Chapter 11 : Shattered loyalties part 2

Brutal Training

The underground training facility was a battlefield.

Dim lights flickered overhead, casting jagged shadows against the cold, metallic walls. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, blood, and something heavier—desperation.

Sora stood in the center of the arena, swaying slightly. His vision was blurred, his limbs trembling from exhaustion. His shirt was ripped, exposing bruised skin and fresh wounds. Blood dripped from his split lip, splattering onto the cold steel floor.

Encircling him were five of Renzo’s top enforcers—merciless, disciplined, and lethal. Their eyes were devoid of empathy, their muscles coiled like predators waiting to pounce.

Above them, Renzo watched from the observation deck, his hands casually resting in his pockets. His expression was unreadable, but his voice carried the weight of judgment.

Renzo (calmly): "Again."

Sora exhaled sharply, wiping blood from his chin. His legs barely held him upright, but he forced himself to stand.

He wouldn’t break.

He couldn’t break.

One of the enforcers lunged.

Sora dodged—too slow. A fist crashed into his ribs, sending a shockwave of pain through his body. His breath hitched. Another knee slammed into his stomach. He choked, blood rising in his throat, then collapsed to one knee.

Renzo (coldly): "Pathetic. Is this the limit of your will?"

Sora clenched his fists, swallowing the pain.

Sora (panting): "I… I can keep going."

Renzo exhaled sharply, unimpressed.

Renzo: "Then prove it."

The largest enforcer, Koji, stepped forward. A towering brute with hands like sledgehammers. He cracked his knuckles before charging.

Sora barely had time to react.

Koji’s fist collided with his jaw—CRACK! The impact snapped Sora’s head sideways, sending stars bursting through his vision. He staggered, struggling to keep his balance.

Renzo (quietly): "If you fall again, don’t bother getting up."

Sora’s breath was ragged.

He couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.

Koji smirked and swung again.

Sora shifted at the last second, dodging the massive fist. He drove his elbow into Koji’s ribs, then slammed his knee into his gut. Before Koji could react, Sora delivered a desperate punch to his jaw.

Koji’s head snapped back.

The other enforcers hesitated.

Renzo raised an eyebrow.

Sora swayed but remained standing.

Renzo (softly): "Hmph."

Then, without warning, Renzo leaped down from the observation deck.

The room fell silent.

He landed gracefully, adjusting his sleeves as he approached Sora with slow, deliberate steps.

Sora’s stomach twisted.

Renzo stopped in front of him.

A beat of silence.

Then—

Renzo (quietly): "You are not strong enough."

In one swift motion, he grabbed Sora’s wrist—

Snap!

Sora gasped, dropping to one knee, searing pain shooting through his fingers. His breath hitched.

Renzo (coldly): "You want to earn my trust? Stop being weak."

A small folder landed beside him. A photo peeked out—a frail man in a bookstore.

Renzo: "Eliminate him."

Sora’s stomach twisted.

---

A Mission Too Far

Sora’s hands trembled as he gripped the pistol. The silencer was already attached.

Crouched on a rooftop, he stared down at the bookstore. Warm light spilled through the windows, painting the pavement gold. Inside, the old man stacked books with a peaceful smile.

Sora’s heart pounded.

One bullet. One pull of the trigger.

But his finger wouldn’t move.

Renzo’s voice echoed in his head.

"He was a civilian. Now he’s a problem. Problems get eliminated."

His breath hitched.

Then—

Bang.

The bookstore owner crumpled.

Sora didn’t move.

The world felt empty.

Slowly, he lowered the gun and disappeared into the night.

Unseen, Hiroki watched from the shadows.

His face unreadable.

He never revealed himself.

And once Sora was gone, Hiroki turned and vanished into the darkness.

---

Mikuya’s Help

Sora’s body lay motionless in the alleyway, his vision flickering between darkness and blurred reality. His fingers twitched weakly against the cold pavement. His body screamed, but his mind felt numb.

A voice.

Soft. Distant.

Mikuya (muttering): "…Damn it."

The world faded.

---

When his eyes opened, the first thing he saw was her.

Mikuya.

Kneeling beside him, her violet eyes calm as she tended to his wounds. Her touch was careful, precise—unlike anything he expected.

Sora’s breath hitched.

He had fought her before. He had failed against her before.

Yet now, she was here.

Not attacking. Not mocking.

Just… helping.

---

Sora’s Confusion

Sora (hoarse, confused): "You’re… not attacking me?"

Mikuya didn’t answer.

Sora swallowed hard.

Sora (weakly): "Why are you helping me?"

Mikuya’s hands paused. Her gaze flickered to his face.

Mikuya: "I don’t know."

Her voice was flat, unreadable.

Sora searched her expression, desperate for an answer.

Sora: "Are you going to turn me in?"

Silence.

Sora: "Do you… hate me?"

No response.

Sora clenched his jaw.

Sora (whispering): "I killed someone."

Mikuya didn’t flinch. Her hands didn’t stop working. No disgust. No condemnation.

Just silence.

Sora’s chest tightened.

Sora: "Then what do you want from me?"

Mikuya finally met his gaze.

And then, she spoke.

Mikuya: "You always have a choice."

Sora’s breath caught.

His mind spun.

Those words—he had heard them before.

A memory surfaced.

A voice from his past.

Kaito (softly): "You always have a choice, Sora."

His breath hitched.

Why had they both said the same thing?

What did it mean?

Did he really have a choice back then? Did he have one now?

His mind swirled with questions.

Yet no answers came.

"You always have a choice."

Then why did it feel like he had none?

---

Mikuya’s Departure

Mikuya finished tending to his wounds.

She stood up.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Sora lay there, staring at the sky.

For the first time in a long while, he questioned everything.

His choices.

His path.

His future.

As he watched Mikuya disappear into the shadows, he wondered—

Did he really have a choice?

Or was he already too far gone?

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