Rex had a feeling that he had encountered something similar to this long ago before he arrived at Bethel, though the memory wasn't clear. Strange purple creatures the media called xenotypes wreaking havoc, invading homes, their sharp claws claiming innocent lives in swift, brutal strikes. They could shape-shift their bodies into deadly weapons with ease.
Suddenly, Aliya interrupted his thoughts, pulling her hand from his and dashing toward the commotion. "We need to find Felix and Merlin," she exclaimed.
"No, wait!" Rex called out, chasing after her. Catching her hand, he stopped her in her tracks. "Stay back here in the woods, I'll go look for them."
"No, I have to go," Aliya insisted, her voice trembling with fear. "They might be in danger right now." She cried.
"We'd have to stay together. Come this way," he reluctantly agreed, realizing she wouldn't listen. He took her hand, guiding her towards the safest route home.
They hurriedly ran, crouching low to evade the creatures slaughtering villagers mercilessly while searching for Merlin and Felix. As they turned a corner, they accidentally brushed against a xenarmy, causing Rex to lose his grip on Aliya, who fell to the ground.
Before he could react, the xenarmy raised its blade-like hand, ready to strike Aliya. Instinctively, Rex shielded her, taking the blade deep into his own side. In that moment, he abruptly became really furious, and his eyes began to glow with an eerie red glow. It was as if he had lost control of himself, consumed by an unknown force. Aliya got really terrified as she backed away from him in fear.
With an angry jerk, he stood up quickly and grabbed the xeno by its neck firmly and forcefully. The creature struggled, attempting to break free, but his grip was too strong. And within seconds, the xeno's neck gave way under his grasp, and its head tumbled to the ground as its lifeless body fell from Rex's hand.
As the lifeless xeno fell, Rex's senses began to return, and confusion clouded his thoughts. 'What just happened?' 'Had I really just taken down a xeno with my bare hands?' The realization hit him as he felt the sting of his wound intensify, blood staining his clothes. His strength was sapped by the pain as he fell to his knees.
Through blurry vision, he saw Aliya frozen in shock and fear, tears streaming down her face. His attempt to speak was feeble as his strength waned. "Aliya," he managed as darkness closed in.
"Help!" Aliya cried out as she fled to seek help.
He understood her fear at seeing him suddenly turn into something monstrous. He thought probably, she must have feared he would turn on her next, like the creature lying lifeless before him. Struggling to hold onto consciousness, he surrendered to the darkness.
From a distance, April and Leah watched in surprise, the scene that was taking place in front of them.
"Did you see that!?" April exclaimed, her voice cutting through the tension.
"He took down one of us with his bare hands. Yes, I saw it," Leah replied, her expression mirroring April's disbelief.
Confused Gor, overhearing their conversation, approached them with curiosity stopping what he was doing. "What? Who? What happened?"
"We must capture him. The King needs to know about this," April suggested urgently.
Leah nodded in agreement. "You're right. He might pose a threat to us"
April pondered aloud, "Do you think there are more strong humans like him? I thought humans were weak."
"I'm not sure," Leah admitted. "But this is the first time I've seen such strength. Maybe there are special humans among them."
They moved nearer to the scene. April bent down next to unconscious Rex, to check on him.
"He's just a kid," April observed.
"I can see that," Leah replied.
April examined Rex's hand to see if he was with a hidden weapon, but found nothing.
"We're bringing him with us," Leah ordered her faction members to lift Rex and take him along.
Their unsuccessful search led them to carry Rex's unconscious body back to the palace, intending to present him to the king.
* * *
Aliya returned to the scene with Felix and Merlin, but they arrived too late. Rex was nowhere to be found, and the xenos were already retreating.
Aliya fell to the ground, tears flowing down her cheeks, overcome with feelings of guilt and despair. "What have I done?" she sobbed. "I couldn't do anything, I couldn't save him!"
"It's not your fault, Liya," Merlin, squatting beside her, tried to calm her down with his gentle voice
Felix stood close confused and sad, trying to hold back tears. "Since he's not here, it means they took him. We have to go after them," he declared after a moment of contemplation.
"Are you out of your mind?" Merlin protested.
"He's our brother, Merlin," Felix countered, his voice trembling with emotion. "Are we just going to abandon him and leave him to die?"
"Chasing after them means we're going to die too" Merlin argued
"So, we just sit here and do nothing?" Felix asked
Merlin struggled to respond, but his words faltered.
"We have to go," Aliya insisted, wiping away her tears, "He saved me." She added looking at Merlin, who couldn't bear to see her sad face.
Frustrated by their disagreement, Merlin cried out in anguish. "Why won't you listen to me for once?"
"Not this time, Merlin," Felix sighed wearily, exhaustion evident in his voice "we really have to go, before something happens to him".
They returned home to gather supplies before setting out to rescue Rex. Though Aliya kept silent about Rex's strange strength, her mind was bothered with the memory of what she had seen. "He saved me," she repeated to herself, trying to push aside the unsettling image of Rex's scary face.
"Are you alright?" Merlin inquired, noticing her troubled expression.
"I'm okay."
"What if we can't find him?" he pressed.
Aliya shook her head. "We must find him." She replied. She then whispered to herself. 'I owe him, and there's so much I need to ask him.'