Is this destiny?

Trigger warning: This chapter depicts violence. Read it at your discretion.

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A few rooms down the hallway from Michael...

Oni told herself to stay composed.

She followed Michael here and the fact that she was captured, means that she is in the right place.

She woke up tied to the chair and observed tiled floors, bare walls without any windows, and a ventilation exhaust on the ceiling. In front of her is a small table with a camera pointing in her direction. She wondered if the camera is on, and if it is, who is watching? Just in case, she decided not to talk.

Oni was frustrated that she can\'t reach for her ear stud and her Eve-lens is not working. It didn\'t take her long to confirm that this place has some jamming in place for electronic devices.

She sighed, no wonder she was unable to see or hear anything from Michael the moment he stepped inside. And she thought that he blocked her off on purpose.

Oni was concerned. Where is Michael? Other than the creepy guy who waved at the camera and sniffed her, nothing else happened. But actions of that man confirmed her deduction that Michael is captured, and that he is probably being interrogated and that they are using her as a token to make him talk. As much as all that sounds bad, she is happy because that means that he is alive. She looked at the camera and hoped that he will get her message that she is fine, and strong and that he should not give in to these bullies just because she got captured.

Oni analyzed what she knows, and she guessed that Shadow Ravens want to find out how come Michael is here and what he was up to in the last few years. That would mean revealing the information about Sarah and Aiden and the army of Chaos and that can\'t be a good thing. Oni loves Michael and he knows that she loves him back, and she hopes that he knows how nothing is more important than protecting their family. And Sarah and Aiden and all the other kids are their family. He should not crack, not because she was reckless enough to get captured.

Oni regretted that she didn\'t contact Sarah and Aiden. She had that thought while walking toward this building, but she knew that they will tell her to pull back and wait for reinforcements, and there is no way that she can stay back and let them have Michael. Now she realizes how foolish her thoughts were because they still have Michael and her as well. 

Oni exhaled at the thought that Sarah will give her a big scolding for this. And then she thought of a possibility that she never leaves this place. Michael told her that Shadow Ravens are ruthless. Suddenly, Sarah\'s scolding sounded good. She will take it.

Oni wondered if Sarah and Aiden are aware that she and Michael are captured. What if they don\'t know about it? In either case, she should not rely on being rescued. Sarah always taught them to rely on themselves and if someone helps, that is a bonus.

Oni looked around again and helplessness consumed her. What can she do? She is strapped to this chair and can\'t move.

The creepy man was back and this time he smiled menacingly while looking at her left hand. Oni subconsciously balled her hand into a fist. Is he trying to remove her ring?

\'No, no… not the ring…\', she cried internally while not allowing it to show on her face.

He was reaching for her left hand when he suddenly stopped, touched the Bluetooth device in his ear, and stepped to the side.

Oni looked at the man, unsure what to think of this situation.

A minute later, a woman entered (aka Jesse).

Jesse smiled, but Oni saw that her eyes are cold and full of malice.

"So, you are Michael\'s lover…", Jesse said while scrutinizing Oni. "A little young. How old are you? Fifteen?"

Oni didn\'t respond. She wanted to say that she will be seventeen in two weeks, but she managed to keep her words back behind her blank expression.

Jesse let out a small laugh and sat on the chair which was just brought in by another man.

Jesse observed Oni for a few seconds before speaking: "I can do the talking. Feel free to interrupt me anytime you want. My name is Jessica, and people know me as Jesse."

Oni\'s gaze moved on Jesse\'s face. Michael never mentioned the names of anyone from the Shadow Ravens, but the fact that this woman said that her name is Jesse, struck a nerve. How can Oni forget that for nine months she called Michael by that name?

Jesse\'s smile widened. "I see you heard about me. I didn\'t know that Michael likes to talk about his previous lovers. He was always the silent type. With Michael, it was all about actions, and not about words."

Oni pressed her lips into a line. She told herself not to crack under this cheap provocation. It does not matter if this Jesse person was Michael\'s lover or not. It\'s the same thing as Marija. All those women are in the past, and Michael is with her now. And nothing will change that.

Jesse leaned closer. "You see, I don\'t expect you to talk because I don\'t care about your secrets. How many can a teenage girl have? Even if you know something about your organization, it will be incomplete, and probably a lie. However, Michael is different. As someone who experienced a betrayal, he would not join someone without understanding what he is getting into. Your purpose, my dear is to make Michael talk. I wonder, how much does he care about you?"

Oni listened to Jesse and confirmed her assumptions: first, Michael is alive; second, they want to use her to make Michael talk; and third, they want to find out about Sarah and Aiden.

Jesse\'s gaze moved on the ring on Oni\'s left hand. "Based on that ring, I assume that he cares about you… a lot. Or maybe not."

Jesse smiled and asked in a half-whisper: "Did he buy you that? Do you think that it\'s a sign of true love? He does not love you." Jesse pointed at the camera and continued: "He is watching us right now, and he is not willing to talk in exchange for your safety."

Oni looked at Jesse coldly and responded: "You will not let me go regardless if he talks or not."

Jesse was surprised by Oni\'s confidence. "What do you have to lose? Look at the camera and ask him to talk and maybe we will let you go. Beg him to do it for you. Cry a little. He was always a sucker for tears."

"If you want to let me go, you would not show your face in front of me.", Oni said calmly.

Jesse\'s eyebrows arched and she nodded in approval. "I see why he likes you. You are smart."

Jesse stood up from her chair and her lips stretched into a crazed grin. "Well, I guess we are done talking. Since you don\'t want to be useful, how about you return that ring to Michael? Having something yours close to him might make him talk… no?"

Oni\'s fist tightened and her gaze moved to the camera.

"Don\'t tell them anything, Michael!", she screamed. "You know that no matter what you tell them, our end will be the same! If you allow them to trick you, I will never forgive you!"

Jesse rolled her eyes in annoyance. "How dramatic. Let\'s see if taking more than a ring will shake up your resolve."

Jesse stepped out and returned with a bolt cutter. Her gaze rested on Oni\'s left hand and she said in a singing voice: "I want to hear you scream…" 

"Dream on...", Oni said through her teeth.

Jesse laughed manically. "Ah, you have no idea what is coming. Ignorance is a blessing." In the next moment, Jesse\'s face darkened. "But you will not be ignorant for long..."

Jesse swung the bolt cutter and Oni lost her breath when the heavy metal tool hit her abdomen. Before she was able to inhale, the next hit landed on her face... Oni remembers the distinct metallic taste of blood filling her mouth and half of her face went numb from the impact for a moment before it started throbbing.

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