Crimson Rebellion

CHAPTER 4 — BLOOD ON THE FLOOR

Morning came too quickly.

Ren hadn't slept.

Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the fight from the night before.

The punches.

The screaming.

The blood.

And Raiden's final words.

Tomorrow gets worse.

A loud metallic sound echoed through the room.

Ren opened his eyes.

His door was already open.

Raiden stood outside.

“Get up.”

Ren slowly sat up.

“What time is it?”

“Doesn't matter.”

Raiden turned around.

“Follow me.”

Ren got dressed and followed.

They walked through the empty corridors of Crimson Rebellion HQ.

Unlike the night before, the building was strangely quiet.

Too quiet.

Ren noticed several members watching him as he passed.

Some whispered.

Others looked away.

Raiden eventually stopped in front of a large metal door.

Ren stared at it.

“What's inside?”

Raiden opened the door.

“A problem.”

Inside was a massive underground training room.

The walls were covered in scars.

Old blood stains remained on the concrete floor.

Ren's eyes widened.

“You train here?”

Raiden walked inside.

“Sometimes.”

He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a crimson-colored training blade.

Then he threw it toward Ren.

Ren caught it.

It was heavier than he expected.

Raiden looked at him.

“You wanted to prove you belong here.”

Ren tightened his grip.

“You said that last night.”

“I did.”

Raiden pointed toward the opposite side of the room.

A metal door opened.

Someone walked through it.

Ren's eyes widened.

It was the tattooed recruit from yesterday.

His face was still bruised.

But he was standing.

Barely.

Raiden stepped aside.

“You're fighting him.”

Ren stared at him.

“Again?”

The recruit smiled.

“This time, nobody's stopping me.”

Ren looked at Raiden.

“You're serious?”

Raiden nodded.

“Until one of you can't continue.”

Ren's stomach dropped.

The doors behind them locked.

The room became silent.

The tattooed recruit raised his fists.

Ren raised the blade.

Neither moved.

Then—

The recruit charged.

Ren swung.

The blade stopped inches from his face.

The recruit had dodged.

He slammed his shoulder into Ren's chest.

Ren crashed against the wall.

Pain exploded through his back.

The recruit grabbed him by the throat.

“You think holding a blade makes you strong?”

Ren struggled.

The recruit tightened his grip.

“You're still weak.”

Ren's vision began to blur.

His fingers tightened around the blade.

He brought the handle down.

CRACK!

The recruit released him.

Ren dropped to the floor, coughing.

He scrambled backward.

The recruit wiped blood from his nose.

Then smiled.

“Better.”

He charged again.

Ren swung.

This time the blade connected.

A thin cut appeared across the recruit's shoulder.

Blood slowly ran down his arm.

The room went silent.

Ren stared at the blade.

He hadn't expected it to actually cut him.

The recruit looked at the wound.

Then at Ren.

His smile disappeared.

“You actually did it.”

Ren's breathing became heavier.

The recruit rushed forward.

Ren stepped back.

A punch flew past his face.

Ren ducked.

Another punch.

He blocked.

Then the recruit kicked his stomach.

Ren collapsed.

The blade slipped from his hand.

The recruit walked toward him.

“Get up.”

Ren didn't move.

“Get up!”

Ren pushed himself onto one knee.

His body screamed at him to stop.

But he remembered the first night.

New members don't all stay alive.

Ren reached for the blade.

The recruit grabbed his wrist.

“You're hesitating.”

Ren looked up.

The recruit's fist pulled back.

“This place eats people like you.”

The fist came down.

Ren twisted.

The punch missed.

Ren drove his shoulder into the recruit.

Both crashed onto the floor.

Ren grabbed the blade.

The recruit reached for him.

Ren raised it.

Then stopped.

The blade hovered above his chest.

The recruit stared at him.

For the first time...

he looked afraid.

Ren's hand trembled.

He could end it.

One movement.

One decision.

Then Raiden spoke.

“Enough.”

Ren froze.

Raiden walked toward them.

He looked at the blade.

Then at Ren.

“You hesitated.”

Ren lowered it.

“I didn't want to kill him.”

Raiden's expression didn't change.

“Good.”

Ren looked confused.

Raiden turned toward the injured recruit.

“Take him to the medic.”

Two members entered and carried him away.

Ren stared after them.

“So I passed?”

Raiden looked at him.

“No.”

Ren's face dropped.

Raiden stepped closer.

“You failed.”

Ren clenched his fists.

“Then why stop the fight?”

Raiden looked directly into his eyes.

“Because I wasn't testing whether you could kill.”

He paused.

“I was testing whether you could control yourself when you had the chance.”

Ren said nothing.

Raiden took the crimson blade from his hand.

“You still have a lot to learn.”

He walked toward the exit.

Ren followed.

Then Raiden stopped.

“Oh.”

Ren looked up.

Raiden glanced back.

“Don't get comfortable.”

Ren frowned.

“Why?”

Raiden's expression darkened.

“Because the people you fought yesterday weren't the ones I was worried about.”

Ren's blood ran cold.

“Then who are you worried about?”

Raiden opened the door.

“The people outside Crimson Rebellion.”

The door slammed shut behind him.

Ren stood alone in the training room.

For the first time...

he realized the real enemy might not be inside the building.

It might already be coming for them.

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

Ren thought his biggest threat was Crimson Rebellion itself.

He was wrong.

That night, an unfamiliar symbol appears on the walls surrounding HQ.

A message has been left for Raiden.

“We know you have the boy.”

Raiden's expression changes for the first time.

Then another message appears.

“Give him to us… or Crimson Rebellion burns.”

END OF CHAPTER 4

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