The yacht rocked violently in the middle of the ocean.
Johan opened his eyes.
Pain stabbed through his head. His vision swayed before he realized he was tied to a metal chair at the bow of the yacht. Steel chains locked his arms and chest in place.
Two other people were bound beside him.
They were unconscious. Burlap sacks covered their faces.
Johan didn't know who they were. He didn't even know how he ended up here.
"Awake already, buddy?"
The voice came from behind him.
Calm. Casual.
Johan's breathing turned heavy. Anger surged through his body.
He knew that voice.
He knew it too well.
The voice of the man who had nearly killed him through betrayal. The man who had shot him in the head.
He's Jacob. His old best-friend. The one he trusted most.
"Go rot in hell," Johan said hoarsely.
Jacob laughed and stepped in front of him. He crouched down and grabbed Johan's hand, his grip firm but almost gentle.
"Still sharp after a headshot? Well, impressive," Jacob said. "Too bad it won't matter. I'm about to shoot you again. Today, nothing's gonna save you anymore."
Johan glared at him. Hatred and resentment.
"Why?"
Jacob frowned slightly. "Why what?"
"Your f*cking memory fail you, huh?"
Jacob laughed. "Yeah now I remember everything. Every single detail of you. Let me calm you with a storytelling."
"That mission. High-value hostage rescue. Johan, you said it'd be your last op before retiring and start a family life—peaceful days without bullets and bloods. You want it so bad, right?"
Jacob tapped Johan's shoulder.
"You didn't realize it was a setup mission. A massive trap. Our entire squad was wiped out, and we were cornered in a room. You thought we'd die there together as a comrade."
Jacob pointed his finger at Johan's forehead, mimicking a gun.
"Wrong," he said. "I pulled the trigger. Right here. And yes, I betrayed you."
Johan's body trembled.
They had grown up together. Trained together. Graduated together. He had trusted Jacob more than anyone.
They went through military academy together and graduated at the top of their class. Never, not even in his worst nightmare, had Johan imagined Jacob would betray him.
"Who are you working for?" Johan asked.
"He's working for me."
Footsteps approached.
A middle-aged man stopped in front of them. White beard. White suit. Sunglasses. A wooden cane in his hand.
Johan recognized him immediately.
"Greg Gonzales."
The man nodded slightly. "So the famous warlord Johan Fox knows my name. What an honor."
Greg Gonzales was known as the Lone Wolf in the underworld. He had recently emerged as a major illegal arms supplier in L.A. and had taken control of most of the state.
He's man of careful and methodical. Not the type to make unnecessary enemies, which made this situation strange.
Johan couldn't understand why this man would deal directly with the military.
"If you think this is about starting a war with the army, you're wrong," Greg said calmly. "They've already abandoned you. I'm just here to execute their decision."
Johan exhaled slowly.
He had killed too many people to expect state's protection forever. It was natural that many wanted him dead. The army likely had no intention of protecting him anymore.
'This day was bound to come,' he thought.
"I'll be honest, I admire you, Mr. Fox," Greg continued. "After you were shot, we thought you were dead. A girl got you to a hospital in time. You were in a coma for five years. Paralyzed. We found you after that. "
Johan frowned.
Only now did he realize his body was still paralyzed. It wasn't just the chains.
Someone had saved him.
Who?
"It doesn't matter anymore," Greg said. "You're dying today. Any last words?"
Johan looked at the two figures beside him.
"Who are they? If they're my men, let them go. They're not involved."
Greg shook his head. "Your men are all dead. These two are someone else. Someone you didn't want to see here, right now."
Jacob ripped the burlap sacks off.
Johan froze.
"Fuck."
His mother.
And his younger brother.
They were covered in blood. Bruises everywhere. Their clothes torn apart.
"You missed them, didn't you?" Jacob said coldly. "Three years is a long time. Don't worry. You'll be together soon. In hell."
Johan's vision burned red.
For the first time, he blamed himself.
He had always watched the enemy in front of him.
He never looked behind.
If only he could turn back time.
"Johan… my son…"
His mother opened her eyes.
Johan couldn't hold back his tears.
"Don't cry," she said weakly. "Don't blame yourself. You're strong."
She turned to Jacob and smiled.
"I always thought of you as my son too. My door was always open to you. It's not too late to come back."
"Huh?"
Jacob hesitated.
His parents had died during the war on the eastern front. He was found and raised by Matilda, Johan's mother. She had never treated the two boys differently.
"Old bitch. Shut the f*ck up!"
SLAP!
SLAP!
In the end, cruelty took over. Jacob slapped Matilda cheeks, her blood dripped from her lips. Ego alaways won over empathy.
Andrew spat at him in the face. "She's the only reason why we called you brother, as the part of family. That's how you repay her, huh? You bastard. Even animals have more restraint than you!"
Jacob wiped his face and smiled darkly.
"Your brother's got bite," he said to Johan. "Like a stray dog."
He pulled out his gun.
Aimed it at Andrew's head.
"Wild animals go first."
BANG.
The shot cracked through the air.
Matilda screamed, "MY SOOONNN!"
Andrew's body gave out. He hit the floor hard like a sack, unmoving.
Just like that, he was gone.
Johan's eyes trembled violently.
"You… you killed him…"
The chains around his arms rattled.
"BASTARD…"
Jacob scoffed. "You're paralyzed. And those chains are perfect steel."
Johan screamed. Loud. So loud the ship's windows shook, on the verge of shattering.
CLANG.
With a single jerk, the chain links around his arms shattered into pieces.
The yacht shook as Johan stood up.
Now it was Jacob's face drained of color.
"How is that possible—"
Fear nearly swallowed his reason, until he realized the gun was still in his hand.
In a sudden motion, he raised the barrel and aimed it at Johan.
He fired.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Bullets tore through Johan's body. Shoulder. Lung.
The last shot pierced his heart.
The only bullet that proved he was still mortal.
Johan dropped to his knees.
His breathing failed.
He looked at his mother one last time.
"I'm sorry."
His body collapsed.
'So this is it? A fitting punishment… after thousands died by my hands?'
Jacob didn't wait.
"Chain them. Drop them into the sea. Now."
Jacob's men moved quickly. They shackled Johan, his mother, and Andrew together and suspended them at the bow.
"Drop it!"
The anchor fell as the ocean swallowed them.
Jacob stared at the trail of bubbles beneath the hull of the ship.
"You did a great job," Greg praised him before leaving him alone.
Jacob sighed deeply, still staring at the bottom of the sea.
"Calling me brother was your mistake," he muttered. "A monster who once killed his own family never changes."
Meanwhile, cold water began to filled Johan's lungs.
Rage burned inside him.
"This isn't fair."
"If the Godsd hate me, just punish me, they shouldn't have touched my family."
"I'll tear hell apart."
"I'll show them they chose the wrong man."
Darkness pulled him under.
Then—
DING.
A holographic panel appeared.
[God of War detected.]
[Initializing Cosmic Luck System…]
[10%]
[30%]
[80%]
[100%]
[Installation complete!]