Chapter 3: Shattered Ties

I went cold all over, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Tanya beside me was just as terrified. Tears pooled but didn’t fall, her lips pressed together like she was holding back a scream. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Grant—the Professor wasn’t a good man, but how could this happen?"

Her hand gripped my arm, knuckles white. We’d seen folks punished before, but nothing this brutal, this public.

I shook my head, unable to answer. Everything before me was beyond comprehension. Lucas executing Professor Livingston? What kind of sick joke was this?

The world spun dizzily, and I found myself clutching Tanya’s sleeve like a lifeline. The square reeked of sweat, fear, and something else I couldn’t name.

Suddenly, the aides brought a chair onto the city hall roof. Lucas, pale and ashen, collapsed onto it in despair. If I hadn’t seen him give the order with my own eyes, I might have thought him innocent.

He folded in on himself, elbows on knees, face hidden—like a kid who’d just lost a fight he never wanted. The murmurs from the crowd turned uneasy, folks unsure who was really in charge anymore.

After a long while, he called out weakly, "General Zane Long."

"I’m here, sir."

An old man, over fifty, answered—tall, robust, in shining dress blues and a silver helmet. But the Zane Long I remembered was a loyal and valiant commander. The Zane Long before me could only be described as gloomy, his whole being cloaked in an unsettling aura that sent chills down my spine. No wonder he stood motionless as Professor Livingston was executed.

The glint of his medals did nothing to brighten his somber mood. His jaw was set, his fists clenched so tight I thought he’d crack his own knuckles.

"Now that the traitor has been dealt with," Lucas continued from above, "I order you to command the three battalions and launch the Northern Campaign. Restore the Union, return to the old capital."

"I accept the order."

After Zane Long accepted, he suddenly looked up at me. The murderous intent in his eyes made my hair stand on end, as if a blade pressed against my neck.

His gaze pinned me like a specimen under glass, and I felt my blood run cold. Tanya squeezed my hand; I could feel her pulse pounding.

Without hesitation, I grabbed Tanya and fled the city. And I was right to do so: as soon as we left Maple Heights, Zane Long ordered the gates sealed and launched a full-scale manhunt. Anyone related to Professor Livingston—shot on sight.

We ducked behind a dumpster, Tanya’s breath ragged, the slap of boots echoing down the alley. Somewhere, a dog barked, and I flinched so hard I nearly dropped the keys. We ran through the alleys, hearts racing, every siren in the city echoing behind us. My mouth filled with the taste of pennies, fear slicing my throat every time I swallowed. By the time we hit the highway, all I could think was, Thank God for Tanya’s quick thinking with the car keys.