THE LAST BORN

N I N E T E E N

"Captain!" Jamal rushes towards Malcolm in the engine room.

His body twists towards his advisor as he sees Jamal trying to catch his breath. "The scavenger's team is back," He says.

Malcolm quickly rushes past Jamal, out of the engine room to the main level. Words travel far, and fast, that he knows. Malcolm passes people with a look on their faces, some of them start whispering and some of them just go out of their way.

Nirvana always have a team outside of the ship, scavenging, collecting information, spying, networking with the allies, and many more, and this particular team who just got back is made of seven people, men, and women, and one of them, Messiah, was the twin brother of Toby. Toby was one of his best fighters before he committed suicide after Malcolm sent him to Noir—Ana.

After the scene where Ana saw him being whipped and sent people wailing to match what she was feeling inside, Malcolm knows the same thing happened with Toby and the rest who committed suicide before him.

Something about Ana and her unfiltered, overwhelming emotion caused people around her to feel what she feels. And Malcolm knows, she naturally processes emotion just like the rest of humanity does, Ana has no control over her feelings, she cannot manipulate them.

Those people whom Nirvana lost, are not Ana's fault, he knows this.

But Messiah doesn't.

And although the twin brothers came from the same womb, there couldn't be more different. Toby always had been more outgoing and laidback, while Messiah has always been the quiet and reserved one. Malcolm knows that Messiah is fully aware of what had happened to his brother.

People in Nirvana have lost a lot of things, and one thing they cherish the most is their family. Yes, everyone is a family here in this ship, but those who are related to you by blood, are the treasure.

And Toby was Messiah's only blood-related family. Their mother didn't survive the childbirth and their father was killed in a mission.

Things are going to get ugly.

"Where is she?" Malcolm asks Jamal who is trying his best to keep up despite the difference in their stamina.

"Green...house," Jamal answers sounding clearly out of breath.

If he hurts her.... Malcolm's hands fisted. He will take hundreds of more whips but he knows he won't regret the things he will do to protect Ana. As the distance to the greenhouse is getting shorter, Malcolm notices a crowd standing at the entrance. He then starts running desperately to get to Ana as soon as he can before bad things happen.

Then he hears loud shouting.

***

ANA

"Come out, come out wherever you are!"

The voice has a playful tone but it doesn't sound cheerful at all. I look back to where I think the voice coming from, seeing a few people stand up then curse.

"Noir!" A young boy with thick dark hair and black eyes whispers to me, I think his name is Attaf. "Come, quick!" He tugs at my elbow. "Hide!"

Hide?

I look at him confused, pulling my card I ask him;

Why?

"I will explain later!" He sounds desperate and I can hear the sing-song voice getting closer.

I give him the benefit of the doubt and let him pull me through the vegetables, moving sideways to where the tomatoes are growing.

"Don't make a sound," Attaf tells me.