–– BLACK TEAM POV ––

Stephen appeared again at the base after a few seconds. He felt both disoriented and dumbfounded. His feeling was stepped on by one person, the only important person for him. He couldn’t even get up from the floor, he felt as if his life ended with that kiss. The past memories of Sophie kept on repeating. Unknowingly, tears started to fall from his eyes, turning into sobs moments later.

In that instant, Dorian appeared on the base. He shook his head and just before going out, noticed Stephen on the floor, turned into an ocean of tears.

– What happened? Did Sophie kill you? —he kneeled in front of him—.

Hearing those words, Stephen quickly got up and took him by the collar of his uniform. He looked at him angrily, slowly tightening his hands against him.

– What? What I said bothered you? —Dorian said trying to speak, since he was in an awkward position—.

– Stop messing with Sophie.

– Sorry for meddling between you and your precious lover. —he gave Stephen a smirk—.

– Stop… I’m going to kill you…You can’t do that here, bud, we can only kill those of the enemy team. Why don’t you just go and kill Sophie so we can get more points and win?

– SHUT UP!

Stephen punched Dorian in the face. Even though they were in a virtual simulation, every hit is felt as if it were in real life. Dorian was on the floor, but he quickly got up and cleaned the bit of blood that was running down his lips.

– You sure are strong, now I see why Maeva chose you, heh. —he let out a little laugh—.

In the middle of the discussion Chad appeared. Once there, he looked at both guys confused, he didn’t know what was happening.

– Guys what are you doing? We need you, they’re winning us by a lot! —he said getting closer to them— What happened to you face, Dorian!?

– Why don’t you ask our teammate?

Dorian took the same weapon he had been using so far and got out of the warehouse.

– What happened, Stephen…?

– Nothing.

Stephen too got out of the warehouse. Chad stood there alone, watching how Stephen was quickly disappearing from sigh. Chad only sighed and took his weapons. Black Team’s strategy was rapidly coming apart, everyone was separated, except Selene and Kiera.

– S-Selene? T-there’s some in t-the base…

Selene, hearing Kiera’s words, got up quickly and ran to the base. Once there, she was shocked to see the silhouette that was there. A very familiar silhouette.

– Z-Zorn…

Hearing that voice, Zorn turned around.

–– RED TEAM POV ––

Luna looked at her wrist, in there she could see a small screen that was attached to the uniform. In said screen were the current points. If you were to touch the screen, it would expand to show how many deaths each one had, how many kills and how many points they had by capturing a base. On her team, the one with the most points was Zorn, almost doubling everyone’s points. Luna was lucky to have 3 kills, but still she preferred to capture bases than to kill people, even if she knew they respawned. But not for long.

She noticed how the deaths of the Black Team were going higher and higher, almost seeming to be on purpose. They had a 10-point advantage, being 28-18, needing just 2 more points to win.

While cautiously walking, she saw that Zorn and Selene were in a base. As to not interfere, she hid behind a metal wall.

– Selene.

–– BLACK TEAM POV––

Selene bit her lip. She looked at her wrist and noticed how there were only 2 points left for the Red Team to win. She laughed slightly. Only Selene and Zorn were present. Everybody else were respawning on their respective bases, except Luna.

– Z-Zorn…

She tried to get closer to him, but he pointed at her with his gun. She stopped dead in her tracks, gulped down and took a deep breath.

– Zorn, do you remember when Dorian, Dominik, you and me used to play? In that small park? When nothing of this existed?

Zorn kept silent.

– We were happy… with no worries… without having to think about wars… —tears started to stream down her eyes— when all the nations were at peace… don’t you want to go back to those times? Because I do… those are my most precious memories.

Selene tried again to slowly get closer to Zorn.

– Zorn… I’m scared… I don’t want thing to end this way… I could finally see you after so many years… Dorian feels the same way as me… and I’m sure Dominik too…

– Selene, stop…Don’t do it, please…

In that moment, Dorian appeared.

– ZORN!

Without thinking it twice, Zorn shot Selene, making his team finally get the 30 points they needed to win. In Dorian’s eyes could be seen the despair and frustration, though it could only be seen for a few second, since once there a team gets the necessary points, everyone goes unconscious.

–– RED TEAM POV ––

Luna quickly opened her eyes. Her pod was open and her wrists free. Luna touched her face and noted it was completely damp. And in that moment, she remembered, she was crying for Selene.

She got up her pod and approached the one containing the cold and immobile body of Selene. She kneeled and started to cry like a little girl.

Zorn wasn’t in the coliseum. He had already gone to the warehouse. Ethan got close to Luna and put his hand on her shoulder.

– Let’s go, Luna.

Sophie looked at Stephen’s pod. She couldn’t allow herself to cry. She promised herself she will win that sadist game they were forced to participate in. But even thought she wanted to be strong, the tears won over her and Sophie fell to the floor, crying without being able to stop. Stephen’s absence will affect her greatly. For her, he was the most important person in her life, and she contributed to him not being in this world anymore.

The next day, the second round of the Siege will start.

–– YELLOW TEAM POV ––

Jessica was reading her book on her respective bed, she found said book thrown over on the floor. Since she didn’t have any of her books with her, she had to read what she had at hand. It was the only way to stay calm and forget what was happening. Though said calm didn’t stay for long.

– Jessica! What are you doing? We should be training! —said Katerine, stumbling with one of the corners of the bed—.

– Katerine, be careful of where you walk…

– Hehe, I’m sorry, cap! —she lifted her hand to her forehead, imitating the military hand salute—.

In that moment, Alessandro came into the warehouse.

– Girls, please, now is not the time to be lazing around.

Alessandro Greaves was Yellow Team’s leader. Likewise, he was the leader of Xaeva’s troupes. He, like all the other leaders, lost all his original troupe members. Now he, was in charge of a team composed completely of girls.

– Sorry, Boss! —screamed Katerine, doing the same hand gesture as before—.

– Where’s Hal?

– I think she went to spy on the Orange Team again. —said Jessica, without looking up from her book—.

– Tch.

Alessandro got out of the warehouse and started to walk to where Orange Team’s warehouse was located. It wasn’t far. There, he looked around but couldn’t see anyone. He was going to walk to the back of it until he hard voices, so he decided to stay still and listen to them.

– Ray… I can’t with this… my team is going next tomorrow!

– Don’t worry, Hal. —he hugged her, accommodating her head on his chest— I’m sure your team will win.

– Are you sure? I’m not that confident…

– Why not?

– You’re there, that’s enough.

Hal raised her head and got closer to Ray, giving him a long kiss. Alessandro listened to the whole conversation and sighed. He knew what they were going through. And in that moment, he understood their relationship. For them, being forced to be in different teams and possibly having to fight to death, it must be a torture. It was a torture for everyone. In that moment, Ray and Hal were on their way out when they encountered Alessandro.

– A-Alessandro!? —exclaimed Hal—.

– O-Oh, I’m sorry! I wasn’t spying on you two or anything… Err… I’ll go train! —he ran out of there—.

– You too should be training, Hal.

Hal nodded and gave him a short kiss. And so, she too went to the training center. There she saw her other team members.

– Oh, guys you’re here! —said Athena, who was the physically strongest of her team, including Alessandro—.

– Cool, time to train, girls. Tomorrow we can’t lose.

TO BE CONTINUED.