"But secondly you say, 'society must exact vengeance, and society must punish'. Wrong on both counts. Vengeance comes from the individual and punishment from God." - Victor Hugo (The Last Day of a Condemned Man)

* * * *

It was still early when the scent of brewing coffee drifted through the hallways of Aegis's boathouse—the beating heart of their underground resistance.

Pale morning light filtered through frost-tinted windows, casting slanted rays across the rough wooden floors. The previous night had been heavy, thick with silence after Hayder, Ethan, and Alexis's departure. What they asked—what Larissa asked, still weighed on everyone like a stone sinking in the gut.

Destroy the facility. Kill everyone inside.

The words had echoed long after the trio had left, lingering like smoke from a fire that hadn't quite died.

Sera had slept little. None of them had.

Most of Aegis were lost in thought even as they filtered into the ground level of the boathouse.

And then they saw him.

Zest.

Lounging on the couch like he owned the place, thumbing through a worn paperback book with disinterest. His raven-black hair had the faintest purple sheen in the daylight, like dusk shadows shifting under glass. Red eyes flickered lazily toward the hallway, not so much as startled—he had heard their footsteps long before they reached him.

He was calm. At ease. Like he belonged.

Raul, the first into the room, didn't even blink. "Zest…" he exhaled, not without a sardonic smirk. "I should have known. I'll ask you how you got in, but I don't think I want the answer."

Zest merely offered a shrug, slipping the book into the black duffel at his side. "Sera's message implied it was urgent. And with everything happening lately…" He tilted his head, his eyes drifting toward the stairs. "I thought it best to come quickly."

A soft scuff of boots against wood drew all their attention upward—Sera, standing at the top of the stairwell, hesitated for a heartbeat. Her mismatched eyes met Zest's. He didn't smile. Neither did she. But something passed between them—a silent understanding, the kind that didn't need words.

Then she came down.

Kailey exchanged a glance with Neil, her pearl-white eyes narrowing. "So that's him," she whispered. "Blade's second-in-command."

Neil's expression was unreadable, but his muttered reply was dry, "Damn. I've heard the rumours, but he got some intense aura."

Zest broke the tension first, straightening slightly as he turned to face them all properly. "So," he said, his voice smooth and measured, "what's going on?"

The weight of the question lingered in the air.

Sera took the lead, folding her arms. "We got a request yesterday. From Larissa, through Hayder."

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Zest raised a brow. "The Premier herself?"

"That's right," Raul said, stepping forward. "There's a facility. Northern region. Veridale. An unsanctioned experimental site. The hunters are using it to experiment on the Gifted."

Zest's gaze darkened, but he said nothing as Claudia spoke next, her voice clipped. "The Premier wants us to eliminate it. Destroy the place. And kill everyone involved."

There was a silence then, heavy and suffocating.

Lucie sat down slowly on the nearby bench, her fingers curled into her lap. "They've been kidnapping the Gifted," she said quietly. "For years. This might be where they've taken them. Where they've been doing…things. And let's be real. Chances are low that we would even find them alive."

"They don't even see us as people," Ness added, his jaw clenched. "They never did."

"You think you've seen horror," Claudia murmured. "But every time, the hunters raise the bar."

Zest remained still through it all, listening. "The Veridale facility…" He finally said, low and thoughtful. "I was looking into it myself." His eyes found Sera's again. "I've been trying to track Jamie. No luck. But one of my contacts said someone fitting his profile was seen around the Veridale region. That's when I found the facility. Hidden. Remote. Deep in the forests. Disguised as a factory."

Sera tensed. "Jamie, huh?"

"Whether he's alive or not isn't the priority," Zest added with a short nod. "It's the facility."

"You were tracking Jamie?" Raul asked, his arms folded, frowning. "He's still alive, then? Why were you tracking him?"

Zest's expression hardened. "For my own reasons. But if it's really him, then this is bigger than any of us thought."

He didn't elaborate, and for a second, it looked like he wouldn't. But then Raul said quietly, "You're here to help us, right?"

Zest turned toward him, his red eyes narrowing slightly. "Of course. You're not doing this without me."

"We could use your help," Raul admitted.

"Sharp eyes, sharp tongue," Neil muttered from the back, arms folded. "No wonder they called him the Black Demon."

"With a moniker like that," Kailey said, half to herself, "and a rep almost as bad as Sera's, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Blade's second-in-command."

Zest ignored them both, instead reaching for his bag and pulling out a thin black folder. He set it on the table, flipping it open. "I scouted the area last week," he began. "Veridale's one of the few places in northern Eldario that's been left untouched by urban development. They say it's because of environmental preservation." His voice was cold now. Sharp. "But the truth? It's a front. A very convincing one."

A grim murmur rolled through the group as they gathered around the table. Zest laid out hand-sketched maps and surveillance photos—grainy, but detailed.

"Disguised as a factory. High-voltage perimeter fencing. Camouflaged patrol routes. A few run-down structures up top, made to look abandoned. Rotting architecture, rusted supports, moss crawling over the walls—just enough decay to make people keep walking. But that's the illusion."

He tapped one photo, outlining a hidden entrance half-obscured by thick underbrush.

"The real facility is underground. A sprawling complex beneath the forest floor. Multiple levels—maybe five or six, but I couldn't confirm. Labs. Surgical wings. Testing chambers. Holding cells. Whatever they're doing down there, it's not just data collection. It's butchery."

Silence followed his words like thunder after a lightning strike.

"Even I don't know what is exactly going on in there, but considering there are experimentations, I will suggest you get yourselves mentally prepared," Zest warned. "It's not going to be pretty. I saw bodies being carried out and burned. Not even in bags. Just…dumped into pits. Most likely failed experiments. They burn the evidence."

Lucie turned away, a hand to her mouth. Claudia's eyes were dark with fury. Ness looked murderous. Kailey sat down, visibly shaken. "How… How many?"

Zest didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"Three days," Sera said finally. "We'll hit it in three days. We're still gathering supplies and intel."

"You should stop by Zalfari," Zest suggested. "Leroy might know more. He's still the guardian of Zalfari. That place is the surface hub of the underground. If there's info, it'll be there."

Tatius stood, brushing his fingers through his hair. "I'll set the helm. Route to Zalfari it is."

But Zest wasn't finished. He looked at Sera again, and something deeper flickered in his gaze. "There's another reason I looked into Veridale. And it isn't just because of Jamie."

Sera narrowed her eyes. "Go on."

"You remember asking me and Leroy to track Karl about a year ago?"

Sera froze. Everyone noticed.

"I found something," Zest said. "Or someone who thinks they saw him. I think Karl's looking into the facility too."

"Who's Karl?" Letha asked, breaking the silence.

Sera's voice was quiet. "The man who raised me. My dad's old friend. His mentor. Taught me everything I know. He's some kind of informant in the underground, so he tends to disappear a lot."

"He also trained most of Blade," Zest added. "Unofficial member. But as much a part of us as anyone."

"He tends to vanish for long stretches," Sera murmured. "Last I saw him, he said he was going to dig into the hunters. Then nothing. Not a word."

"Well," Zest said, his tone now grim, "if he's poking around Veridale… Then we may be walking into something worse than just another lab."

Raul crossed his arms. "We thought this was bad already. But if Jamie's involved… And now Karl…"

"Then this might be worse than we thought," Claudia said, her voice cold as steel.

"And Nicolosi's depravity knows no limits," Laura whispered, bitter. "He'd kill children if it gave him power."

"He already has," Kailey said, her voice cracking. "We all saw what is happening in Eldario right now."

They fell quiet again, the air thick with grim purpose.

Zest looked around the room, the flicker of emotion crossing his eyes for a moment as he studied each of them—these warriors, these survivors. His gaze returned to Sera.

"You're not alone in this," he said.

Sera nodded. "None of us are."

And with that, Tatius disappeared into the control room to helm the navigation system. The plan was in motion.

Veridale awaited.

And so did the horrors buried beneath its forest floor.

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