CHAPTER 6

Ren felt him before he saw him.

The air thickened with that quiet, suffocating pressure he had come to dread, and his body knew before his eyes confirmed it. His head lifted, weak but instinct-driven, and there he was—silver eyes gleaming like frozen steel, cutting through him with the same merciless precision as the bullet that had torn into his flesh.

Axton.

The captain stood tall, all dark, commanding presence, his hands buried in the pockets of his black pants. He leaned with a casual elegance against the massive obsidian desk, the world globe gleaming faintly behind him like a mockery of order and power. Everything about him radiated control. Danger disguised as calm.

Ren's throat constricted. Those unreadable eyes pinned him, the same eyes that haunted him in the fevered haze between life and death.

"Captain." Cypher's voice broke the silence. He bowed, head lowered in respect, though his grip on Ren's wrist was still firm, almost possessive. He didn't release him until Axton's gaze flickered briefly in his direction.

Axton's expression didn't change, but his silence was louder than words. He hadn't expected Ren to still be alive—that much was clear.

Even with Corvin's interference, it should have been impossible. Two days ago, Ren had been a broken thing bleeding out in the dirt. He wasn't meant to survive the captain's bullet. And yet… he stood here, trembling, fragile, but undeniably breathing.

"Let me go… please." Ren's voice cracked, weak but desperate. His plea barely carried across the room, but it was raw, scraped out from the depths of him.

He knew there was no chance of overpowering Axton. Begging was his only currency now. He only wanted to see Mira again—if only to hold her hand before the virus claimed her completely.

"Come here, Renault." Axton's voice was calm. Too calm.

Ren stiffened. That voice had become the sound of death itself in his mind. If death wore a face, it would be this man's.

"You heard the captain." Cypher shoved him forward, hand leaving his wrist at last.

Ren stumbled, his body weak and uncooperative. His palms hit the ground first, then his chin struck hard against the polished floor. The impact rattled his jaw, pain sparking down his teeth. "Ugh—"

The sound echoed in the cavernous room.

"Come here, Renault," Axton repeated, his tone quieter, deadlier.

Ren's jaw tightened. He pushed himself up slowly, bracing on his elbow. Axton would not tolerate hesitation. Disobedience, even in this condition, would be met with punishment.

His muscles screamed as he forced himself onto his knees, then onto unsteady feet. His body swayed, vision blurring at the edges. For the first time, he noticed the flimsy blue pants they had given him, a patient's uniform, stripping him of everything but survival.

"Yes, Captain," Ren managed, forcing steel into the words even as his body betrayed his weakness.

Axton's gaze narrowed, the weight of it pressing down like a physical force. Ren could feel the hatred rolling off him—hatred for his defiance, for the spark of rebellion that still lived in his green eyes.

No one had ever dared meet the captain's stare with anything but fear. Yet Ren, frail and dying, still carried defiance in his gaze. And Axton, though he'd never admit it, felt that thorn press against his composure.

"Who sent you, Renault?" Axton's voice was slow, deliberate, as he stepped away from the desk. His hands remained in his pockets, casual, but the air around him thickened with unspoken threat.

Ren's jaw clenched. His eyes scanned that perfect, cruel face—the sharp lines, the effortless authority. They were opposites in every way: Ren was broken, dirty, blood still crusting at his temple. Axton was pristine, dangerous, unshakable.

"He was sent—" Cypher began, voice sharp.

"I came to find Cypher, Captain," Ren cut in, forcing his ragged breath into words.

Lies, but necessary ones. His chest rose and fell too quickly, his body trembling under the effort of standing.

Cypher's head snapped toward him, fury flashing. "Nonsense! I've never seen this man before in my life!"

Ren's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "It's true—we've never met. But I represent someone he knows. Someone who buys the serum from him." His words came between gasps, but he pushed them out anyway.

Cypher's denial was immediate, but Axton's raised hand silenced him.

The captain's stare drilled into Ren, cold and consuming. "The name of this man."

Ren's stomach turned. He could not give Reed's name. Couldn't risk exposing Base7. If Axton unleashed his soldiers there, Mira and everyone else would be slaughtered—or worse.

Axton leaned in, his presence swallowing the air between them. "Tell me who sent you, and I might let you live." His voice was soft, almost coaxing, though his gaze promised the opposite.

"He's lying—" Cypher tried again.

"No, he's not."

Corvin's voice cut clean through the room.

Cypher stiffened, his head whipping around. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the doctor standing there, calm, deliberate.

"Dr. Corvin?" Cypher's voice cracked. "I thought—"

"Thought what? That the men you bribed would smuggle me out? They snitched, Cypher. And worse—you misread the pyramid." Corvin moved with eerie calm, circling him. "My word outweighs yours." His gaze flicked toward Axton, measured, careful. "Captain, whatever I've done with your captive, I've done for resourceful benefit."

Axton said nothing. He returned to his desk, leaning his weight against it, unreadable as ever.

"Betrayal in the Faction is unforgivable." His voice was even, but the words cracked like a whip. "Three of you are guilty of it."

Ren froze when Axton extended his hand toward him. "Closer, Renault."

His heart thudded painfully in his chest. Still, he obeyed, dragging his trembling legs forward until he stood within reach of that outstretched hand.

He hesitated only a moment before lifting his own. But just as his fingers hovered near Axton's palm, the captain lowered his hand. The rejection stung more than he expected, his own arm falling uselessly back to his side.

"Prove your life is worth more than my soldier's. Tell me the name of the man who sent you." The command was cold, sharp.

Cypher's breathing hitched, sweat sliding down his temple. His schemes, his posturing, were unraveling fast.

Ren's fists clenched. He couldn't give Reed's name. But he could wound Cypher. "I have nothing to hide. Kill me if you want, Captain. But know this—Cypher is your weak link. He'll bring your Faction down with his greed."

For a split second, Axton's composure cracked. The words struck something in him—Ren could see it. The Faction's downfall was the one button he hadn't expected to press, but it worked.

The captain moved faster than Ren could track, his gun already drawn and pressed to Cypher's temple.

"Speak." His voice was a hiss, soft and venomous.

Cypher trembled violently. "Captain—Renault is lying! I—"

"Last week, September 12, 2026," Corvin interrupted, his tone clinical. "Faction Six complained of missing serums. Traced back, the distribution records point to Cypher. For two years, he's been funneling extra to Base7. I have the proof, both physical and digital."

Cypher's mouth opened, desperate to protest.

The gunshot silenced him.

Blood blossomed across the pristine floor. His body crumpled, lifeless, eyes frozen in shock.

Ren staggered back, bile rising in his throat. His own pulse thundered in his ears.

'Am I next?'

Axton turned, silver eyes locking onto him again, colder than ever. "Now, Renault," he said softly. "We can speak more about Base7… am I right?"

And in that moment, Ren knew the real interrogation had only just begun.