Chapter 23 - Ayden #2
He nods, eyes shifting toward the other inmates in the hangar. Now that our confrontation has turned into a regular conversation, they’ve gone back to their training routines.
He’s offering an alliance, but I know exactly who I’m dealing with. Someone as powerful as he is ruthless.
“Is this a trap?” I ask, testing him.
“You’re wondering if you can trust me? You can’t. Whether you live or die makes no difference to me. The only thing I want is to reclaim my place in the organization.”
“And what does Sam have to do with that?”
“She saved me. If I can repay the favor, I will. But it won’t be my top priority,” he states with brutal honesty. “She’s already mentioned you. I know you were close to her brother. Will you protect her?”
A direct question. I know without a doubt he’s using those strange, innate abilities of his kind to gauge the truth in my answer.
“Sam IS my priority! I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out of here safe and sound.”
“True,” he says, nodding with quiet satisfaction.
“But I’ll also swear this: once it’s over, once Sam is far from this hellhole and safe, I’ll come back for you. And when I find you again, you’ll answer for what you’ve done.”
“You’ll try. And you’ll fail,” he replies with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
“We’ll see about that.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon sitting close to each other without exchanging a word.
I assess the other fighters, watching them train, strike, fall, and get back up. Each of them seems completely focused on this training, as if their survival—or their death—depends on it. And it probably does.
Meanwhile, Noviosk watches me in silence, unmoving, unreadable. He doesn’t warm up. He doesn’t need to. He’s way above everyone else, even the Penubian, whose venomous fangs are a serious threat.
Once again, I find myself wondering how they plan to assign the matches. I’m not arrogant enough to think I’m stronger than everyone here. I believe I can beat most of them—especially the other Humans—but some species are naturally tougher, faster, stronger than mine.
I keep observing in silence. The training goes on, everyone working separately, without coordination, without supervision. There’s no sign of a trainer, a referee, or even any posted rules. Everything feels either improvised… or deliberately unclear.
I wonder how the fights will be structured. Random draw? Skill level? Species?
And most of all… will we be given weapons?
Will we be thrown into the arena to fend for ourselves? Will the matches be one-on-one? Or will it be small group combat? Or worse… a free-for-all with no rules, no mercy, and only one survivor left standing?
None of my training really prepared me for this. I’m fast, disciplined, determined. But against a Srebat, a Penubian, or even a raging Varnak, my chances drop significantly.
Suddenly, Noviosk turns to me.
"Sam will be brought back here soon. I doubt she has access to any showers in that lab. We’ll need to make sure no one bothers her while she cleans up," he says.
But I barely register anything beyond that first sentence.
Sam’s coming back.
I’m going to see her again—after all these years.
How’s she going to react? How am I going to react? Will I manage to keep it cool? Maybe whatever chemistry we had back then has faded with time... That would actually be a blessing, especially in this place where keeping a clear head is a matter of survival.
“You listening?” the Srebat barks.
“My hearing’s perfect, don’t worry about me,” I shoot back.
What was he saying again? Oh, right. Sam’s coming. And she’ll need a shower.
Fantastic. Now my brain decides to sabotage my emotional detachment with the image of her naked in the shower.
I rub my temples like that’s going to help erase the thought. Nope—total failure. Vlad might’ve been right. Maybe I should’ve let him take this mission.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Stay calm. It’s just a reunion, after years of silence, distance, carefully buried memories. Nothing more. She’s probably moved on. I just hope it’s not with Noviosk!
What a stupid thought—but it still makes my blood boil.
Before I can talk myself out of it, the door slides open with a soft hiss.
Two guards step into the hangar—and then I see her.
Sam… my blond firecracker, more beautiful than ever.
Time freezes. I’ve found her, at last.
But finding her isn’t enough. I still need to get her out of here, and that part’s far from easy.
She looks exhausted, troubled. Her eyes scan the room and land on Noviosk, towering above everyone else in the building. Without hesitation, she heads straight for him.
A sharp stab of jealousy hits me.
Does she even know who he is? That he’s responsible for Logan’s death? That he used to run Vagantu?
Then, suddenly, her gaze swings to me—drawn to me, like she can’t help it. And her face lights up.
It’s raw, instinctive. Like a beam of sunlight cutting through storm clouds.
And that smile… That’s no polite smile. It’s something deeper. Something that comes from her gut. A smile that radiates the joy of seeing me again.
She hesitates, unsure whether to let on that she’s recognized me. I nod, unable to speak, silently giving her my okay.
She takes a step toward me… then another.
And then she throws herself into my arms, right under Noviosk’s watchful gaze.
Is it just me, or is he grinding his teeth?
“You’re really here!” she breathes, like she can’t quite believe it.
“You weren’t exactly easy to track down! What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?”
“Oh, you know me—I can never resist an irresistible botanical offer,” she jokes, a sly smile on her lips.
“Let me guess… Zebulon cultivation?”
“Exactly! And you? What are you doing here?” she asks lightly, but there’s a flicker of worry behind her voice.
“I was on vacation and heard this place offered some unique entertainment. Couldn’t resist.”
She stifles a laugh, but her eyes stay serious. Every word is measured, careful—we both know we’re being watched.
“You always did have terrible taste in dangerous destinations,” she murmurs.
But there’s something I have to tell her. It tears me apart to hurt her like this, but she has to know.
“Sam, sweet girl…”
She lifts those gorgeous eyes to me, full of unspoken questions, and my breath catches.
How do I say something that’s going to shatter her?
“Logan…” I begin, my voice shaking.
“He’s dead. I know,” she cuts in before throwing herself into my arms again—this time to break down completely.
A flood of tears pours out of her, unstoppable.
As if she’s finally allowing herself to release the pain she’s been carrying since losing him.
I hold her tight, helpless, my heart splintering.
Because even if she already knew deep down… saying it aloud, to me, makes it real.
Over her shoulder, my eyes lock with Noviosk’s—and I swear vengeance a thousand times over for what he did.
He looks away.
Just for a second. But it’s enough to plant the seed of doubt.
Was it regret? Shame? Or just a trick of my anger, twisting what I want to see?
I tighten my arms around Sam. She’s still crying, inconsolable.
Suddenly, she stiffens.
Some guy with a nasty look on his face steps closer and asks,
“So… changed your mind? You cool with sharing her now?”
He’s talking to Noviosk, whose sharp glare promises this guy a world of pain.
“You wanna test your luck and see if it goes any better than for your buddy who tried sneaking up on her last night?” Noviosk growls.
“But why aren’t you saying anything to the new guy who just showed up?” the guy protests, jerking his chin toward me.
“They knew each other before. But the promise I made still stands. You touch her, you’re dead.”
“I can wait,” the brute shrugs. “She won’t be glued to your side forever. You’ll fall asleep at some point.”
He spits on the floor and walks away.
In my arms, Sam has stopped crying. She’s trembling now, shaken by the threat from that bald bastard.
“So tell me, Human,” Noviosk says, turning toward me. “Did you come here with a plan?”
Yeah, like I’d share it with you. Keep dreaming.