Silence took hold of the refuge. Everyone had heard Maren's words; from that moment on, everything became confused. And so it continued.
—It's true, the world has turned against us—friends, neighbors, lovers… family—she said with a voice full of pain. But… what have we changed by hiding? Either way, they keep hunting us…
A man with half his face scarred and cracked by burns interrupted her. —That's because of reckless people like you…
—I don't see that you've achieved any change that helps us so far, she replied, fixing him with a steady, burning stare.
—I am alone… I have nothing, no one… My mother died when I was born, and my father always blamed me for it. "Monster"—that has been my name for as long as I can remember. And now I truly am one. What irony… because now it's not just my father, it's the whole world. Tell me… who here ever asked to be like this? My life wasn't perfect, but… at least I had one.
As she spoke, Edgar watched her with an unsteady gaze, for every tear fit perfectly into his soul. In her, he saw someone he believed he had lost once.
Everyone watched her. Some understood her pain; others simply despised her.
—And what do you propose we do? —Among them are some of our loved ones. —If we go against them, we'll only prove them right. We'll become the monsters they accuse us of being.
Everyone shouted. Some cried out for freedom and revenge; others clung to the hope of surviving without shedding a single drop of blood. At the back of the crowd stood a woman with a broken heart, eyes filled with tears and trembling hands. She was Reth's mother, her sobs standing out among the noise.
Maren fell silent as she listened to the complaints. Then she looked at her and asked: —Did Reth deserve to die just for being different? He was only a child, with dreams, goals, a long life ahead of him—and now he's dead… Can anyone give me a reason why our neighbors are hunting us like animals?
Faced with the disturbing question, silence fell. Everyone knew the truth, but no one could—or wanted to—say it.
"It's unfair, unforgivable, it makes no sense," someone whispered.
—No one needs to say anything. We all know it, because we all suffer it. I don't hate them, but they… don't feel the same. And if they're going to kill us like animals, then I believe we have the right to defend ourselves—with claws and teeth. If they want to kill us, then they'll have to face us first.
Mouths stayed shut like padlocks without keys. Nothing burns hotter than the desire for freedom when faced with the fear of losing everything. But… what if you have nothing left to lose? Eyes met, as if they recognized the fire still sparking within that uncertainty.
Tension filled the air, and hearts beat as one.
—Everyone, please… wait—said an elderly man standing at the back of the crowd.
—Yes, I understand the pain and the suffering, and unfortunately, the anger as well. But if life has taught me anything, it's not to make decisions driven by emotion—especially negative ones. The people you now want to arm yourselves against were once family, friends, brothers… Don't let anger blind you. Don't let fear control you.
He coughed lightly, weakened by the illness that was slowly breaking him.
After the old man's humble words, the crowd split, and at last the first voice rose.
—We won't allow you to put us all in danger.
—That's right. We're safe here. If they want the surface, they can have it. We'll just rebuild the underground. Down here, we're safer.
—I can't believe what I'm hearing. If they're so afraid of us, let them live underground. I refuse to live in darkness again.
—If you thought we'd let you put all these lives at risk just for your pride, you're very wrong.
—Oh yeah? And who's going to stop us…?
—Hey!—Maren shouted—We must not fight among ourselves. That only weakens us and makes us easy prey. Hey, Edgar! Earlier you said you wanted to give back all the suffering they caused you. Why did you say that?
With a distant look, as if searching for an answer somewhere else, he looked at Reth's mother and could only say: —Hate… Since the war began, I've lost everything… everyone. I wanted to see the world burn. But… but Reth only wanted to keep us together. He always said that one day everything would return to normal, that the day would come when the pure would look at us and only see people…
He looked at Reth's mother, who still couldn't believe her son was dead, lying on the ground beside the boy's bloodied, lifeless body.
—My child… my child… come on, get up, everything will be fine… Reth, please wake up…
She was drowning in tears and torment. Her son was dead—and so was her life.
—But this has to end. I've suffered enough… we've all suffered enough. So I will make them pay for what they've done.
Suddenly, a young man a few years older than Edgar stepped out of the crowd and struck him hard across the face, sending him crashing to the ground. It was Kail.
—How dare you speak like that after everything? We said we only wanted something sweet to eat, but your stupid thirst for revenge ruined everything—and now Reth is dead… This… this is your fault, Edgar…
—No, Kail… you're wrong. Edgar isn't to blame. The one at fault is the man who aimed a gun at an innocent minor to protect a chocolate bar. They are the villains in this story!
—You're talking about people… about people! We're not perfect—no one is—but at this rate, with so much blood spilled, we'll all become monsters!—cried a woman, consumed by despair and pain.
Lost in silence, no one knew what to think anymore, let alone what to say. Then laughter echoed through the crowd.
—Hahaha… I can't believe you're really considering this… when they know exactly what they're doing, and still call us monsters and hunt us for bounties. If that's the case, I might as well kill myself and save them the trouble.
He laughed mockingly, bursting into cackles.
The scene left everyone even more tense than before. Then Edgar raised his head and said in a firm voice: —I can't force any of you to fight, but after everything that's happening, I won't let anyone kill me without a fight.
With that, he walked toward the back of the room. Moments later, several others followed him—among them, Maren.
The mutants split into two groups: the pacifists and the Rebels. Everyone knew what that meant, so they all prepared for the worst.
The next day, on the surface, the burned shop was still smoking. Government drones flew in circles, firefighters searched for survivors, and reporters relayed the events:
"Once again, we are shown what mutants are capable of. A robbery that ended in tragedy. Two charred bodies have been found—an adult man, approximately 45 years old, and a young girl barely 11 years of age. What could they have done to deserve such a fate? I don't know, ladies and gentlemen, but I do know one thing: this could only be the work of a monster…"
From below, the sound of police sirens patrolling the streets echoed like a swarm of bees.
That afternoon, in a corner of the refuge, several individuals who shared the same ideology gathered. At the head stood Maren, with her power of perfection, and as her shield stood Edgar. At their feet were those who had joined them, each with different abilities, ready to fight to survive. At the opposite end, others prepared to flee the refuge and search for a better place to hide from the coming storm.
—Hey, Maren!—said Helten, a 25-year-old man covered in scales and claws, with eyes that inspired fear and radiated hatred—What do we do now? There are enough of us to go against those bastards…
—Yeeees!—they all shouted, euphoric, eager to return a fraction of the pain they had endured.
—Calm down, everyone. We must act with a clear head. We're waiting for news… be patient. It won't be long now—Maren replied.
Footsteps echoed from the back. Someone was running toward them.
—I've got it… I've got it… huff… It'll be today at seven—said Timothy, exhausted from running to complete the mission entrusted to him.
—Perfect! Then the strike will be at 7:30. No one will expect it.
Guys, after today we won't be just a group of Rebels asking to be respected. After today, we'll be feared—and we'll take what's ours. After today… nothing will ever be the same again.
In a corner, Edgar sat with a cold, thoughtful stare. He said nothing. He did nothing. He only watched the flame that was beginning to burn.