Chapter 12: Tickled By Death

The night had started as a mission, but in the warmth of the ballroom lights and the soft music, Alec and Lina had found a fleeting moment of distraction. Standing close, sharing a rare, unguarded laugh, they both felt a strange peace—something they hadn’t experienced in a long time. Their comms, unnoticed, lay untouched, and they were completely unaware of the situation unraveling around them.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team—Ken, Snow, Ulbort, Ruson, and Yusen—watched in horror as shadows moved toward the two unsuspecting targets. The team had positioned themselves carefully, their eyes trained on the entrances and exits. But as more of the tribe infiltrated the prom, the situation grew dangerously out of hand. Frantically, Ken whispered into his comm, trying to reach Alec and Lina.

“Come on, Alec, pick up… pick up!” Ken’s voice was strained, his gaze darting from one corner of the room to another, hoping to spot the duo.

But Alec and Lina were out of reach, lost in each other’s company, and too far to notice the danger creeping closer.

Then, in a flash, the atmosphere changed.

The tribe made their move with frightening precision. They honed in on the young couple—the supposed reincarnations of the ancient warlords—and closed in on them. Lina and Alec snapped out of their moment, realizing far too late what was happening. They moved to turn on their comms, but the momentary distraction had already cost them.

A barrage of gunfire erupted, piercing through the music and plunging the ballroom into chaos. Screams filled the room as people ducked for cover, scrambling to escape. Alec and Lina’s faces dropped in horror as they saw the two innocent teens collapse to the ground, hit in the crossfire.

“Alec! Lina!” Ken’s voice screamed through the comms as they finally reconnected.

The scene was brutal. Alec and Lina tried to push their way toward the injured couple, desperate to reach them. But the tribe was already retreating, their mission complete. With grim efficiency, they had taken down their targets and disappeared into the shadows as quickly as they’d arrived, leaving only the carnage behind.

Within minutes, medics arrived, rushing the two injured teens to the hospital. Alec and Lina followed close behind, feeling the weight of their failure crushing down on them. They had been so close, so foolishly distracted, and now two innocent lives hung by a thread.

Hours passed in a blur of doctors and beeping machines. The young couple was placed on life support, their conditions critical. Alec and Lina stood outside the operating room, their faces a mix of guilt, frustration, and disbelief. Their mission was clear now—find the tribe, stop them before they could strike again, and protect the remaining warlords.

And yet, the look in the young couple’s eyes haunted them. Had they done enough?