Wolf

"Huh?" Owl blurted under his breath.

Silence enveloped the scene, the hum of the facility's machinery a distant and indifferent murmur.

"Master Owl… Now what? Do I dispose of the bo…"

Joseph began speaking, yet Owl barely heard his words over the sound of his own thoughts…

'demon…' 

Owl has killed hundreds, maybe even thousands— His experience in the underworld was nearly unrivalled yet this was the first time he had this feeling. 

Joseph's expression painted an unsettlingly, calm, almost serene canvas smeared by coal and the fresh blood splattered across his face. His eyes, typically green, now seemed dark and unfathomable, like staring into a dark abyss. His slightly tilted head and casual stance betrayed no sign of turmoil or hesitation.

He looked towards Owl, the blood specks in his eyelashes not even eliciting a blink, waiting patiently for the next directive with an almost administrative detachment.

Owl's eyes then shifted towards the guard's body— the knife he had given him stabbed into his heart.

'How could a child…'

It was a clean, precise strike, avoiding ribs and puncturing the vital organ with a skill that belied his tender age. The guard's eyes, wide open in perpetual shock and pain, stared vacantly at the ceiling, his body motionless, the life brutally extinguished from it.

Owl had expected to be met with rebellion, or at least slight reluctance or hesitation, but not an atom of that was present.

Instead, all he saw was cold, calculated indifference like he had been ordered to slaughter an animal… 

No—

Even that would have traumatized most children.

It was more like he had ordered him to simply take out the trash.

Owl knew the kid was smart, shrewd even. He had noticed a hardness in those green eyes from the start, but this—

'It's impossible… Unless…' Owl's shock turned somber, 'There's no doubt… This is not his first time taking a life… To think I'd actually run into a kid like this…'

"Master Owl?" Joseph sighed, tilting his head more as he ripped out the knife from the guard's heart, causing it to erupt like a sprinkler. "I asked how we should proceed with the body. Should we hide it or leave it?"

"Leave it…" Owl chuckled, snapping back into reality. "This whole place is about to blow up anyway," he casually shrugged.

"WHAT!?" Joseph's eyes burst wide open as he stood up straight. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN EXPLODE OWL!?"

"It's Mr. Master Owl…" He mused. 

"Stop fooling around!" Joseph gritted his teeth. 

Owl smirked, revelling in the sudden change in the dynamic. "Did you really think I'd just extract some data and waltz out of here like a gentleman? That's not the Great Owl's way! This whole place is gonna crumble! It supports production for a rival organization, so it has to go! Once the extraction is complete, which should be around… …. Now…"

[ EXTRACTION 100% ]

Suddenly, the ground shuddered beneath their feet, a low rumble.

For a moment, everything seemed suspended in a state of disoriented calm, then, with an ominous groan, The deep, resonating vibration of the facility's machinery amplified, reaching an almost deafening crescendo.

Nothing but clangs and screeches filled the air.

Machines that once operated methodically were now whizzing at alarming speeds: way beyond their designed limits. Gears and cogs, unable to handle the sudden surge in activity, began to malfunction and burst from place as steam pipes hissed violently, releasing jets of scalding vapor. 

Conveyor belts, moving at blistering speed sent crates and products crashing to the floor like hail while automated arms swung wildly, smashing into walls and other machines, causing support beams to fall and fires to ignite.

Joseph could barely even stand.

He stumbled backward, gripping onto a nearby rail for support, his eyes darting between the pandemonium ahead.

"You never told me about this! Bastard Owl!" His gaze shifted towards Owl, who unlike him, stood unwavering amidst the maelstrom, the fiery glow reflecting in his eyes. His expression was an enigma, half hidden behind the flickering shadows. 

He did not respond to Joseph's shrieks, as he turned around grabbing the USB stick from the computer with a wide grin from ear to ear. 

"Well then… Why don't we get out of here Wolf?" 

"W—Wolf? IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE HERE!? Who's that!?"

"You!"

Owl disappeared from place, and in the next instant, Joseph felt a sudden, violent yank and his feet were no longer connected to the ground. His stomach lurched as his entire world shifted, the tumultuous scene of chaos blurring before his bobbing eyes.

Harsh flames raged around him, an unrelenting inferno that devoured everything in its path. His eyes, bloodshot and stinging, struggled to stay open amidst the thick, churning smoke that clawed its way down his throat with each desperate gasp. 

His lungs burned, a cruel mimicry of the flames outside, as they tried to expel the toxic air, triggering spasms of violent coughing that racked his fragile frame.

His skin blistered and peeled as the intense heat licked at his body, the scent of his own flesh mingling with the acrid smoke. 

His consciousness teetered on the edge, the roaring fire around him starting to fade into a distant echo. His limbs, once trembling, grew still as his strength waned, each shuddering breath a monumental effort.

"You're officially a new member of the Syndicate! Congratulations Wolf!" Those words were the last thing his ears heard…

'I don't wanna die…'

'No…'

The image of his sister flashed in his head as he unconsciously squeezed the straw doll still in his pocket.

'I CAN'T die…'

The world dimmed all around him into a shadowy haze… It wasn't a feeling of his eyes shutting, nor any discernible discomfort.

Sensation was lost to him.

All he now saw was darkness, yet he was acutely aware, immersed in an abyss of nothingness as if his very consciousness was adrift in an endless void.

This feeling… Never in his life had he felt like this…

Both alive and dead all at once… A limbo between both worlds…

It felt so nostalgic yet unfamiliar…

He couldn't describe it, yet it was all his mind could think of…

'What just happened?'

"BROTHER!! PLEASE LIVE!!! I WANT YOU TO LIVE!!!"

"..."

"Nina…?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Nina…"

"..."

"..."

"Nina…"

"..."

"NINA!!!"

"HEY ZEPHYR, SHUT UP…"