Year 2047

  Month [Redacted]

  Outskirts [ █████ ]

  [Redacted]

  The warehouse’s dim lighting left most of the space in shadow, interrupted only by occasional bursts of orange and yellow gunfire that illuminated the night sky in flashing chaos. The air was thick with concrete dust and the acrid smell of spent rounds.

  Three heavily armed figures in tactical gear had taken cover behind concrete barriers, their positions betrayed only by the muzzle flares of their weapons.

  Three bodies lay motionless on the floor, their blood pooling beneath them, soaking into the cracked concrete.

  “Where the fuck are they!” one of the armed men shouted in the harsh dialect of the Outer Settlements, incomprehensible to most Rebirth City residents.

  “I don’t know, I don’t even know who is attacking us. What's happening they came out of nowhere and hit us hard. Oh my, the great heavenly skies, our friends our dead. We will die. We need to get out here.” another of the men panicked.

  “Keep it together Meshitak they will die for it is the will of the heavens and we will carry it out. Now focus!”

  Another armed figure sprinted towards them wearing similar tactical gear.

  “Krenach your alive!” one of the three said excitedly.

  “I’m being chased by a kid help.” Krenach screamed

  The three looked to see Sai chasing Krenach.

  “He’s just one kid! How hard can it be to kill him?” One of the three left their cover and prepared to engage, only to notice that Sai had disappeared.

  “Where did he go?” the man scanned the area, his weapon raised.

  A scream echoed from somewhere deeper in the warehouse, followed by silence.

  “That sounded like Farek,” Krenach whispered, his voice shaking. “How many of you are left?”

  “Just us four now,” replied one of them, his eyes constantly moving between the shadows. “We had twelve men when we started this operation. Whatever hit us, it hit us fast.”

  “You're in charge Krenach so what now?” Meshitak asked.

  “Uh follow me!” Krenach said

  They moved as a unit, backs to each other, while they covered all angles as they navigated through the warehouse. The newly appointed leader signaled for them to stop at an intersection of aisles between tall storage shelves.

  “Listen,” he commanded.

  The warehouse fell silent except for the distant drip of water and the occasional creak of metal settling.

  “I don’t hear anyth—” Krenach began.

  A body dropped from above, landing with a heavy thud directly in front of them. The corpse’s throat had been cut with precision, the blood still wet and glistening.

  “Farek!” one of them gasped.

  The leader spun around, firing blindly into the darkness above them. “Show yourselves, cowards!”

  Movement to their left sent them all turning, weapons raised. Another dead comrade lay slumped against a support column, eyes fixed in a permanent stare of shock. He hadn’t been there moments before.

  “They’re toying with us,” the leader hissed.

  “What the hell! We were just going to explore a ruin from the old world why the fuck are we up against something like this!” one screamed.

  “Shut the fuck up or you’ll give away our position.” another scolded.

  “This isn’t right,” Meshitak whispered, his hands trembling on his weapon. “We were told this would be a simple salvage operation. No one said anything about... whatever this is.”

  “Keep moving,” the leader ordered. “We need to reach the command post. Yorvak has the heavy weapons there.”

  They proceeded more cautiously now, jumpy at every shadow they saw. As they rounded a corner, a new sound stopped them cold—the unmistakable metallic click of someone checking a weapon’s magazine.

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  “There!” Krenach fired at a fleeting shadow, the muzzle flash momentarily illuminating empty space.

  “No, there!” Another volley of shots, another empty target.

  That’s when they saw it—a small metallic object rolling toward them across the concrete floor.

  “Grenade!” the leader shouted.

  They scattered as the flash-bang detonated, temporarily blinding and deafening them. When their vision cleared seconds later, Meshitak was gone.

  “Where is he? Where’s Meshitak?” Krenach’s panicked voice cracked.

  A gurgling sound drew their attention upward. Meshitak hung suspended from a chain, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled weakly, eyes wide with terror.

  The three remaining men broke formation and ran.

  …

  Sai crouched on a steel beam thirty feet above the warehouse floor, a throwing knife balanced perfectly between his fingers. Below him, two armed men lay in the exact positions where they had fallen, their throats sliced open before they could make a sound.

  His tactical gear was pure black, with no insignia or markings. Even the metal components had been treated to prevent reflection. Nothing about him would catch the light—he existed within the shadows, not merely hidden by them but embraced by it.

  In his other hand, he held a compact semi-automatic handgun, modified for stealth operations.

  “Sector four cleared,” came a soft voice from his left.

  Another figure emerged from the darkness, dressed in identical tactical gear. She carried a suppressed sniper rifle, moving across the beam with a bag of chips in her hand.

  “Vira,” Sai acknowledged with a slight nod, then looked at the bag and opened his mouth. Vira responded by putting a chip in.

  “Three hostiles remaining, plus their leader.” Sai reported.

  “Four,” she corrected. “There’s another one hiding behind the shipping containers in sector five. Reja is tracking him.”

  A third shadow detached itself from a distant corner and approached them.

  “The remaining hostiles are converging on the command post,” Reja reported, her voice a whisper. “Enemy leader is there with five guards. They’ve mounted a heavy turret and are preparing for a final stand.”

  Vira sighed deeply. “That sounds like effort.”

  “Vira stop with your lethargy, your going to affect Sai. You already corrupted him with your snack addiction.”

  “She’s right it does sound like a pain in the ass.” Sai responded.

  “Damn it, it’s too late hard working Sai has already been tainted.” Reja shook her head in disappointment.

  “To be fair, I never particularly worked hard, just did as was ordered no more and no less.” Sai shrugged as Vira placed another chip in his mouth.

  “We need a plan,” Vira stated. “That turret has enough firepower to tear through our gear.”

  Sai studied the layout beneath them. “Reja, create a distraction at the east entrance. Vira, eliminate the turret operator when he turns to respond.” He paused. “I’ll handle the leader.”

  “And the others?” Reja asked.

  “Lord Mercier is approaching from the south entrance,” Sai replied. “He’ll deal with them.”

  They dispersed to their positions. Sai moved silently along the steel support structure, positioning himself directly above the command post. Below, he could see the leader barking orders to his men as they fortified their position. The heavy turret was mounted on a platform, its operator scanning the warehouse with nervous vigilance.

  Sai tapped his communication device once. The signal to begin.

  From the eastern side of the warehouse came a tremendous crash as Reja toppled a stack of metal containers. The turret immediately swiveled toward the sound.

  Vira’s shot was so incredibly quick and so very quiet that it barely registered, yet proof of the shot existed as the turret operator slumped forward, a hole through his forehead.

  Chaos erupted below as the remaining men realized they were under attack. Sai watched emotionlessly, waiting for the perfect moment.

  The leader ran toward the turret, intending to man it himself. That’s when Sai dropped.

  He landed directly behind the man, his blade already in motion. The leader sensed him at the last second and turned, raising his weapon in a desperate attempt to defend himself.

  Sai was too quick.

  The leader.

  To his own misfortune.

  Was too slow.

  Sai’s knife found its mark with precision, and the leader collapsed, his weapon clattering uselessly to the floor.

  Without wasting a second, Sai shifted smoothly, drawing his gun.

  The remaining guards turned their attention to him, weapons raised.

  The leader’s misfortune seemed to infect his subordinates.

  For they, too, were too slow.

  Sai fired first, two sharp suppressed shots hitting the weak points of one man’s protective vest, dropping him before the others could even aim.

  The remaining guards scattered, seeking cover. Vira’s rifle cracked twice more from her position, eliminating another guard. Reja appeared from the shadows, dispatching the third with a swift knife across the throat.

  In less than thirty seconds, it was over. The area stood silent, bodies scattered across the floor.

  “That was almost too easy,” Reja commented, wiping her blade clean.

  Vira jumped down from her position, landing beside Sai with a soft thud. “I’m starving. Anyone want the rest of my chips?”

  “That makes no sense why are you offering your chips if your starving?” Sai muttered.

  “What was that?” Reja asked. Sai stayed quiet as he looked for a spot to lean.

  “Seriously you have to stop eating during operations,” Reja sighed, shaking her head.

  Sai leaned against the turret, examining it with mild interest. “This is pretty high grade. Guess these guys were doing well for themselves.”

  “Suspicious, It must be a plot!” Vira yelled, crumpling the empty chip bag and tucking it into a pouch.

  The other two ignored her.

  “South entrance secured,” came in a report. "Lord Mercier engaged hostiles."

  The three Children of the Arena exchanged glances.

  “Shouldn’t we uh you know join him?” Reja suggested.

  “Let’s not rush,” Vira yawned. “He doesn’t need our help.”