3 Rex

Under the unusual moonlight in Koios, a power outage plunges the city into an unprecedented darkness, a phenomenon never before witnessed. Amid the typically bustling and noisy streets, now eerily silent, people anxiously await change, unaware of the trail of blood left behind by Rex, once an assassin, now hunted by an ominous supernatural entity.

"There is something wrong, Whitehaze"

"Yes, I am cutting off radio contact with you. I am heading over to my brother's house. It won't be too long"

"Whitehaze....I saw something unexplainable. If it was what I think there is no chance of me making it there"

"Stop talking sh*t! I saw it too you are almost near the hydrorail!"

Rex enters the hydrorail station, his eyes darting to and fro as he settles, facing the entrance. Beneath his clothes, he inspects the grim evidence of his ordeal. Abruptly, the lights flicker back to life, illuminating the scene. An automated message crackles to life, its announcement echoing ominously: "HYDRORAIL APPROACHING. NEXT STOP: OUTER KOIOS."

Rex boards the empty hydrorail, his senses heightened by the absence of fellow passengers. As the doors seal shut with a calculated hiss, he surveys his surroundings. Masking his face with his clothing, he evades the gaze of the security camera perched above the door. His keen eyes quickly take in the broken glass and unkempt floor, registering the signs of disturbance. Before the notion of a bandit takeover can fully materialize, his sharp gaze catches sight of the corner of the hydrorail, where the security camera has been clawed out by what appears to be inhumanely large claws. The hydrorail starts to move, slowly speeding up. As Rex walks towards it, his eyes catch the attention to the window near the opposite door, a sense of unease washes over him as he notices something amiss on the weather seal. Blood stains mar the seal, spilling outside and pooling ominously. His curiosity piqued, Rex peers through the window, only to be met with a harrowing sight—a bloodied man, his features contorted in agony, clinging desperately to a wedge of the hydrorail for dear life. 

"Sir....HELP PLEASE I BEG YOU....(coughs blood)"

"Who the f*ck did this to you?! Lend me your arm!" 

Rex reaches out to the bloodied stranger, grasping his frail, outstretched arm through the window. As he pulls the man closer, the urgency of the situation intensifies. The roar of the hydrorail's engines signals its imminent departure from the track. In the midst of the chaos, an automated message blares: "WINDOWS CLOSING. HYDRORAIL COMMENCING." 

"NO! NO! NO!"

With a gut-wrenching scream, Rex strains to pull the man to safety, but the unforgiving windows show no mercy. In a horrifying twist, they close without hesitation, ripping the man's arm off as he is dragged underneath the hydrorail, swallowed by the relentless machine.

"F*CK!"

Rex watches in disbelief as a flurry of blood horrifyingly stains the windows. He falls down shocked to see the ripped off arm. As he stands up again breathing heavily but slowly trying to compose himself.

A piercing screech jolts Rex from his thoughts, forcing him to whirl around in an instant. His heart sinks at the sight of the security camera, mercilessly clawed out from its perch above the door. A sense of dread washes over him as he realizes that no cameras remain. Sweat beads on his brow as he strains to listen, his senses on high alert. The sound of footsteps resonates from the ceiling of the hydrorail, sending shivers down Rex's spine. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he follows the ominous sound, each step echoing louder. As silence envelops the train, Rex's nerves are stretched taut as he anxiously scans the area where the sound abruptly ceased. With trembling hands, he draws his revolver, heart pounding in his chest. Without hesitation, he fires a shot towards the spot where the noise faded into nothingness. The ominous silence remains unbroken until the sinister footsteps resume their dance. This time accompanied with a voice, a familiar voice but twisted in a sense.

"Reign Morgan, otherwise known as Rex. An A-list assassin with a career of 500 kills. All bad people but why me? Is there something that you know about me?"

Rex's gaze fixates on the window of the hydrorail, his breath catching in his throat as he witnesses a nightmarish sight unfolding before him. Limbs and arms twist and writhe atop the train, intertwining and stacking upon each other in a grotesque spectacle, forming an enormous appendage that closes in, shaping itself into a menacing fist. 

"Sh*t!"

Rex's adrenaline-fueled sprint is cut short as the monstrous fist obliterates the end compartment of the hydrorail. Miraculously spared, but wounded, he struggles to pry open the door against the torrent of water that threatens to engulf him. With sheer determination, he pushes against the force, clawing his way atop the hydrorail.

The wind howls with ferocity, nearly knocking him off his feet, as he confronts the ominous figure before him. A man with slicked-back blonde hair, clad in a crimson suit over a white shirt, stands with arms crossed, his sinister grin barely visible in the shroud of darkness.

"Mr Reign, I would like you to answer a few questions. I am Varaschio Hodinsky, President of Koios"

"How do you know my name?"

"Our Intelligence system is the best in the world. To mess with me, is to mess with Koios itself, Reign"

As the clouds shift, the moonlight cascades onto the train, illuminating the scene with an unearthly glow. In the pale light, Hodinsky's cerulean eyes lock onto the unmistakable emblem of the assassin clan adorning Rex's attire—a glaring symbol of his dark past and hidden loyalties.

"Reign, Let us discuss more important matters. The emblem on your attire is of the Rakshila Clan. They have caused enough problems for me. If you give me the location of their base, I will spare you"

"My loyalties lie to the Rakshila. I will face against you and your sorcery, demon!"

"What a vulgur man but your bravery will be noted. The power to rule this world was culminated through centuries of warfare and slaughter. I will make sure that your life ends tonight!"

Amidst the relentless charge, a brutal and bloody clash ensues between Rex and Hodinsky. Their fists fly with reckless abandon, each blow packed with escalating ferocity as the hydrorail hurtles towards its destination. With each exchange, the intensity of their combat surges, the air thick with tension and the sound of bone against bone.

Rex's honed fighting prowess becomes evident as he unleashes a flurry of punches, stunning Hodinsky with unmatched skill. Yet, in a desperate retaliation, Hodinsky delivers a powerful kick, sending Rex staggering backward. In a pivotal moment of the struggle, Rex empties his revolver into Hodinsky's chest. 

"To think that I have grown this weak... I shouldn't have been placed here," Hodinsky mutters, his tone laced with self-disgust and frustration as he grapples with his own perceived shortcomings.

Terror consumes Rex as he beholds the wounds from the revolver closing and vanishing before his horrified gaze. Hodinsky's countenance contorts with a mixture of disgust and resentment, his features twisting into a visage of profound disdain. As his eyes transform into blank, white orbs, blood vessels strain against the surface showing a haunting glimpse into the depths of his inner turmoil and pure rage. 

With a wide stretch of his arms, Hodinsky begins to use his power. Lights of the hydrorail flicker underneath them as he summons two colossal arms poised like fists, each arching ominously behind him on opposite sides of the hydrorail as they come crashing down towards Rex. Rex, fueled by instinct, dodges the looming fists summoned by Hodinsky, but the relentless adversary charges forward. In a macabre display, arms crawl and twist around Hodinsky's limb, enlarging it into a monstrous appendage. With terrifying force, he strikes Rex in the gut, causing him to double over in agony. Blood spills from Rex's lips, tears mingling with the crimson stains as he collapses to his knees, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain.

"You are weak, fragile and pathetic. I am invincible"

"Shut the f*ck-" 

With ruthless precision, Hodinsky delivers a sharp kick aimed at Rex's face.

"Why can't you speak in a more civilized tone. Last chance, Reign. Location of Rakshila. I need it!"

Rex breathes in.

"I WOULD...I would RATHER DIE!"

Rex leaps from the hydrorail mere moments before it reaches the next station. His heart races as he plunges towards the raging waters below, only to realize with horror that his leg has been ensnared by a grotesque appendage sprouting from the train like a rope almost, its grip unyielding. As panic sets in, Rex meets Hodinsky's chilling grin. Hodinsky throws Rex through the air towards Outer Koios. With a bone-jarring impact, he crashes onto the floor of the building below. Limbs materialize, cushioning his fall and absorbing some of the shock, yet the landing is still painful. 

Hodinsky reaches the building where he threw Rex. Limbs grow from the ground, twisting and crawling upon eachother getting bigger and bigger beneath Hodinsky, elevating him to the terrace. He looks at Rex crawling away from him. As Hodinsky walks towards Rex, his phone suddenly rings. he takes it out of his suit and is suprised. he answers the call. As Rex crawls away, Hodinsky advances towards him, however, just as he closes in on Rex, Hodinsky's phone rings unexpectedly. Startled, He retrieves it from his suit pocket and answers the call. The call goes on for a minute and Hodinsky is dead silent. 

"Yes, my lord" Hodinsky says as he cuts the call.

Hodinsky strides towards Rex resolutely, his demeanor radiating urgency. Gripping Rex firmly by the collar, he hoists him up into the air with a single, formidable arm, positioning him perilously at the edge of the building's ledge.

"I have only one question" Hodinsky intones, his voice edged with intensity. "Do you believe in God?" 

"(coughs blood)....Yes?"

"HE WANTS YOU DEAD!"

Hodinsky releases Rex, who hurtles down from the building, crashing into metal stairs one after another. Each bone-jarring impact reverberates through his body, shattering every part before he finally collapses lifeless beside a towering green dumpster in the grim alleyway below. Hodinsky gazes down below, a malevolent smile twisting his lips as he savors the moment of triumph in the hunt. With a sense of grim satisfaction, he takes a fleeting moment to relish his victory before turning away and disappearing into the shadows, leaving behind the aftermath of his ruthless pursuit.