Heart of Flames

The Fated Hunt

They were there. Standing before the crowd, They were looking below to their followers, waiting for them to stop their murmur so They could speak about the motives behind the sudden reunion, which drew the attention of at least a hundred. They would not speak until not a single voice could be heard in the crowd, that was their usual way of dealing with reunions like that one. Even so, patience was something even a god couldn't have as an infinite resource, and so the ancient flame was brought into scene, casting a light so powerful and threatening that even the rats stopped any sounds coming from their little bodies. Silence was once again present, but was again casted away as "Heart Frez's" voice echoed in the vast room.
— I suppose every individual present in this room has a hint of the purpose of this sudden reunion. I don't call any of you unless it is of utmost importance, and when I do, I call everyone so we can share the knowledge brought upon us by fate. With that being said, I shall inform you about an imminent catastrophe that could result in the annihilation of human kind.
   The murmurs were back after hearing those words, but this time, panic was the main fuel of them, since they knew Heart Frez's words were the most meaningful of all. However, the ancient flame could make miracles work if used in the right way, and so everybody's mouth shut. Heart Frez spoke once again.
— You should be aware of the phenomenon in which a person acquires a Heart, the tool which can help the non-worthy and the worthy evenly with the attainment of their goals. I know we have new members here who also are in the search of wisdom obtained from this phenomenon, so I felt necessary for me to explain —Heart Frez made a pause in which They tried to look at their people and discern the faces They didn't recognize. They always made sure to be able to memorize every face, and so They stated once, and only once, how every member should always show their face in front of The Awakened, which was the name of their society—. Lately, there has been an alarming increase in cases, and the reason is still unknown even for me, so I fear some non-worthy mortal may have discovered a way to manipulate the forces of fate to generate Hearts in order to achieve some despicable goal. We cannot put our trust in humanity, as its history is stained with blood and greed, so this theory would be better being false. However, in the case it is close to the truth, then I have a request for you, my people: search for these non-worthy, use whatever method you find necessary, and capture them. We will then interrogate them to find the answers we seek, and if they prove to be useful, they'll just have their Heart taken away. Any other case will result in their execution. That is all. Older members have the duty to teach the recently enlightened our ways and guide them to serve our mission.
   And with that, Heart Frez disappeared in the shadows, leaving nothing but a soft breeze behind them, making a mild echo that went silent seconds after. People began to leave slowly, leaving the room empty except for the rats that returned to their usual activities after finding their surroundings safe.

•••

— You know, you should stop worrying too much about this.
   A woman entirely covered by clothes, except for her face, adopted a disgusted expression upon hearing that voice.
— Leave me alone.
— Well, can't say I didn't expect that from you... But hey, I'm right, all that "catastrophe" thing is nothing more than an exaggeration. Humans are known for dooming themselves really often. This will be really easy, Eva.
   The woman called Eva didn't react at all to the words of that guy. She was used to be bothered by him, a young chinese guy by the name of Zhou Shaoran, who never missed an opportunity to talk to her despite her not being interested in socializing. Both of them were members of The Awakened, but they couldn't be more different: Eva was a reserved and diligent woman, while Zhou was really extroverted and carefree. Even so, they were known between the rest of the members for proving their worth every so often, so neither of them were people you could just mess with. People often talked to Zhou because of how charismatic he was, but Eva was always alone thanks to her cold attitude. Zhou was the only one who really made himself some time to go with her, despite being rejected multiple times.
— Anyway, do we have any direct orders? —Zhou sat beside Eva while asking that, making her move a little further—. Don't tell me we have to go blindfolded everywhere in the world looking for some anomalies.
— Do you really think that poorly of our master? We should receive a direct message indicating our personal orders soon. That doesn't change the mission They gave us.
— Jeez, always with the seriousness —Zhou just laughed, giving her little pats on her back, annoying her more.
   Just as they were at it, a sudden hiss filled the room, causing everyone to clench their teeth in disgust. Eva was no exception, but she already knew what all that was about, so she didn't worry. And she felt even more at ease the moment she saw multiple words and numbers inside her mind. Coordinates, activity, personal data, all information they could potentially use was there. Now that they had everything they could get from their master, Eva stood up and walked away from there. It would be a long journey, so there was no time to lose.
   The long corridors of the bunker The Awakaned were hidden in made some creepy shadows, as light down there was a privilege they couldn't risk to have. None of them could predict when a random person could enter the bunker and discover them, and even if the solution was as simple as killing the intruder, there would be an investigation about the missing person that could potentially lead them to their secret society. Risks were everywhere, and so, no one was allowed to break a single rule. And Eva knew this very well since she had already been witness to Heart Frez's anger. But Eva didn't worry about being punished: she considered herself to be the most loyal follower of her master, and so she felt safe.
   She had been walking for a while, and after some time, she arrived at her destiny. Eva looked around her, thinking about the amount of supplies she would need to fulfill her master's will, until she saw a familiar face reflected on a broken piece of glass.
— Are you going to follow me everywhere I go? Get lost.
— You could use some more friendly words once in a while. That's why no one talks to you —Zhou let out a smirk while taking some supplies and putting them in a small bag, attaching some to his belt for more easy access.
— Yeah, that's exactly why I do it. Also, you're taking too much —Said Eva, taking back two syringes from Zhou's belt—. It's strictly forbidden for us to take too much of our Master's strength.
— Well, my bad —Replied the guy. Although, he made sure to sneak under her nose to grab an extra, storing it somewhere safe—. Anyway, I actually followed you because we have to work almost around the same area. I thought that maybe we could be a team. I mean, to make things faster.
— I'm good. I don't mind being a little slower.
   With that being said, Eva left with a quick pace, making it clear that she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. The guy didn't even try to follow her; knowing Eva, the replies he would get would be the same over and over again. Besides, he would surely run into her again really soon, as they were actually working practically around the same place. Zhou would make sure to take the opportunity to annoy the cold-hearted lady even more.
— Well, now that we're all full, let's get to business.
   Given that there were no people in that specific room besides him, Zhou took the chance to unfold a map in the nearest table. Before parting, he wanted to make sure he knew all the routes to mark some strategic points. After all, the most precious pieces of information were already in his mind. He knew exactly who he was looking for.
— It seems I won't have any issues to take them all in. How boring... Oh well, at least I'll have more free time to bother Eva —A malicious smile took over his lips. Zhou then put the map inside his backpack, leaving the room to make the final preparations.