Page 16 of Dark Revolution

Chapter 4

Jaxxon

What. The. Fuck. The lower levels have never been the most vibrant, but there was at least life. I check the sleeve once more and confirm that I’m at the epicenter of the sector. There’s nothing here but dirt, chaos, and death. Walking past what used to be vibrant stalls, my heart hurts at the broken windows and torn covers flapping in the breeze. It wasn’t the best, but it was home.

This wasn’t my station-sanctioned living space, but I spent so much time here, I thought it prudent to buy a small place. At least most of the structures are still standing, even if they are broken down husks of what they once were. Instead of following the directions on my sleeve, I deviate from the path, retracing the steps I used to take most nights when I came home. There in front of me is the house I kept up for appearances.

The wood is charred and splintered, but the frame is still standing. So many other houses around it are nothing but sifting sand, yet mine still stands. A small niggle of pride blossoms in my heart as I run my fingers over the rough beams and exposed brick. It’s not much, but it's something. Turning around, I walk back towards my hiding spot. Since it’s underground, there’s now a good chance that it’s still intact.

Walking over to the demolished columns that marked the entrance into the city, I crouch down and run my fingers through the sand, searching for the switch at the base. There, notched into it, I push on the lever and hold my finger still so it can be scanned. I’m still not sure how Roderick managed to get in. As far as I know, only my fingerprint gained access.

But there’s little use worrying about that now. Even if the man that built this for me somehow betrayed me, he’s also dead, and from what I’ve seen, the people dwelling here aren’t technophiles who can hack into something as sophisticated as this. True, time has passed, but nothing about this area screams progress. Instead, it’s like everything went back in time.

I can only hope the main sectors aren’t this bad. Even with all the money I have stashed down here, it won’t help me get to other colonies, and you can’t eat credits. After an eternity, the ground shifts enough that I can slip inside and pull the door closed. The air is dank and still, but each breath is laced with Annalise. Reaching over to the side, I flip a switch and wait with bated breath as the lights come stuttering to life.

Everything is just how I remembered; the only difference is, an inch or so of dust covers every surface. In the corner is the nest she was working on, and I can’t help but follow my feet as they take me there. Her scent is strongest in this section. A century has gone by, but it all feels like a blink. Minutes ago, I was marking her, claiming her as mine. My marked omega, yet this space tells a very different story.

If she did live, she experienced an entire world without me. Is it too much to hope that Roderick at least treated her as her station demanded? I will never say I loved her. We hadn’t grown close enough for that, but I wanted her, craved her, stole her away. Now, there’s nothing left of our bond. Nothing left of us. Nothing left of her.

Falling to my knees, I brush away some of the dust, disturbing the nest as I bury my face in it, inhaling as much of her as I can into me, but it’s not enough. It will never be enough. I’m empty, hollow, alone. Tears fall in earnest, wetting the rotten fabric, as my heart finally lets go enough to fully grieve. Screams of anguish well up from my soul, filling the space with my righteous fury.

How dare they take her from me? How dare they leave me broken and shattered. Hanging my head, I nuzzle the sleeve of one of her shirts. I remember the day she wore this. It was last week. Just one week. This can’t be real. None of this can be happening. How can I remember these things, feel these things, as if no time had ever passed? What was their plan? To leave me in that cell while the tubes and machines did all the living for me?

That wasn’t hell. I have no concept of time passing. Just the moments before and the instant I woke up. The real hell is being alive now and knowing that my mate is forever lost to me. The space that should house our bond is worse than empty. Empty was the feeling I had before I ever met Annalise. What I feel now is the space where that very sacred bond was ripped out from my body. It’s not just empty; it’s ravaged.

I kneel there for as long as it takes to pour out all my grief and rage, eventually coming up for air. I feel a touch better, but no less violated. Stepping around the fetid mound of clothing and fluids, I lay my hand against the steel wall, waiting for the scanners to come to life. As the hidden door opens, I hold my breath, praying that Roderick didn’t manage to take this from me as well.

Everything looks untouched, and for a moment, I allow a relieved breath to slip past my lips. Walking to the far corner, I open one of the seamless cabinets to reveal my stockpile of credits. Not wanting to be trapped in this hellacious reminder any longer, I fill a nearby bag with all my money, as well as the few weapons I stored there.

I give one final look at the nest before crawling out the top, leaving that part of my life behind me. The suns hang low in the sky as I scuffle across the dirt, attempting to get my bearings before heading towards the capital. Surely that’s still here. Unless an army wiped out our entire colony, something has to still be standing.

As I make my way, following the horizon line, I’m fully aware of the other people around me. Many walk around like they’re mindless, soulless, their eyes devoid of humanity. Others go about with normal chores as if they aren’t trapped in a hellscape, a shattered version of what was once here.

Breathing in, I draw the scent of unwashed bodies deep inside my lungs. Underneath the rot of death and decay, there’s a familiar note, sweet and musky all at once. I breathe in again. Annalise. It’s not strong, but it’s there. I’m far enough away from my hiding spot that I shouldn’t still be smelling her.

Who could it be? Wandering around, I let my nose guide me. The main city will always be there. For now, I need to know who smells like my dead mate and why. My gut churns as I stumble upon a dead omega, her eyes missing from her sockets, flesh bloated and torn by the animals. The stench of her body overrides most of the smell, but it’s still there. It’s a tendril of scent so scant that I start to worry I’m imagining it.

With how faint it is, it can’t be fresh. Hopefully, whoever it is will come back. Glancing over my shoulder, I make out a small well, and my body screams for me to partake. I can’t be sure if it’s fresh or not, but my body doesn’t care. Bending low, I reach out to scoop the precious water when a large stick blocks my path.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you?”

I glare up at the intruder. “I’m obviously not you. I need a drink.”

“More than your life?”

“What? Going to kill me over water? I’ll pay you, old man.”

“It’s not the money.” With a sharp jab, he presses the stick into my shoulder and pushes me backward. “Well now. Haven’t seen a uniform like that in years. Where did you steal it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does if you want water.”

Nodding, I take his outstretched hand and follow him past the dead omega and into a small building. The scent is stronger in here. She must have spent a large amount of time with this man. Envy slithers in my gut at the thought of him touching her, tasting her, scenting her, but what’s the use. Scent or not, it’s not Annalise.

True to his word, he pulls out a bottle, fills a cup, and hands it to me. “About that uniform.”

“If I pay you for the water, do we still have to talk?” I grab the cup and gulp the water down. It’s not fresh and clear like the water I’m used to having, but it still satisfies the thirst. With the first splash of water down my throat, my stomach cramps, and I double over, clutching at my waist.