CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: WHEN THE CHAINS FALL… AND THE PACK RETURNS
The darkness inside the shipping container was thick and suffocating—
a void that swallowed shapes and hid the world,
but could not hide the stench of dried blood pooling on the metal floor.
At the heart of this nightmarish scene stood THE JOKER, motionless as a statue,
wiping his blade—still wet with the blood of former guards—
with slow, mechanical motions.
TAK… TAK… TAK…
His deliberate footsteps echoed through the tight space,
until he stopped before a rusted cargo container.
He unlocked it slowly.
A thin beam of pale light spilled inside…
revealing:
ZARIOUH, AYOUB, TAHARA, and MIZIANI
bound with heavy iron shackles,
faces pale, bodies exhausted—
But their eyes still burned with the will to live.
TAK… TAK… TAK…
THE JOKER stepped closer, then tossed the shackle keys at ZIRIOUH's feet,
wearing that unsettling smile—
the one that held no real emotion.
"What kind of trick is this?"
ZARIOUH hissed, head tilted with suspicion,
eyes flicking between the keys and THE JOKER.
"Every game needs a little… excitement."
THE JOKER chuckled softly,
retreating into the darkness.
"Good luck… if you believe in such things."
Before disappearing entirely,
He added in a mocking whisper:
"Those sounds you hear…
aren't in your favor."
MIZIANI moved instantly,
lightning fast—
"No time for doubt!
The sounds are getting closer.
The others out there need us now!"
ZARIOUH snatched the keys—hesitation lasting only a breath—
before unlocking his chains.
His eyes remained fixed on the shadows where THE JOKER vanished,
as if expecting another trap.
Their battle for freedom had begun—
But the bigger question gnawed at their minds:
Why did he release them?
What new game was THE JOKER playing?
***********
Behind the cracked walls of the factory,
the distant roar of battle from the port rumbled like a storm,
competing with dampness and darkness to fill the void.
KLAUS stepped forward one last time—
SHOUTNA is still bound to his iron chair.
The cold muzzle of his gun pressed against SHOUTNA's forehead.
"…Do you really think all your elaborate schemes will save you now?"
KLAUS shook his head,
his tone a twisted mix of anger and pity.
SHOUTNA didn't blink.
His gaze pierced straight through the barrel.
But before KLAUS could pull the trigger—
A firm voice sliced through the air:
"Drop the weapon! NOW!"
There, standing in the dim entrance—
MAYNO.
Gun raised.
Arms steady.
But the moment he saw the face of the man he aimed at…
His expression faltered.
"…Commander… KLAUS?"
MAYNO whispered—
a flicker of hope in his voice that this was some illusion.
KLAUS turned slowly,
a calm smile curling on his lips.
"MAYNO.
Perfect timing.
This man is an enemy of the kingdom.
Lower your weapon and arrest him."
MAYNO looked at SHOUTNA, still chained,
Then back at KLAUS.
And he saw it—
The truth is
buried in his leader's eyes.
"…I'm sorry, sir.
But I don't believe that."
KLAUS sighed—
long, disappointed, arrogant.
"Very well…
I'll consider this a draw. SHOUTNA"
In a blink,
he pressed a hidden switch beneath his cloak.
A section of the ceiling exploded,
wood, metal, and stone crashing down.
Amid the chaos of dust and falling debris,
KLAUS vanished.
MAYNO clawed his way out of the rubble,
ignoring the dirt coating his clothes,
and rushed to SHOUTNA.
"SHOUTNA! Are you all right?"
SHOUTNA lifted his head slowly—
eyes glinting with that familiar spark.
"Your timing… was perfect.
As expected from you."
**************
At the port, smoke blanketed the sky.
Screams.
Explosions.
The metallic stench of burning steel.
CLAY yelled from atop a container:
"More soldiers coming in waves!"
SOLIMON wiped blood from his blade.
"We don't have time…"
Then—
Heavy steps shook the floor.
Everyone turned simultaneously.
Through the smoke…
Four silhouettes emerged.
Not running.
Advancing.
First: ZARIOUH
faces a blend of rage and triumph,
wielding his twin daggers.
"I heard you started the party without me."
Behind him:
AYOUB's
sleeves were torn off,
mechanical arms humming as he aimed.
"Time to unload my anger."
Then TAHARA, carrying his nanotech rifle,
grins at the group.
Last:
MEZIANI, gripping his spear.
"What a waste…
All these souls heading to the same fate."
The soldiers froze.
ZAKI smiled.
"They're here…"
MESNAS lifted his arm, whispering:
"The pack is complete."
TAHARA fired the first volley—
a storm of bullets tearing through the front lines like paper.
ZIRIOUH darted in—
Daggers slicing through the air…
then flesh…
Silently.
Effortlessly.
MEZIANI walked straight ahead.
One clean strike.
A soldier is split in half.
He didn't shout.
Didn't flinch.
As if brushing dust off his shoulder.
AYOUB didn't fight fast—
He fought with lethal precision.
Every shot from his mechanical hands
pierced soldiers dead-center.
Amid blood and steel,
ZIRIOUH lifted his daggers and shouted:
"Who wants to fall next?!"
The soldiers recoiled in terror. THEIR legs trembled.
For the first time… they realized they were prey.
ADEL, watching through the monitor,
turned to GHAZLANE with a trembling smile:
"The SHADOWS… have returned."
One by one, the surviving soldiers retreated—
fleeing toward the ship preparing for departure.
A weary silence settled over the port.
A silence that witnessed the end of the first chapter
in their long war against the organization.
But in the tired eyes of the victors—
eyes touching the first strands of dawn—
There was no full sense of triumph.
Only certainty.
This was not the end.
Not even close.
They had won the battle—
But the true war…
had yet to begin.