Chapter 80: The Price of Mercy
The orange glow of the burning Church of Curses reflected in Ren's eyes as he stood outside, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The heat was intense, but it couldn't thaw the icy dread settling in his chest. On his back, Hana lay limp and unconscious, her weight a constant reminder of the price he had just paid.
"Why... why did you have to burn it down?" Ren asked, his voice cracking. "Wasn't it enough that we got her out?"
Adam didn't look back at the inferno. He was busy focusing his Vane energy. A faint, golden hum began to resonate from his body. To Ren's astonishment, the deep puncture wound in Adam's stomach and the jagged bite on his shoulder began to seal themselves. The flesh knitted back together, leaving no trace of the brutal struggle.
"I had my orders, Ren," Adam replied, his voice devoid of warmth. "And besides, I had to. You don't understand the trouble we're in. I'm a member of the Striker Pathway. My powers allow for rapid cellular regeneration, but they don't heal the consequences of my actions. If any record of this place remained—if anyone found out I spared a high-level cult follower, even if she is your sister—my life would be forfeit."
Adam turned to Ren, his eyes cold. "We need to get you home and figure out a story. If the High-Ups find out I let you interfere with a mission, we're both finished. Do you want me to get killed because of your sentimentality?"
Ren looked down at his mangled left arm. Unlike Adam, he didn't have the Striker Pathway's healing. The bone was still visible, and the blood had soaked through his makeshift bandages. "I just want her safe, Adam. That's all."
"Then move," Adam commanded. "Before the authorities track the energy spike."
The Sector 7—Ren's Home
The walk back was a blur of pain and paranoia. Ren carried Hana through the shadows, avoiding the main street lamps. Every siren in the distance felt like it was coming for them. When they finally reached the familiar, dilapidated door of their home, Ren felt a momentary surge of relief.
Finally, he thought. I can hide her. I can treat my arm.
Ren pushed the door open, Adam following closely behind. But the relief died instantly.
The small living room was crowded. Six police officers in tactical gear stood in a semi-circle, their pistols drawn and aimed directly at the door. In the center of the room, sitting calmly on a wooden chair, was Kimo.
Ren froze, his heart dropping into his stomach. He gently slid Hana off his back and placed her in a chair near the entrance, his good arm trembling.
"Sensei? What... what are you doing here?" Ren stammered.
Adam stepped forward, his eyes darting between the officers. "Kimo-sir, what is the meaning of this?"
The police officers didn't lower their weapons. One of them stepped toward Ren, his finger twitching on the trigger.
"Lower your weapons!" Kimo commanded, his voice booming with authority. The officers hesitated but didn't put the guns away. Kimo stood up, his face an unreadable mask of disappointment. "Stop right there, Ren. Don't make this harder than it already is."
"Sir, wait," Adam tried to interject. "The mission was a success. The church is destroyed."
"I know," Kimo said, walking toward Ren. "I also know that Ren interfered with a Class-A execution order. I know he used force to prevent a Vaner from eliminated a threat. And I know the girl sitting in that chair was the heart of that cult tonight."
Ren's face went pale. "She was being controlled, Sensei! She's innocent! I couldn't let him kill her!"
"It doesn't matter what you felt, Ren," Kimo said coldly. "You are a Forsaken. You live in this sector because the world deems you a risk. The laws for your kind are absolute. Interfering with an official mission is an act of treason."
Kimo nodded to the officers. Two of them stepped forward. One grabbed Ren's mangled left arm, causing a scream of agony to erupt from Ren's throat. Ignoring the injury, the officer slammed Ren against the wall and clicked a pair of heavy, Vane-suppressing handcuffs onto his wrists.
"But Kimo-sir!" Adam shouted. "How did you know? We were careful!"
Ren, his face pressed against the cold wall, suddenly remembered something. A sharp, stinging sensation at the base of his skull. The device...
"I forgot," Ren whispered, his voice muffled. "The monitoring device... it was never just for my vitals, was it?"
"It's a live-feed transmitter, Ren," Kimo explained, his voice softening just a fraction. "Every move you make, every word you speak, is recorded and analyzed by the Academy's surveillance wing. You were never alone."
The police didn't stop with Ren. Two other officers grabbed Hana, who was still unconscious. They lifted her roughly by her arms.
"Wait! Leave her alone!" Ren struggled against the cuffs, but the Vane-suppressors made him feel like his blood had turned to lead. "She's sick! She needs a doctor!"
"She's going to a high-security holding facility, Ren," Kimo said. "And you're going to the Ministry of Justice."
The officers dragged Ren and Hana out of the house. Ren looked back one last time, seeing his home—the only place he felt safe—becoming smaller as they pushed him into the back of a black police transport. Adam stood at the doorway, his fists clenched, watching his friend being taken away.
Once the sirens faded into the distance, Adam turned to Kimo. "Sir, you could have stopped this! You're a Master! Why did you let them take him?"
Kimo sighed, looking older than his years. He pulled out a small tablet and played a video file. It was a live feed of the fight in the church.
"I wasn't the only one watching, Adam," Kimo said. "Miss Hima decided to pay the Academy a surprise visit today. She sat in the control room and watched the entire thing. She saw Ren threaten you. She saw him protect a cultist. She was the one who signed the arrest warrant before you even left the building."
Adam's breath hitched. "Miss Hima... but then, why am I not in handcuffs? I failed to kill the target. I let him interfere."
Kimo looked Adam in the eye. "Because I lied for you, Adam. I told her you were incapacitated by your injuries and that Ren used a high-level Vane burst to overwhelm you. I saved your skin. But Ren... he did this in front of a live camera. Not even I can save him from Hima's wrath."
Kimo turned toward the window, looking out at the dark horizon. "The High-Ups have been looking for an excuse to eliminate the Forsaken population. Ren just gave them the perfect reason on a silver platter."
Inside the cold, dark transport, Ren sat slumped against the metal wall, his bleeding arm throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat. He looked at Hana, who was strapped to a gurney across from him. He had saved her life, but he had lost his freedom. And as the vehicle sped toward the heart of the city, Ren realized that the real nightmare was only just beginning.