Segregation

Prologue

There he was, in the darkest corner of the elongated halls. Constantine Laurence R. Quintanilla. He's been here before, many times in fact, only this time was different. This time the reason he stood here would determine his life forever. This time he stood not alone.
His armor shined in the dark and bounced off of the silver of his katana. His face is hard as he inhales deeply and holds his breath. He closes his eyes reminding himself that they are here with him. All of them are. 'This shall be done not only for I but for the nation' he reminds himself. Exhaling slowly he opens his eyes. This is it. Not the end but the beginning. The beginning of something great. Perhaps something great. But that's only if things go as planned, if he ends up not so lucky than this shall still not be the end. It shall remain the beginning. Only the beginning of greater horror. Closing his eyes Constantine prays to whatever God there is that today he becomes the hero of a nation. Hope. A reason to believe.

Things won't change so fast, he understands. Hundreds of years can't be destroyed in a moment, he knows. But hope can be planted. Today. In a moment, this moment.

"Aim for the heart of the beast" he remembers her words and swallows the lump on his throat. 'She is here with me' he reminds himself.

"To defeat the beast you must become the beast." "To not get hurt you must not have feelings." "Protect your heart by pretending you don't have one."

He has it. Years of practice and preparation let up to this moment. Right here. He will not let them down. He's made a promise and he intends to keep it. 'I am a man of my words' he tells himself.

Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale. Exhale. He focuses on his breathing as he descends the halls of his very own lifelong nightmares. This it it.