THE ARCANE: Birth of Revenge

Chapter 9

[For clarity purposes, Rowan will be addressed as Sean untill his identity is restored.]

★★★★

Kendric stood just outside the laboratory chamber, motionless. His hands were clasped gently behind his back, his posture calm and composed, almost statuesque.

Through the thick glass walls of the lab, Dr. Brett moved carefully around a massive arcane-synchronized machine constructed entirely of reinforced glass panels and intricate metal rings.

The machine glowed faintly with unnatural energy, its internal runes pulsing softly. Inside the transparent chamber of the device lay what appeared to be a creature—an animal of some kind, its body restrained beneath glowing restraints as Dr. Brett observed readings scrolling across multiple monitors.

Kendric watched it all silently. Behind him, the heavy door to the base slid open.

Edris stepped inside, his boots echoing faintly against the polished floor as he approached. Despite his usual composure, the tension from the earlier battle still clung to his shoulders, heavy and unresolved.

He stopped a few steps behind Kendric. “Supreme Commander.” he called.

Kendric didn’t move. He didn’t flinch. The voice was familiar and expected. He had known Edris would come. For a moment, only the faint humming of the laboratory machine filled the space between them.

Then Kendric finally spoke. “Tell me what I already know... Edris,”

The words came slowly and calmly, yet there was something within them that carried the weight of quiet disappointment.

Edris swallowed lightly before answering. “We couldn’t get him, but the message was clear, and...”

“Hmmm.” The sound escaped Kendric like a scoff, cutting through the sentence before it could finish.

“You couldn’t handle a small task like Mr. Red?”

Edris stiffened slightly. “Small task? Commander, he has a whole squad of armed men. We were literally outnumbered...”

“Outnumbered?” The word hung in the air.

Kendric paused, as though tasting the word itself, letting it settle. Slowly and deliberately, he turned.

His eyes locked onto Edris. “Outnumbered, you said?”

There was something about the way he said it that made the temperature in the room feel as though it had suddenly dropped.

Edris blinked once. “I’m sorry, Commander...”

“No,” Kendric replied, cutting him off, the faintest hint of mock sympathy slipping into his voice. “Don’t be.” The irony was unmistakable.

“You are a trained army officer… and the right-hand man of this administration.” He took a slow step closer. “Tell me, Edris… what exactly did you do today, if not for Sean?”

The question struck like a blade.

“Commander, Sean...”

“Shut the f**k up.” The words exploded from Kendric with sudden fury. His calm had vanished in an instant.

“You’re beginning to fail woefully, Edris.” Kendric said, disappoinment written across his face. “I don’t know what’s coming over you, but keep it up… and your replacement is not far from you.”

He paused again, letting the threat settle into Edris’s bones. “Because Sean will do better in that position and with such power.”

His voice dropped lower and darker. “Imagine taking orders from a boy you assisted in the assassination of his family.”

Edris felt the breath leave his lungs. For a split second, the world around him seemed to freeze. But he forced himself to stay composed. There was nothing he could do after all.

“Please, Commander,” Edris said quietly, lowering his head slightly. “I promise never to let you down again.”

Kendric studied him for a long moment.

“You better not.” His tone was cold enough to freeze steel. “Next time might cost you your position.”

The laboratory machine behind the glass pulsed again, its energy reflecting faintly across Kendric’s face.

“Keep an eye on Mr. Red. Knowing him... I’m sure he’s plotting his revenge.”

“Yes, Commander.” Edris nodded before turning to leave. He had only taken a few steps when Kendric’s voice called out again.

“Edris.”

He stopped immediately and turned back.

“You better not fail this time.”

Edris nodded once more before walking out of the base.

Outside the facility, the night air felt different. Lucas stood beside Sean near the entrance of the second gate, still buzzing with leftover adrenaline from the chaos they had witnessed earlier. He couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Man… that s**t was fire,” Lucas blurted out, shaking his head in disbelief. “How did you learn to do that?”

Sean scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uhm… I don’t know. I guess I was born that way?”

Lucas stared at him like he had just heard the most ridiculous answer imaginable.

“Born that way?” he repeated. “Are you kidding me? You’re a mini god.”

He leaned closer, voice dropping slightly though his excitement was still obvious.

“Edris should be scared of you. Hell… even the Supreme Commander should watch his back. With some kind of power like that? Man, I could run the world.”

Sean looked around quickly. “Damn, Lucas, keep it down. You don’t want to get into trouble, do you?”

Lucas immediately clamped both hands over his mouth. “f**k. You’re right...”

They continued walking slowly along the path outside the base. After Sean had claimed he was born that way, Lucas kept thinking...

“But for real though… who are your birth parents?”

The question hit Sean like a quiet punch. Because the truth was… he didn’t know.

And the realization never stopped bothering him.

“I don’t... know,” he admitted awkwardly.

“Wait… like you don’t remember anything at all?” Lucas tilted his head. “Not even a relative? Or a sibling?”

Sean shook his head slowly.

“No.”

He stared ahead at the dim path before them. "All I can remember is Westfield.”

Lucas frowned. “That’s all?”

“Yeah.” Sean exhaled quietly.

“Maybe that’s where I grew up or something. But the Commander ain’t telling me s**t. I feel like he’s hiding something.”

“Westfield?” Lucas repeated.

“Yeah.”

They continued walking side by side.

“Have you tried asking the Commander about Westfield?” Lucas asked carefully. “I heard he saved a lot of us when we were very young and recruited us into the army.”

Sean stopped walking for a beat. “Ask who?” he said.

“The Commander?” Lucas shifted uncomfortably.

Sean scoffed. “Hell nah.” He shook his head. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? He’s not being straightforward with me... I can’t help but suspect he and Edris are hiding something.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“I can’t wrap my hands around it… but it feels strange.” He paused. “Strange in a way that is not good.”

Just as the words left his mouth, footsteps approached from the distance.

A figure moved toward them.

Serena Von.

The only daughter of Kendric. Lucas noticed her first.

“Oh… it’s Serena.”

His expression changed instantly.

“I gotta go, man.”

“Wait,” Sean said. “Go where? Come on...”

But Lucas had already turned the corner.

“Hi, Sean,” Serena called out sweetly.

Sean looked up, slightly startled.

“Hi, Serena.” His tone carried a bit of hesitation.

She smiled brightly. “Wanna go grab some fresh air?”

Sean shifted awkwardly. “Uh… I don’t think so. Your father is expecting...”

“My father?” Serena rolled her eyes playfully. “That’s the perfect excuse.”

Before Sean could react, she grabbed his hand. “Now come on.”

“Oh, wait... I meant...”

“Come on, silly...” She laughed softly as she pulled him toward the tower, the sound of her laughter echoing lightly as they both ran up the steps together.