Coexist

Chapter 15 - Come On In

"Inside," his voice was a low growl, his grip on my arm unrelenting as he pulled me forward.

The guards at the entrance watched impassively as I was dragged past them, my heart racing as the weight of Balor's gaze bore into me. There was no room for protest, no opportunity to assert our intentions. We were at the mercy of his authority, and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of apprehension and defiance in the face of his overwhelming presence.

As we moved deeper into the heart of Line Wood, the community revealed itself to be a carefully constructed enclave of modernity amidst the world's chaos outside. Buildings rose high, their structures intact and fortified. People moved purposefully through the streets, their clothing clean and their expressions guarded. The level of organization and control was unlike anything I had witnessed since the world had fallen to ruin.

"Let. Me. Go. Now!" I screamed.

He kept pulling my arm. I couldn't stand up all the way and get balance. I was almost being dragged.

I tried to look around. Everyone was staring at me: some cheering and some booing.

"We're almost there. No worries. Try to keep up", Balor said as he continued to drag me through Line Wood.

Finally, we stopped in front of a grand building that seemed to be the heart of Line Wood's authority. The emblem of the community—the symbol of a tree encompassing a city skyline—was prominently displayed above the entrance. The door opened, and we were ushered inside by Balor's firm grip.

The interior was just as modern as the exterior, the contrast between the state of Line Wood and the outside world stark and unsettling. People in uniforms bustled about; their actions were purposeful, and their expressions solemn. The atmosphere was tense, and as we moved further inside, I caught fleeting glimpses of armed guards stationed strategically throughout the building.

He opened a door in a hallway and shoved me inside. He walked around his desk and sat. 

"Sit! Now!" He demanded. I tripped over the chair. Then I pulled myself up and sat in the chair. He walked around the desk and sat in a giant chair.

He gave me a devious smile.

"Athena. The lovely Athena. How are you, darling? It's so nice to meet finally meet you!" Balor exclaimed.

I spat at him. He wiped it off his face as he faces flooded with anger.

"Is that any way to treat your uncle?" Balor said. My face froze, and the pit in my

"Uncle?"

" Your father has never told you? Ouch!" He said as he gave a chuckle

"Told me what?"

"I am your father's brother. Blood brother, of course",

"So let me get this straight. We are blood, yet you want to kill me?"

"Yes! Blood is thicker than water when it flows. But also you want something I need. The cure. And that's something I'm not just willing to let you have. " He gets up and leans over the desk to assert dominance. 

"You don't intimidate me," I exclaimed. 

"That's unfortunate," he made a sarcastic sad face, " I was going to offer you a deal."

"Which is?"

"You get the cure for me, and I let you go but decline, and I will throw you in a cell for the night and hang you in front of all your friends I saw. Then they will be next, right after you. I will then send troops to Willow and kill every last one".