Crimson Rebellion

CHAPTER 12 — THE BETRAYAL

The abandoned station was finally quiet.

The Hollow were gone.

Only the sound of dripping water remained.

Ren stood in the middle of the platform, still holding the metal case.

He looked at Raiden.

“Open it.”

Raiden didn't move.

Ren stepped closer.

“What's inside?”

Raiden stared at the case.

“I don't know.”

Ren frowned.

“You're lying.”

Raiden looked at him.

“I've never seen that case before.”

Kaito walked toward them.

“Then open it.”

Raiden glanced at Kaito.

“You're sure?”

Kaito nodded.

“We need to know what Ren's father left behind.”

Raiden slowly took the case from Ren.

He placed it on an old metal table.

The three of them gathered around it.

Raiden examined the lock.

There was no keyhole.

Instead, there was a small circular symbol.

The same black symbol.

The Hollow.

Ren stared at it.

“Can you open it?”

Raiden shook his head.

“Not without the right trigger.”

Kaito looked at Ren.

“Try touching it.”

Ren hesitated.

“Me?”

Kaito nodded.

“Your father may have designed it for you.”

Ren placed his hand on the symbol.

Nothing happened.

He looked at Kaito.

“Nothing.”

Then—

The symbol began glowing faintly.

Ren pulled his hand away.

The case clicked.

The lock opened.

Everyone froze.

Raiden slowly lifted the lid.

Inside was a photograph.

A folded piece of paper.

And a small silver pendant.

Ren picked up the photograph.

His eyes widened.

It showed four people.

His father.

Raiden.

Kaito.

And another man.

Ren stared at the fourth person.

“Who is that?”

Raiden didn't answer.

Kaito looked at the photograph.

His expression changed.

“I haven't seen him in five years.”

Ren looked at him.

“Who is he?”

Kaito swallowed.

“His name was Shin.”

Raiden immediately corrected him.

“Is.”

Kaito looked at Raiden.

“You think he's still alive?”

Raiden stared at the photograph.

“I know he is.”

Ren looked between them.

“Who is Shin?”

Raiden finally answered.

“Your father's closest friend.”

Ren frowned.

“Then why have I never heard of him?”

Raiden looked away.

“Because he betrayed us.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“You said someone betrayed my father.”

Raiden nodded.

“This is the man.”

Ren looked at the photograph again.

“What did he do?”

Kaito answered.

“He gave the Hollow our location.”

Ren's expression changed.

“The night of the massacre?”

Kaito nodded.

“He knew where your father was.”

“He knew where you were.”

“And he told the Hollow.”

Ren's fingers tightened around the photograph.

“So he caused the massacre?”

Kaito shook his head.

“Not exactly.”

Ren looked confused.

“Then what did he do?”

Kaito looked at Raiden.

Raiden answered.

“He opened the door.”

Silence.

Ren looked at him.

“What does that mean?”

Raiden's voice became quieter.

“He allowed the Hollow into the building.”

Ren stared at the photograph.

“How many people died?”

Raiden didn't answer.

Kaito did.

“Twenty-three.”

Ren's stomach twisted.

“And my father?”

Raiden looked down.

“He survived.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“Then where did he go?”

Raiden didn't answer.

Ren's voice became louder.

“Where did my father go?”

Raiden finally looked at him.

“He went after Shin.”

Ren froze.

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he wanted to stop him.”

Ren stared at the photograph.

Then he noticed something.

A small symbol had been drawn on the back.

The same crimson symbol used by Crimson Rebellion.

But underneath it was a number.

07.

Ren frowned.

“What does this mean?”

Raiden's expression changed.

Kaito noticed.

“You know what it is.”

Raiden remained silent.

Ren stepped closer.

“Raiden.”

Raiden looked at the number.

“Seven.”

“Seven what?”

Raiden took a slow breath.

“Seven original members.”

Ren looked confused.

“Original members of what?”

Raiden looked at him.

“Crimson Rebellion.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“You said Crimson Rebellion existed before me.”

“It did.”

“Who were the seven?”

Raiden looked toward Kaito.

Then back at Ren.

“I was one.”

Kaito nodded.

“I was another.”

Ren pointed toward the photograph.

“And Shin?”

Raiden nodded.

“He was one of them.”

Ren looked at the remaining space in the photograph.

His father's face.

“So my father was part of Crimson Rebellion too?”

Raiden's expression became serious.

“Yes.”

Ren stepped backward.

Everything he'd believed about Crimson Rebellion was changing.

His father.

Raiden.

Kaito.

Shin.

The Hollow.

They were all connected.

Five years ago, something had destroyed them.

And Ren was at the center of it.

Ren looked at Raiden.

“Were you the one who betrayed my father?”

Raiden's expression didn't change.

“No.”

Ren stared at him.

“Then who was?”

Raiden looked at the photograph.

“Shin.”

Ren shook his head.

“But why?”

Kaito spoke quietly.

“We don't know.”

Ren looked at him.

“You don't know?”

Kaito shook his head.

“Your father never told us.”

Raiden reached for the folded paper inside the case.

He opened it.

His expression changed immediately.

Ren noticed.

“What does it say?”

Raiden didn't answer.

“Raiden.”

He finally handed the paper to Ren.

Ren unfolded it.

There was only one sentence.

IF YOU'RE READING THIS, SHIN HAS ALREADY BETRAYED US.

Ren's eyes widened.

Below the sentence was another line.

DO NOT TRUST RAiden.

Ren slowly looked up.

Raiden was staring at the paper.

Kaito's expression was frozen.

Ren's voice became quiet.

“My father wrote this.”

Raiden nodded.

Ren looked at him.

“He told me not to trust you.”

Raiden didn't defend himself.

He simply said:

“He had his reasons.”

Ren's heart sank.

“What reasons?”

Raiden looked toward the dark tunnel.

“I don't know.”

Suddenly—

A phone began ringing.

Everyone froze.

Raiden reached into his pocket.

It wasn't his phone.

Kaito checked his.

Nothing.

Ren looked down.

The sound was coming from the metal case.

Raiden immediately grabbed it.

A hidden compartment had opened.

Inside was an old phone.

The screen displayed one incoming call.

No name.

Raiden stared at it.

Ren whispered:

“Answer it.”

Raiden hesitated.

Then pressed the button.

He put the phone on speaker.

For several seconds, there was only static.

Then a voice spoke.

Old.

Calm.

Familiar.

“Raiden.”

Raiden's face went pale.

Kaito stepped backward.

Ren looked at both of them.

“Who is that?”

The voice spoke again.

“You shouldn't have opened the case.”

Raiden tightened his grip on the phone.

“Shin.”

Silence.

Then the voice laughed.

“It's been five years.”

Ren's heart began pounding.

Shin continued.

“And I see you've finally brought the boy into the rebellion.”

Raiden's eyes narrowed.

“Where are you?”

Shin laughed again.

“You'll find me.”

The call ended.

Ren stared at Raiden.

“Shin is alive.”

Raiden nodded.

Ren looked at the photograph.

Then at the message from his father.

Then at the phone.

For the first time, Ren understood something.

The mystery wasn't about what happened five years ago anymore.

It was about what was going to happen next.

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

Shin is alive.

And he knows Ren has discovered the truth.

But before Crimson Rebellion can find him, Shin sends them a location.

An abandoned warehouse.

Raiden immediately recognizes it.

“That's where your father disappeared.”

Ren looks at him.

Then asks the question that Raiden has been avoiding:

“If my father was alive five years ago…”

Raiden looks toward the warehouse.

“Then why did he never come back?”

END OF CHAPTER 12

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