Fletcher had all the intel he needed, and now it was time to make a decision about his prisoner.

“what are you gonna do with me? I told you everything I know” Binna anxiously asked her captor, wondering what would be her ultimate fate. 

“…” Fletcher kept quiet and said nothing.

“Are you going to kill me?” Binna felt unsettled and terrified by her kidnapper's indifferent demeanor it made the situation even more unnerving. 

“I won’t… you have such a useful ability” Fletcher slowly uttered as if he had something on his mind. 

Binna rejoiced at the sound of those words, she thought it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she can survive now and avenge later, but her joy was cut short when she heard the next few words. 

“But there is someone else who might” Fletcher said with some uncertainty. 

Fletcher invited Ray inside the room, after arriving in the room, he stood beside Fletcher obediently. 

Binna tensed eyes relaxed a bit when she recognized the young man. 

“Oh look at! you finally learned how to act like a man” Fletcher said encouragingly. 

“Yes sir” Ray responded coyly. 

“Do you remember what I told you before?” Fletcher asked Ray in a serious manner.  

“To follow all your orders and not be a disappointment” Ray responded almost soldier-like. 

 “Hmm, almost, tell me ray what do you think of her?” Fletcher asked, probing what is on Ray’s mind. 

“I don’t really feel anyway or another about her, she looks similar to my age, and that’s about it” Ray answered immediately, and he gave his honest opinion. 

“Interesting, what if I were to tell you, that this woman is an awakened sent here to kill us, what would you do about it” Fletcher satisfied with Ray’s answer, asked another question. 

“She! An awakened? But she looks so weak” Ray shocked by the sudden revelation, said in complete disbelief.  

“Never judge a person by their appearance; it’s the most fatal mistake you can make in battle.” Fletcher said, as a hardened individual who experienced many battles, he wanted to impart some of his knowledge to this naïve kid. 

“Even if she’s an awakened, I will stop her by all means necessary, even if I have to…” Ray regained his composure and said calmly, and even though he couldn’t say the last word clearly, it was apparent he had it in his mind.  

“Then show me your resolve, kill her” Fletcher finally cut through the chase, and put Ray to the test. 

Ray looked visibly lost, he kept looking around him, trying to confirm what he just heard, after all, he had never killed someone before, however, things are different now, the world is a complete mess, and Ray was in the smack middle of everything, things such as murder, kidnapping, and torture, he had seen it all first hand, it would be a miracle for someone to remain the same, untainted by all the surrounding carnage. 

“Remember Ray she came here with her friends to kill us, to kill you, to kill Olivia” Fletcher added fuel to the fire, he could see that Ray needed a push. 

“He’s lying!! Please don’t we were just going to investigate the hotel murders, we would never hurt innocent people” Binna jolted out of her dazed and bewildered state of mind, fully realizing that her life hung in the balance, and that it was in the hands of the young man before her. With a fierce determination burning within her, she cried out to him with all the intensity of a defendant pleading their case in front of a court of law.

“Did you hear that Ray, they would never hurt innocent people, so if they deem you guilty, they would kill you without a second thought” Fletcher masterfully twisted Binna’s words, turning everything she said against her. 

“No!! That’s not what I meant, his twisting my words, I meant we would never hurt anyone” Binna realized her choice of words wasn’t perfect, so she tried to explain herself again. 

“Listen to me Ray, in this world the strong rain supreme, remember these words, a person can be one of two things, a tool for others to use and toss, or be a person in control of your own fate” Fletcher wrapped his arm around Ray and said thoughtfully, he had a way with words, against the skills of a master manipulator, Binna was fighting a lost battle,   

 “I…” Ray faintly uttered slightly hesitated, he was succumbing to Fletcher’s reasoning,  

“ARE YOU IN CONTROL OR A TOOL? SHOW ME WHO YOU ARE RAY?” Fletcher felt his subject teetering on the edge, it was now or never, so he put a dagger in Ray’s hand, and shouted at him, giving him the final push he needed. 

“I AM NOT A TOOL, I AM IN C O N T R O L” Ray finally caved under the pressure, when he heard those words, he felt anger toward his own weakness, and when he felt the knife in his hand, he sensed the power it gave him, so without hesitation, Ray pounced forward and stabbed Binna in the heart. 

“NOO!!!” Binna's pleading eyes changed into a look of confusion and betrayal, the young man she felt safety and kindness from, is the same one piercing her heart with a knife 

Fletcher walked closer and grabbed ray’s hand and put it on Binna’s chest “Can you feel her heartbeats slowing down, look at her eyes, the spark of life is slowly fading away” 

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” with blood staining his face and hands, ray said gently, the bloody experience surprisingly was quite mesmerizing, the feeling of the knife penetrating the skin, the rushing feeling of power, Ray was in complete infatuation.  

“…” taken back by the unexpected words, fletcher couldn’t help but think, the kid has some potential after all. 

“Congratulation, Ray you just took your first life, how does it feel?” Fletcher asked inquisitively. 

 “I feel like I’ve opened my eyes to a new world, is this how it feels to kill someone?” “why does it feel good” Ray turned around and said with a twisted smile and murderous eyes. 

Look at this kid developing a taste for blood, and releasing his killing intent. 

“Yes killing is an innate desire in all of us, but humans grow to suppress it and neglect it, that’s why they are weak, but beware! Killing can also make you weak if you don’t learn how to control it, tame it and use it” Fletcher responded with full confidence. 

“Is that what you meant when you said be in control?” ray asked in curiosity. 

“Exactly, without it; what’s the difference between us and beasts” Fletcher answered affirmatively.  

Fletcher turned his attention toward Binna’s body and swung his hand casually, but when it made contact with Binna’s head, it caused it to explode into little pieces, turning the walls of the room into something akin to a disgusting abstract painting. 

A green ability core dropped on the ground, it’s the item fletcher desired most, Binna’s death was a guarantee whether it was at the hand of Fletcher or Ray, because there was no way Fletcher would let such a useful ability core slip out of his fingers. 

Ray noticed the mysterious object, however, he chose to ignore it, it was best not to be too nosy, the power he just witnessed sobered him up fully.

LostBreath

Greetings, after you finish reading the new chapter, kindly take a look at the 1st and second chapters, and give them a read, I edited them to the best of my ability, and I will edit more chapters by the end of the week