CHAPTER 6: The ring

Blood splattered in every direction. It was akin to a scene from a horror movie.

The headless body twitched involuntarily, its life force fading away as crimson pools formed around it. Meanwhile, the decapitated head, frozen in a state of terror, rolled towards Orion.

Orion's face contorted in disbelief and shock. He had never imagined that someone could commit such a devilish act. Overwhelmed by emotions, he collapsed onto his knees, tears streaming down his face, and reached out towards the severed head.

In a desperate display of anguish, Orion clutched the small head tightly to his chest, his sobs echoing through the room. "Why... Why... Why..." he repeated over and over again, his voice choked with grief.

However, Lucian, embodying his demonic nature, allowed no time for Orion to mourn. Swiftly retrieving his AR500 Rifle concealed behind his back, he aimed it at Orion, who remained kneeling on the blood-soaked floor, still cradling his son's head. Without hesitation, Lucian fired a single fatal shot, piercing Orion's skull.

As Orion's lifeless grip released the boy's head, it slipped from his grasp and thudded onto the floor.

Lucian approached Orion with deliberate steps, the barrel of his weapon still aimed on the now-deceased man. Methodically, he squeezed the trigger—shot after shot after shot—ensuring that Orion's life was unequivocally extinguished.

Content with his grim task, Lucian turned his attention to retrieving the obsidian-like ring adorning Orion's middle finger. However, as he knelt down, a disconcerting realization dawned upon him, causing his eyes to widen in horror. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaped backward, his finger squeezing the trigger once more, precisely targeting a hidden gas trap.

In mid-air, the gunshot echoed through the room as the trap was activated.

Orion's lifeless body jerked violently, as if struck by lightning. From the bullet wounds that decorated his body, a sinister black smoke billowed out, mixing with the already-filled gas in the room.

Taking cover behind a couch, Lucian swiftly retrieved his concealed radio device from his bulletproof vest. Activating it, he spoke a command into the device's microphone, "Kill the light."

In response, all the lights in the house abruptly shut off, plunging the space into darkness.

With his enhanced vision readjusting to the lack of light, Lucian rose from his hiding spot and trained his sights on the area where Orion had been. He squeezed the trigger twice, each bullet illuminating the living room for a brief moment as it shot out from the gun's muzzle.

Moving stealthily, Lucian changed his position once more, seeking better cover, closer to Orion's original location. However, as he peered at the spot where Orion's body should have been, he was taken aback by what he saw—Orion was gone. And with him, Noah's severed head had vanished as well.

In a sudden and violent impact, something crashed into Lucian, hurtling him through the wall and into the master bedroom. Gasping for air and spitting blood, he struggled to regain consciousness when a barrage of furious strikes rained down upon him.

With one hand attempting to block the onslaught, Lucian reached for his arm holster, desperately seeking his revolver. In one swift motion, he retrieved the weapon and blindly fired forward, at least one bullet finding its mark in Orion, who had already taken on his shadow form.

Lucian swiftly rolled away from the point of impact and sprinted towards his AR rifle. But the shadow, relentless in its pursuit, closed the distance and lunged at him, its hand outstretched.

Recognizing Orion's attempt to strike through him, Lucian reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash bang grenade. Without hesitation, he hurled it at Orion. A deafening whistle pierced the air, followed by a blinding burst of light as the grenade detonated.

Orion was momentarily blinded, but even a split second was enough for Lucian. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward, landing directly on his rifle, snatching it up, and firing two more shots into Orion's head, who was still blinded.

"Activate the TV!" Lucian screamed at the top of his lungs, unable to retrieve the radio in time to transmit the command. He had to rely on Daron's keen hearing and hope that he heard the desperate plea.

After an agonizing moment, the TV flickered to life, capturing Orion's attention as he regained his vision. The scene playing out on the screen further exacerbated his distress.

His wife, bound to a chair, with a man holding a knife to her throat from behind.

In the midst of the guest room, Orion stood, clutching his son's head in his left hand, unwilling to let it go. He wanted his precious boy to be near him, even in death.

Slowly, he approached the screen, unaware that the shadowy armor covering his body had dissipated.

Completely drenched in blood, Orion reached out and touched the screen, leaving behind a bloody handprint. This was precisely what Lucian had intended.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

In a rapid succession of gunshots, Lucian unleashed his final four rounds, obliterating Orion's skull completely, leaving only a small fragment of his jaw behind. His lifeless body dropped on the floor.

"Surround the house," Lucian commanded into the radio, his voice firm and resolute. Slowly, he approached Orion's lifeless body, revolver in hand. With a deliberate pull of the trigger, he fired a shot, severing whatever remained of the 'head' from the body. He squatted down, removing the obsidian-like ring from Orion's finger and carefully placing it into a small zip lock plastic bag. Lucian then picked up Orion's severed jaw and made his way out of the house, despite the pain coursing through his body.

As Lucian opened the door, the swirling smoke from within the house billowed out, mingling with the air outside.

Deron stood there, accompanied by five other men, all clad in tactical gear, armed with long-range rifles or small machine guns.

"We are done here," Lucian declared, his voice laced with exhaustion as he leaned on Deron for support.

Acknowledging Lucian's words, Deron gestured with a flick of his index finger, signaling for the team to proceed with their designated tasks.

"You guys stay here and eliminate all traces of our presence," Lucian commanded, his voice weak but determined. "Burn down the house, dispose of the bodies, and ensure all evidence is eradicated. Once completed, ensure you're not being followed." he looked at Deron "Can you drive me home? I don't think I will be able to do that myself"

Deron replied with a firm nod. "Of course"

They made their way to Lucian's apartment, where Deron provided assistance in tending to his wounds. Fortunately, the injuries were not severe, consisting mainly of bruises and cuts. The most significant damage had been inflicted on Lucian's back when Orion forcefully thrust him through a solid wall.

Deron left his tactical gear and weapons in Lucian's armory, opting to change into his own clothes.

"Can you give me the keys to your second car?" Deron asked Lucian, who lay on his bed, his body swathed in bandages.

"They should be on my desk," Lucian replied, his weariness slowly overtaking him as he began to drift off to sleep.

Deron retrieved the keys, bidding Lucian a restful night, before heading home himself. As he departed, he couldn't help but reflect on the events that had unfolded, acknowledging that it had undeniably been a challenging and arduous day.