The air in the underground interrogation chamber was thick with tension. Kaizen stood motionless before the restrained form of General Krovar. The once-mighty Bist warlord now knelt willingly, his gaze unflinching as he stared into Kaizen's confused eyes.
"Why... why did you kneel?" Kaizen's voice cracked slightly, his rage and uncertainty bleeding through.
Krovar let out a slow breath, as if measuring the weight of his next words. "Because you are not just human... nor are you fully Bist. You are the last creation of the Veinborn Protocol—a project that was abandoned after it proved too dangerous."
Kaizen's fists clenched. The words hit harder than any blow he had ever taken in battle. "You're lying."
"I wish I were," Krovar replied. "But your bloodline is not a curse. It's a crown."
The chamber fell silent. Squad Umbra, watching from the observation platform, exchanged worried glances. Lieutenant Saika's hand hovered near her weapon. Even Dregan, the squad's most stoic member, looked unnerved.
Kaizen turned away, retreating to the shadows of the chamber. His breath was heavy, his thoughts spiraling.
—
Meanwhile, Ayaka sat in isolation, a small cell bathed in cold light. Her thoughts were with Kaizen. When the door opened, she expected a warden, but instead, she found Commander Ren.
"You still trust him, don't you? Even after everything?"
Ayaka stood. "No matter what his blood says, I know Kaizen. And I'll fight anyone who tries to control him."
Ren stared for a long moment, then nodded. "Then be ready. The tides are turning."
—
Back at HQ's central tower, alarms rang. A colossal sigil made of searing red flame burst into the sky above the city. From the smoke, two monstrous figures descended—clad in obsidian armor, their presence choking the very air.
They landed outside the HQ gates.
One of them, taller than any Bist ever seen, declared in a booming voice: "We come not for war... but for our King."
Inside, chaos erupted. Council members shouted, soldiers mobilized, and yet Kaizen stood still, the words echoing in his skull.
"Our... King?"
Squad Umbra rushed to the scene. Dregan looked at Kaizen. "Tell us what to do, Commander."
Kaizen looked up, fire dancing in his irises. For a moment, he was silent.
Then he whispered, "We meet them. I need to know the truth."
—
As Kaizen stepped out under the bloodlit sky, the two Bist generals knelt. The larger one looked up and spoke with reverence.
"You were made not to destroy us... but to lead us. Your throne awaits."
To be continued...