DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER LIII

"There is beauty in truth, even if it's painful.
Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy,
brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak.
But lies only strengthen our defects."

― José N. Harris

– M A K A Y L A –

My legs shook as they carried me to my bedroom.

Even with the Januk running in my blood I had enough sense to know I had made a terrible mistake. It had been barely three days since my capture on that roof and I was making even worse decisions than before.

What was Alex doing with this time. She wasn't drinking in an Imperial lounge with another upper class citizen. She would be doing everything in her power and more to get me back. What the hell was I doing?

Of course it would be a suicide mission to try and break into this tower. My father had swarms of Imperial units. Unbreakable security features. His own private cyber security teams... Alex knew all this and yet she would still attempt it. For me.

I cursed and wanted to hit something. To rage, to curse my pitiful–

I caught sight of my fencing sword in its rare leather sheath propped against the long glass wall. The very sword that had carried me through countless competitions and seated me as the top competitor in all Sectors from 10 to 1. It never interested my father of course, but the social functions did.

I swiped it from the glass and pulled it from the brown sheath slowly. It glinted wickedly in the light. I'd have Matty to thank for its upkeep all this time but I normally took close care and attention of the blade. It was a labour of love–some of the only labour I could ever do myself around here.

I lay the sheath down and rolled my wrist a few times letting it slice the air. It was a beautiful Sabre. Intricately detailed. A fine steel with engravings of the galaxy itself along the blade and a silver and gold woven hilt.

I struck forward and lunged my leg out in precision and balance. I knew the weight of the weapon exactly. A pure extension of myself. I shifted my weight and twisted to counter an invisible attack. Another pivot and I parried and twisted the assailant's sword away and caught a thigh as the slice continued.

I took a calm breath and began an aggressive routine. I cut and clashed air faster. Ducked and disarmed with more power, more accuracy than ever before. My body had a balance Sector 1 had not taught me. It had a lithe and quick lethality that others had given me...

When my breaths became ragged I sheathed it in place and sat on the floor before the endless city stretching out in the night. I placed a palm against the glass and leaned my forehead against it.

"Alex..." I whispered.

Where ever she was. Whether it was restless in her own bed or dragging the life from someone's eyes... she was mine and I was hers. I knew that meant something was fundamentally wrong with me. Falling in love with someone like Velron–that was sane–that made sense in my position. It made sense. Sense.

I needed to keep her safe, keep her from my world. From those who would fight so hard in this tower to keep the power running strong. The thought kept rolling around in my mind. Kept taking different shapes and solidifying again.

What if she were to think I had chosen him. It might just be the one thing that would make her keep away from this Sector for good–from my life. If she were to think I had moved on with someone like me... I bit my tongue hard thinking of it.