The Logan family had always been a generation of top engineers, no less than Jayden's pops or Jayden himself, but with that came a blueprint for a big-shot tech that could be of great benefit or mass destruction.
This device had never been built due to the fear that it might fall into the wrong hands, a concern that the Logan family understood more than anyone else, given the tech's unprecedented capabilities.
To go against the very laws of physics — to erase matter itself.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Jayden fell down the stairs, pain renewing in his body each time, but he never thought it was equal to what humanity would suffer if the Wardens and the Government had their way.
He wasn't even capable of vocally expressing his pain.
'The blueprint was drawn in my family 's-generated markings. If only I could die or leave here, humanity would be some worth closer to safety. My ancestors' efforts wouldn't all be a waste.'
Speaking of death, it isn't as simple as hanging himself on a rope. If he actually wanted to restore world peace, he would have to die tens of times more brutally than that.
Jayden's will forced against his contrastingly weak body, pulling him to his feet with the help of a mop stick.
Each step was a replaying agony that he had borne to live with for long now, and the vast Warden Base wasn't being any more sympathetic in showing an exit.
Jayden couldn't care less, knowing he had two options, and living behind bars again wasn't part of them.
He could hear the voices and the marching of the Wardens approaching from two vertical hallways.
"Find the sinner." The wardens kept on shouting as they spread across the building.
'I'll be caught if I stay in this hallway.' Jayden threw his weight against a door before him, twisting the handle and falling face-first to the floor.
"This way, I heard something!" Warden soldiers quickly rushed in.
The temperature around Jayden increased. For the first time in a while, he could perceive something other than his rot — carbonated gases.
The roaring sounds of engines filled the space and the thick dark mineral that stained the floor was something every engineer would recognise even from barely touching.
'Engine oil. This is the engine room!'
Jayden crawled far from the door before Wardens began entering and surrounding him, each eventually with a gun or a blade raised at him as if Jayden could fight back.
Eventually, even Burns walked in with a smirk on his face. He clapped — slow and sarcastic. "What resolve runs in that bloodline of yours. To think you could escape me."
Burns giggled. "I commend your effort, but it's only futile."
Jayden pushed himself to his feet, bearing a lot in his heart to say to the heartless captain, but he could already feel his throat as if it was ready to burst.
' I would never run away from a pathetic weakling like you!' Jayden roared in his thoughts while spreading his arms out in a crucified position.
Burns smiled. "Already surrendering? Then you aren't so strong after all."
He stepped forward to arrest Jayden but then his eyes caught a pool of flammable oil flowing in from behind Jayden.
He quickly took caution, seeing the gallon was only just tipped over seconds ago — meaning it was Jayden's doing.
There were large iron interlocking gears rolling over each other at both of Jayden's sides.
For the first time in years, Jayden had the dominating smile while Burns could only shiver.
The orange light bulb flickered even brighter as the air grew hotter.
"What have you done, sinner?" Burns grinned, moving a step backwards.
In Jayden's position, seeing Burns in such a belittled state was more than a gift. At this point, he missed his voice the most, but even though Burns couldn't hear his thoughts, he gave off his final words in the form of thoughts.
'Let's die together, Burns!'
Jayden tucked his fingers between two gear meshes on opposite sides with the resolve of a man grief-stricken with pain.
The gears rolled over Jayden's fingers. He felt the jolt of shock flow down his spine before his finger bones were crushed to bits and a cracking sound similar to that of munching biscuits rang out.
Jayden swallowed it all — the pain, the scream, the curses.
"Stop it, you'll kill yourself and everyone here!" Burns snapped, unsheathing his blade.
He slashed at Jayden's arm with all his might, and that was when he remembered he had replaced his blade with a fake one for harmlessly torturing Jayden into joining the Wardens.
More of Jayden's arm was rolled in by the machine, pulling him in opposite directions.
His veins bulged out, blood mixing with oil.
Blood splashed out of his chest, ribs ready to break apart from the centre.
By the time the minor Wardens realised what was actually happening, it was too late, but they chickened away either way.
The sounds of the engine changed, the friction too much for it to handle, and fire sparks began pouring out, setting the ground beneath Jayden and Burns on fire.
"FUCK YOU, JAYDEN!" Burns rasped as his robe caught on fire and slowly became an inferno.
'I'll never forget you!' Jayden thought, also engulfed in flame. He shouted with his last ounce of strength, "BURNS!"
The machine fell apart over Jayden just before the whole base was blown to bits.
Silence fell after about thirty seconds of earthquake and falling building, and red smoke — or rather a mixture of smoke and shattered parts — rose into the sky.
People would say death had visited HQ #38, but the reality is that they had only just begun a new life in the afterlife.
An hour later, Jayden opened his eyes, floating in an expanse of darkness.
He looked at his fingers — no, he was shocked to know he even had fingers. The lingering pain all around him was gone too, his joints could move as freely as they should.
"Is this the afterlife?" Jayden whispered.
He noticed an umbilical cord connecting from his navel to the void.
"I'm about to be reborn." Jayden turned towards a growing light, eating into the darkness like a sore from below.
A foreign heat invaded from behind, its hostility made it easy to feel.
Jayden saw a large arm reaching for him and a voice cried out from the darkness at that moment — "SINNER!"
Jayden jolted in shock.
"BURNS!" He shouted, breathing heavily, 'even at my rebirth the Warden still chased me. I'll crush you for good one day.'
When he opened his eyes this time, the atmosphere was different — alive, buzzing with high-life people and the scent of liquor.
He sat up, trying to look around him, but something stood between his vision.
"A screen?"
Name: Jayden
Death date: 6th June 2030
Death time: 1:20:59
Physical Damage at death: 81%
Intangible Damage at death: 75%
...