In one of the abandoned factories of BAYADNA PORT…
where the industrial past meets today's silence,
The place resembled a graveyard for machines.
Darkness wrapped every corner,
coldness seeped into the bones as if trying to freeze hope itself.
The smell of rust and humidity filled the air—
a foul mixture reminding one of everything long forgotten.
In the distance, the sound of waves crashed against far-off docks,
like the fading breaths of a dying sea.
Under a single flickering bulb…
dangling from a decayed ceiling,
casting a dim circle of light in the gloom,
SHOUTNA sat tied to a metal chair.
His hands bound behind him,
Yet his eyes carried a spark that refused to die.
The sound of deliberate footsteps echoed…
intertwined with water droplets falling from above,
each drop ticking like the hand of a clock
counting down to silence.
Each drop reminded SHOUTNA that time was running out.
The JOKER approached slowly,
his shadow dancing across cracked walls.
TAK… TAK… TAK.
He leaned toward SHOUTNA, as if whispering a secret:
"You know… people always think pain comes all at once."
He lifted a finger.
TAK… TAK… TAK.
"But the truth is… pain loves quiet.
It loves to visit slowly… like a polite guest."
SHOUTNA raised his head, eyes steady:
"Seems like you're enjoying this role a little too much."
The Joker chuckled—not hysterically,
but with a disturbingly warm amusement.
"Role? No, no, no.
I'm not acting.
Everyone else is wearing masks.
I'm just… removing them."
He circled the chair slowly,
letting his fingers dance across the chains as if playing an instrument.
"But you, SHOUTNA…
The great wolf…
who bites in silence…
I admit—
I was quite excited to finally meet you."
He leaned so close SHOUTNA could feel his breath.
"Do you know why?"
TAK…TAK… TAK.
"Because you… unlike the others…
understand that the world doesn't need a reason to burn."
SHOUTNA smiled—
a cold, chilling curve of the lips.
"So, you don't work for the organisation.
You work to watch the world burn."
The Joker tilted his head,
his eyes widening like an overjoyed child seeing his favourite toy:
"Exactly!
You make it sound poetic… and I adore poetry."
Then suddenly, his tone shifted—
calm… deadly:
A muffled laugh swelled in his chest.
"You know, my dear… the beauty of chaos is that it requires no plan.
It spreads like fire…
burning everything… without discrimination."
He spread his arms.
"That's what makes me the most dangerous person you'll ever face."
A manic laugh erupted—
vibrating through the damp air.
"It seems your gamble failed this time, big bad wolf!"
SHOTNA stared at him…
then smiled slowly—a smile with a thousand meanings.
"Ha… ha… ha…
You truly are amusing.
I'll enjoy cutting you into pieces…
But right now, there's someone who wants to meet you."
The JOKER retreated into the darkness.
New footsteps echoed…
heavier… deeper… stronger.
From the shadows, another man emerged,
his silhouette swallowing what little light existed.
SHOUTNA lifted his head, eyes locking with the newcomer.
"I knew you were behind all this," SHOUTNA whispered.
At that moment…
a drop of water fell onto SHOUTNA's forehead—
like a final tear before the storm.
************
Meanwhile — On the Road Leaving TZARIA
The night still blanketed TZARIA with its heavy cloak,
but the road to the airport glowed under the tired breaths of the truck's engines.
Everyone's faces were stiff—
not from fear,
but from that silent layer of exhaustion words cannot capture.
MOHITO sat in the front seat, eyes half-lidded,
but inside them… a storm raged.
SOLIMON sat beside him,
his face still carrying traces of anger—
but also something else: worry.
SAMA sat among THE HOUNDS
watching them quietly,
as if trying to memorise each of their faces.
The tyres hummed along the mountain roads leading to the airport,
and the silence was the kind that comes right before takeoff into the unknown.
OBASU finally broke the silence,
in a tone he tried to make neutral:
"Once we arrive… everything will move fast.
No stopping. No thinking. We do what must be done and leave."
CLAY exhaled loudly with a grin:
"I still can't believe we're getting on a private jet.
Thought that kind of luxury was reserved for company CEOs who do absolutely nothing."
A small laugh rippled—brief,
but enough to add a little air to their lungs.
SOLIMON quietly added:
"True luxury…
is returning with all of us alive."
The words made everyone glance at MOHITO…
But he said nothing.
He only raised his eyes toward the black sky.
*************
At the Airport
The gates were nearly empty.
The guards lifted their guns as the convoy approached—
But the moment OBASO uttered the phrase:
"From MAYNO's side."
—everything changed.
Weapons lowered.
Tension vanished.
The path cleared.
One guard even bowed slightly:
"We have been expecting you. The aircraft is ready."
The walkway to the plane was dimly lit with yellow lights,
and the cold wind slapped their faces as if warning:
Time is running out.
The aircraft was white, simple on the outside—
But once the doors opened,
they found luxurious seats and a silence like the silence of a tomb—
no voices… no hesitation.
SAMA froze before boarding,
touching the metal frame of the door
as if confirming she wasn't dreaming.
Before boarding, SOLIMON turned to MOHITO:
"Before we face what awaits us…
We need to set our conflict aside."
MOHITO finally lifted his gaze:
"It wasn't a conflict.
It was a decision."
A long, heavy look passed between them.
No winner.
No loser.
Only an unspoken agreement to continue.
SOLIMON inhaled deeply:
"Very well… then let this be our journey."
He stepped inside.
Seatbelts clicked.
Doors shut.
The automated announcement echoed:
"Prepare for takeoff."
OBASO smiled as he tightened his belt:
"To BAYADNA PORT…
Let's bring the wolves home."
SAMA looked out the window,
watching TZARYA disappear beneath them.
MOHITO held the hilt of his sword—
not tightly...
As if confirming he was still there.
The world below shrank.
The sky ahead expanded.
The journey had begun.
But the real battle…
…had not yet started.