Rain poured relentlessly over the streets, bouncing off puddles and washing away the faint smell of smoke and iron from the Deadlands. A woman stepped out of a nearby store, her umbrella held by an attendant to shield her from the rain. The car parked across the street was nothing more than a decoy a lure meant to draw Sunny out. She moved with the kind of grace that suggested power, and authority, radiating from her every step.
"Hey, there's no need to follow me," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "You can wait in the car, okay?"
"Ok, my queen," the attendant replied, bowing slightly as he returned to the car.
Sunny's eyes followed her, scanning her movements. He knew better than to underestimate anyone who carried herself like that. The queen approached him, her red hair tied tightly back, and her blue robe clung to her figure, hinting at both elegance and lethal precision.
"It's been a long time," she said, her eyes assessing him. "You're still as good as I remember."
Sunny snorted, lips curling into a smirk. "Stop the flattering. You know I could kill you where you stand."
She didn't flinch. "I know you can't." Her confidence was unnerving. "That was when we were still Raz kids, and you had just become a Razor. Now… I am a Queen."
Sunny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What do you want?"
"I want you to do a mission for me."
"Sorry, that's not happening."
She smiled faintly, almost amused. "You think you kill for Talon, following his orders without hesitation, and call it loyalty? I know the real reason you do what you do, Sunny. I know you're still hurting… from the deaths during the trials."
"Shut your mouth," Sunny snapped. "Their deaths have nothing to do with what's happening here. They died because they wanted to take the trials too."
"Let me know when you change your mind," she said, turning toward her car. "It was nice seeing you again, Sunny."
Her words lingered, but Sunny's mind was already racing. "You're still the same as ever, but now you have more poison in your mouth," he muttered.
"Time is changing, Sunny," the Queen's voice called back as her car drove away. "The Deadlands are not ready for what is to come."
Meanwhile, inside the barracks, RV paced nervously. "You can't be thinking of doing this," he said, his voice tense.
"I have already decided," RV replied, determination flashing in his eyes.
"You're insane… a fool. It's not worth the risk; you could get caught," Gareth said, worry etched across his face.
"It is to me," RV whispered, almost pleading.
"Please help me," RV begged.
Gareth sighed, pulling out a folded map and spreading it across the table. "Ok, this is where the house cooks are, and Ryan's chamber is on the second floor, room one." He pointed with a steady finger. "You understand?"
"Yeah, got it. I'll be back," RV said, determination steady in his voice.
"Don't get yourself killed," Gareth warned. "If it's too hard, you can return."
RV slipped silently through the barracks, every step calculated. He watched Ryan leave his room, waiting for the perfect moment. As the door opened, RV climbed through the window and into the room, the shadows concealing him.
He found the totem hidden in a drawer and carefully pocketed it but in his haste, he knocked a candle to the floor.
CLANG.
Ryan's eyes snapped toward the noise. "Where do you think you are?" he demanded, already moving with lethal precision.
RV tried to run, but Ryan's strength was unmatched. With one precise strike, RV was incapacitated, sprawled across the floor.
"What is going on here? What is all this noise?" Lola's voice called from the doorway.
"He came into my chamber and stole something! He will be executed in front of the Raz kids tomorrow," Ryan said, his expression cold as stone.
Two guards rushed in, grabbing RV. "Yes, my prince," they said in unison.
"What… who is he?" Sunny asked, finally arriving at the scene, his mind piecing it together.
"I don't really know his name, but he was a newbie," the guard replied.
Sunny's thoughts raced. That must be the boy I warned… He clenched his fists and turned, leaving quickly, determined to ensure RV didn't get himself killed in a world that would show no mercy.