War.

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Chapter 28: Fight for Survival.

Syzoth and Skarlet rushed into the council chamber in haste. As quickly as they had entered the chamber, they had been seen by the now Shokan queen and the empresses of Outworld.

“Syzoth?” Kitana asked, confused, seeing the Zaterran having disregarded his orders and entered the room in ragged and desperate breaths. As if what he was carrying on his shoulders would change the whole, already tense atmosphere of the chamber. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes narrowed with authority. “I thought Fenrir had ordered both of you to stay with the guards.”

Syzoth and Skarlet both bowed their head respectfully. “Forgive us, Your Grace,” Syzoth stated. “But we come to you with a matter of most urgency.”

The three powerful women raised a brow at the Zaterran’s statement. “What is it?” The Edenian queen asked.

Both Syzoth and Skarlet looked at the scene around them. The expressions of shock all the generals and the queens shared. Their eyes quickly found the meaning of it. Below Fenrir stood victorious yet unmoving, standing above Goro’s decapitated body.

A shiver ran through Skarlet’s eye at the sight. “Fen…?” She said in a hushed tone, almost silently. Just as surprised, Jade was close to her. The man she had fallen for looked strange, almost as if it wasn’t him who stood below them. She wanted to ask what had happened in her absence, but the matter at hand right now was far more urgent.

Syzoth raised his voice. This time, all the eyes and ears of the room fell upon him. Even Fenrir, though the emperor didn’t move nor address him. Instead, he stared with a wicked smile at the corpse underneath his feet. “Your Grace…Loyalist forces have entered Kuatan.”

A gasp and murmurs rose from the clan-heads, as well as the queen, at Reptile’s statement.

“Wha-?!” Sheeva said, stunned in place. Before she and her fellow shokans could react, the room shook with force.

Pieces of the stone walls began to crumble, and some of the shokans fell from their stands into the lava below as artillery fire rained upon the palace. Sheeva and the rest of her allies held on to whatever they could to avoid a blazing death. Rubble fell upon some of the Shokan's heads, killing them in an instant, if not crushing them. One of those victims was Kilur and the elders. The top of the throne's golden decoration fell after one of the artillery fire hit the top of Golvalin’s. The blast sent shockwaves down the palace, causing the throne's upper structure to split and fall upon the three elders. Putting an end to their everlasting and honourable lives.

Despite the unrelenting artillery fire that rained upon Golvalin, Fenrir, or the creature possessing him, never moved. He stood there in place, the wicked and hungry smile never left his bloodthirsty lips.

Once the blasts stopped and the ground settled, Sheeva rose from the floor and asked across the room: “Everyone alright!?” The female Shokan quickly checked on her companions while the grunts of the clan-heads and their respective warriors replied affirmatively.

On the other side, Count Ilur answered for the remaining Shokan warriors still alive. “We are! You all?”

Sheeva helped Kitana to her with the help of Jade while Syzoth and Skarlet helped Sheeva’s Shokan supporters. “We are.” Then her eyes turned to the pool of blood that dripped slowly from the throne. She lowered her head in a respectful bow for the fallen elders. “Though we have lost many lives.”

The room turned silent for a second once the survivors saw the bodies of their fellow companions melted on the lava or crushed underneath the rubble. Then, a voice roared. “How dare he strike us?!” an Ush-Tar warrior stated. The Shokans cried in agreement with the fellow clan-heads

“Silence!” Kintaro ordered as the commotion and ire grew.

Ilur gritted his teeth in disdain at the Tigrar’s comment. “How dare you give me orders, Tigrar!?” He said, pointing at him. “You are not my king.”

“No.” The Tigrar-Shokan replied coldly. “I’m not.” Then he gestured with one of his upper arms towards Sheeva. “YOUR queen is standing right next to me.” He narrowed his eyes towards the Shokan general. “You do well to heed her words.”

All eyes in the room fell upon Sheeva, Queen of the Shokan. Her supporters bowed in reverence to their liege; Goro’s supporters didn’t. Or, if they did, they did so reluctantly. Ilur, as well as some of the clan-heads, did so reluctantly, despite the Ush-Tar behind him rejecting her.

Sheeva could only widen her eyes at the sudden coronation, especially at this moment of crisis. Then, it hit her. Fenrir had won. Goro had perished, as well as Kilur. By right, she was now queen. Now, she needed to prove the faith placed upon her. With conviction, she took a step forward and addressed all of her subjects. “Quickly, all! To the inner walls.”

Kintaro quickly ordered his men to gear up and follow all of the queen’s commands from now on. “We must stop Reiko’s men before they reach the marketplace!” Sheeva commanded. “Kiraen!” She called to her second in command. A female Shokan shield-maiden stepped forward, her face covered in warpaint with Sheeva’s clan colours and symbols.

“Yes, my queen?” Kiraen asked respectfully.

“Take some of our warriors and make sure to bring all the civilians to the palace.” She said solemnly. “We must make sure they get out of the line of sight.”

Kiraen nodded with conviction, then she turned and quickly called to her warriors. “Shield-Maidens, with me. To the marketplace!” The warriors quickly left the chamber following her command. Kintaro’s men, and he with the rest of Sheeva’s supporters, followed her earlier orders and quickly made their way to the inner walls.

Swiftly and surely the chamber began to empty. Till the few that remained were Ilur, the remaining Goro’s supporters and the Ush-Tar on the other side. Sheeva narrowed her eyes at Ilur. Awaiting him to follow her command. Ilur held the authoritative for as long as he could. Then, reluctantly, he ordered his men and the rest of the shokan to follow Kintaro’s men to the inner walls. “To the inner walls! Kuatan must not fall to weaklings!” His voice echoed through the chamber as the warriors left, leaving Sheeva and the monarchs remaining in the room alone.

“Syzoth,” Kitana called with authority.

“Yes, my queen?” The Zaterran replied in reverence.

“Muster the guard.” The queen said solemnly. “Make sure they help the Kiraen and her soldiers evacuate the civilians. Once finished, join the battle. We are going to need all the strong hands we can find.”

“What about you, my queen?” Skarlet asked in reverence.

Kitana’s eyes narrowed with determination. “I’m going to join the Shokans. Find the sorcerer and slit his throat once and for all.”

Sheeva grinned at her friend proudly and amused by her attitude. “Mind if I join in?”

Kitana pulled her dagger-fans with both hands. “I was hoping you would say that.” Syzoth swiftly, and after turning invisible, left the room. Kitana began to pace forward towards the door. “Come, Skarlet, you are with me.” She called as Sheeva led the way.

Then, before leaving, she turned to Jade. The Edenian queen kept quiet throughout the entire exchange; her concentration focused on their husband. “Jade,” Kitana called solemnly.

“I will deal with him,” Jade replied with conviction. Preparing herself for whatever, or whoever, awaited her there.

Kitana looked at her friend for a moment, then she nodded at her. If anyone could help Fenrir right now, it was her. There was none that Kitana trusted more. With that final acknowledgement, she left, following Sheeva's lead.

Heading to war.

---

Jade descended the broken steps of the stands, moving carefully through the shattered remains of the chamber. Stone littered the floor beneath her feet, some still warm from the bombardment that had torn through Golvalin moments earlier. Smoke drifted lazily through the air, carrying the smell of ash, blood, and molten rock from the arena below. Yet Jade barely noticed any of it. Her attention was fixed on the figure standing at the centre of the arena. Fenrir…or what remained of him.

As she reached the bottom of the ruined stands, she finally had a clear view of him. He stood motionless above Goro’s body, Arondite still clutched tightly in his hand. His posture was almost unnaturally still, save for the occasional twitch of his head, as though something inside him were struggling beneath the surface. His gaze never left the corpse at his feet. It was not the look of a warrior reflecting on a hard-fought victory. Rather, the look of something admiring its sadistic handiwork.

Fenrir held Arondite as though the sword had become an extension of his own body. The blade remained stained with blood, its flames no longer carrying the familiar black-and-blue glow she knew so well. His sweat-soaked hair hung over his face, concealing his features beneath shadow. But Jade could still see enough. Black veins had spread across his neck and disappeared beneath his torn clothing, crawling upward from his chest like living things. His wounds had already sealed, his extraordinary healing leaving behind only the blood that had soaked through his clothes.

The sight was haunting. Terrifying even. But worst of all, it was familiar.

Jade stopped for a moment. She remembered the look in Fenrir’s eyes when Reiko had attacked her. The darkness that had suddenly surfaced within him. The rage. The violence. That terrifying sensation that something else had taken the reins. She had hoped and prayed it would never happen again. But standing before him now, Jade knew those prayers had gone unanswered. This was that same darkness. Only now, it was no longer struggling to remain hidden.

The image of Sun Do flashed through her mind once again; a chill travelled down her spine in that very moment. Still, she forced herself to move. Fear would not save him. And whatever was inside Fenrir, she could not abandon him to it.

Jade slowly approached the arena. She carried no staff, dagger or razor-sharp weapon in her hands. She wanted Fenrir to see her as someone coming to reach him, not someone coming to fight him. Yet he did not react. Not when she stepped closer. Nor when her boots touched the blood-stained stone surrounding Goro’s body. Even when she stopped only a few feet away.

Jade’s gaze fell upon Goro. For a moment, she almost felt sick. The Shokan prince had been a proud warrior, a brutal one at times, but still a warrior. Yet there was no dignity left in his death. His body had been torn apart with such violence that the arena looked more like a slaughterhouse than a battlefield. There had been no honour in the way he had fallen. Only brutality.

Jade slowly lifted her eyes again. Even now, she could not see Fenrir’s face. His head remained lowered, with hair casting his features into darkness. “Fen?” She asked.

Nothing escaped his lips, not a single word. Only the distant rumble of war could be heard beyond the shattered walls and the bubbling roar of lava below.

Then, Jade took another step. “Fen? It’s me, Jade.” Still, nothing. She moved closer until there was barely any distance between them. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she slowly raised her hand. Her fingers approached his cheek. “Can you hear m—”

Fenrir’s head snapped upward. Before Jade could react, both of his hands closed around her throat. He lifted her from the ground with terrifying ease.

Her breath vanished as her hands immediately seized his wrists, trying to pry them away, but his grip did not loosen. “FEN!” The scream tore from her throat.

Jade froze once she saw his face. Black veins covered nearly every visible part of his skin, spreading from his neck and across his cheeks like cracks in stone. His eyes were completely black, save for a tiny, undying blue flame where his irises should have been. But it was the smile that frightened her most. He was enjoying this. There was no hesitation in his eyes. No trace of the man she loved, only cruel satisfaction.

“Let go!” Jade drove both feet into his chest. The impact would have staggered an ordinary warrior. Fenrir did not even flinch. She kicked again, this time channelling her magic through the attack. The force struck his chest hard enough to send dust scattering across the arena floor, and still, nothing. His hands tightened as Jade felt her airway constrict. Panic began to creep beneath the discipline she had spent years cultivating.

Then Fenrir finally spoke. The voice coming from his mouth was not his. It was colder. Lower. Almost amused by what he was doing. “Look at you.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “You are pathetic.” Jade continued struggling, but his strength was overwhelming. The creature tilted Fenrir’s head slightly, almost as though examining something it found curious. “What does he see in you?”

“What are you talking about?!” Jade gasped. “Let go!” She kicked again and again. But nothing would change. Even empowered by her magic, her attacks could not force him backwards. And the more she struggled, the more the creature seemed to enjoy it.

A soft, malicious chuckle escaped his lips. “I can’t believe he chose you.” There was mockery in every word. “He loves you; you know?” Jade’s eyes widened. The creature's smile grew. “I’m sure he’s screaming and begging for me to stop right now...”

Jade stared into those black eyes. For an instant, she almost believed it. Not because she doubted Fenrir’s love. Because the thing holding her sounded so certain that the man she loved was trapped somewhere inside, forced to watch.

She could feel her lungs burning. Her movements slowed down as air became a blessing. Her fingers slipped against his wrists. The grip around her throat tightened again. “Fen...”

Her voice was barely audible now. A tear rolled from the corner of her eye. “Stop.” Her feet kicked weakly now as another breath failed to come. “Please...You’re hurting me.” The words were fragile as the world around Jade began to darken. The roar of the lava faded, and the sounds of battle beyond the chamber seemed to disappear with it. Her arms grew heavier and her vision blurred.

Then something inside Fenrir screamed. “GET AWAY FROM HER!” The change in voice tone was immediate.

The creature's grip released. Fenrir threw himself backwards, violently creating distance between them. Jade crashed onto the stone floor and rolled onto her side, immediately coughing as she desperately fought to draw air back into her lungs.

Fenrir staggered several feet away. His hands trembled, and his breathing became erratic. Fenrir reached for the dagger at his belt and drove the blade through his own hand. Blood spilt wildly across the floor. “GO... BACK!” The command sounded torn from somewhere deep inside him. “GO BACK!” The black veins pulsed beneath his skin as he clenched his fist around the dagger.

Slowly, painfully, the darkness began to retreat. The black veins receded from his neck. The unnatural glow disappeared from his eyes while his features softened. His body sagged as something finally released its hold.

Fenrir pulled the dagger from his hand. The wound began to close almost immediately. Then he turned towards Jade. His expression changed completely. Horror filled his face. “Oh, gods...Jade!”

He rushed toward her. Jade recoiled immediately. She planted both hands against the ground and scrambled backwards, pushing herself away from him with her feet. “Get away from me!”

Fenrir stopped completely. He stared at her, and for the first time, he understood what he looked like from her perspective. Like a monster. Someone she believed might hurt her again.

Fenrir slowly raised both hands, palms open. He did not move any closer. “It’s okay...” His voice was quiet, tender and warm. His back again. “It’s me.” He swallowed. “For real.”

Jade stared at him. Her breathing remained ragged. She studied his face, his eyes and hands. Everything about him looked familiar again. The warmth in his expression. The concern in his eyes and the vulnerability in them. It was Fenrir, the man she loved. And yet her body still remembered those hands around her throat.

She slowly rose to her feet. Fenrir cautiously extended one hand toward her. Jade instinctively flinched and pulled away. His hand stopped in midair. Then, he lowered it and bowed his head. The shame and guilt in his expression were almost unbearable to look at.

Jade stared at the hand he had offered. Then at his face and back at the hand. Her voice was still unsteady. “Fen...Is that you?”

She reached forward, very slowly. Her fingertips touched his hand. They warm…Familiar and human. Not the cold, malignant touch that had held her only moments earlier.

Fenrir looked down at their hands. “Yes.” He looked back into her eyes. “I’m me again.”

But Jade did not close the distance. Instead, she withdrew her hand and took another small step backwards. “What was that?”

The question came almost like a whisper. Fenrir looked away with shame, she couldn’t bring himself to look at her. His jaw tightened. “It’s... complicated.”

Jade's eyes hardened. “Bullshit.” She spoke. “What was that, Fenrir?” Her voice carried the authority of a queen now, but beneath it lay hurt so deep that even he could hear it. “Tell me, or we are through.”

Fenrir stared at her in shock. Yet, he had definitely earned those words. Only moments ago, the thing inside him had tried to kill her. Jade had tried to save him, and he had nearly taken her life. No explanation could erase that. “I... I wished I could. Believe m—”

“Tell me.” Jade's voice became firmer. There was no anger in it now. Only finality. “I won’t say it again.”

Fenrir took a deep breath. The sounds of war continued outside as the palace trembled around them. Yet for several seconds, none of that mattered. This moment was between them alone. And Fenrir knew the words that followed could change everything. He had once promised that no secrets would stand between them. Yet he had kept the deepest truth about himself hidden, just as Kitana had once kept her own secret from Mileena.

He had told himself he was protecting the people he loved. Perhaps he had been. But his intention did not erase the consequence of that choice. A hidden truth was still a lie when the truth finally came to light.

Fenrir looked at Jade. His heart felt heavier than the sword in his hand ever could. “I’m...” He hesitated. Then forced himself to continue. “I’m not human.” Jade's eyes widened. “Not entirely.”

“What?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand, Fen.”

He struggled to find the words. “I’m half-demon and half-human.” Jade stared at him. At first, the words seemed impossible to comprehend. Then realisation dawned. Her eyes widened. “I’m a Nephilim.”

Jade's expression changed instantly. “What?!” She shook her head in disbelief. “But that’s... impossible.” She gestured toward him. “I read about your kind; you are all extinct.”

The words your kind carried a weight that made Fenrir wince. There was fear hidden beneath them. Jade could not blame herself for feeling it. She had grown up hearing the stories. The Nephilim were ancient beings of immense power, and many among them had used that power for devastation. Their name had become intertwined with destruction in the histories of multiple realms…That was until the Netherrealm sent forces to exterminate them. Erasing their civilisation.

Jade stared at him in disbelief. Fenrir could only lower his gaze. “I’m telling the truth.”

Jade did not answer. Instead, she stepped toward him. Her face came within inches of his. She searched his eyes for the lie hidden behind them. Yet, she found none. And somehow, that hurt even more. Jade raised both her fists and struck his chest again and again. “You bastard!” The blows carried anger, but not enough to truly hurt him. “You... bastard!”

Fenrir allowed her to hit him. He deserved every one. Finally, he caught both of her wrists. “Jade... stop.”

“Let go of me!” She pulled herself free and stepped backwards. Then she pointed accusingly at him. “How much more have you been hiding from us?!”

“Nothing more! I swe—”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it, Fen!” Her voice cracked. Tears began running freely down her face. All at once, every question she had tried to bury came rushing forward in her mind. If Fenrir had hidden something this enormous from her, what else had he concealed? Had everything he told them been true? Was his desire to protect and rule Outworld genuine? The last thought hurt more than all the others. …Did he ever love me?

Fenrir’s heart shattered as he saw the answer forming in her expression before she could say it. He lowered his head. For a moment, he considered trying to defend himself. But there was nothing he could say that would make this easier. So, he spoke the truth. “You’re right, there’s more.” His voice trembled. “Much more about me that you don’t know.”

He took a cautious step toward her. “But I never lied to you. What I hid was to keep you all safe.”

Jade stared at him. Her voice softened despite herself. “From who, Fen?” Then she saw the answer in his face.

Fenrir's expression darkened. “From...” He struggled to say it. “Myself.” Jade stared at him. Fenrir's shoulders sank. “I’m dangerous to anyone close to me.”

He looked broken when he said it. Jade had seen him frustrated, wounded, even frightened. But she had never seen Fenrir ashamed of simply existing. “That’s... that’s not tr—”

“It is, Jade.” A tear escaped his eye. “You just saw it.” He clenched his hands. The memory of her choking beneath his grip replayed in his mind again and again. “I love you…Believe me. I do.” His eyes remained fixed upon hers. “I would never hurt you as he did.”

Jade's brow furrowed. “He?”

Fenrir looked toward the ground. Then he extended a hand. Arondite appeared within his grasp. The familiar sword materialised with its supernatural pull, and Fenrir held it horizontally across both hands. He stared at the weapon, almost searching its reflection for an answer. “I... I don’t know.” There was genuine fear in his voice. “But he’s always been here.” His fingers tightened around the hilt. “Inside of me.”

A shiver ran down Jade's spine. Her fingers instinctively touched her throat where his hands had been. The memory returned unbridled. Those malignant eyes. That sadistic smile. The voice that could freeze the warmest of hearths. “When you say ‘he’...” She swallowed and looked back at him. “You mean the one who said those things?” Her voice trembled as the words escaped her lips. “The one who... tried to kill me?”

Fenrir closed his eyes. “...Yes.” He dismissed Arondite from his hands. For several moments, he said nothing. Then he began. “Ever since I was a child, I heard him. Not always, nor clearly. But he was there.” Fenrir's eyes lowered to the ground, ashamed. His voice became quieter. “Not until that night. The night the demons came and killed my family.”

Jade froze. She had heard stories of what the Brotherhood of Shadows had done to the Nephilim. But stories were different from hearing one of the survivors speak about it.

“I was about to be cut down when I heard him for the first time.” He looked at Jade. “I was a child. I didn’t understand what was happening. I only knew that I was terrified.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “And then he spoke to me.” Fenrir's expression tightened. “His voice was reassuring…Protective.” He almost laughed bitterly. “The kind of voice a frightened child would trust. But the worst part was that he knew me.”

Fenrir touched his chest. “He lived inside my soul. He understood my anger, my fear…My hatred.” His fingers curled with disdain as he recalled the harrowing memory. “He offered me power. He told me that if I gave him control, he would help me escape.”

Jade's eyes narrowed. “And you did?”

Fenrir looked away. “I was angry. I wanted revenge for what they had done to me.” He shook his head in anger. “So, I accepted.” He closed his eyes. “I felt the power rushing through my veins. Then everything blurred.” Then, he opened them again. “My body was no longer mine.”

His voice became hollow. “One by one, they fell.” Jade's expression darkened as he retold the events that transpired that fateful night. “Once he was satisfied with how much he had killed, he kept his end of the bargain.” Fenrir swallowed. “He helped me escape.”

Silence settled between them. Jade folded her arms and pondered what she had heard. “What happened afterwards?”

Fenrir looked at her. “I lived on the run and learned to survive on my own. Eventually, I became a demon-hunter.” Jade listened closely. “I wanted to take the fight to them. To make sure no one would suffer as I did.”

His voice lowered. “Every once in a while, he would call to me.” Fenrir's eyes darkened. “He would ask me to let him out.”

Jade already knew what came next. “He was hungry.”

Fenrir nodded. “Sometimes, I allowed it.” His voice cracked. “And every time, it ended the same way.”

He looked at his bloodied hands. A memory flashed back to him in that moment, one that had become most recurrent to him on his contracts. “With a pool of blood beneath my feet...Both human and demon alike.”

Jade covered her mouth. “Gods...” She forced herself to breathe. Then she lowered her hand. “And what did you do with it?”

“I kept him in check for as long as I could.” Fenrir looked toward the shattered walls. “For a time, it worked.” His expression hardened. “Till…I came here.”

Jade understood immediately. “That day at Sun Do. After your fight with Reiko.” Fenrir nodded and looked at her. Jade's voice became quieter. “Was that the first time you heard him again?”

His answer came without hesitation. “Yes.” He looked away. “When Reiko was on the ground after attacking you. I heard him.” Fenrir's jaw tightened. “He wanted to take over… He wanted to kill him. I held him back as long as I could.”

A faint, pained smile appeared. His eyes softened. “If it wasn’t for you...He would have won.”

Jade stared at him. In that moment, all the pieces fell into place. The rage and darkness in his eyes that day finally made sense. She had thought she had merely stopped Fenrir from killing Reiko. Now she understood that she had been fighting to save Fenrir from something else entirely.

“Fen...” Her voice was almost inaudible. “Gods...” She looked away. There was simply too much pain…Too much to process in a single night. Finally, Jade shook her head. “I need time.” She wiped the tears from her face.

“We’re going to talk about this later.” She glanced toward the shattered entrance and the battlefield beyond it. “Now is certainly not the time.” Then she looked back at him. Her expression hardened. “The three of us.”

Fenrir understood her. How could he not? Instead, he only allowed himself to answer. “I... understand.” He hesitated. “Are you—”

“No.” The answer came immediately, cold and firm. “I’m not alright.” Jade unfolded her staff and held it in her hand. The weapon's familiar weight steadied her. She wiped the last tears from beneath her eyes, though more threatened to fall.

“I’m angry, Fen.” Her gaze remained fixed upon him. “I placed my trust in you. I gave you my heart. You promised me you wouldn’t lie to me.” Her voice softened. “And I certainly didn’t lie to you.”

Fenrir opened his mouth. “Jade, I’m—”

“Now is not the time for apologies.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to hear them.” Her voice cracked. “You hurt me, Fen.” She took a breath. “And I know you didn't choose to do it. I know there was something else inside you.” Her grip tightened around her staff.

Fenrir lowered his head. Jade's voice became barely more than a whisper. “You could have killed me,” Fenrir said, but said nothing else. There was nothing he could say. No explanation could erase the memory; only time would.

Jade stared at him through tears. “How can I trust you after this?” Fenrir searched for an answer…Yet, he could find none.

Then Jade closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was something different in them. Not acceptance nor forgiveness. Something more painful that held her heart and soul together. It pained her more knowing that it was genuine.

“I love you, Fen.” Her voice trembled. “I never loved anyone the way I love you.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I can’t leave you.” She swallowed hard. “It would kill me.”

She took a step toward the exit. “But I cannot have you lie to me like this ever again.” Then, she stopped and turned towards him. Her expression was firm. “If you truly want me...” She held his gaze. “And if you were truthful about the promise we made that day, then you will never lie to me again. Promise me.” Her eyes narrowed. “Or you will never see me again.”

Fenrir stared at her. For once, there was nowhere for him to hide. “I promise.”

Jade did not answer. She simply watched him. Her eyes searched his face with the same intensity they had earlier, searching for a lie. Yet, just like before, she found none. Only warmth in them. They were the same eyes that made her feel safe and made her laugh again after years of pain. The ones that stole her heart.

She closed her eyes briefly. She still loved him…she certainly couldn’t deny it. Neither could she bring herself to hate him. But the pain remained. So did the fear. Jade had spent too much of her life being deceived by the people she trusted most. First Kitana. Now Fenrir.

Perhaps that was why the revelation hurt so deeply. She was tired of feeling like she had been the last person in the room to know the truth. Yet as painful as that thought was, she also knew something else. Fenrir had not hidden the truth because he wanted to control her. He had hidden it because he was afraid. Afraid of what he might become. To hurt the people he loved. For they would see the darkness inside him and decide that he was no different from the monsters he had spent his life fighting.

That did not excuse what he had done. But it allowed Jade to understand it. And understanding, she realised, did not mean surrendering her boundaries. It meant choosing what she would do with the truth.

Her gaze shifted toward the battlefield beyond the broken walls. The clash of steel and the screams of warriors echoed through Golvalin. The people of Kuatan were fighting for their homes and families.

Jade looked down at herself. At the royal clothing she wore. At the woman she had become. She thought about the child she had once been. The frightened Edenian girl who had been taken from her home and forced to fight for survival. Then, the woman who turned into an assassin under Shao Kahn’s regime.

That woman still existed somewhere inside. But she was no longer all that she was. Jade was not lost anymore. She knew who and what she needed to be. She was Queen Jade. An empress of Outworld. And that title was more than a privilege. It was her responsibility.

The people outside would look to her with reverence and hope. Some would question whether she deserved the throne. She could choose to let fear govern her. Or she could rise above it. Jade slowly straightened. No longer would she drown herself in guilt over every mistake she had made. She would carry their weight without allowing them to define her. That was what it meant to lead.

She looked back at Fenrir. There was no longer anger in her eyes. The pain remained; so did the uncertainty. But beneath both was certainty. “Follow me, Fenrir.” Fenrir raised his head at her call. Jade struck the end of her staff against the stone floor. “Drop the demon-hunter.”

Fenrir stared at her as his eyes widened slightly at her words. “Become the Emperor.” Jade's voice remained steady. “Your people are waiting for you.” She turned toward the exit. Then looked back at him one final time. There was warmth in her expression now. Not because everything was forgiven, but because she believed he could still become the man he was meant to be. “Lead them.”

And with that, Jade turned away. Walking toward the battlefield.

Fenrir remained where he was. For several moments, he simply watched her disappear into the corridors of Golvalin.

Then he looked down. Arondite appeared in his hand once more as if the blade wanted to tell him something. Its surface reflected his face in fractured light. Fenrir stared at his own reflection. He saw the child who had lost everything. The hunter who had spent years running from himself. The emperor who had entered Outworld determined to change it. All of them were a part of him. The good, the bad and the ugly.

For years, Fenrir had survived by existing somewhere between two halves of himself. Mercy and violence. The hunter and the monster. He had convinced himself that remaining in the middle was control. Perhaps it had only been avoidance.

Jade's words echoed through his mind. “Become the Emperor.” Fenrir looked toward the exit as another artillery blast shook Golvalin. Then, he looked back at Goro's corpse. The Shokan prince's blood had dried across the stone. Only moments earlier, the sight would have filled him with nothing but bloodlust. Now it gave him something else.

Goro had fought for what he believed was his right. Now, it was time for him to do as well.

Fenrir tightened his hand around Arondite's hilt, reloaded his revolver, pulled his gloves back into place and adjusted his coat. Every motion deliberate and controlled.

The weight of what he was about to do seemed to settle onto his shoulders. He took one step forward after another.

The fear of what would come next remained; so did the darkness that he carried. But whatever would happen, he would face what came next.

His gaze settled upon the exit. “Well then...Here we go again.”