the goddess

*LAIN*

When my eyes finally open, the smell of smoke fills the air, and I can't help but wonder what happened.

Then it all comes back to me.

Drex actually fucking shot me.

I slowly get up and wince in pain when I trace where the pain is coming from, but the funny thing is that my hand isn't covered in blood like I expected it to.

I had a small scar where I was shot.

What the actual fuck?

I can't seem to wrap my head around it.

While grabbing some clothes, I realize that I haven't seen Freya since I woke up.

Did Drex take her?

I look around the cabin searching for her and just as I'm about to lose the little sanity I have, I see a hand behind the tree.

Dread fills me, and the mere thought of seeing Freya's dead body sends me reeling.

He killed her and left her here.

I swallow hard and begin walking towards the tree, and when I'm finally close enough, I'm stunned to find Freya's naked body.

My eyes widen in shock as I check her pulse and for injuries.

She looks pretty fine.

Axel growls in response.

He doesn't like seeing Freya this vulnerable, and he wants to get revenge on Drex for putting her in this state.

I place my hand on her cheek and she feels extremely hot.

Is she coming down with a fever or something?

I carry her in my arms and take her inside the cabin, placing her on the bed. I grab one of my spare shirts and boxers and dress her.

The mere sight of her body makes Axel impatient, and he wants to mark her right away and make her his forever.

That doesn't settle well with me because I never really liked this girl. I was just a bounty hunter sent after her tail, and I couldn't do the job because Axel claimed her.

I begin pacing around the cabin thinking about where to escape to. If Drex left her alive, that means he's still coming back here, and I have a feeling that he won't be coming back alone this time.

Perhaps with the whole organization so that he can rub it in my face.

He'd like that, I'm sure of it.

*DREX*

When my eyes finally open, I let out a groan as I feel my body crumbling with pain. It feels like my life flashed before my eyes, but she left me alive for a reason.

I slowly get up, wiping away the dried leaves that covered my body. And to make matters worse, I lost my hostage.

Galen won't be too happy about this.

Maybe I should just make up a story and tell him that Noah died while I was fighting Lain, but I have a feeling that he'd never actually believe that.

He'd probably request his head on a silver platter or something.

No one in the Dark Tide is normal.

When I'm back on my feet, I'm interrupted by the vibrating device in my pocket and when I fish it out, Galen's number flashes on the small screen.

I sigh deeply and answer the call, placing the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

There is silence from the other end of the line, and that makes me feel uneasy.

He is definitely in a bad mood, and I'm going to worsen it by giving him bad news.

“Did you eliminate the threats?” He asks curiously, his cold tone making me nervous.

I shake my head negatively, as if he can see me right now.

It's pathetic how the Dark Tide makes any grown-ass man scramble to their demands and cower in fear.

It's probably the torture I endured for all these years. They have a way of toying with people's emotions and getting inside their heads to drive them crazy.

“No.”

He curses from the other line while I remain silent.

“Do you want to follow in Lain's footsteps?” He taunts, making me angry, but I'm not allowed to show my emotions.

I have to endure the punishment that is waiting for me in the Dark Tide.

I failed to do my job.

Furthermore, I close my eyes for a moment and prepare myself for the pain I'm about to go through.

Waves of shock fill my veins and the pain begins to register. Each wave sends me falling to the ground, gasping for air.

Galen stays on the other end of the line, listening to my pain. He finds others' suffering amusing.

“I'll do better…" I whisper once my knees finally give in, and I fall to the ground once more.

My attempts to stand are futile.

There is silence on the phone, but that doesn't mean he isn't listening.

I swallow hard as a scream escapes my lips.

Then I remember something that I saw before I passed out.

Freya.

I close my eyes and open them again.

“Fire…"

It's challenging to make up a whole sentence when you're being shocked.

The Dark Tide owns our lives, and they end it whenever they want with a push of a button.

“Freya, she turned into fire today…. I saw it with my own two eyes.”

The pain instantly comes to an end and I fall to the ground, sucking in air greedily.

“Fire?” Galen repeats, mimicking me.

I nod eagerly, breathing heavily.

It's obvious that the cunning bastard has a smirk on his face by now.

“So her powers have finally manifested, that makes things so much easier. She's naive, and she won't know how to control her powers.”

I wipe the sweat off my forehead.

“I don't think she's naive because she knocked me out with her powers.”

Galen remains silent.

“I need her back alive,” he mutters quietly.

The girl is literally made of fire, how the hell am I going to bring her back without being burnt to a crisp?

Galen knew all along that Freya wasn't even human, and he still bothered to send me on this suicide mission without proper intel.

“What is she?” I ask curiously.

Galen chuckles from the other end of the line, making me frown.

“A goddess sent to wreak havoc on this pathetic planet,” he muses.

*LAIN*

I hear her whimpering in the bedroom and immediately rush to her aid.

Her eyes slowly open, and they meet mine in a frenzy, and yet again that strange warm feeling in my chest is back and it's all because of this girl.

“Lain..." She whispers softly, reaching out to touch my cheek, but I pull away.

Confusion swims through her green orbs and I see a hint of pain in them.

I'm not going to let Axel get his way.

Tears fill her eyes.

“I'm a monster..." She sobs tearfully.

I give her a puzzled look, not understanding what she means.

She stares at her hands.

“I killed them.”

She takes a deep breath.

“Drex and Noah…. I killed them with my powers” she whispers softly, and I recall Galen's words.

Don't underestimate her, she's not an ordinary girl.

That's why the Dark Tide was after her in the first place.

Flames of fire engulf her hand and I move back, staring at her in disbelief.

Our eyes locked intensely.