The Heroes
Sophie lay passed out on the floor, peaceful. The othersIce, Luke, and Ace sat around her, silent. The air was thick. No one wanted to speak first. Then Ace broke the silence, voicing what they were all thinking.
"Eve… why?"
Luke nodded slowly. "It caught me off guard too."
Ice leaned forward, his voice low, heavy. "I had my suspicions."
They turned to him. Luke narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Ice's tone shifted truth and hardship woven into every word.
"A while ago, Blaze and I were watching the trainees. Eve stood out. Gifted in combat. Sharp with every warfare question. I was impressed."
He paused.
"But one day, Blaze called me into his study. That room maps of the world, shelves of old books, where the real conversations happened."
(Flashback)
Ice entered the study. Blaze sat reading, cheerful as always.
"How's it going?" he asked.
Ice didn't smile. "What's the matter?"
Blaze closed the book and gestured. "Come in. Shut the door."
He held up the book. "Ever read this? It's called Demon Hunters."
Ice shook his head. "No."
Blaze continued. "It's about a group that fights demons at night, protecting their city. Sounds familiar, right?"
Ice smirked. "A little too familiar."
Blaze nodded. "Exactly. The book's old, written in peaceful times. But it's accurate. One character is a beautiful, powerful woman. A demon. Her gift? Seduction. She can become anyone. Anything."
Ice leaned in. "So what are you saying?"
Blaze's voice dropped. "I've got Eve on the red flag list."
Ice blinked. "Why?"
Blaze looked toward the raven perched nearby. "She's been meeting with me. One-on-one. Sharing intel. Too much intel. She knew things no trainee should know. And she gained trust fast."
The raven cawed. "She knew! She's a demon! Caw caw!"
Blaze sighed. "I admired her. A part of me still hopes I'm wrong. But another part knows this theory might be right. I need you to watch her. Don't mistreat her. She's still one of us. But stay sharp."
Ice nodded. "I understand. I'll keep my eyes open."
(Back to the Present)
Luke stared at the floor. "The short time I knew Snake… he was sharp. A true warrior."
Ace nodded. "He was. And now it makes sense why he always seemed ahead of the curve."
Ice added, "Eve told Blaze everything about how demons act, how they think. He used it to map their psychology. To find their weaknesses. It was a chess game. And Blaze played it well."
Luke looked up. "You said Blaze had a raven that talked?"
Ice nodded. "Yeah. Loud little thing."
Ace chuckled. "That bird hated me. Glad I don't have to hear it anymore."
Luke's eyes narrowed. "The Bearded Man… he has a raven too. One that talks."
Ice's expression shifted. "You think that's why we're heading back to HQ? To find the bird?"
Luke shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know this when the Bearded Man gives orders, there's always a reason."