The Belemy Casino stood tall, pillars of white marble erected to withstand the weight of a massive mural just above them. It depicted statues of figures Addey couldn’t recognize, all looking as if they were constructing something magnificent. Chisels in hand, they were seemingly putting together the structure eternally bonded to them.

​

The casino itself was reminiscent of a traditional bank, though a dozen times larger than any he had ever seen… and a thousand times busier. There were people everywhere.

​

People of every kind… every world.

​

He saw poor people spending the last of their paychecks in a desperate attempt to make it rich. And he saw the wealthiest of society, some faces he even recognized, going out on a nightly venture to experience the adrenaline of risking money they could live without.

​

It was an easy distinction between the two. The latter carried umbrellas, hiding from the showers of rain and red lightning that was beginning to crack across the sky. The storm clouds veiled the night on the other side, hiding both the Sisters and the Brothers.

​

The poor, however, most already conditioned to walking through the rain, made it up the grand steps leading to the entrance of the casino, all while being drenched from the downpour.

​

Addey and his accomplices weren’t a part of either group though. They were something higher. To the Sons of the Six, these people’s lives didn’t matter… but Addey wasn’t a Son… not yet.

​

“Addey!” Junipa’s voice called. “I almost forgot something.”

​

Addey turned back to the man, halting his first step toward the casino. “What is it?”

​

“Here.” Junipa took Addey’s wrist, pulling him closer before zapping the side of his head with a small device.

​

Addey winced. “What the—” He pulled his hand free and reached upward to his XBand, or the small hologram projector implanted in front of his ear. “What’d you do?” he ordered.

​

Junipa began typing something on his small laptop. “I put a mask over your ID. If they scan you upon entering, it’ll tell them you’re older than you are.”

​

Addey blinked, rubbing the side of his head, feeling a very faint pain. “How much older?”

​

“I made you an adult.”

​

“Did you do that to the others?”

​

“Yes, Addey. When they first joined,” Junipa said, never looking up. “Now go, we are running out of time.”

​

“Right,” Addey turned once again… finding he was alone. The other Sons were already moving up the stairs, leaving. Junipa even closed the door to the car as Havs began to drive away.

​

Brotherhood, Addey thought, rolling his eyes. So much for that. He let out a breath, which wisped into the air as a grey vapor. It was cold, and his heavy black jacket and cargo pants refused to keep the heat in. He shivered, either from the temperature or the nervousness bubbling up from his stomach.

​

He didn’t know which, but he did know he couldn’t stay outside for long.

​

Thunder rumbled through the sky, shaking the very ground Addey began walking along. Almost like a steady earthquake, the violence of the storm’s lightning never ceased during this period. The sky lit up red, striking the tops of buildings dozens of times over, even more so during this storm than most.

​

Some said the storms marked change, despite them arriving every few days. This one, more ferocious than the majority he had seen, definitely had to make good on that expectation.

​

That almost gave Addey the confidence to continue forward up the steps. He would need a lot of that by the end of the night. Motivation. Most of it he would need to search for within himself.

​

Soon, after climbing too many stairs and getting soaked with rain, Addey arrived at the front entrance, catching up to the Sons of the Six. Avden and Grevary would already be inside, but Addey and the others were to enter a bit afterward so that the two wouldn’t be paired with the rest of the group.

​

Blayke, the oldest and highest ranking of the team sent to protect Addey, had taken initiative as their leader. The ranking of each member was important. It didn’t matter their last name or family they were a part of — unless it was Sartan — only the order of their initiation and deeds done in favor of the Organization.

​

Addey liked Blayke from what he had seen of him. Opposed to the other higher members of the Sons, Blayke wasn’t as… cold. He wasn’t friendly either, but just respectful. Blayke Bestel, Brydan’s oldest brother, understood what many couldn’t. One didn’t need to be friendly to have people enjoy their company. All they had to do was show that they cared.

​

“Blayke,” Addey acknowledged as he approached the man.

​

The man was standing by the entrance, seemingly waiting to make sure the other members got through. So far, they all had, except for Addey.

​

Blayke turned to meet him. “Was waiting on you. You ready?”

​

Addey felt for the gun tucked into his belt. “I guess so. Just nervous.” Addey’s eyes went wide. “Wait, won’t they have metal detectors? How did the others get through?”

​

Blayke smiled, beginning toward the casino entrance. “You might think Avden isn’t smart, but he’s not that stupid either. The gun is registered. Deverna’s gun laws aren’t strict, even less so in Deep City North.”

​

“They won’t care then?”

​

“They shouldn’t. The others got through, so we should be fine,” Blayke said, idly walking past security guards stationed at the doors. Most or all were likely Reds working for Barin Kai. Compared to the Reds he was kidnapped by, these men were… different. Easily more professional, but something else too. Organized… if that wasn’t the same thing. Why hadn’t Bearlan worked for Barin Kai? Or even Nal Den? It seemed like a better opportunity than working for Ensten.

​

Without hesitation, Blayke walked through the large front doors, moving past scanners built into the opening. Orange lights flashed as he went by, likely registering that he had a firearm in the building, though they would have no way of tracking who he was.

​

Addey, taking a deep breath, followed after Blayke, and found the lights flashed the same color for himself. The guards weren’t disturbed by this and continued watching over the crowds of people entering.

​

Once inside… Addey was astonished. Immediately, he was subjected to a sight he hadn’t seen in his entire life, even living as the son of the richest man in this city. Huge chandeliers of golden crystals shone bright lights over the casino, casting sparkling rays across the ground.

​

“Welcome to Belemy,” Blayke said, a slight grin printed across his face. “It might seem calm now, but just wait.” He winked.

​

“Wait on what?” Addey asked, eyes wide, watching the glimmer somehow shine from a glossy carpet.

​

“Until we get started.” Blayke turned his gaze away, then spread out his arms toward the rest of the building. “I’ve missed this,” he whispered, barely audible enough for Addey to hear.

​

Missed what exactly? Hunting or the casino? Neither one was exactly admirable, but without much more thought, the two split up and Addey began nervously.

​

The Casino was sectioned into two floors, while one of them — the ground level — was broken into a few different areas. Addey currently stood in the first. It was a small zone, not decorated with anything but people loitering around, talking. It connected seamlessly with the next; a large open dining room. Dozens of tables were evenly spaced, with even more people sitting at them, drinking, eating, smoking — enjoying their time.

​

Addey, instead of seeing these people and the fun they were having… only saw the chaos of what would happen. It was like visions of the future flashed in his mind. He saw people running, fear painted across their expressions, from gunshots fired by both the Sons of the Six and the Reds stationed here. He saw blood.

​

And when Addey looked down, he saw the gun in his own hand.

​

But it was all his imagination. That wasn’t real. It wouldn’t be real. Everything would go according to plan. Only one had to die tonight. Addey was ready for that. He was ready to learn how he would spend his life.

​

Addey started forward, moving past the dining section of the ground floor and taking an escalator over the third area, which was filled with hundreds of slot machines. The upper level he rode to, like the one directly below it, opened exactly to that spacious restaurant-like zone.

​

Addey looked back to it as the stairs took him upward. Waiters raced back and forth from a hidden kitchen, gliding between the patrons and cramped tables.

​

The revelers of this great feast, red-cheeked from their drinks, danced arbitrarily, spitting as they yelled to one another in the haze of hundreds of blended voices.

​

Their night had just begun.

​

Addey frowned at the view, so turned away as he approached the top. This upper level was home to other sorts of games and betting machines. Close by, a group of young men leaned over a table anxiously, watching as a ball rolled between toothpicks stuck in a foam board. Blue Palm, it was called; a popular party game. Addey had played it once or twice, never betting actual money.

​

Everywhere he looked Addey saw people either cheering a hard-won victory… or sobbing as they were struck with the realization they lost everything.

​

He had always considered himself luckier than most, especially taking into account the life he was born into. But watching men and women siphon their coin into this building like it was a bank, only to lose the only thing they had of value… well, he didn’t feel lucky not being them… he only felt pity.

​

But Addey wasn’t there for that. He wasn’t here to judge the patrons for their personal decisions.

Addey had a job to do.

​

Locating the door Junipa had pointed to earlier was easy. It was in view as Addey stepped from the automatic staircase. At the top, and a short way in front of the escalator, servants offered bright-colored drinks to people arriving.

​

Addey attempted to walk past, but was prompted to accept one as well. Confused, Addey agreed, taking a cold glass in his hand. His age was obvious. He clearly wasn’t old enough to partake, though he guessed that didn’t matter. His fake ID got him inside, he couldn’t blame the employees for not being suspicious.

​

The drink itself was red. A vibrant crimson, somewhat akin to the glow of feasting blood biters. It illuminated his hand as the condensation slicked his fingers. Many places liked doing that during storms. They sold alcohol that matched the violent red tempests outside.

​

Storm Water this was called, and it didn’t stray too far from what the name hinted. And now that Addey thought of it, that was probably why it was free. Basically tap water dyed red, then made to look like some high-class beverage.

​

Still, Addey took a sip from the tall, thin glass, smiling to himself. Tastes like water too, he thought, approaching the doorway. Nearby, Norin and Raegen watched him inconspicuously, posing as if they were waiting to join in on the next game of Blue Palm. Blayke and Drean however, the Son’s Bestel brothers, weren’t in sight. They likely had posted themselves separately to avoid any connections being made.

​

Many of the Sons, even Addey himself, had well-known faces. All it took was one person to realize before everyone in the building found out who they were.

​

Obviously, Avden and Grevary’s distraction had not started yet, so Addey was given extra time to spend not standing out. Nearby, Addey located another sort of game being played. He started toward it, lowering his drink to the side.

​

On a large circular table, cards, labeled one through six using simple depictions of stars, were laid out. Only a few men stood around this one, it clearly not being as popular as some of the other games.

​

Soon, Addey stopped at the edge of the table, watching the others play. None talked, and in fact, these men barely even made any expressions at all. All six of those playing held small sticks— kind of like the ones doctors used to hold their patient’s tongues down with. What were those called? Addey thought to himself, inspecting them in the hands of a player.

​

Unlike those, these were painted in a variety of colors. Red, of course, black, blue, and green. They took turns placing the short sticks of wood on the table, which was each time met by someone reaching over and taking it. Then, to include the cards on the middle of the table, one designated person would reorder them, but only after a red stick had been played.

​

The entire concept of this game was lost on Addey. It had a… flow to it. Obviously, it had to make sense somehow, but just… it was different.

​

“What is this game?” Addey asked the nearest player; a short, slender man, wearing a weird grey floral suit. It had tassels and ribbons sewn on around his chest and cuffs.

​

“Are you Arasani?” the man asked, meeting Addey’s question with his own, using an emotionless voice that was somehow mixed with a foreign accent. It was very clearly of Arasan.

“No,” Addey answered suspiciously. “Why does that—”

​

“Only Arasani can play,” the same man interrupted, placing a red stick on the table, forcing another on the opposite side to pick it up. A third then reached to the middle, exchanging the places of the card marked three and the card marked one.

​

“I don’t remember asking to play,” Addey said, crossing his arms. “I asked what it’s called.”

The man finally looked up from his cards, gave Addey a thoughtful glance, then looked back down and said, “Halin Kalin. It’s a traditional Duelist game. This is the only Halin Kalin table in Deep City.”

​

Addey nodded. “Thank you… so how do you play?”

​

The Arasani looked up again, “Are you—”

​

“No… well, yes. I’m not playing. Just want to understand it.”

​

“Only Arasani can play. Only a few can know how.” He placed another stick on the table. “Velorians aren’t one of the few.”

​

“I’m not Velorian. I was born in Kraine. I’m mixed.”

​

The man sighed. “That makes you half Velorian. Half not knowing how to play.”

​

Addey squinted. “What?”

​

“Do you speak both Western and Eastern?” the man asked in a way that made it clear he was testing something.

​

“Eastern. Only Eastern,” Addey answered.

​

“More Velorian than not.” The man shook his head. “How’d you sneak in anyway? You are underage.”

​

“What? No, I’m not. I—”

​

“It is clear.”

​

Addey leaned backward, pushing off the edge of the one-of-a-kind Halin Kalin table. “Fine, don’t tell me then. Acting like I can’t just look it up.”

​

“I suppose you could—”

​

An explosion rocked the building.

​

Screams immediately followed as a blast of light expanded from the ground floor. It flashed, fading away just as quickly. Chaos ensued almost in an instant. Addey could feel the rumble of feet stampeding across the ground level, even from the upper floor. The ones here with him, not seeing what happened, bore the same expression as himself. Confused.

​

Addey felt fear. Not for himself, of course. Why would he? This was his brother’s distraction. But with the energy expelled from this attack, Addey couldn’t help but feel for the innocent who would be hurt only for the sake of this hunt. It left him to wonder what exactly Avden and Grevary had done.

​

Snapping out of that strange moment of shock, Addey turned, looking for Raegen and Norin. His eyes locked onto Raegen’s, who nodded for Addey to begin.

​

Addey hesitated, but forced himself forward. His legs hardly wanted to move. Addey forced each step, starting in that direction. On his way, he was passed by security leaving from the door he was supposed to get into. Obviously, it closed behind them as they ran down the way, pushing people from their path in order to get downstairs.

​

Addey shook his head, moving in the opposite direction. Avden was going to get himself into trouble. That was at least five Reds, not to mention all of the others stationed around this place.

​

Luckily, Avden did have The Fire, or Grevary Carsten. They should be able to hold out for a while if they hadn’t already found a way to leave. But something told Addey that wasn’t Grevary’s style.

​

Either way, no matter what kind of danger they put themselves in, their plan worked. People were distracted. The guards on the other side of the door were gone. Addey needed to do this quickly.

​

Jogging, Addey moved to the doorway. Tucked between two gambling tables and down a short enclave, the silver door itself sat locked. Something about it looked secure; hard to get into. But Addey wasn’t worried, as Junipa was even more impressive.

​

At Addey’s age, Junipa had already been breaking into high-level security systems, stealing data and coin. Martei Hediin, an Original of the Reds, a man known for his illegal fighting rings, was Junipa’s first major victim.

​

The entire betting system that those fighting circles operated on was shut down for a little less than thirty minutes, which didn’t sound impressive, but when taking into account how powerful a man like Martei Hediin was… well, Junipa gained some respect that day.

​

Some even said Junipa used aliases to conduct work around Deep City for all sorts of people. And when he was close to being found out, would kill off the character and move on.

​

Addey asked Avden about that once, but even he wasn’t sure. Junipa was easily the most secretive of the Sons, making him less trustworthy in Avden’s eyes. Despite that, they had no choice but to put a lot of faith in the man due to his rare talent.

​

Addey pulled the small scanning device from his pocket — the one Junipa gave him — before looking over his shoulder to check if anyone was watching. Obviously, most were gone from this upper level, either escaping through some back exit or watching over the railing to view the chaos of the lower floor. They had clearly found some sort of safety up here.

​

As soon as Addey turned back, gunshots rang, echoing through the entire casino. Addey flinched, ducking down. Images of that night under the bridge flooded back into his mind. He saw blood. Dead soldiers. Smoke. At the time, he thought it didn’t bother him, but now… now it forced his heart to beat faster and his legs to grow weak.

​

Pulling the device upward, a shaky hand attempted to put its camera over a panel on the wall. He steadied it with his other arm and waited for it to send the information to Junipa.

​

Addey wasn’t sure when he’d know it was ready, so he waited impatiently. He could almost hear the seconds that passed in his mind. One. Two. Three. An eternity between each. The gunshots were so constant and piercing in the background, that Addey almost didn’t hear the voice yell from behind him. All he had were his thoughts.

​

“Hey!” someone called, causing Addey to spin and hide the device on the back side of his belt. “What’re you doing? That’s not an exit!”

​

Addey made eye contact, finding a Deep City Red pointing an automatic rifle at his chest. He seemed to be a member of some sort, though not a guard stationed at the casino. One of Grei Vance’s recruits maybe?

​

“I— I—” Think Addey. What do I say? He remembered that Iloa Vankin was the owner of this casino. If the Red was recruited by Grei, then he might believe what he was about to claim. If not… well, Addey hoped that didn’t happen. “I’m Nave. Iloa’s nephew. What’s going on? Why is no one opening?”

​

“Who?” the man prompted.

​

“Nave Vankin. Get me out of here, now!”

​

The man lowered his gun. “I don’t know you. Vance said nothing of you being here.”

​

“I don’t care what he said! I need back there! Take me to Grei.” Addey pointed to the door. “If my aunt finds out I’ve been shot, imagine what—”

​

“Okay! Fine,” the Red said, “but you’re not leaving my sight. Not yet.”

​

Addey blinked. He didn’t expect that to work so easily. And honestly… he almost wished it didn’t. That would fix something, right? But now what? He’d follow this gang member to Grei Vance… then… kill both of them? Addey was never able to scan the door either. The other Sons wouldn’t be able to follow him.

​

“Come on,” the Red ordered, moving past Addey and scanning his wrist’s XBand on the panel. The door slid open with a hiss, allowing Addey only a fraction of a second to look inside before the Red grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him through.

​

Addey stumbled, but steadied himself. “What was that for?”

​

“We don’t have a lot of time,” the Red said, beginning down a grey hallway, lit by long white lights at the tops of the walls. “The Sartans are here. The… the Fire… he’s here too.”

​

“The Sartans?” Addey questioned, attempting to become the character he was playing, following after his escort. “What was that explosion? Or will you ignore me again?”

​

“He— I’m not sure exactly, kid. His arm was a ceramic body enhancement. Didn’t come up on the scanners as a weapon, obviously. His arm… blew up.”

​

“Blew up?” Addey asked quickly. The words even confused him. Addey knew Grevary had body enhancements in his arms, but never knew it was the whole limb.

​

“I don’t know. That’s just what I heard.”

​

“Are they all here? All of the Sons?”

​

The Red slowed his pace. “The Sons?”

​

“Yeah, you said the Sons were here,” Addey said, catching on right after the words left his mouth. Well, that didn’t last long. “The— The— You said the Fire was here. He’s a Son of the Six.”

​

The Red continued, but slowly began to lift his rifle to a shoulder. “Who did you say you are again?”

​

“I told you— I— I’m Nave. Iloa Vankin’s nephew.” Addey said, keeping his eyes on the gun and putting a hand over his own. It sat tucked into the front side of his belt.

​

“I didn’t know Ms. Vankin had family,” the Red said suspiciously, still guiding Addey through the hallway.

​

“She does,” Addey responded quickly. “I was supposed to come see her here.”

​

The Red, to Addey’s dismay, stopped walking after that and turned to face him. Together, they stood next to a doorway along the side wall. “Did you two plan this?”

​

“Yes— No. No, we didn’t,” Addey acted. “I wanted to see it myself. The casino.”

​

“You’re underage. Something’s off,” the Red brought his XBand to his mouth, talking into a shared voice channel. “I have a kid in the back. I think he’s one of the Sons of the Six. They’re the ones attacking, I think.”

​

“No! No, why are you saying that?” Addey asked, stepping forward.

​

“I don’t know, sir, I’m paranoid. Could be wrong.”

​

The person on the other end asked a question that Addey couldn’t hear, which was then met by the Red answering Addey’s approximate age. With that information… they seemed sure of something. The Red nodded to himself, his eyes widening.

​

“I’m not a… Son of the Six,” Addey pleaded, needing a way out of this.

​

“I don’t believe that…” He trailed off, getting word from the other end of his call. “Yes, sir.” He made eye contact with Addey. “I understand. Better safe than sorry.”

​

The Red lowered his wrist, then looked at the gun in his hand.

​

Addey panicked, not sure what to say. Fearing for his life, Addey reacted, only seeing one way out. It was obvious what this man was ordered to do… and luckily, he hesitated.

​

Wincing, Addey pulled the pistol from his belt, pointed it forward… and squeezed the trigger. He was surprised at how quickly he had it drawn. The bullet cracked through the air, but surprisingly… whistled as well.

​

Even the Red was surprised, especially since the bullet didn’t land in his chest immediately. Instead, for only half a second, the bullet emitted a blue glow, zipped in a circle around Addey’s body, then slammed into the Red’s leg.

​

The man fell downward, not having enough time to fire his own weapon… but that didn’t stop him from trying. The Red began to raise his gun while down on one knee, so Addey fired another time.

​

Again, the bullet whistled, zooming around him, redirecting itself before slipping into the man’s hand. That forced him to drop his rifle. It clattered to the ground, but Addey could hardly hear that noise.

​

His ears rang from the gunshots. He had forgotten how loud they were this close up. The Red fell backward, clutching his now shattered hand, yelling out in pain. Addey’s heart sank as he looked to the gun he wielded. A switch was pushed to non-lethal mode… but Addey hadn’t remembered that. Was he prepared to kill this man?

​

Addey’s stomach knotted. He even nearly got sick on the person he had just shot. “I— I— I’m sorry,” he whispered, watching blood drip from the Red’s wounds. “I didn’t mean to. You weren’t supposed to be here.”

​

The Red growled. “I’ll kill you for this, Sartan.” His voice was low, the pain Addey inflicted seeping out through his speech.

​

“I said I’m sorry,” Addey argued. “You shouldn’t have stopped me!”

​

“And been a...” — The man hissed from the pain — "been a bystander? Let you take someone else’s life?”

​

Addey froze, staring into the Red’s eyes. Brown. So brown, but filled with so much… what was that? Hatred. Hatred for Addey. It was, without a doubt, deserved.

​

“You won’t make it out of—”

​

“What happened out there? Yonie?” A voice called from behind the doorway to the left. Addey’s head snapped toward it, then shot back to the man on the ground.

​

They made eye contact again.

​

“Don’t,” Addey whispered, raising a palm.

​

The Red, Yonie apparently, scoffed, then began to call out, “Grei, don’t open the—”

​

The door opened… sliding into the wall, revealing a man on the other side. Addey didn’t have time to take in his appearance, but acted quickly.

​

Grei Vance did as well after seeing the scene, but Addey had the upper hand and managed to slip into the door just as Grei closed it.

​

Addey shoved the man, pushing his way through. Grei stumbled backward as Addey steadied and pulled his gun’s barrel to aim.

​

“Back up!” Addey yelled, his voice shaky. He slammed his other arm, the bottom side of his fist, into the door panel, locking it behind him.

​

Grei Vance put his hands up in a surrendering manner. “I’m unarmed! Don’t shoot!”

​

“Back up!” Addey called again. “Please,” he begged.

​

Grei blinked, his arms dropping ever so slightly, only to spring back upward as Addey tightened his grip on the pistol. “Okay,” Grei said softly, doing as he was told. “Okay.”

​

Addey’s hands quivered, forcing him to grip the gun with both. Grei looked… just like a normal guy. Not like some important Deep City Red. Addey’s arms felt heavy watching this man, as his blood seemed to warm itself in his body, radiating heat into his skin.

​

A vibration pulsed from Addey’s XBand just as a small holographic box projected from the left side of his head. It ran vertically just at the perimeter of his vision. A message from Blayke.

​

Without moving his grip on his weapon, Addey eyed it, allowing the message to lengthen, showing its contents.

​

What’s going on? Are you safe? Blayke’s text read.

​

I’ve got it under control, Addey messaged back, using eye tracking to respond.

​

A short moment later, another text notified. Do what you need to do. Your life is more important than his, Blayke responded, which caused Addey to look upward, finding Grei Vance watching him intently, eyes wide.

​

They were a dark brown, much like the injured guard’s outside, but differing from him, Vance had silver hair, despite an appearance that placed him in his seventies or sixties.

​

Perhaps that was a decision made to match the pronunciation of his first name.

​

“You don’t have to do this—” Grei started.

​

Addey flicked the lethal switch on the side of the weapon, interrupting him.

​

Grei drew a sharp breath and closed his mouth.

​

“What do you know?” Addey said, holding back tears. Red storms, he thought, where did that come from? Tears came every day now.

​

“I— I know you’re just a kid. That much is obvious.” Grei looked around the room, seemingly thinking of more words to say. This office was a bleak white color, decorated by a mess of drink cans, trash, paperwork, and even an empty vial on a desk sitting in the corner of the room. It faced the doorway, three monitors sitting atop.

​

“It is obvious,” Addey agreed, and much like Vance wasn’t sure what else to say next.

“It’s also obvious… you’re confused,” Grei offered.

​

“How would you know that?”

​

The Level Two hesitated, then pointed a finger at Addey while keeping his arms in the air. “Because you’re crying. Men only cry when they’re confused.”

​

Addey squinted at that, making the mistake of wiping his eyes on his shoulder. Luckily, Grei didn’t move. That could’ve given him the time to jump forward.

​

“But you’re hardly a man, are you? Just a kid. What’re they doing sending you here to kill me?”

​

Addey blinked. This guy was obviously scared as well… just as much as anyone would be with a gun pointed at them, but he… acted confident… in a way. And it was somehow familiar.

​

“This was my decision,” Addey admitted, finger hovering over the trigger. “This is a hunt. I’m going to join the Sons of the Six. It’ll fix everything.”

​

“And I’m your target… Addey Sartan?” Grei asked, somehow knowing who Addey was. The man must have seen his reaction after hearing his name, because Grei then continued with, “It’s obvious. The next hunt had to be yours. I should’ve seen it might have been me.”

​

“You should also be some genius then, knowing basic info?” Addey scoffed, for some reason growing angry. Why couldn’t he make this easier? Make it easy to kill him?

​

“I’m no genius. Just a man of the people,” Grei corrected, his voice smooth, but still somehow shivering, afraid. “It’s my job to understand them.” He paused, but still continued after a short moment. “It’s even easy to understand you, despite your unique position.”

​

“I don’t even understand myself; how would you understand me?” Addey questioned, shaking his head.

​

“That’s usually how it is, kid. You need someone else to help you understand. It’s almost impossible to do it on your own.”

​

“And is that person you? The person I was sent to kill?” Addey’s body trembled. Merely saying those words was difficult for him. He had so much time to get ready for this… so why was it still so hard?

​

“It could be. I know if it helps me live, then I’d want to give it a try,” Grei reasoned, looking into Addey’s gaze.

​

In those eyes, Addey saw a genuine trust. Why? Perhaps it wasn’t that at all, but more of a… relying… maybe. If that even made sense. Probably not, but Addey, deep down, desperately wanted out of this.

​

He wanted a reason to stall, and Addey relied on this man to get that.

​

“Can I put my arms down?” Grei asked, lowering them just slightly once again. Like before, Addey tightened his grip and shook his head. “Alright… no then. That’s fine.”

​

“Do you think you can actually help me?” The words slipped out. What was Addey doing? He was supposed to kill this man, not talk to him.

​

Grei nodded. “I think so.”

​

Addey returned the gesture. “You can— You can put them down I mean. But if you reach for anything—”

​

“I know. I won’t.” The man smiled widely. “Now… Addey Sartan… what are you going through? And please don’t shoot me if I say something you don’t like.”

​

Addey stared forward, not amused by his joke.

​

That caused Grei to look to the ground, lowering his arms. “Sorry,” he whispered.

​

“I don’t think this is a good idea—”

​

“Better idea than killing me… I’m sure we’ll both think that after this is done.

​

Addey rolled his eyes, but began talking anyway. “I— I…” No, Addey thought, stopping himself. No pausing. Let it out. “I’m sad… I don’t know if it’s either because I’m confused about the man I want to be and the man I am… which I also don’t know. Or if it’s because I don’t know my purpose. I feel like I’m just existing.”

​

Addey shook his head, then looked up, almost as if to check if Grei was listening. The man met his gaze and gave a slight nod, telling him to continue.

​

“A few months ago, I was kidnapped by the Deep City Reds. It was as revenge for a hunt done by the Sons of the Six.” Addey slowly began lowering the pistol, still not completely sure he was safe. The power of life and death placed in the pressure at his fingertip… well, it gave him the motivation to speak. “I guess… I liked the attention I got. I liked how my father tried to get me back. I— It showed that he cared… at least a little. I had a purpose while I was there; to keep myself together and return home. But now that I am home… I don’t know. I don’t have a purpose.” Addey’s weapon was now lowered all the way to his side, completely off-guard. “A friend of mine said we don’t need a purpose. That we exist just to be ourselves… and I like that, I do, but I… I want to know who I am before I make the decision that I’m okay with none.”

​

Addey met Grei’s eyes again, finishing his line of thought... partially. If he allowed these words to glide from his mouth, he could talk for hours. But unfortunately, time was not flowing in favor of that.

​

“Addey Sartan, you’re more confused than you should be,” Grei began, saying his words cautiously, so as not to stoke any sort of anger within Addey. But he didn’t need to worry about that. Not yet. “You’re separating one problem into two. You think that finding your purpose and finding what sort of man you want to be are different. It’s just one big problem.”

​

Addey squinted, though not really out of confusion, but more from understanding. Still, he asked, “Why?”

​

“Because you already know the man you want to be—”

​

“No, I don’t. That’s why I’m here. I don’t know,” Addey harshly interrupted, causing Grei to respond with only a straightforward gaze. One that told he wasn’t finished speaking. Addey paused, letting him continue.

​

“You know the man you want to be. If you didn’t— if you truly didn’t, you would have killed me already.” Grei looked deeply into Addey’s eyes. “Why are you here, Addey Sartan? What do you think killing me will solve?”

​

Addey thought on his questions for a moment, making sure his words — his thoughts — would come out correctly. “I decided to come here on my own. I thought killing you and joining the Sons of the Six would give me a purpose. I thought I could solve both issues at once. Killing you would show me what kind of man I am. It would show me how I felt about it, while joining the Sons would give me a group to be a part of; a purpose.”

​

“Child,” Grei started in response, slightly shaking his head, “ending a life wouldn’t make a distinction between if you are a good person or bad. You would have just ended a life. That is fundamentally… not good. That’s why I also don’t believe you came here intending to do so. You came here to make a decision you already knew the answer to.”

​

“And what decision is that?”

​

Grei took a deep breath before glancing to the wall behind him. The spot was clear, so Grei slowly bent down, sitting against it. After, he stretched out his legs, looking back to Addey. “You wanted to know if your purpose in this life was worth sacrificing the man you want to become. You already knew it wasn’t. And I can tell you, that purpose you were after, isn’t going to be found by being in a group of murderers. It’ll be found by being yourself.”

​

A tear fell from Addey’s cheek. Red storms, he thought. When had he become so emotional? He hated this. “I want to be a protector, Grei. That’s the man I want to be. But I don’t know if I am. I don’t know if I can. I want to do good, but how can I protect, without doing harm?”

​

Grei’s expression turned somber, his eyes setting toward the ground between his legs. “Sometimes you can’t. Sometimes the person you harm is yourself. But doing it while protecting others… being what a man is supposed to be… is far better a reward than doing it for your own gain.” Grei closed his hands, forming fists. “Make that your purpose, Addey. Be that man. Be the rainwalker that guards the family at night. Not the creature of the storm there to kill them.”

​

Be the rainwalker, Addey repeated in his thoughts. He liked that. No more of this. No more confusion. This is who I want to be. My purpose is to protect.

​

“You’re in a unique position, Addey,” Grei stated, nodding his head. “The son of the Addenei Sartan. You have enormous potential to do good. Your name itself would be enough, but your family’s wealth… it’s power. When you grow older, if you keep this kind heart of yours — which is obvious it’s there — you could really change this city.” He paused, looking at his desk. “I’m a finance officer to Barin Kai. I manage this casino’s money. I see people every day throw their coin away in hopes of gaining a better life. Change this place for them. Make it so that they don’t have to risk their livelihood for stability.”

​

“I want that,” Addey responded, glancing at the gun in his hand. “This is not who I am. I shot that guard out there and… I don’t ever want to do that again. I want to do what you say. Protect as many people as possible, but… I don’t know how. I’m not even to inherit the Organization, how will I—”

​

“Becoming a man isn’t something that happens in a single moment,” Grei said. “Use the resources that you have. Do what you can. And if you can’t succeed completely, know that you at least tried.” Grei shook his head. “So far I’m doing a lousy job of that myself.”

​

Addey smiled for some odd reason. “We’ll do it together then.”

​

Grei let a laugh out through his nose. “It’s a deal.”

​

Blayke was right. Addey’s life was more important than taking Grei’s. Being the man he wanted himself to be… was more important than taking the life of another in an attempt to find who that man was.

​

It was probably not what Blayke meant, but that didn’t matter. Addey smiled widely, finally understanding everything.

​

Gunshots cracked through the hallway outside, interrupting their conversation. Yells of Reds fighting collided with that noise. Addey flinched upon the sudden outburst, which was met by Grei doing the same.

​

“The Sons are here to get you,” Grei said over the commotion, jumping to his feet. “They must have pushed the Belemy guards to this point. You have to leave.”

​

“What about you?” Addey questioned, eyes growing alert. “What if they see you alive? They’ll kill you themselves!”

​

Grei thought for a moment, nervously looking around the room. “Shoot me then. In the leg. Somewhere that won’t kill me.”

​

Addey blinked, the pistol in his hand growing heavy. “I just said I never want to do that again! I— I can’t.”

​

“Addey,” Grei said seriously, “this is the first step to what you need to do. Sometimes you can’t do good without doing harm. That is just the way life goes.”

​

Addey glanced to the red pistol, its paint glossy in the light of the white light bulbs overhead. A small switch on the side read, lethal, then non-lethal on the other end. Currently, it was set to the latter.

​

“Thank you, Grei Vance,” Addey said, the gunfire growing louder. “I hope to see you again soon.” He pushed the switch raising the gun.

​

“I do too, Addey Sartan… the first Organization member I actually like… even if you were sent to kill me.” He smiled. “Good luck.”

​

Addey shared the grin, then winced as he pulled the trigger. Like earlier, the bullet whistled through the air as its bright blue glow painted the walls.

​

Grei fell to the ground, clutching a spot on his abdomen, groaning from the pain.

“I— I’m sorry,” Addey let out, hands shaking.

​

“It’s okay, child,” Grei hissed, clenching his jaw. “Now go! Try to get out before they even see me. I’ll play dead if they do. There’s a… exit to the left down the hall.”

​

Blood began seeping out from his injury. Not too much to kill him quickly, but just enough to give Addey time.

​

Addey turned, moving quickly to the door. Just as he did so, it opened on its own. Addey froze, finding Avden.

​

Instead of his brother’s eyes locking on his, they went straight to Grei. Addey’s heart stopped. Did Grei have enough time to lie down? What did Avden see? Blood stained his brother’s clothing, while some had even spattered across his face.

​

“Good job,” Avden said, grabbing Addey’s shoulder and pulling him out. “We have to go.”

Addey searched for the other Sons. Grevary, Blayke, and Drean were all standing close by, breathing heavily from the fight. The hallway was littered with bodies. Blood stained the walls, leaking from the corpses.

​

He had seen this before.

​

Addey focused on Grevary, finding the man missing an arm. The elbow joint, instead of attaching to the forearm, was severed, exposing metal and wires. His other had dark bullet holes through it, but still held a submachine in his metallic palm. The man stood over the guard Addey had shot earlier. He was dead.

​

“Where is… everyone?” Addey asked, eyes terrified from the sight, despite being witness to a full-fledged Daister’s rampage.

​

“Raegen…” Blayke hesitated. “Raegen’s been killed. Norin, we think escaped the back way. Grevary’s hurt.”

​

Addey blinked. Raegen… is dead?

​

Avden began toward the way they came from. “We have to get out. There are more guards coming. The plan didn’t work.” He turned, looking into Addey’s afraid gaze. “You were too young for this. I’m— This way.”

​

“No,” Addey called, reaching out a hand. “There’s an exit down this way. It should lead us out.”

Avden looked down the way, then nodded. “Good. Let’s get out of here.” Avden began walking, grabbing Addey’s wrist. “You’re finally a Son of the Six, but I don’t know if this was worth it.”

​

He didn’t know? Addey’s breathing began, quick and erratic. How could he not know?

​

Addey tried pulling his gaze from the dead as Avden prompted him to move, but found the bodies were stuck to it, like nails pounding into his eyes.

​

 Addey had spared Grei’s life… but what had that cost them? This would never happen again. Addey knew who he was. A protector. These people died because of his confusion.

​

No, he thought. No, they didn’t. This is his fault. Avden’s.

​

He glared at his brother as the four of them ran through the building. He killed these people. This tradition of hunting was his. He started everything.

​

Anger rose through his chest like a pillar of light reaching the bottom of the dark ocean. Addey would never be confused again. Not about who he was, the people he trusted, or his purpose.

​

It would never… happen again.