Jinn lingered in silence, still trapped in the fading embers of that fragile moment—where dream and memory had twisted into cruel reality.
His breathing was quiet now, his mind reeling, caught between the warmth of what once was and the cold weight of what now is.
But as much as he wanted to cling to the dream, to the illusion of Nevi's smile and the laughter of his friends, a cold and bitter realization began to settle over him.
If he were to allow himself to remain shackled to the past, if he continued to chase after what was already lost, then all that would remain in him would be sorrow—grief that would never fade, and pain that would never heal.
No—
he couldn't afford to do that.
With slow but deliberate movement, Jinn raised his head.
His arms slowly uncurled from around his legs.
He wiped the tears trailing down his cheeks, his eye narrowing—not in grief, but in newfound determination.
The trembling in his chest was still there, but now something stronger had taken root—a fire.
That fire sparked from a single, defiant thought that echoed clearly through his heart:
I must stay strong—for Nevi... and for my friends.
That thought consumed him, spreading like wildfire throughout his soul, until the grief and helplessness that once filled his chest had been replaced with resolve.
He could feel the sorrow burning away, scorched by the heat of conviction.
The pain was still there, but it no longer weighed him down.
Now, it was a reminder.
A reason to move forward.
Amaron, who had been silently observing him, noticed the change in Jinn's posture—the way the boy was no longer curled in on himself, the subtle tension in his muscles as if preparing for something.
He stepped forward, mechanical joints clicking softly, and spoke.
"The operation is complete," he said simply, before stepping back to give Jinn space.
"It might look shabby, but the arm should work just fine."
Jinn's eye shifted to look at the synthetic limb attached to his shoulder.
It was rough—patched together with visible seams, dents scarring the outer casing, small cracks near the mainframe that hadn't been smoothed out.
It looked like it had seen battle before even being attached.
Still, he raised it slowly,
*clack! *click! *whirrr!
rotating the arm in its socket, twisting the wrist, testing each joint.
The weight was heavier than his previous arm—far less fluid—but the mechanics responded as if they were an extension of his own will.
He clenched his fingers into a fist.
It wasn't perfect—but it worked.
"Not bad," Jinn muttered under his breath.
"Ah! I almost forgot!" Amaron said with a spark of excitement, reaching behind him and extending his mechanical hand.
Resting on his palm was a black eye patch.
Jinn raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"What's that for?" he asked, confused.
As far as he could tell, both of his eyes were intact.
He had already checked.
Amaron leaned in close, his voice lowering into a synthetic whisper.
"Wear this all the time, Jinn. Only remove it when you really, really need to use your other eye."
He placed the patch into Jinn's hand carefully.
Jinn blinked, still puzzled.
He knew Amaron wasn't ordinary, and he wasn't exactly someone Jinn fully trusted—but among the people he'd met so far aboard this vessel, Amaron was the only one who had shown even a hint of genuine concern.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him.
"Why would I need to hide my eye?" he asked plainly.
Amaron glanced over his shoulder, checking the room, then leaned even closer, almost whispering into Jinn's ear.
"Because… it's not your original eye anymore," he said quietly.
"I didn't just heal it—I replaced it."
Jinn's eyes widened. "Replaced…?"
Amaron gave a quick nod.
"Military-grade tech lens. Highly illegal for someone in your position to have. If Venedix or any of the Empire's enforcers finds out I installed that on you, I'll be scrapped."
Jinn looked down at the patch in his hand, then back at Amaron.
"If you knew the risks… why'd you do it?"
Amaron tilted his head, the lights on his mechanical skull flickering.
"Honestly? I don't know," he said, shrugging.
"Maybe… I just wanted to see what would happen."
"You're a strange one."
Jinn sighed and pulled the patch over his head,
*tap!
adjusting the straps until it rested comfortably over his eye.
The fit was snug.
Secure.
"Well," Amaron said with a mechanical voice, giving Jinn a thumbs up.
"You're all patched up and looking good. Try walking around a bit."
Jinn hopped off the operation table,
*thud!
landing on his feet with a small grunt.
He took a few tentative steps, then jogged in a short circle, flexing his knees and stretching his muscles.
His body still ached in places, but overall, he felt functional.
"Where are the other medics?" he asked between steps.
"They left once the procedure was done," Amaron replied casually.
"I stayed behind just in case you had a meltdown—or a malfunction."
He checked the datapad fused into his arm, its interface glowing faintly.
"You'd better get ready, Jinn. We're almost at the system of Zera."
Jinn paused mid-step.
The name hit him like a hammer to the chest.
Zera—the seat of power for the Empire of Zerafhon.
And within it, the planet Juggernot, the blackened heart where their most ruthless operations were held.
He'd heard about it from Vox's endless lectures and ramblings.
And now, he was headed there—not as a visitor, but as a slave.
Amaron's tone grew serious.
"Just a few more moments, and we'll arrive on Juggernot."
Jinn clenched his fists. His gaze darkened.
"I'll go meet up with my friends," he said quietly.
"Yeah. You'll want to stick close to them from now on," Amaron said as he placed a firm hand on Jinn's shoulder.
"No telling what's gonna happen next."
Jinn started toward the exit but paused at the doorway.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to look at Amaron from over his shoulder.
"For a robot, you're not too bad," Jinn said, nodding once.
"Thanks."
Amaron raised his mechanical fist and held it up in a small gesture of solidarity, steam hissing from the seams.
"Show them who you are, Jinn."
Jinn stepped out into the hallway, only to be greeted by a soldier standing rigidly in the corner.
"I've been ordered to escort you to the slave quarters," the soldier said, voice sharp and impersonal.
He turned and began walking.
"Follow me."
Jinn obeyed, saying nothing.
Their footsteps echoed against the sterile, polished floors.
As they moved deeper through the ship's corridor, Jinn began to notice a procession up ahead—an entourage of soldiers and officials, all dressed in layers of intricate cloth.
In their center walked a girl—strikingly young, her skin pale as marble, her hair jet black and cascading down her back like flowing ink.
Her eyes shimmered like opals, mysterious and strange.
Jinn's gaze lingered on her, curious.
Then her eyes met his.
He turned his gaze away immediately, pretending to study the floor.
But it was too late.
The girl changed course.
A commanding presence radiated from her like cold wind before a storm.
"Soldier," she said, her tone sharp as glass, "why is a Rinari filth walking freely on the upper levels of this vessel?"
Before the soldier could answer, the pressure in the room intensified.
A force invisible yet crushing bore down upon him, making him drop to one knee.
*thud!
"I never expected…" the girl circled Jinn slowly, her eyes studying him like a predator would prey.
"To see another child like me on this ship."
Jinn glared back.
"I'm sure there are thousands of children like me in chains. You must be mistaken."
The soldier choked out a reply.
"M-My lady! I was ordered by Lady Venedix herself to escort him!"
At the mention of the name, the girl's eyes narrowed.
Her posture changed subtly, but the pressure faded.
"Venedix herself…?" she whispered.
"Hmph. You may go."
The soldier quickly stood and yanked Jinn's arm, dragging him away.
The girl's eyes followed him as he disappeared around the corner.
"Interesting… a boy with the same aura as Venedix?"
Her pupils shimmered faintly as she watched his energy trail linger in the air.
===
The hallway stretched endlessly as Jinn followed the soldier in silence, the faint hum of the ship's engines reverberating through the walls.
His thoughts were still clouded with the strange encounter he'd just had with that girl.
Her presence had been unsettling—cold, commanding, and filled with a strange energy that reminded him of Venedix.
Whoever she was, Jinn knew instinctively that she was someone dangerous, someone who could crush him without effort if she chose to.
But why had she let him go?
Why did she compare him to herself?
Those questions swirled in his mind like a storm as he tried to focus on the reality of what lay ahead.
Eventually, the two reached a large elevator door.
The soldier stepped inside without a word, his boots clanking against the metal floor.
Jinn followed cautiously, eyeing the interior of the elevator.
To the right was a panel filled with rows of glowing buttons, each marked with different levels of the dreadnought.
*click!
The soldier pressed the button at the very bottom of the panel, his armored finger clicking against the surface.
The elevator groaned and then began its descent, humming steadily as they moved downward.
Jinn could feel the drop in his stomach as the platform carried them lower and lower through the massive ship.
He glanced briefly at the soldier but quickly looked away.
Asking questions now would get him nothing but trouble.
Minutes passed in silence before the elevator jerked slightly and came to a stop with a dull thud.
The metallic doors slid open with a
*hiss!
revealing a dimly lit corridor.
The air here felt heavier, almost suffocating.
The soldier gave Jinn a sharp look.
"We have arrived, slave," the soldier said with disdain.
He placed a firm hand on Jinn's back and shoved him forward, causing him to stumble out of the elevator.
*thud!
Jinn landed roughly on the cold metal floor, the sound echoing through the hallway.
"Asshole," Jinn muttered under his breath, brushing himself off as he stood.
But when he looked back, the elevator doors had already closed, and the soldier was gone, leaving him alone in the oppressive silence.
"You good, kid?" a voice suddenly called out, startling Jinn.
He spun around to see a crowd of people in ragged clothing watching him from the shadows.
Their faces were gaunt, their eyes hollow.
These were the slaves—broken souls from various races, each bearing the same expression of hopelessness and defeat.
The air here reeked of despair.
Jinn's gaze swept over them.
He spotted beings with unfamiliar skin colors, strange horns, and markings—non-Rinari races.
Each of them had the same look, a look that screamed that they had been living in this hell for far too long.
Jinn clenched his fists.
This was the reality of war, the reality Venedix had hammered into him—the strong ruled, and the weak were devoured.
But among the hollow faces, movement caught his eye.
Six familiar figures were pushing through the crowd, their small frames moving with urgency.
Relief washed over Jinn's heart at the sight of them.
"Jinn!" Kain's voice cracked with emotion as he rushed forward, almost tripping in his haste.
He stopped in front of Jinn, his wide eyes scanning him from head to toe.
"Your arm…"
Vox was next, his glasses reflecting the dim light as he practically grabbed Jinn's synthetic limb.
"I can't believe it," Vox muttered, voice trembling with fascination.
"This is… this is a NeuroLink synthetic arm! Do you know how advanced this is?"
His voice was half in awe, half in disbelief.
"Glad they managed to heal you, Jinn," Orin added as she crossed her arms, but her eyes softened when they met his.
Then her gaze lingered on the black eye patch strapped to his face.
"Bummer they couldn't save your other eye," she said with a faint frown.
Jinn's lips tightened.
He didn't respond.
Some things, he thought, were better left unsaid.
Even his friends couldn't know about the secret of the eye, at least not now.
He looked at Kain for a moment, knowing his tendency to blurt out things without thinking.
No, it had to remain hidden.
"We're close to Juggernot," Jinn finally said, his voice low but firm.
His single eye narrowed with a sharp glint.
"Prepare yourselves."
Vox's head snapped toward him. "Juggernot…"
The word seemed to drain the color from his face.
He swallowed hard, his heart pounding audibly.
"So… it's time."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
A heavy silence settled over them.
Orin's jaw tightened, while Hector gave a small nod, his face calm but unreadable.
Ophelia bit her lip, worry in her eyes, and Kain looked like he was about to cry.
They were all feeling it—the weight of what was coming.
Trying to break the tension, Kain forced a smile and tugged on Jinn's arm.
"Come on, Jinn! I want you to meet—"
*Bang!
A thunderous clang echoed through the chamber, cutting Kain off.
Everyone's heads turned sharply toward the source of the sound.
The elevator they had come from had returned, its doors hissing open once more.
From it marched a group of heavily armed soldiers,
*thud! *thud! *thud!
their boots pounding the ground in unison.
At the center of the group was a man clad in ornate armor, his uniform trimmed with gold—a high-ranking officer.
"Prepare yourselves, slaves!" the officer barked, his voice echoing with authority.
He raised one hand, gesturing sharply.
"Round them up!"
The soldiers obeyed instantly, fanning out into the chamber.
*rattle!
Chains rattled as they pulled out shackles, moving toward the crowd of slaves like predators circling prey. Panic erupted.
Some slaves screamed, others tried to resist, but resistance was met with brutal force.
Rifle butts slammed into ribs, boots kicked down anyone foolish enough to fight.
The sound of chaos filled the room.
Jinn clenched his fists.
His chest rose and fell as he watched the scene unfold.
He knew this was just the beginning of something much worse.
"So it begins…" he muttered under his breath, his single eye gleaming with both defiance and resolve.