“War always reaches the depths of horror because of idiots who perpetuate terror from generation to generation under the pretext of vengeance.” - Guy Sajer (The Forgotten Soldier)

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  The familiar sounds of a motorbike came to a stop outside Cross Cafe, and Timo looked up from his current task of wiping the plates in front of him. The bartender and cafe owner met with the eyes of his sole customer at that moment who was seated in a corner booth.

  The man nodded to Timo, and he nodded back.

  “She’s here.”

  The bell tinkled somewhere in the cafe, even as the doors were opened. Two pairs of eyes swivelled towards the door even as two youngsters stepped in. Timo honestly wished to say that he was surprised Zest came with Sera, but he wasn’t.

  He only nodded to the pair who nodded back, putting down the plate that he was wiping. “I’ll close up for you,” he only murmured, walking towards the door and flipping the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’.

  At this hour, Timo seriously doubts that he would have any customers coming by anyway.

  In the corner booth, Karl got to his feet, a relieved smile spreading across his face when he laid eyes on the pair even as they approached.

  “I was hoping… I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but you’re both still alive.” Karl murmured, not removing his eyes from Sera, even as the pair of youngsters sat in the chairs in front of him. “It’s been a long time, both of you.”

  Sera nodded. “At least five years, I believe,” she murmured. “You look well, you old pervert.”

  Karl cracked a smile.

  Zest was silent as he looked between the pair. All of Blade knew of Karl Boyle and had met the man at least once in their lives. This man is after all the one who’d raised Sera—or as much as he could anyway, with how he travelled around Eldario for his work. He had taught Sera how to survive and even taught all of them how to fight at some point.

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  “Word is going around the underground. And even amongst the hunters.” Karl went straight to the point. “The Butcher… Was he your work?” He questioned bluntly, directing this question at Sera.

  “And if he is?” Sera questioned coolly, leaning back into her chair, arms crossed over her chest. “Are you going to try to stop me?”

  Karl looked as if he was about to say that, but he only opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing, his shoulders slumping. For a moment, he looked older than his actual age, before the man then shook his head.

  “No. I don’t have any right to.” Karl admitted. “I knew what I was turning you into when I taught you how to fight, and how to kill. If you’re openly targeting the hunters, then you know the consequences?” He directed this question to the pair in front of him this time. Where Sera goes, Karl knows that Zest will follow. As will the rest of Blade—whichever of them survived the purge on them all those years ago, that is.

  “I do.”

  Karl seemed to fight some kind of internal fight within himself, clenching and unclenching his hands into fists on the table in between them. He met with Sera’s eyes. “Tiara would never forgive me if anything happened to you,” he said quietly. “And neither would your dad. He’ll be waiting for me at the side of the devil once I die if I let you do this.”

  “They have no say in how I live my life, Karl, and you know that.” Sera shot back almost harshly, half rising from her chair. She winced when she saw the hurt look in Karl’s eyes and sank back into her seat. “That didn’t come out right.” She murmured. She paused, contemplating her words. “I made my choices years ago. I know what I’m in for. As did all of us. We’re prepared for the consequences.”

  “We can’t ignore the situation in Eldario any longer, Karl,” Zest added. “And you know that.”

  “I do. The hunters’ movements are getting strange. It’s why I came back.” Karl admitted. “It’s getting difficult even for me to contact Tiara.” He sucked in a breath. “You’ll ignore me, even if I tell you to leave the hunters be, won’t you?” He asked wryly.

  “Yes.” Both Sera and Zest responded at the same time. The pair exchanged bemused looks before turning back to an amused-looking Karl. “And we’re going to have to take the fight to the hunters directly this time because something is wrong.” Sera pointed out. “Their movements are getting strange. The hunters are getting desperate. And desperate men make for dangerous men.”

  Karl wanted to groan out loud. On one hand, he wanted to stop Sera—whatever she had in mind, he knew that it wasn’t going to be pretty, considering what the hunters did to Blade and their allies. On the other hand, he would be a hypocrite if he tried to stop her.

  And yet again, Sera had earned her reputation for a reason. She had the skills to back up her own words, and Karl couldn’t be prouder of her if he’d tried. Whatever the hunters are up to this time, if there is anyone that can stop them, it would be Sera.

  And this time, she isn’t doing this alone.

  “Even if I tell you not to, you would just ignore me, won’t you?” Karl asked. It was phrased more as a statement than a question.

  Sera said nothing, only rubbing her thumb over the distinct black blade tattoo on the under-wrist of her left hand. “Why ask if you know the answer?” She said at last. “I don’t do the easy things in life. I never did.” She exchanged looks with Zest. “You didn’t raise a coward, Karl. If you wanted me to do something different, you should have raised me differently. I won’t look away from reality. Not anymore.”