Lucia's heart beat faster as she followed Talon through the ruins of the city. The cold wind tugged at her clothes, but it was the fear, the uncertainty, that gnawed at her more than the chill. She was no longer just a soldier for the Dominion; she was now a fugitive—a traitor in their eyes. And while Talon seemed calm, she couldn't shake the feeling that her every step was being watched. The Dominion's Reapers were relentless, and she knew they would stop at nothing to hunt her down.
The city around them was a skeleton, its once-proud buildings reduced to shattered husks of steel and glass. The streets were cluttered with debris, and the air smelled of dust, metal, and decay. It was a far cry from the world she had known—clean, ordered, controlled. Now, the remnants of humanity eked out a fragile existence amidst the ruins, scrounging for food and shelter, hiding from the Dominion's eyes.
Talon led her through narrow alleys, his steps sure and practiced. Lucia kept her eyes trained on his back, wondering how long he had been part of this ragtag group—the Fractured—and what had brought him to this point. Her curiosity gnawed at her, but she didn't speak. She needed to focus. She needed to survive.
Eventually, Talon turned into a dilapidated building, its façade crumbling from years of neglect. He pushed open a rusted door, revealing a dark, damp interior. The air inside was heavy, smelling of mildew and old wood, but there was something else—something warmer, safer. Lucia's instincts prickled. This was it. The Fractured's hideout.
Talon motioned for her to follow, leading her down a narrow hallway lit only by the flickering glow of lanterns. They passed several closed doors, but Lucia could hear muffled voices behind them—low, cautious, and full of urgency. People were here. People who had escaped the Dominion's grip, people who had survived, just like her.
They reached a large room at the end of the hall, and Talon opened the door without knocking. Inside, several people sat at a long wooden table, their faces illuminated by the soft light of candles. There were two men and a woman, all of them dressed in tattered clothing, their faces hardened by years of struggle. But there was something in their eyes—a fire, a resolve—that Lucia recognized.
They were survivors. And more than that, they were fighters.
One of the men stood as Talon entered, his gaze flicking over Lucia before settling on Talon.
"Is she the one?" the man asked, his voice low and rough.
"She is," Talon replied, his tone steady. "Lucia. She's the one we've been waiting for."
The man's eyes narrowed. He seemed to scrutinize her for a moment, as if searching for something hidden behind her eyes. But then, without a word, he nodded.
"Sit," he said gruffly, pointing to an empty chair. "We have a lot to discuss."
Lucia hesitated for a moment, then took a seat. She wasn't sure what she expected—perhaps a warm welcome, or at least some sense of reassurance. But there was none of that here. The Fractured weren't here to coddle her. They were here to win a war. And right now, she was a pawn, no different from any of the others.
The woman across from her leaned forward, her eyes studying Lucia intently. She was younger than the men but had a hardened edge to her, something cold and calculating beneath her youthful features.
"I'm Mira," she said, her voice sharp but not unkind. "I know who you are. We've been keeping an eye on you. Your file was... difficult to ignore."
Lucia stiffened. She had wondered when they would bring up the subject of her past. The Dominion had records on everyone. She had known it was only a matter of time before they discovered who she was—who she had been.
Mira's lips curled slightly, almost as if reading her thoughts. "Don't worry. We're not here to judge you. We're here to figure out how to use what you know."
Lucia nodded, though her stomach churned. She knew what that meant. The Fractured were desperate. They were fighting a war on the edge of extinction, and they needed allies, especially those who could bring valuable information about the Dominion's operations.
The other man, who had been silent until now, spoke up. His voice was low and gravelly, carrying the weight of years spent in the wilderness.
"We've been tracking the Dominion's movements for a while," he said. "We know they're close to perfecting the next phase of their plans. The Trials. They're ramping up operations. The next round is going to be bigger. Deadlier."
Lucia's heart sank at the mention of the Trials. She had been a part of them—at least, in theory. She had watched as the Dominion held their brutal competitions, forcing the survivors of the plague to fight for their lives in arenas built for entertainment and control. But what the Dominion was really after was more than just bloodshed. They wanted power, and the Trials were only one piece of their strategy to ensure their domination.
She swallowed hard, the weight of her knowledge pressing down on her chest. "The Trials are more than just a game," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor she felt inside. "They're part of a larger project. The Dominion is working to evolve humanity... using genetic engineering."
Mira leaned in, her eyes intense. "We know. The question is, how far along are they? What do they have planned?"
Lucia hesitated for only a moment before she spoke. "They've been breeding soldiers—genetically engineered humans—who are stronger, faster, and more obedient. But it's not just about physical strength. They've been experimenting with controlling the mind, manipulating thoughts, emotions. They've been using the Trials to test their creations, to see who can survive. But the real plan is bigger than that. They want to create an army. An army of perfect, genetically altered humans who will rule what's left of the world."
The room fell silent, and Lucia could feel the weight of her words settle in the air. She had known it would come to this. The Fractured needed to know everything, the truth behind the Dominion's schemes. But there was a part of her that wanted to forget it—to run away from the horror of it all.
The older man spoke again, his voice grim. "That's why we're here. We're not just fighting for survival anymore. We're fighting for humanity's future. The Dominion's experiments have to be stopped. And you, Lucia, are the key to bringing them down."
Lucia's head snapped up, startled. "What do you mean?"
Talon stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "You've seen the Dominion up close. You've seen their operations, their soldiers. You know what they're capable of. But more importantly, you know about the Haven. The place where the Dominion's experiments were born. We need you to lead us there."
Lucia blinked, trying to process what they were asking. "The Haven? It's a myth."
"Not anymore," Mira said firmly. "It's real. And it's the only place that can give us the answers we need. The key to stopping the Dominion."
Lucia's mind raced. She had heard whispers about the Haven. It was rumored to be a hidden sanctuary, a place where the Dominion had conducted the most dangerous and secretive of their experiments. But to find it... that was a different story. The Haven had been lost in time, hidden by the Dominion's own elite forces. No one had ever managed to locate it.
Except now, it seemed that they believed she could.
Lucia took a deep breath. The weight of their expectations was immense, but she knew there was no turning back. Her entire life had been a lie—she had been a part of the Dominion's plan, a tool in their sick game. But now, she had a chance to destroy it all. To make a real difference.
"I'll help you," she said, her voice steady. "But we need a plan. And we need to move fast. The Dominion won't give up without a fight."
The older man gave a curt nod. "We've already started planning. And we'll need you every step of the way."
Lucia stood, her mind spinning with the enormity of what lay ahead. The Ruin Wars were coming, and she had just become its central piece.