Kael's mind kept repeating the same words over and over: I couldn't save Luisa.
The aggressor pointed a gun at his forehead and growled:
"Where's Jorge, you piece of trash?"
Kael remained silent, his face marked by pain and guilt.
"So you're not gonna talk, you damn idiot?" the man spat, pressing the barrel harder against Kael's skin. "Don't you see the gun pointed at your head? I'm going to kill you!"
Another one of the attackers stepped in.
"Don't kill him yet. Let's take him to the boss."
"Tch... fine. Let's load up this bastard."
Kael didn't even react. One of the men him hard on the head with the butt of his gun. Kael collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Wasting no time, they lifted him between them and carried him straight to the waiting pickup truck. There, Ismael—their boss—approached with a deep frown.
"Hey! Why are you bringing me this idiot? Is he dead?" he asked, eyeing them with suspicion.
"No, boss. I just knocked him out," one of the thugs replied. "We thought he might be useful. Maybe he knows where Jorge is."
Ismael nodded.
"Good thinking. Throw him in the trunk."
Without another word, they tossed Kael's limp body into the truck and sped off toward the city.
---
The vehicle arrived at an impressive mansion guarded by armed men. Without stopping, they headed straight into the garage.
"Take that idiot out and bring him to the torture room. Tie him up tight," Ismael ordered.
The men obeyed immediately. They dragged Kael from the trunk, hauled him through the corridors, and tied his hands and feet securely to a metal chair inside a grim, dark room.
Once they were sure he was restrained, they left him alone.
Kael woke up shortly after, disoriented, his head throbbing painfully. He looked around, fear gripping his chest.
"Where... am I?" he whispered. "Shit... right... I got kidnapped. Damn it! What do I do now? I don't want to die!"
He struggled against the ropes, but they were far too tight.
"No! I'm screwed!" he gasped in a choked whisper. "All because I tried to help Luisa... and I couldn't save her..." Bitter tears streamed down his face.
The door slammed open. Ismael walked in, closing it behind him.
"I've done my research on you," he sneered. "A pathetic nobody from the stratum one... You're worthless." He approached slowly. "But what matters now is: where's Jorge?"
Kael swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. Finally, his trembling voice answered:
"Sir... I don't know any Jorge."
Fury lit up in Ismael's eyes.
"So you're not gonna talk, you piece of shit?!" he roared, slamming the chair Kael was tied to. "Jorge was my cousin, and now he's missing! Tell me where he is! Talk!"
"I swear! I don't know anything!" Kael pleaded, tears welling up. "Please don't hurt me!"
Ismael let out a dark laugh.
"So that's how it is... Jorge was with that bitch we killed. And you claim you don't know anything... Fine. Let's play a little game. The hammer game."
He grabbed a heavy hammer from a nearby table and approached Kael menacingly.
"Let's see how much you can endure," he murmured, chuckling.
"Please, sir! Forgive me if I did something wrong! Forgive me!" Kael begged, desperate.
Ismael raised the hammer, ready to smash Kael's leg, but at that moment, gunshots rang out from outside the mansion.
A man burst into the room, alarmed.
"Boss! We're under attack! They brought an army! We need to leave now!"
Cursing, Ismael threw the hammer to the ground and stormed out of the room without a backward glance, leaving Kael trembling alone in the dark.
---
A few minutes later, five armed men dressed in black entered the room.
"Look at this," one of them said, seeing Kael tied up. "They've got someone kidnapped. Free him!"
One of them rushed over and cut Kael's restraints. Kael collapsed, exhausted, but managed to get to his feet.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "Who are you?"
"We're from the Revolution," the man answered. "We're fighting against the corrupt government. And you? Who are you? Why were you here?"
"I'm Kael... I was just trying to help a woman... and I ended up here," he explained, still trembling.
"I see. Listen, kid: we can't stay here. That bastard Ismael escaped. If you were important to him, he'll come after you. You need to run. Now."
"Yes... yes, I'll leave. Thank you. Thank you so much," Kael said, bowing his head in gratitude.
Without wasting a second, he ran through the mansion, searching for a way out.
As he ran, his eyes caught sight of an improvised table with a gun, a dagger, and wads of cash. He hesitated for a moment.
I shouldn't take anything... but I need to defend myself. And I need money to get home, he told himself.
With determination, he grabbed the weapon, the knife, and the money, then took off running.
---
Outside the mansion, he found bodies scattered across the grounds and armed men patrolling the area. He froze for a second but quickly recognized the same uniforms worn by the revolutionaries who had rescued him.
He kept running without looking back.
Once he was far enough away, he stopped to catch his breath, overwhelmed with relief.
"Thank God... I'm alive..." he whispered, his heart still pounding. "I don't understand what's happening... Why does this shit always happen to me?"
He raised his hand by the side of the road. A taxi pulled over, and Kael jumped in.
"Please... take me to the town of High Sky," he said, his voice still shaking.
---
Upon reaching High Sky, Kael paid the taxi driver and walked home. He shut the door behind him, collapsed into a dining chair, and laid the gun, the knife, and the stolen money on the table.
He stared at them for a long while, overwhelmed with anxiety.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now...?" he muttered to himself. "Should I get rid of these weapons...? Damn it!"
Feeling more lost than ever, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart.
"Sara... I need you. Please come to my house..." he said, his voice breaking.
---
Meanwhile, Ismael—furious but unharmed—arrived at a remote estate on the outskirts of the city.
"The boss is here!" the guards shouted upon seeing him.
Ten armed men rushed to meet him.
"Welcome, boss."
Ismael glared at them, his face twisted with rage.
"Thanks... but I'm fucking pissed. I kidnapped some nobody from the stratum one, and suddenly I get attacked. I barely made it out alive!"
His expression hardened.
"Get all the weapons ready. We're going hunting..."
---