Great Divide
Great Divide
Jarox’s POV…
We walked off the main road, taking the quieter path that led back toward the wreck. Neither of us had said much since leaving the palace, but my mind was crowded with everything that had happened.
Gary, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop talking. “I'm telling you, Jarox, we've got to be prepared for anything. Feran is one problem. Abigail might be another. If she really is what Trix says she is, then we can't afford to hesitate.”
I kept walking. Gary continued.
“We've spent too much time fighting these people to suddenly start feeling sorry for them. If somebody threatens the world, you take them out. That's how you survive.”
“Take them out?”
“Yeah.”
“Who?”
He shrugged. “Anyone who needs to go.”
I finally looked at him. “Feran?”
“If necessary.”
“Abigail?”
He didn't hesitate. “If necessary.”
I stopped walking. Gary took a few more steps before realizing I wasn't beside him anymore. He turned around. “What?”
“Have a heart, Gary.”
He stared at me. “A heart?”
“Yes. Abigail is a child.”
“A child with enough power to crush people without touching them.”
“She doesn't understand what she is.”
“That doesn't make her less dangerous.”
I shook my head and started walking again. Gary followed.
“You're too soft, Jarox.”
“And you're too willing to kill.”
“Because being soft gets people killed.”
“Being ruthless does too.” He scoffed. “Whatever. I've seen enough death to know what happens when people hesitate.”
I glanced at him. “Do you still see me as a threat?”
He frowned. “What?”
“You used to.”
Gary became quiet. I continued walking. “You once thought I was part of the problem. A Krug prince. The enemy. Someone who needed to be dealt with.”
He took a breath. “I've been around you long enough to know you're not the enemy.”
“So you trust me now?”
“I trust what you want.”
“And what's that?”
“Peace. Freedom for humans. An end to this war.”
I looked at him. “Then we want the same thing.”
“Exactly.”
We walked in silence for a moment. Then I asked the question that had been sitting in my mind for much longer than I wanted to admit. “What about Gatrina?”
Gary's expression changed. I looked ahead. “I still love her.”
He didn't respond.
“I know things have changed,” I continued. “I know we haven't really spoken about what happened between us, but I still want her. And when all of this is over, I'm going to make her want me again.”
Gary's silence became heavier. I could feel his emotions. Anger. Jealousy. Frustration. I almost smiled. “You're angry.”
“No.”
“You are.”
“I'm not.”
“You're practically burning.”
He stopped. I turned to him. “When this is over, only one of us will be with Gati.”
Gary stared at me.
“And it'll be me.”
His jaw tightened. “I won't just walk away.”
“I know.”
“I'll fight for her.”
I stepped closer. “And you'll lose.”
He moved closer too. “We'll see.”
We stood face-to-face. Neither of us moved. For a moment, I genuinely thought we were going to settle the matter with our fists. Then something caught my attention. I looked beyond Gary, through the gaps between the buildings. A small figure was walking in the distance. I narrowed my eyes.
“Abigail?”
Gary immediately turned. There she was. The child was walking alone.
“What is she doing out here?” Gary asked.
“I don't know.”
She kept moving. Neither of us waited. We followed.
.
.
.
Gatrina’s POV…
The city was nothing like the quiet sanctuary we'd left behind. New Lagos was alive. And ugly. Everywhere I looked, there were Krug patrols. They stopped citizens randomly, demanded identification and searched them. Nobody questioned it anymore. Everyone simply lowered their heads and obeyed.
And then there were the humans. Some were being dragged through the streets. Others were being sold. Human trafficking happened openly, as though it were nothing more than ordinary commerce. I pulled my hood farther over my head. Amara walked beside me.
“Keep your head down,” she whispered.
“I am.”
We continued following the trail Abigail had left behind. At least, we hoped it was hers. After several minutes, we stopped at a corner. Amara leaned against the wall and looked around. “Anything?”
“Nothing.”
“She couldn't have just disappeared.”
I scanned the streets. “What would she even be looking for?”
“I don't know.”
“Where could a fifteen-year-old girl possibly be going alone in a city like this?”
Amara looked at me. “She isn't exactly a normal fifteen-year-old.”
I didn't answer. She was right. Abigail wasn't normal. That was precisely what frightened me. Then Amara suddenly grabbed my arm. “There.”
I followed her gaze. A girl stood several streets ahead. We couldn't see her face clearly, but the clothes were unmistakable. It was Abigail. My heart jumped. “That's her.”
“She went into that tent.”
We watched. A Krug guard stood outside the entrance. Abigail walked toward him. Then, right before she reached him—She disappeared. I stared.
“She just—”
“Yeah. She turned invisible.”
Amara grinned faintly. “Useful trick.”
Abigail slipped past the guard and disappeared inside the tent. I looked at Amara. “We're going in.”
She nodded. We crossed the street and approached the entrance. The guard immediately stepped in front of us. “Identification.”
I froze. Amara looked at him. “We don't have any.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then you don't enter.”
“We're expected.”
“By whom?”
Neither of us answered. The guard's hand slowly moved toward the weapon at his side. My heart began pounding. Amara glanced at me. I glanced back. We needed to think. Fast. Because if that guard raised the alarm, the entire street would know we were there.
And Abigail would be trapped inside. The guard stared at us suspiciously. “Identify yourselves.”
Amara's hand moved slightly toward her weapon. I caught it. Not yet. We couldn't start a fight here. Not unless we had no other choice. The guard's hand moved closer to his alarm. And I realized we had only seconds left to come up with a lie.