Chapter 6 –
The highway stretched endlessly in front of us, surrounded by destroyed buildings that looked as if something massive had fallen from the sky and crushed everything in its path. The entire area felt lifeless, and the silence only made it worse.
Inside the armored vehicle, Scander sat restrained, his hands tied behind his back and his legs secured tightly so he could not move. We had also covered his eyes, but we left his mouth free since we needed answers from him.
Louise leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on him as she spoke in a calm but firm tone. "Scander, let's not waste time. What are you doing here in Korea?"
He did not answer. He stayed completely still, as if ignoring the question entirely.
I watched him for a moment and then let out a quiet breath. 'Still acting tough even now, huh.' Without saying anything else, I turned to Louise and asked her to hand me his wallet. She picked it up from the pile of his belongings and passed it to me.
I opened it slowly and checked what was inside. There were cards, some cash, and identification, but what caught my attention was something else. I leaned closer to Scander and spoke near his ear, keeping my voice low.
"You have a family," I said quietly, watching his reaction.
His body stiffened almost immediately.
"And it looks like they're in New York, United States," I continued, flipping through the contents as if it did not matter. "That's a nice place."
"Stop," he said suddenly, his voice tense. After a brief pause, he added, "…Fine. I'll talk. Just don't touch my family."
I leaned back and gave a small nod. "Good choice."
Louise crossed her arms as she looked at him. "Then answer properly. Why are you here in Korea, and what's your mission?"
Scander let out a slow breath, as if giving up whatever resistance he had left. "First, I'm retired," he began. "I was living peacefully in the United States with my family. I had already left everything behind."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "But one day, the organization came. The Hunters."
My expression tightened slightly as I listened.
"They were led by one of the Rulers, rank six," he said. "I didn't know him personally. He was young, around your age."
"And?" Louise asked.
"They threatened my family," he replied, his voice turning heavier. "They told me to return. If I refused, they would kill them in front of me. I didn't have a choice, so I agreed."
A brief silence followed his words. I could feel my hands clenching slightly without realizing it. 'So even someone like him was forced back.'
"And Korea?" Louise asked again.
Scander turned his head slightly in my direction, even though he could not see me. "They sent me here to find someone," he said.
"…Who?" I asked.
"…Tyron Lee."
For a moment, I thought I misheard him. 'Me?'
"They said someone wanted to meet you," he continued. "Your childhood friend."
I frowned immediately. "That doesn't make sense. I did have one, but this… this doesn't add up."
"I'm only telling you what they told me," he said calmly.
My mind began racing, trying to connect pieces that did not fit. 'A childhood friend… who would go this far just to find me?'
Louise continued questioning him. "What happened after that?"
"They took me to their base in Moscow, Russia," Scander answered. "They returned my equipment and assigned me back into the Hunters. I saw the current members there, and they were all young, just like you."
That made me uneasy. 'So the next generation has already taken over.'
"They transported us here by helicopter," he continued. "The mission was simple. Capture Tyron Lee and bring him back."
Silence filled the vehicle again.
"And your family?" I asked.
"They're still in the United States," he replied. "Hidden underground beneath my house. Two Hunters are guarding them at all times."
I nodded slowly, taking note of everything.
Then he suddenly spoke again. "Tyron… how is your father?"
I frowned. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't even know where he is."
Scander let out a faint chuckle. "You'll meet him one day," he said. "He's strong. Stronger than me."
I let out a small laugh, though it did not fully feel like a joke. "That's hard to believe."
Before anything else could be said, Jones called out from the front. "We're almost there. Get ready."
I looked out the window and saw the familiar surroundings ahead.
"We're here," I said quietly.
When we arrived in Busan, we stepped out of the armored vehicle one by one. The atmosphere felt different from before, safer but still tense. The rest of our team quickly approached us, their expressions filled with relief and curiosity.
I walked over to Scander and removed the cloth covering his eyes. He blinked a few times before looking around the camp, taking in everything.
"So this is your base," he muttered.
I nodded. "This is where we live. We call ourselves the Dominator. We are the ones who oppose the Hunters."
As soon as he stepped forward, several of my teammates instinctively raised their weapons and pointed them at him.
"It's really him…" one of them said.
"One of the Rulers…"
I raised my voice immediately. "Lower your weapons."
They hesitated for a moment.
"I said lower them," I repeated, this time with a colder tone.
Slowly, they obeyed.
I turned back to Scander. "Untie his legs. Let him walk."
The restraints on his legs were removed, and he adjusted his stance carefully before following us.
We led him through the camp, heading toward one of the private buildings.
'Now that we have him, this is our chance to learn everything about the Hunters.'
Louise walked beside me and asked, "We're taking him to interrogation?"
"Yeah," I replied, then handed her a folded piece of paper. "I wrote something earlier. Read it inside."
She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"You'll see."
She tried to open it, but I stopped her.
"Not now. Inside the room."
She sighed but agreed. "Fine."
We reached the door, and Louise led Scander inside while I stayed just outside for a moment.
'This is enough for now.'
'We finally have someone who knows everything.'
'Now we just need to get it out of him.'
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes briefly, letting out a quiet breath.
"I'll rest for a bit," I muttered.
Inside that room, the real interrogation was about to begin, and whatever Scander revealed next could change everything.