Upon standing up and turning to leave, his attention was drawn to Luke who was slumped down on his knees in the corner of the room. He was holding a middle-aged woman in his arms and crying uncontrollably.
Luke held his mother's lifeless body in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he whispered desperately for her to wake up.
Despite knowing deep down that she was gone, he refused to accept it, holding onto a faint glimmer of hope that she was merely unconscious and would soon open her eyes.
But the longer he held her, the colder her body became, and the reality of the situation started to sink in. His mother was dead, and he was alone in this world without her.
Grief overtook him, and he sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her body tightly. He couldn't bear the thought of letting go, of leaving her behind. Luke stood up and looked around noticing Zeke looking at him.
Overcome with grief, Luke stood up and rushed towards Zeke, pounding on his chest and screaming at him. He demanded to know why Zeke couldn't save his mother, and why she had to suffer so much before passing away. Tears continued to stream down his face as he struggled to come to terms with his loss.
Zeke was caught off guard by Luke's sudden outburst, but he knew he had to keep his composure. "I'm sorry, Luke," he said softly. "I did everything I could to save her. But she was already dead by the time I found Jose and the other prisoners."
Falling to the ground, Luke wept inconsolably, his voice quivering as he asked, "Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to die?"
Zeke knelt down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I wish I had the answers, Luke. But sometimes, things happen that we can't explain or control and I can't pretend I know what you are going through, but would she want to see you like this?"
As the shock of his mother's death began to sink in, Luke's sadness turned to anger. He stood up, his fists clenched and turned to face Zeke. "What about these damn prisoners? They're the reason she's dead! They're the reason why they all suffered like this!"
Although Zeke understood that Luke's anger was justified, he didn't want him to go down the wrong path. Instead, he simply nodded his head and said, "I know. We'll make them pay for what they've done. I will kill them right now."
As Zeke approached the first body with a knife in hand, Luke's voice suddenly rang out from the side. "STOP!" he yelled.
After a brief pause, he continued as he look over at Olivia. "I want you to heal them."
Olivia hesitated, unsure if she should heal the very people who had caused so much pain and suffering. She looked over at Zeke.
But before she could do anything, Luke fell to his knees, begging for the prisoners to be healed.
Zeke walked over to Luke and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying softly, "I understand your pain, Luke. But this is not the way. We cannot become like them."
With tears in his eyes, Luke didn't say anything and stood up. He watched as Olivia cast her group healing skill, slowly restoring the prisoners back to consciousness.
As the prisoners recovered, fear filled their faces as they saw Jose's lifeless body and Zeke standing nearby.
However, as they saw that Zeke wasn't making any moves toward them, they began to relax and even develop smug smiles. They believed that Zeke needed their strength to help rebuild the faction and that they had leverage over him.
Unnoticed by the prisoners who were intently focused on Zeke, Luke began to walk slowly toward the group from behind.
Luke approached the group unnoticed and quickly dispatched one prisoner before swiftly taking out another. The remaining prisoners were caught off guard and tried to react, but it was too late as Luke was already on them.
Zeke released his aura, causing the group of prisoners to freeze in place. It was too late for Zeke to intervene when he noticed the lifeless gaze in Luke's eyes. He knew that Luke needed to vent his anger and make them pay for what they had done to his mother. The prisoners had used her until she was on the verge of death and then carelessly tossed her away.
Zeke watched as Luke continued to eliminate each prisoner one by one, his expression becoming more and more distant. He knew that Luke needed to vent his anger and that there was no stopping him now.
As Luke finished off the last prisoner, Zeke walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's done," he said softly.
Luke turned to look at Zeke, his eyes still filled with a mix of grief and anger. "I know," he said. "But it doesn't bring her back."
Overwhelmed with emotions, Luke collapsed onto the floor and sobbed uncontrollably until he eventually passed out. Zeke then picked him up and handed him over to Olivia, telling her to take care of him.
Determined to make things right, Zeke set to work cleaning up the area and giving Luke's mother and the other survivors a proper burial. He couldn't bring back those who had lost their lives, but he could honor their memory by ensuring they were laid to rest with dignity and respect.
As he worked, Zeke couldn't help but think about the darkness that had consumed Luke and how he had been unable to stop him from taking revenge. He knew that Luke would need time to heal, but he also knew that they couldn't let this event define them.
Together, they would rebuild and create a new future for themselves, one that would honor the sacrifices of those who had come before them.
Zeke made a firm promise to himself that he would always be there for Luke, providing him with the support he needed to overcome his grief and build a brighter future.