The Rebellion

Yuki awoke with a start, his breath catching in his throat. The familiar tightness around his wrists sent a wave of déjà vu crashing over him. He groaned. Tied to a chair again. Twice in one day—seriously? His body ached from the earlier struggle, and his head throbbed in protest.

Distant voices broke through the fog clouding his mind. A male and female, locked in an argument, their tones sharp and cutting.

“You hurt him!” the male voice yelled, frustration evident.

“Not badly enough to kill him,” the female shot back, her tone cold and unapologetic.

Blinking against the harsh light above him, Yuki forced his vision to focus. The figures before him solidified. Jun? And standing beside him, a familiar face he wished he could unsee: Maya, his sister.

“Why’d you hurt him?!” Jun demanded again, his hands gesturing wildly. “This wasn’t the plan, Maya! I was supposed to bring him!”

“Well, you clearly didn’t have the guts for that,” Maya replied, arms crossed, her stance unyielding. “The counselor was going to start getting impatient, and you know it."

“Jun…” Yuki croaked, his voice dry and strained. He coughed violently, catching their attention.

Both heads whipped toward him. Jun’s eyes widened, and he rushed forward, concern etched into his face.

“Yuki! You’re awake!” Jun dropped to his knees, his hands hovering nervously as though unsure how to help.

Yuki blinked up at him, still disoriented. “What’s going on?” he rasped, his gaze shifting toward Maya. His stomach churned. “Wait—you do know her?” He turned back to Jun, voice rising in disbelief. “Jun, what the—”

Maya stood silently in the background, watching with an almost smug expression, her arms still crossed as if daring him to piece it together.

Jun let out a shaky breath, his hands running through his hair in frustration. “I’ll explain everything, Yuki,” he murmured.

Yuki’s head swam with confusion and anger. “Explain what?!” he snapped, his voice cracking under the strain. “Why she tied me up again? Or why you’ve been lying to me this whole time?!”

Jun faltered, his lips parting as if to respond, but Maya cut him off.

“Enough,” she said sharply, stepping forward. Her voice carried authority, commanding immediate attention.

Jun turned to glare at her. “You’re making this worse.”

“Am I?” Maya tilted her head, unimpressed. “Because from where I’m standing, you couldn’t even handle your part of the plan. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Yuki watched their exchange, his breathing uneven as panic began to claw at him. Every instinct screamed at him to fight back, but the ropes around his wrists bit into his skin, holding him captive.

Jun crouched beside him again and began fumbling with the knots. “I’m getting you out of these.”

“Wait,” Maya said, her voice low and dangerous.

“I’m not waiting anymore,” Jun retorted, his hands still working to untie the ropes.

Maya’s hand shot out, grabbing Jun’s arm in an iron grip. Her glare froze him in place.

“Let go,” Jun growled, but Maya didn’t budge.

Yuki’s pulse quickened as he watched the scene unfold. “Stop it!” he shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his panic.

Jun winced as Maya twisted his arm behind his back, forcing him to his knees with a groan of pain.

“Jun!” Yuki yelled, struggling against his restraints. “Leave him alone!”

“He’s fine,” Maya snapped, her voice dismissive. She crouched beside Jun and placed her hand on his arm. Within seconds, the tension in Jun’s body eased, and he sat up, cradling his arm but otherwise unharmed.

“You can heal him…” Yuki murmured, staring in disbelief.

Maya rolled her eyes. “What part of having every genetic modification didn’t you understand? And for the record, I didn’t hurt him that badly.”

Jun shot her a glare before standing and returning to Yuki’s side. Ignoring Maya’s disapproval, he resumed untying the ropes.

“Finally,” Yuki muttered under his breath as the bindings fell away. He rubbed his wrists, the skin red and raw.

Maya stepped closer. “What did I say about following my rules?”

Jun huffed but stepped back, allowing Yuki to rise. “You’re in charge, Maya.”

Yuki quickly stood, stumbling slightly as he backed away from the two of them. His arms crossed over his chest in a protective gesture, his eyes darting between them.

“Wait, Yuki,” Jun said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “Just hear me out.”

“Hear you out?” Yuki’s voice trembled with anger. “You lied to me, Jun! You told me you didn’t know her! What else have you been hiding?!”

Jun hesitated, guilt flashing across his face. “I didn’t want to involve you—”

“Were we even friends?” Yuki interrupted, his voice breaking. “Or was this all part of some plot? Am I just a piece in your stupid game?!”

“I didn’t even know we needed you until recently!” Jun exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. “I—I didn’t want to involve you in anything, but just hear us out, Yuki…”

“What do you mean?!” Yuki’s anger and confusion didn’t dissipate.

Jun faltered, looking helplessly at Maya. She sighed and stepped forward, brushing past him.

“Let me,” Maya said coldly. With a wave of her hand, a hologram flickered to life in the air.

Yuki’s breath hitched as the images began to play.

The hologram unfolded like a documentary, stark and unrelenting. It opened with scenes of overcrowded slums, children in tattered clothing scavenging through trash heaps. Their faces were gaunt, their eyes hollow with hunger and despair.

The screen shifted, contrasting these images with footage of towering skyscrapers and glittering cityscapes where the genetically modified elite thrived. They wore their enhancements like badges of honor, their wealth and privilege glaringly obvious.

A narrator’s voice explained the ever-widening gap between the modified and unmodified, painting a bleak picture of a world driven by genetic superiority.

The images turned violent—protests erupting in the streets, unmodified citizens demanding equality. Riot police stormed the crowds, their weapons raised against those who dared to speak out.

The final scene lingered on a child clutching their parent’s hand, tears streaming down their face as they stood before a line of armed guards. The hologram faded to black, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake.

Yuki stared at the empty space where the images had been, his chest tight with a mix of horror and disbelief. “This is…” His voice trailed off.

“Horrible,” Maya finished for him, her voice quieter now. Her usual sternness seemed to falter as she looked at him. “It’s inhumane. And Yuki, we need your help… desperately.”

Yuki turned to her, his expression conflicted. “You need my mods… or lack of,” he said slowly. “And my parents’ research. How would any of that work?”

Maya remained silent, but her gaze was steady. Jun stepped forward and spoke up for her. “We’re still working that out, Yuki. But we need you to join us. Join me. There are hundreds of thousands of us—all across Tokyo, Japan, and globally—”

Yuki hesitated, his mind racing.

Maya and Jun turned toward the door, silently beckoning him to follow.

After a moment’s hesitation, Yuki trailed behind them. The door opened, and he froze.

The underground room was massive, packed with people. Most were unmodified, their faces worn but resolute. Others were clearly modified, their enhancements standing out, yet they wore the same determined expressions.

“This is The Rebellion,” Jun said softly, gesturing to the crowd.

Yuki swallowed hard, the enormity of it all pressing down on him. Jun turned to him, his gaze steady.

“Will you join us?”

Yuki stared at the sea of faces, his heart pounding. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

“I’ll join you.”