Chapter 8: Black Flames

Mr. Hector the Governor, was surprised, he looked at Sam, then at the elevator button panel, and indeed he only found six floors.

"No .... this is unreasonable !!" said Sam the lawyer, then opened the chat that was between him and the spy he pushed to enter and entrap Commander Bai.

"Sir, look it's written here, the test is on the seventh floor, I swear to you!" Said lawyer Sam, as he showed his phone to the governor, who seemed unsatisfied and started to sweat.

"We are here sir, please," said Deputy Commander Yu, they walked till they reached the end of the corridor on the fifth floor. They stopped in front of a door, but the governor did not wait for the door to be opened for him, he opened the door quickly by himself, and all he found were policemen and defenders in official uniform fighting each other professionally, two against each other, while the rest watched them. his face whiten.

"Sir, it is a great honor to see you here!" One of the supervisors said to the governor, shaking his hand happily.

"The governor wanted to see how the test is going and salute you for your courage!" Commander Bai said with a wide smile on his face.

"oh! of....of course!" Mr. Hector kept on stuttering, shifting his glance around the room, with false smiles.

"Sir, it is an honor for us and we thank you for coming, we promise you great results!" said one of the defenders there to the governor.

The governor nodded with a yellow smile on his face, trying to hide his embarrassment, then turned to Commander Bai,

"I see now. Someone is trying to get rid of you out through me, but I trust you for sure Commander, and relying on you to create the best team to Save us from evil! , I have other things to attend to, I'll be going now, excuse me! ''

the governor came out of the room in a hurry, with a downward gaze.

"Sir"

The Governor stopped in his steps when he was called.

"I ask you to confirm your sources of trust, Mr. Hector. We do not bear suspicion and rumors in these critical times, thank you for your visit,"

Commander Bai said in a tough, cold voice with an intentional tone of reproach.

The Governor continued walking as if he had heard nothing but it was clear to anyone who met him on the way that his face was fuming and his steps held a lot of unspoken anger.

He could not replay, it because he knows, that he is not in a position to replay what the Commander said.

"Oh God, I was so nervous! What if the government knew what we're doing, we're going to be in trouble!"

You said anxiously as he put his hand on his waist and tensed,

" Who said they do not know about it?"

"All we are doing is for the survival of this nation," Commander Bai said calmly, then turned to Yu,

"How many people are left in the test ?"

"Only 45 remains Sir...." Deputy Commander Yu replied in a low, anxious voice as he looked at the ground. doesn't want to meet Bai's gaze.

Bai looked at him, then sighed and

"It's okay, I would be grateful if it ended up with 10 people," he said and was about to leave.

"Sir! Sir!" An officer came running, he greeted his Commander, and looked at him nervously as if a disaster happened.

"What's the matter? Speak!" Yu shouted.

"Sir! ... A Dark force other than the one we know has entered the test! We do not know where did it come from!" The officer said while he was perspiring.

"What !!!" Commander Bai shouted in panic, and proceeded, "Come with me!"

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"Joey! Joey!.. wake up !!" Ryou said, shaking Joey after they all fell asleep around the fire due to fatigue.

Joey began to smell smoke and looked around and found flames surrounding them from all sides, Joey panicked and immediately stood up, then turned to his side and looked at Zain, who was still closing his eyes, laying under the tree, Where he left him after he bandaged his wounds

Alicia also sat in shock, no one knew when did the flames come from. after a second, Zain barely left his heavy eyelids, and when their eyes met, Zain finally opened his mouth:

"I will not die from bleeding now. I will die suffocated or burned ... Good" Zain said in a low and hoarse voice due to pain and fever. then closed his eyes again in tiredness.

"Damn it!" Joey cursed, then turned around to face the flames again.

"Check the fire..." Alicia said to them as she held the pistol towards the flames.

" You will shoot the flames now! " Ryou said in a sarcastic tone.

Alicia ignored him and kept pointing the pistol.

"What do you mean? I see nothing but red flames only!" Ryou said narrowing his eyes and trying to look closely into the fire while covering his mouth and nose from the smoke.

"Guys .... you should pay attention to this for now!" Zain said in a low, suffocated voice.

They all turned to find that there was an arm that looked like a black burned one, extending from the tree behind Zain, as he was grabbed about the neck in a stranglehold that gagged him, trying to choke him.

" Trees have hands!!" Thou screamed.

Joey did not hesitate, as he took his handgun and ran to Zain's aid immediately, Alicia was about to run to his side too when she was stopped and lost her balance suddenly and fell forward, she felt something grab her leg firmly and indeed when she looked, she found another arm holding her right leg from below. which caused her to fall.

"Will my sister leave me?" a girl's voice said

which made Alicia widen her eyes in shock and froze for a second.

Ryou ran towards her with the gun ready and loaded in his hand, " What The hell is that!!" he cursed and was disgusted once he got closer to it, Ryou pulled his gun, pointed it, and shot at the hand holding Alicia's leg. until the hand eventually loosened its grip on her and she got free.

" Did you ... you hear that?!" Alicia shouted in panic!

" hear what!" Ryou shouted as he held her wrist helping her to stand up. all of this happened in merely a few moments.

"Lana..." Alicia said, looking around, her eyes desperately looking for someone, as she seems to forgot her surroundings completely by now.

On the other hand, Joey pointed the gun at the hand trying to choke Zain.

"A... Oh ... watch out!" Zain said to Joey who was trying to shoot, but unfortunately, he was afraid the bullet would harm Zain too.

Joey didn't want to risk it, so he drew a knife from his boot. he got closer, and focused for a second before he stabbed it with all his might! Which made it release its fists in pain as it crawl back into the tree, Joey rushed to Zain and helped him to stand up.

Joey doesn't need to ask Zain how he's doing, he looks better than last night. But he is not well either, his face is pale, his lips are white and trembling, and he needs to be taken to the hospital.

Joey put Zain's arm around his neck and put his hand on Zain's back to support him, "Alicia?" Ryou yelled. Which caught Zain and Joey's attention to them.

They looked at her and were shocked when they saw her putting the gun on her head while she mumbled, "Dear sister ... I'm going to meet you now, my dear ..."

"Alicia put the damn gun down! that's not her !!" Zain shouted at her. which caused him pain while he let go of Joey.

"Mother? .." Ryou said as he was taking steps towards the flames, that's when Joey spotted him.

" What the hell is going on here!! hallucinations?" Joey shouted wondering as he left Zain's side quickly, headed towards Ryou and grabbed his arm pulling Ryou towards him, and then shook him:

"Ryou! Ryou !! Wake up!" Joey shouted at him.

"Give me the gun, Alicia..." Zain said while barely walking towards her limping because of his injury, his breathing is heavy he lowered his brows:" She is long gone, Alicia.."

"... Zain .... Lana came back and said that she would forgive me if I only clicked! Zain you are the one who knows my suffering all of these years ... Finally, it will end with just one click and I will be with my sister in peace. Don't you want to see me happy?" Alicia said, trembling in fear, with a sad smile, taking steps back while Zain took steps closer to her.

"And are you going to be happy leaving my side?" Zain said with a worried and caring voice, reaching his hand to her, which made Alicia stop and freeze in her place due to these words, from Zain especially. he is not the kind of guy who says comforting things, especially to her.

Zain took this opportunity and speeded up his steps, took the gun from her hand while putting the other on her head from the back then pulled her in his arms.

"It's okay. I'm here." Zain told her. While patting her back. he could feel her body trembling and her fists grabbing his back tightly, she was crying but no one saw her tears, only he could feel her crying in his chest.

Joey looked at them in confusion, what was happening to both of them, seems like everyone here has a dark past, he pulled out Ryou and went back to them.

The four were now standing back to back, surrounded by flames on all sides.

"This fire ...why isn't it progressing?" Said Zain.

"Do not look at the fire !!! It pushes you to throw yourselves in it with your own well !!" A man's voice said which came from behind the flames. the voice was too familiar to Zain.

"I'm not the only one who heard this right?" Zain said, looking at Joey in wonder.

"No. I heard it too ... someone behind this fire is trying to save us..just do as he says" Joey said, looking at the ground and trying to avoid looking at the flames so did Zain putting his hand on Alicia's eyes.

"Trust us ....." Joey heard a familiar voice and found it coming from the flames, it was the same calling voice, the same dark, desperate tone, which said the same thing back in the mountain.

He shook his head right and left, trying to get those voices out of his mind. but he couldn't resist and looked at the flames and found another black hand extended from it. He looked carefully and found that it is not only a black hand but a completely black being Like a black shadow extending its hand through the flames to them.

Joey kept looking at this black creature's face and remembered that he hadn't died after he heard these words before when he fell off the cliff. And did not drown when he fell into this black sea before and he was saved eventually.

He felt that this creature was not like the other shadows in the flames, it did not want them dead.

Joey headed to Zain, "Hold him for a second, I'll be back."Joey said to him leaving Ryou with him.

Zain took Ryou's arm from Joey and held it "What? ... where are you going ... Joey!" Zain shouted to Joey.

" Don't you remember! the flames it's manipulating! don't believe what you see!!" Zion shouted.

But Joey did not turn to him, but gathered up all his strength with steady steps and went towards the black shadow and stood slightly in front of it, he did not believe it, but he felt that the shadow was Smiling at him. reassuring him that he was doing the right thing.

"Trust us ...." Joey heard the shadow say again as if it was whispering.

"Are you real?" Joey asked it, Joey looked at Zain and asked " Do you see this hand?"

Zain was confused and hesitated " Y...Yes! I see it, now come back!"

Joey felt more relieved now that it was not an illusion, he hesitated but eventually raised his hand towards the shadow until he touched the hand and held it. and to his surprise, it held him back gently in a reassuring way. pulling him through the fire.

"Joey No!!!! " Zain shouted out loud.

End of chapter 8