Hector breathes heavily. “You are not welcome here. If you leave me and my army at peace, I will leave as well. Your new friends can take this city. Let them be victorious.”
The figures glow brighter. “Thank you, Paul. We appreciate your—”
“He’s lying! He’s going to invade Unity and—”
Hector hits the side of my head. The sharp pain makes me stumble to my knees, and through the bells in my ears, I hear Timothy calling my name.
The lizard men hiss in anger as the yellowish figure steps forward, stopping a few feet from us. “Do not hurt this one.”
“Is he also one of your new friends?” Hector pulls out a gun and holds it to my head, the barrel cold against my temple. I don’t want to die, but I’d rather get shot than be torn apart by sharp claws.
“The one who named us Goo asked that we protect this one, and we gave him our word.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Take him with you,Goo, as long as you get out of my way.”
“So you can invade a Hive with your army of evil?”
“Army of evil? My fucking blood made them!Ourblood!”
The figure spreads its arms toward the lizard men. They seem to be less scared, which concerns me. “We would never wish to curse someone with this fate.”
“This is not your decision to make. I left you behind a lifetime ago.”
“And you took with you four of our children who you swore to protect.”
The gun shakes in his hand. I wish to make myself as small as possible, but I’m afraid to move. This loaded conversation between them is over a century in the making.
“If they had listened to me, they might have still been alive.” Despite Hector’s words, I catch the uncertainty in his voice. A part of me pities him, but it was his choice to turn his tragedy into a lifelong quest for destruction.
“You can’t continue seeking revenge while others seek peace, Paul.” The figure takes a step closer, but lizard men move to block its path.
I look up at Timothy as he watches me surrounded. I tell him with my lips to leave, but he stubbornly shakes his head.
“Do you really believe the people out there seek peace?” Hector snorts. “I gave them a common enemy to unite against, but what will happen once I’m gone? Do you think they won’t find something else to fight over? History is bound to repeat itself, and human instincts never change. By stopping me, you might end this war, but you will also be launching the next one.”
I shiver, knowing he’s telling the truth. I’ve spent countless hours reading in Unity’s library, learning of what came beforethe war that ended all wars. Father, Hector, the Raiders… there will always be someone seeking to control and reshape the world in their image.
I can’t change history or decide what the future holds, but at this moment in time, Idomatter.
“He won’t back down,” I tell the figure, my voice steadier than my heartbeat. “Nothing you can say will make him change his mind. He’s going to invade Unity and transform everyone there so he can continue spreading like a plague. If you want to stop him, this is your only chance.”
Hector looks down at me, disappointment in his eyes, and maybe even sadness. “I wish we had more time together, little one. I would have made you understand eventually.”
I hold my breath and brace myself for a shot as Timothy shouts, “Please don’t hurt him!”
A nasty spark lights in Hector’s eyes, and my fear erupts like a bomb.“No!”
He moves the gun and shoots, the bullet ripping part of Timothy’s head off. Bright sparks burst as he slumps, one of his hands dangling from the ledge of the outflow.
A mighty wave of sorrow and guilt crashes over me, flooding my lungs until I can’t breathe. I must wake up from this nightmare, because this can’t be real.
In the corner of my eye, I notice the yellow figure lunging forward. It’s met with lizard men who tear it apart. They shriek in pain as their skin and bones burn, but they fight on until they’re turned into ash.
Hector screams as chaos erupts. Scales appear across his face. He grows two feet taller, his shirt and pants tearing. His eyesburn brightly with a yellow glow, and two dark horns covered in blood emerge from his skull.
This is the real him, the version he’s been hiding for decades.
Something knocks into me and shoves me aside. I cover my head to avoid getting hit because there’s nowhere to run. I sharply bring my knees to my chest as a yellow puddle gathers around me, creating a protective barrier. All across the dome, yellow figures clash with lizard men, filling my head with horrible shrieks of pain. The scent of scorched flesh is sickening, clogging my throat.
