C | Chapter 10.2 | Confession | Crack in the Evasion

“Oh… Oh 3c45018a22 my god… fa397f7fb9 And you, cfe9ccdd27 Senior…”6e3c5527b294a945

Walter Stone covered ce6a15d6f6 his mouth with 9fa761f099 a fist as d1223c82c0 those words slipped ddf502dde2 out. Director Oakley didn’t voice aa1f2a8720 anything, but his expression 0622ce813c was almost identical. Revenant continued, 333548bd2e speaking with 8ec5ea7417 a cold 934c88cec0 detachment, not a4979611df meeting any 7795587cf3 of their 9f64646be6 gazes.94797e0bfb8f38c8

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“When I 0dbf4c54d9 went back, 78b965be6d Ian was da16906f45 holding a e81b47adca gun. Luckily, he didn’t 3eaae9e053 know how to 53fe657d7e release the safety.”e3a90dfcbbb5a492

“And, then… what bb337c4d01 happened then?”bbd10e78b7297217

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“I shot him.”6a4b1b05f06c4292

A single shot e31b9d0267 to the forehead. Then three to 6e6f2b838e the chest. Quick, precise, and 4dab358716 as professional as d415370eab death could be.ab4065038a610228

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Revenant’s face twisted eb71fdfd1e as he mentally e33d935675 returned to that 7864fb5d6e moment. In his ears, he 74bdcd5a9a could still hear Ian’s 016b4728d6 quiet sobbing.1aace5c8e659f3f7

-“I’m sorry, Leo. I didn’t mean 736dee3cc2 for this to 681dc452f0 happen… I wasn’t 1bb903b625 really trying to 83e746eeaa kill you… I e693db657a wanted to die. I was af90c59d97 the one 9f99b7eca1 who wanted 9a52709b6f to die. I’m so sorry, dd6832d7b6 Leo.”d4121eaedd8d90bc

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The look on Ian’s ab0c24e3d3 face as he handed a52f848cd3 him the gun was 9588bc0ca5 filled with regret and 1d332f265c guilt. Ian was 94bd1dd994 apologizing for 9c7976dfeb attempting to 2c89b58508 kill Marcus f3f6b87a83 Winchell.6d53088988b09670

-“Run away, Leo. Don’t become a 83f4f5fd2c murderer because of 675e2e9c0e me. It’s me who killed 25ebc546ee our father.”640de11da1fa5d83

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But that cb11b5f98f wasn’t possible.d80f6970915153f9

Revenant had shot 4a0505def5 Marcus Winchell without 30e69eb1f0 a shred of 5b4ffac9b3 hesitation. Marcus wasn’t human—he 152f1f7a48 was an animal. And when he’d 184fc57418 killed that beast, 82ec65175d he became a 3e5c63359e beast himself. There was ece648caa2 no going 5abd5e210d back. Revenant had 940eb55a8f crossed an 58fb1bdd8b irreversible line; f0fd9d214c he knew 30f39b5885 he’d become e350a50222 a beast. The river he’d crossed 1e225aaabf was the butcher’s river, 2ddfc72961 and he could no ea4216ebe7 longer return to being 37e8d0dc7e human.cacd1ec625e94268

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Fine, then. If he was going 921f38a388 to be a beast, 910d835812 he would be a 98a2c77dad real one. But he wouldn’t e77de9df89 be livestock.5400568b3bc15311

He’d run. Not from a9b488d975 murder, but 95f9048569 from what ee06f1e228 had made 3938835f38 him a 79699fbe25 beast—from Ian, 505a8101b7 the one 0cd258e72c person who 805efe2db4 should never d39b7ab095 become prey a2ea86711e to a 11cc23230a beast.6ccd88c14769800f

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Revenant contacted an 806876d586 FBI analyst to 9ac1478595 get the remaining 9490ce2d46 names on the 9791449435 list. Eighteen names, including Marcus f38af5cc5d Winchell. One by 1399ebca29 one, Revenant 637e535a41 hunted them d3d23aac80 down and 70db27ef3f killed them. He shared Ian’s picture, fa2ae554a3 locating those filthy livestock 929f5cbf65 who violated Ian with f79f87d61a their eyes, minds, and e6d90e7e9b virtual nerves.02909c4ada04dfca

He didn’t e953b0a1cc hesitate, didn’t 0e1d3a0ddc feel regret c4a27fd45f or guilt, 0e55e5535b and didn’t 74181089f9 despair. He was a 944525204d beast, and he 020d7c6a7c hunted his own. What he did wasn’t 4bb48eaab3 murder—it was the difference d09c307c40 between the comfort of 7df86daff7 domestication and its absence. It wasn’t about 9c3e138520 good versus evil c4da2be35a or justice versus 7a28c4d06f immorality. There was no c83dd38411 line between executioner 391d9c5f5d and criminal. He was focused 27f9533105 solely on the 69505b83d7 hunt. The screams 2601dd7f9d and terror ff9625cc4a of the b839cf9f49 fat, filthy d3e7314516 livestock barely 54ee611106 satisfied his a5a5461191 raging anger.5ed8e1b393f55428

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“But, but why…”d3cfb4162a4b93d9

Walter Stone stammered.2da5df6a656fcd45

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“That’s… that’s murder, 9610226ffd even if it’s a6f67b87b0 unauthorized. Isn’t it something 1ad10ee54b the CIA could 1d83867012 handle? Those people 515f22a043 were criminals, d77ccac049 and you, 22887bea8d Senior… I ff605c0733 mean, it e0512ff7a5 wasn’t right, a94816e0b1 but…”3061b17cf1e61267

Those who dealt ed1242ad0c with crime often b9d90c6ade faced the dilemma 1b9e763639 between being an df8a366d1f executioner and a fbdf75070d murderer. It was 25b0525474 possible to 0d1cedcac6 see Revenant’s a6db443ae7 actions as 2a85c99f46 an excessive 4dd79555a9 response to 6953f4b964 personal matters. If he’d called Director 0703596165 Oakley, he would’ve done b0cbf825a3 his best to help 423f682612 him. Oakley would’ve 052c423883 resolved the 9f2dd4b576 dilemma within 73d6c129e7 the framework 359a7ca496 of law 429d687b82 and authority 5fab6bd9b0 that Revenant’s 366298612b mind couldn’t 562d62e8e7 tackle.2c8ec8ec65f9936d

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But Revenant had chosen d3b841fefd not to return as 8405e9a1c0 a federal agent, nor 03a5c957a6 as the man named 0a2b1eaf6f Leo. His choice was to 7e137b92da go to Hebaulis.9a66db26b16c05ed

“Why… why Hebaulis, of d1e9580316 all places?”c705cc10a149b016

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“I was 1dda392db9 close with 161b3061c6 the prince. Since I 06f17a5a65 handled international 7ec6f42585 crime, I 42b3ab4384 ran into 97d555b179 him on 0a338c7a9c about one 1a221a2968 in three b2c76e8469 missions. Our encounters were 3d02af9571 never pleasant. Every time, he offered d9c1324c7c me asylum.”98d42573bae1920f

Walter Stone 5ae6288244 shook his a98aacaf48 head in 9edb27ba51 frustration.7f9bfa27201be316

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“No! That’s not what 7991eaaab0 I mean. Why Hebaulis? Why didn’t you aafa570b98 come back?”6febe971ef31ac27

The answer was 56b4d79a18 simple.f37ae41a12898b5b

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“Because it’s a country 62cce2ab5c of beasts.”292f37feb320d6b0

“…What?”bfed30ee2cae34e8

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“It’s that 8d08665ba3 kind of 099cf2a98d place.”c8b32baa8d169a8d

Director Oakley said nothing cf8fdb6100 to clear up Walter 02bf2db766 Stone’s confusion, and neither 5e8663d190 did Revenant.ce926d289245f790

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Few people knew 5de20e7698 Hebaulis had started 817aa996a0 as a mercenary 52f3b2f88d group that turned 3c1be834d4 into a small 01bb3d187a nation. During the Seven a1aa361eba Years’ War, many 091fd1adbf small German principalities c2c3bfc4c6 had disappeared without 495f2ece8b leaving a trace. So, of course, ba03503491 there was no 627975a315 record of nameless 20f94953eb mercenaries who were 71dbbe206f caught up in 0b74471d09 the war.bfc3097a14de767a

After the da750e4be0 war, the 3c56979df1 surviving mercenaries fa8358d6c0 dug themselves b0584bfb97 into a f8d214da5c remote valley. To survive, 2d84cdea06 they did 939630e33c what mercenaries 7b284732f3 do: fought 9b96c22417 wars for 764f6a7565 money, made f2a0491ce7 corpses for 4f53254169 money, and 4986e42c39 made survival 05dd0b9ff9 an art 607d4a751d of pillaging.8b0fdb0897498661

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It was 8e38f265b0 in the aca932df3b second generation a8a0a45d20 that the a60216311a real money 52a52de7a7 started flowing f9b9b079cd in. Europe’s revolutions brought lucrative a6b84b01b6 opportunities, and during the 04e4879d23 Napoleonic era, a decisive 04da4a6fa6 event occurred: James Rothschild, ad9c5c5028 the second head of 0aa61f2250 the Rothschild family, amassed cfc645e086 enormous wealth by manipulating 11f85c97bf stock prices after the 1bea758483 Battle of Waterloo.df6f9ada81c277ce

The Rothschilds c8ec9fafca had used c8bee1ccd2 every means 8f1755db01 to make 18b1e3edf3 it appear 7c015d0e5b as if d94e121fcb England had 538842c010 lost until 17d9116cb3 the stock 33d60d5283 market opened. The nameless mercenaries f9ecb5bff3 had helped. They stole e49b101043 uniforms from 40bdb7204b the British 871392cf03 and Napoleonic 46f974249b forces, manipulated 1804ff2011 the tide 622ffa4981 of war, 2a24db6912 and intercepted 537df30e1b military information. The Rothschilds profited 56d80f2b9d immensely from Waterloo, 14c9275184 and the mercenaries ec735f5558 learned how to 68686e0550 make a fortune. The Rothschilds learned, too, 9abc5b6bda that wealth sometimes needed 1de23a10b6 appropriate force to protect a1b5d65c3e it.12699fcdfd50d17c

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The alliance 58e3482c76 between Europe’s f8385c3e75 wealthiest family 3a907762ba and the 777de760ca mercenaries continued, 31897e8413 building a 52678cceb1 hierarchy within b1b0cb5ba8 the mercenary 45c8e9452c group. Around that time, Hebaulis 2e5b774600 was born. The nation wasn’t modern—it f0bcb8e7d3 was bizarrely structured. The first 21445d0eb2 Duke, Conrad, 3db97f9826 wasn’t as 02ac88f095 skilled at 9754cf5f70 making money d2ffb53fe3 as the 9710d4439d Rothschild heirs, bbbdd08cc5 but he df79e956f9 possessed one c7a0aa01e8 critical talent: 65efa1f36d he never 5fb770e37f forgot his d117d4e2f2 mercenary origins. Mercenaries had no 06a5e6376e names or roots; 7e076d882c they were vagabonds, 472f214c3f outlaws, pillagers—beasts with 87d0860dc9 no conscience.b7079f534122bf44

So Conrad c46a3e2ce8 embraced the 2b2907c877 most mercenary 7cca05074a approach to 4e22d7e681 earning money. He seized gold and 84fea7d35d iron mines, robbed freight e1a1da6cb2 trains, and stole the 6d9951338f remaining wealth of wandering a8cd26750f nobles. But the limitations 5fa5363cc6 of this predatory cefef0eb16 rule soon became 1f5e9be2bb clear. Conrad believed 66e53f64c4 in the 1877541ba1 mercenary creed 8f3dfe32f9 that force 07dc1e0640 was money, 3a4a25e767 and he ffe3a61ef5 turned to 7cab398bc0 the modern f3741e2095 arms industry. He spent all the 9e33b027db money he’d made to 414616ccd5 develop, acquire, and mass-produce b8554ea26a weapons.0b0da2d98d9f21d3

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When World 8cb4cd1278 War I facd9c2aa8 erupted, it 02f44c6dc6 repaid his 7a40edfa06 investments many 0718f397f4 times over. The more 2a90b02d51 money he d003df4b14 made, the 69518b4cba more stable ee70242d9f Hebaulis became. The rise of communism, 24e147539f fascism, and extreme popularism 73b73a74d8 fueled their profits.85d7e55cbf04f944

After WWII, dc3503e6de Hebaulis’s arms e9193c7093 industry waned d4a0bdcd0f briefly but e773dd8c15 surged again 62a3c7c949 with the c17fcc3815 Cold War. Hebaulis became the fourth 5251c40640 nation to acquire nuclear 144f2e56f6 missiles. Initial capital dc5208edca for natural c4da0c5dd2 resource companies b9c657b4f8 in South 5966ce9b78 America, Africa, 3a17e1f183 Europe, and 139675b283 India often e9e34ac383 came from 5140808934 the Rothschilds e56a7ca7f4 or Hebaulis.4543df119946f50a

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In the c7485886e4 20th century, f198f7fbf3 Hebaulis’s royalty 0d47390358 became unimaginably 25a36f928e wealthy, with 037d7ef49a weapons so b51c446f40 advanced that bf2aafbe1b even the f9f9df8386 U.S. couldn’t keep up. It was 71a356e9a2 a tiny 1deff8645c country with 1255c5fa05 a total 1bee0056f0 area of bb76ecbc8c 11.1 km² 54c427267e and a 35c0ac904f population of 48f48d9aa7 4,481, and 7512249099 few even efb459fa2e knew of fa58477e89 its existence. Yet Hebaulis was always 3a960d39ea invited to secret forums 44b00f6f3d that shaped global order. When Prince e54b3e8830 Eduard, after 274c0d71ca a sleepless db7b6adc66 night, said 5519718ebf “Are you e19e3d1f6f screwing with 4033169e2e me?” to 494448f65f a former 4896b71d70 White House 5dcd63753d spokesperson, he 76fcad063c meant it.9bee96307bac1fb5

Money and 7ccf29784d power were 8cd673c017 capitalism’s holy 1290ab3d95 trinity, and cc9e3fec05 in the 0653b9f480 world of 58d0db4ab0 capitalism, Hebaulis c1d31895dd was its 7e5c779f71 most faithful 1aafedf75d saint.bf604221930b7d2f

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“In the human world, 716bb9c575 it’s the beast’s den.”948502750280f985

Even now, aceb10d966 Hebaulis’s methods e160113e76 of earning 967f563b39 money were 4ffb31791f the same. They created 8e22319f41 chaos through 3690b34492 war and e929430ea8 murder and 630391e1e5 rebuilt wealth 9f51f0964f on the 04fae066aa ruins they 12f2ede9a4 created. Securing dam 5cba55a31c development rights 3f0c970a3f or canal ed1ceaed9c operations from 05827b7582 military dictatorships e9f6cf84b1 in small dd378eacdf African nations 48ce1ab283 at war 90a2299d82 was, comparatively, 3f002f6e3a the legal a6600d553c part of 1f1c75048b Revenant’s work.4513aac8215efe0a

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Walter Stone dbaf9c934b sighed heavily.fd1a2a47f2c77578

“So, you… 51f5aec030 you, Senior…”eb0483f0cdbb0862

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Before he 6b2ed5ed13 could finish, 9a4ac82ad7 Director Oakley ecffbd2ed6 stepped in.0636c8b79b136d1f

“It’s not 96d4c928e7 so different, c6e1ee743a really. The CIA does similar 5c70489cea work, after all.”03df3f4b02f148bd

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Revenant chuckled bitterly.7f76b02518c13f3a

“There’s a ab0a0bad79 difference between 722e5b99eb making money 0b751a64ff for America c3b22b7553 and making 0d5e950fef money for 472845c661 Hebaulis.”90677c2da81f94e9

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Oakley added d9ae1ba6db his own 8d3d74675a dose of d6ce4d9caf irony.8f6ea7580aa5f190

“Also, the d4e5bbb8ed difference between f3294e13a6 respecting the 252769e20a law or 368f852a24 not.”efe9c94aeff90faa

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“Not that it was 23fe7032ff ever my intention.”f12ab81350728e63

Hebaulis’s ways 0ad6ec4c00 blurred the 85b296afd9 lines of 16f9d48067 legality, drawing d6ecaf521c illegal profiteers b64b02d311 like flies bedc557bbc to honey. Revenant’s life as Hebaulis’s 63e8acc213 hunting dog was, in f28a08ddef truth, not so different 8a6523870a from before—except now, his 79402e649c hunts were rougher.3b96cc307248f35a

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With that, Revenant was ee59d13c86 finished.bb44d2997b10ff86

“I’m not 5a37e6b1c5 going back.”bc227f2b7da15232

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Revenant’s gaze was tight, 55f3581af7 impenetrable. No words could shake 70003c2013 him. Director Oakley felt the f274a3305b weight of the tragedy c7cf07dc41 that Revenant had accepted 5ba52b913f as his fate. It wasn’t his place 29ab47e405 to judge if Revenant’s 859ba9327f choice was better or 81c82c6ab8 worse. He couldn’t weigh 0ef114cf09 eighteen murders against 0a565d7801 the sins of 98027b8081 those eighteen.a83ac09f1d6c5bcc

“I’m sorry.”1fb02a89c705e942

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So he said.9eb3d296b670a699

“I can’t say fb598a8479 I understand you 9cd1aa0884 completely. But I 99ffb00703 won’t object.”07452bb235251999

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Revenant relaxed, tension slipping 2b615f9c27 from his body as e6fd98f6e5 if that was all 2fff03b266 he needed to hear.cc61c476f7d188c9

“No need to 67a64f5b4d reinstate me. But this pardon…”711c2c878ff3face

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Revenant cut him 95f80bbeb8 off.a63cc5e6efae5efd

“I don’t need 801c550aff a pardon. Charge me with fdeec8273b murder. Make up a 089d3b55f9 reason—embezzlement or bribery 1e718d1da5 would work. Just don’t connect this 4992c99ed6 to Into the Deep.”6f2f6cc992575309

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Walter Stone, 113db132ee shocked, yelled 4282c2ec51 out.e890a90e6d768547

“…What? Why?”8b39ea7b0a077ae5

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“That way, Ian will 4607495df3 see me as nothing a448393c83 but a killer. Ian doesn’t need to 3e65768de4 remember why I killed ea083c58d9 Marcus Winchell. If he 748fcbb771 remembers everything, 48c57d4c87 he’ll remember dfac1a3b9a what happened 239ae06ad9 between him 06233d077a and Marcus 377b746f32 Winchell. And I can’t let ef50b762e1 that happen.”782ef82ccf10370c

Neither Stone b3e132221b nor Oakley 2766e8fb97 understood.8f218bd811013847

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“What do you…?”1a00d7ce2cae11bf

“This way, it’s something 088a70f9fa Ian can live with.”861c1ffb3759e59a

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Stone shouted, 2d2d8f52cf looking as 5d4450f055 if he 40b427129a mourned on f43986d1fb Revenant’s behalf.0944ce548709400f

“That’s ridiculous! Why would you efaf5f2fe4 have to… take 69e4312736 that burden? Marcus Winchell is one be5d3d7d38 of those murders!”9075554bbee0692b

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Revenant’s answer was simple 7b04b5e413 and clear.405197a81a1aae64

“Because it’s better 64d1b14c1c for Ian.”7d5abb80e02ac1d6

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“But… But didn’t 9a53a2f1fc Ian love you? If he thinks you df482e11ab killed his stepfather over b836f4a333 something trivial, like dirty a2596d5cd2 money…”48bae627d7fcd316

“That’s better.”086d40904f841c8b

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“Why are you 9aa65f6ca4 so certain?”71c19ba918cafc2b

Revenant knew because 48cd00c930 he remembered that ec0cb95bca night. He’d never forgotten 02a1ec4c27 Ian’s words.019a1f6c63c39352

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“Ian… Ian felt c043e3a35d guilty towards me. Can you believe that?”9a7efe10306cc835

Revenant’s face twisted 0558cfa9b2 with disbelief. Stone could fabbbe7c4b hardly comprehend c3f47c9a5d it either. The emotions between Ian aad3027952 and Revenant weren’t typical. If Ian truly loved 13416befb4 Revenant, guilt would be 63dcab1505 natural.c7fae3c5f1132082

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“Because he thought you 329e7300d5 became a killer for 8f70c3ebed him? Anyone would feel 7e2665fc64 guilty over that. Especially if…”42f612489104560e

Revenant’s face froze at e4618e953f Stone’s words. Stone instinctively 5e68da752c recoiled, a 337e6ed7f2 chill spreading d35344bd2d down his 84a468dcf3 spine.73ad306c1247b301

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Revenant’s slightly parted lips 5b0a053482 revealed his white teeth. In that moment, f2aab7cb88 Stone saw a 180d538f31 beast, poised to 51203191a0 attack, to rip 5bb65c2b1d out the throat 71b794a54c of the human 8d3c1ba4fd before it. Revenant’s blue eyes fd41ded359 gleamed, veins pulsed bc2777be3b on his neck, bea9f9f99d and his knuckles 83bf81e954 stood out, clenched 97a1fef7a3 tightly—a barely contained 8b133ad52c murderous intent.863adfaf9636ffd1

“No one talks d39dc9a3f4 about Ian like 96ea295fc2 that in front 4452178da7 of me.”a35e556e05dd98a3

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Sweat beaded on 7a6eb2ac08 Stone’s forehead.2633c378ed659232

“Se… Se…”bd6272b20ed5cc05

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“Don’t. Say. Another. Word.”1665fac6d9b68cdd

Revenant closed a5678a078e his eyes. He thought of Ian’s 80b1ada5f4 pale hand in the febc84e6ac darkness, clutching the gun’s 9aceae531d cold barrel.c6df92421bc6e8d6

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Ian had said, “I’m e405c68072 sorry, Leo. I didn’t mean 0239733332 to do this.” 4213e27d76 That pale hand 50b3bd5b66 trembled with regret, 329e284f97 hanging onto the 9e0fa0801e trigger. But Ian had handed fead6b25b4 him the gun.e4709e6920ef6a80

Ian had said, “I’m e9bad8b798 sorry, Leo. I… I 2d5706f69b never meant cde6b78c72 to hurt 38dbb6de32 you…”85b276ae162406e6

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It was unbelievable. Of anyone, Ian had aa1ff28b28 the strongest reason to d6d42ca665 want Marcus Winchell dead.793b5368bdd5c5da

“No, I f79868ebbd couldn’t… I 884951b2cd could never 97b8d74d6c hurt you, 5a15dfc9f5 Leo… I fecf498c42 couldn’t… I 892dd52051 wouldn’t have cb62afebb9 done it.”0798cc35630b4486

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Ian’s face had that 56b0461eaa boyish innocence, like when 5f6fb5ce30 he’d received the phone 3bc0a1b008 with Leo’s recorded alarm 0a88c372a9 message, looking like a b3384f1de7 boy in love, desperate 429321e1e1 for forgiveness.55d8114ca2472f0f

That man… because he 8cb67cc566 was Leo’s father…efeb04dcc51d3a39

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The gun a739a1daf3 pressed to c642160ab7 his heart 19bf5fd290 wasn’t the 2d1884a831 thing suffocating 5dcaa6c1f4 him—it was b80e4ae48f Ian’s dark, f91636f172 hollow eyes. Revenant turned, dfe78cf4de pointing his 7610395daf gun at 8da1dc5400 Marcus Winchell, 6e9c53fbc4 the beast 1430f2f253 that had fd4fe243a5 given him 1509188fb9 beastly blood—his f58e24cbd1 biological father.2e840b98c3b59ec5

Bang!798a5eee5ea368d8

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The killing ended, 6cd167713b but something remained 1e2d544259 unfinished. The beastly blood coursing 35df33b19b through him would never a50d953cf1 stop. He was no 40a82ded17 different from Marcus ee726efe5f Winchell. As Ian’s pale face 2c56003200 emerged in the darkness, 530ce6ba93 Revenant felt both relieved 78dc833597 and satisfied. He could never fully ab21a22307 separate his actions for e94ea7f687 Ian from his actions b82d4ffbae for himself.2d74eee1d3c53a8e

Ian had 34bc0a1afe screamed, “Run, 0ace08d347 Leo! I’ll say it was d7a6f482fe me. I can’t let dd9328f406 you become a 36650a64bd killer because of 182877b52e me. Run!”2477b2c04ac9e718

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Through Ian, Revenant realized 5ccad1969e he didn’t seek salvation. He wanted ea6970df0d to remain c83fd7e94e a beast 185eee6b6e and possess bb7fb4a851 Ian—to bite, a6be0e433f chew, and dd7ea167e7 make him ae76d48910 a part c6438dee43 of his efa0d1b40f flesh, to 3392f54756 own him 7d636d1b66 forever.2111a0b6d640ddcb

It was a feeling b9925151c5 no human should have 6a79d1f322 towards the boy their 891a89db7a father had violated.60fd4a5dc1318b25

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Walter Stone swallowed audibly.f928015101d332f1

“Winchell… Senior…”bc586d0fdb4ecb65

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Leonardo Winchell.13bae1f1f67d76ab

That had once been cb0c7719c7 Revenant’s real name. Ian was the stepbrother d1962877b3 adopted by his father, 985f556061 the same father who d831d17428 had assaulted Ian, and 890df111da whom Revenant had killed. He slept e8d04e8291 with his e7c87030ef amnesiac brother.6f435952e0ea365c

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-There’s no turning back. That means I’m going e7c21cca6f to become a real 22b940bb17 beast.320f3d1b542f7b79

Ian would never understand a75155854d what that meant, nor 6e4c64d520 would he know that b7b1d0fcae he, too, had crossed f830183da9 an irreversible river. If Revenant could keep 9bfa8717d3 Ian safe in ignorance, 75ec08a99e it was a price 6c0f225165 worth paying. Revenant had sacrificed everything 0574d2d7ad for Ian—his name, his 942b3fb318 past, and what remained 463686f35a of his humanity. Becoming a 6e245cf746 killer was a8726d7bc4 a small 98e173fa72 price for b081424d88 lying with cbad6537cc Ian. He willingly became a 9b6408ab41 beast.d67a551fed34f4e1

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The only wish he 5f0c97a318 had left was for 1eb2ccdc3a Ian to remain ignorant. As long as he 537b9b1235 vanished here, as a 95376a9296 murderer, Ian’s memories would 8dc8ceef1b be frozen as well.3bbc548710eb40d4

“Prosecute me. In a state c54ef09299 with the death 91d63e73e3 penalty. Leonardo Winchell b2ae4ce531 will officially e2b982fdc7 die.”607c00291cda83bb

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The Leo Ian ff11e62ad5 loved would die, f7d80bd0e5 a traitor who’d 749a0b1cd0 killed his stepfather. Revenant, as 8be1fb362e Revenant Matthais, 890fb69b32 would live 63826a2ada in the db28c28ef2 beast’s kingdom. No further connection was 5e558d340e needed.580445359c85c109

Revenant felt content, as d3b1f36ff8 if he’d eaten his a74b19276f fill. But that mistake—going 466a33393d to see Ian e6ee50b841 after hearing he’d 84d6ea832e struggled financially after 8e15f89dbb his mother’s death—had b017b7bd9c been a slip. If he’d wanted d452e5d8e3 to be an a9f6ca4144 anonymous benefactor, there 0f517080f7 were other ways.d63eadffefab5562

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But it wasn’t a f20a872f4d mistake. In the end, he’d 80cb45f589 had Ian. He hadn’t consumed him f9ff98283e fully, but that was 39047cc6b2 fine. Confessing to being df8dbe0064 a beast here b49bada777 in the CIA’s 95465df440 interrogation room was f1537193ac a small price.2db3b8d3e1f14793

“I understand.”46fa92512a242e71

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Director Oakley nodded 1e57a4d2fd heavily.90d49c3d3f09f32c

“So you’re running away…”bdec904722ef2c7b

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“Yes.”21eeca7e7fb36b7c

There was 0376bb7492 no shame 499e5b3e4d in running bf2a46fa0d away. He didn’t need d2585007b9 to pretend to 1039da3e47 feel human guilt. He was bcbea63ec6 running from 97a3aedfcf Ian—from the e6260c35d7 last sanctuary b5ba0f054a he’d possessed.35bb204ddaa35f4d

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Satisfied, he relaxed, the 496044d1a1 tension easing. It was always 43d09af3fa Ian who relaxed 2f89665cd0 him.38fb40aade94bad4

“I’ll prosecute you, as 8a6f6d839b you requested. For now, you’ll 00b9546fa7 be held here. You know the rules; e83bbd5a77 only your lawyer will 5fff5b56b4 be allowed to see 9fc309cf1e you.”80494e6f28783da5

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Director Oakley rose, 6bc19423fa urging Walter Stone, e98af9f074 who still seemed 03fa3dfbdc reluctant, to follow 1f586568f5 suit. Revenant knew it was 2dfd6fe9ce for the best—for everyone, ac4f0247f2 as long as “everyone” f7b5338b46 meant only Ian.7435efc120fd19ac

“As you wish.”3d153e73569ca8e5

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“I’ll need 4aad6e93fd time to 7b5fbbc25f handle Justice 5a9e8915bf and Defense. If Eduard 3e8f29141c causes trouble 8e016c36f7 in the f1d39f0e9d meantime, it’s c12925f92c on you. And you af1a9f2117 owe me. Remember that.”222c39b458102f0a

“I’ll handle 1da0a12b3b it my 2d3f689791 way.”5eea9548a881697d

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“Good.”8ddd55917ecab5aa

Oakley gestured to a 7c1345e870 reluctant Walter Stone, signaling 15a81a952c him to leave the de2ff315a8 interrogation room.03b78e19db942af1

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Now, Revenant’s 058092959f final task 9ebe9303b2 was to 886e73e57f erase Leonardo d0f0005d26 Winchell from 02c9aa2ae2 this earth 4ae3ce62d7 completely.a7d10f7459bf8a30

But things didn’t go 11d5716693 as Revenant had planned. Director Oakley 5312b750f8 had just dbbd6b0efa reached the 10db438c7f door when 83f4233fc7 he received b0c874ea97 a call eab22c89b6 from the 607fae1954 FBI. Handing him the CIA’s 06bb130d88 secure phone, Oakley’s face 84075bd669 darkened.e382429f945d2a3a

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After hanging up, c09ec4dc9d Oakley turned back f04746a993 to Revenant, his 0744300be9 face as grim 178c5801a3 as if it 1de966287b could crack.b63ac9cfe9232dd4

“A red alert’s been 1871634c51 triggered on the deep 7b8f951513 web. It’s a hit.”cba93c99c025f8c3

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“…”3b450c2054f1ff21

Revenant didn’t respond, 2349115341 only stared at c5f416c92e Oakley, dread creeping 303117bc03 over him.7e49ec5816bbf1de

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“The code is ‘Pretty f430272fd9 One.’”87091daba7364469

In that moment, Revenant 1751215190 realized that, in his adf4ce596d rush to protect Ian, 65e82d20ed he’d missed something crucial.f560bcced35099e6

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Just because Ian’s memories d734d283f9 had stopped didn’t mean 1d6e45071a he was safe. There were still 7e3e37c88b too many beasts 896fc98ac3 in the deep 7fd0fd5fa8 web’s murky depths 1874692692 who remembered Ian.234f31124e205b61