burn!" She tightened her grip. "So shut up!"
"Hey, you two, what do you think you're doing?" Pan stood and walked toward them.
Loki felt Tars shiver and laugh in his embrace. He rubbed her back and kept whispering that everything was fine as he watched Pan approach Mary and Ken.
"Hey, let go of me!" Ken grabbed Mary's collar.
"Then shut up!"
Pan stepped between them, trying to separate them. "Both of you, calm down "
While this unfolded, Loki felt the thirst to tell them all to shut up.
He wanted to walk up and punch them all in the face. But Tars was still sobbing in his arms, and it made his heart ache. All he could do was smooth her hair. Whenever he did, she trembled a little. He wanted to touch her more.
What was he thinking?
Loki got a hold of himself. He should be mourning Mari's death still, processing the information he'd just received. But he felt the urge to dominate. He stared at the three arguing and fighting.
Reality is disappointing, he thought. People die. The dead are dead. We're alive, and there's probably more wickedness and danger in this world. Everything we knew could be lies.
He held Tars closer and smoothed his hand from her shoulder down her back. He lifted her face and stared into her crying eyes. Tars was blushing, her yellow and blue eyes shining, her hair wild. At least he was lucky to have survived with her. If they wanted to continue surviving, they had to accept reality like Ken said.
"Loki, what are you doing?" Tars stared back at him. "You feel hot, and you're touching me like this. Mari—"
"Dead and gone," Loki said. He let her out of his embrace and stood up.
Tars felt an ache in her heart. Loki taking her into his arms was strange, but she liked it. Something had changed in him. She watched his back as he walked toward the three arguing.
A memory surfaced. When they first arrived at Camp 12, they were thirteen. Twenty children, all crying because they'd been separated from friends in the children's camp. For the first few days, Loki cried the most. But a day later, he was different. He told the others, "You're cowards if you cry. Crying solves no problem. You have to live."
Tars remembered the commotion that caused. He even got into a fight with Mends. Everyone thought he was a moron with no feelings. Then he met Mari, and somehow, she calmed him down.
Now she was gone. Was he that monster again?
Why did she want to stay in his strong arms forever?
Loki reached the three, who were still locked in. Mary held Pan's hair and screamed. Pan held her collar and pulled. Jon tried to separate them, his voice rising—"I said enough!"
It irritated him.
He reached Pan first and threw a punch, knocking him down. Then he slapped Mary across the face and shoved Ken back so hard he stumbled to the floor.
"Hey, what the hell?" Ken held his leg and growled up at him.
"You bastard!" Pan sat on the ground, holding his cheek.
Mary held her face and stared at Tars in shock. Loki had hit her that hard.
"Hey, Loki, I think that's enough!" Tars ran toward him.
Loki stared at her when she reached him. "You better sit down."
Tars felt her legs go weak. She dropped to her knees.
"We survived the most dangerous experiment in human history," Loki said, looking at the four who now stared back at him. "And this is how you honor yourselves? Crying, fighting, screaming?" His voice was cold. "Pathetic."
He turned, looking at each of them. "Ken's right. This is reality. We're in it. We survived, and the only way to live is to move forward. All this crying and whining it irritates me."
"What gives you the right to talk like that?" Mary's voice cracked.
"I lost everyone. Everything. My life was hell."
"Loki, you're being too " Tars tried.
Loki stared at her, and she stopped.
"You listen to me." His voice was low and hard. "We've all lost something. We're in this together. Whatever you lost friends, comrades look around you. We've all lost. So let's stand strong together." He let the silence hang. "Because we only have one choice here. Accept reality or die."
No one spoke.
He nodded toward the house. "You all have your rooms. It's late. Get up, go to bed, sleep, and dream. Tomorrow, as the captain said, will be a long day."
Pan got up first. He patted Loki's shoulder. He walked toward the house.
Ken stood slowly, rubbing his leg. He gave a small nod and followed.
Mary stayed on her knees for a moment longer. Then she rose. "You shouldn't have hit me that hard." She met Loki's eyes. "But I needed it." She walked off without looking back.
Tars watched Loki. The wind blew his hair across his face. The blue in his black eyes had increased. She got up and stood in front of him.
"Loki, don't be too hard on yourself."
She felt the urge to fall into his embrace again. Instead, she blushed and ran toward the house.
The fire kept burning as Loki stood alone. He found it strange, the way he had spoken. But he felt that strength that desire to command and be strong. Deep down, he missed Mari and Mends so much. He wanted to break down and cry. But he felt he had to accept the truth and move on.
He made a promise in his heart. One day, he would get to the end of this and find the truth. He would make anyone who hurt them pay.
But now, he had accepted reality and decided to move on.
"You did good there, Loki."
Ray's voice came from behind. Loki turned and saw the blue-eyed bastard standing beside him.
"That's the Alpha trait," Ray said. "The burning desire to command and protect your pack. I predicted you might have it when you walked up and hit me across the face back at the hall."
"You deserved that." Loki faced him. "Anyway, what's all this bullshit you're saying? Like I'd ever trust anything you say."
Ray stared back at him. Loki noticed his blue eyes begin to glow.
His hair stood on end. He felt the urge to kneel. He stood firm and stared harder at Ray.
"What are you trying to do?"
Ray said nothing. His glowing eyes intensified. Loki felt his legs go weak. One knee bent, then the other. Sweat formed on his head.
"That's the power of an Alpha," Ray said. "Do you believe me now?"
"Yes. Stop this."
"Be polite, and I might." Ray's grin widened. Loki felt his knees sink further into the ground.
"Please, Captain."
Ray laughed. "Hahaha! That felt great."
The pressure vanished. Ray held out his hand and helped Loki to his feet.
"It was great dominating another Alpha." Ray's grin lingered. "The chances of becoming an Alpha are very rare, kid. The reason you beat up your mates and they didn't retaliate is because of your Alpha attribute."
"I don't get it, Captain." Loki's voice was strained. "This all feels so sudden. What's happening here?"
"You're an Alpha, just like me. You'll understand it later. For now, you should get some sleep." Ray turned toward the house.
Loki grabbed his hand. "But why were you, Priest Light? Why?"
He tightened his grip.
Ray stopped. "The book Why You Are Here and the Priest they were materials developed by the fourth generation of Lightning Squad. To give children hope before the injection. So, they could have something to hold onto." He paused.
"There's more to it, but knowing too much won't do you any good. The stronger you get, the more you'll know, kid."
He looked down at Loki's hand on his arm.
"Now let go of my hand."
Loki felt a chill and released him.
"Go inside and get some sleep, kid."
Loki watched the fire. The flames had died down. He turned and followed Ray back to the house.