...The sound of the helicopter faded into the distance as we arrived at one of Vassago's hidden bunkers. My body lay sprawled on a metal table, with temporary bandages wrapped around my shoulder and ribs. The pain came in waves, but my eyes never fully closed. My body was broken, but my mind remained fixated on that man's face—Warden.
"He's no ordinary right-hand man," I muttered to myself. "He's a killing machine."
Vassago sat a few feet away, uncapping a bottle of antiseptic and pouring it directly onto my wounds without mercy.
"I told you, Exsanguine. This world has no place for half-measures," he said quietly. "But if you're going after him, I'm coming too. I trust The Emperor even less than I trust the devil."
I didn't answer. My breathing was still heavy. And truth be told… I felt defeated. For the first time since my return, I felt truly defeated.
But before the silence could sink too deeply into pain and hollow resolve, the bunker door creaked open.
A pair of black boots stepped inside. Silver hair shimmered under the dim light. Maeve stood there, pausing for a moment as she looked at us both—like a teacher catching two reckless children playing with fire.
"I know you're stubborn, but I thought you still knew how to read a situation."
I lifted my gaze slowly. "I can't wait."
"And you nearly died," Maeve snapped. "Exsanguine, this is too soon. Don't let vengeance guide your steps. The Emperor isn't an enemy you can face with a puffed-up chest and open wounds."
I pushed myself halfway up, gritting against the pain.
"I've lost everything, Maeve."
She didn't blink. "Not yet. You're still alive. And that's all it takes to lose if you act without thinking."
A heavy silence lingered between us.
"Plans have to be more than just rage. If not…" her gaze sharpened, "…you'll become just another forgotten name swallowed by the shadows. And no one will remember why you fought."
She turned, about to leave.
But before the door shut behind her, she glanced back one last time and left me with her final words of the night:
"Think it through, Exsanguine. Don't let your pride ruin our last chance."
And the door closed.
Leaving only me, Vassago, and the pain that had started to feel like a part of who I was.