Is this destiny?

Sarah and Igor made their way through the garden and ended up on a bench that is facing the lake.

"How are you doing?", Sarah asked.

Igor\'s eyes darted anxiously between Kitty, Atlas, and Vega who were around Sarah protectively, and they also rubbed on Sarah\'s legs and hands while asking for head scratches. Sarah told Igor that three leopards are her pets and that they are friendly, but Igor was unable to relax.

"Fine. Everyone is…", Igor paused while looking for the right word. "…kind."

Sarah smiled. "Does that make you uncomfortable?"

Igor tilted his head while thinking. "May I speak freely?"

"Please. If you say or ask something you shouldn\'t I will let you know."

"I feel like I entered a cult."

Sarah\'s eyes widened at this and she waited for Igor to explain his statement.

"Everyone is nice, and I am waiting when I will be offered as a sacrifice.", Igor said after a brief pause while looking at Kitty who yawned, revealing her sharp fangs.

Sarah found it funny, but she did her best not to laugh. "No one will sacrifice you. It is what it is. We demand that everyone gets treated with respect, but anything beyond that is optional. Infighting is not allowed and if you have a grudge, there are rules on how to settle them. We don\'t have many rules, but the ones we have must be obeyed. No one will harm you here. We are successful because we believe in the same thing and not because people are forced to do anything."

"What do you believe in?"

"I want to protect my family and people who are dear to me. For that reason, I am getting stronger and I collect resources and people. Who is loyal, gets much more than a paycheck and some benefits. Loyal people become part of the family and they fall under the umbrella of being protected."

Igor looked at his leg. Injury is not visible due to his pants, but he knows that there are bandages under it. "Everyone is doing something, yet I am useless."

Sarah saw that Igor wants to prove himself. "If Aaron didn\'t make it clear I will: you need to take it easy in order to heal, and no one expects you to jump hurdles until you recuperate. Also, you came here as a fighter, but that is not necessarily a path you should continue walking on. Maybe you want to be an artist, or a model, or an engineer. You are welcome to explore your interests."

Igor was not sure it\'s so easy. "You will allow it?"

Sarah confirmed. "As long as you keep in mind where your loyalty is, you can do whatever you want. And if it does not work out, you can try something else. Not everyone is born to be a fighter, and some people like to take more than one role. It\'s normal to try out different things. You will get a chance to see that we have exceptional fighters here, but we are not only bullies, because sometimes achieving a goal requires a different approach. That is why we need people from all walks of life."

Igor was still not sure about Sarah\'s position in this whole organization. He knows that she is someone high, and he assumed a high-level operative who can recruit members. But now that she came here, he noticed that everyone is looking at her and Aiden as they are superiors and he wondered if there are people above them or if they are at the top, yet he didn\'t want to ask that openly fearing that it might step out of line. "Are you a fighter?"

Sarah was not sure where Igor is going with his question, so she gave him a generic answer. "You can ask people around you what I am, and I am sure they will have different answers, as I am many things. I try to be a leader, but honestly, my husband is much better at it."

"Aiden?"

Sarah\'s lips stretched into a gentle smile. "Yes."

Igor noticed that Sarah and Aiden are close, but he didn\'t know they are married. As much as Sarah was providing him information, Igor had so many other questions… He picked one. "Why are you after Voronins?"

Sarah didn\'t want to disclose too many details, but there are some that Igor already knows. "Natalia\'s men kidnapped a random person, and unfortunately for them, they got my husband."

"So… that story is true."

Sarah confirmed. "The story is true. But the missing pieces are that Natalia\'s base does not exist anymore. We don\'t know much about the Voronins and we are using this tournament to investigate them."

Igor looked at Sarah\'s grim expression and he had a hunch that he should not ask further about Natalia.

"How come you are here? Is the competition over?"

"No. Aiden finished his events and they let us out until the next stage begins. You might be interested to hear that Dusan is out of the competition. His forearm is shattered."

Igor\'s lips lifted into a smile. Dusan is the one who bullied him the most, together with Lazar. Knowing that one of them is out was satisfying. "Thank you."

"Don\'t thank me with words. If you are truly grateful for this opportunity, make use of it. Learn, improve, heal, and show us what you can do. Once you are ready, you will see that we have many bases across Europe and the United States, and even though most of our soldiers are fighters who go on missions, it will be up to you what you want to do. We are encouraging everyone to pick up some other skill because missions are dangerous and if fighting is the only thing you can do, when you get hurt, you are useless." Sarah gestured toward his injured leg. "You can be anything from an artist to a bouncer in one of our nightclubs. Going back to school is also an option for you to consider. Aaron told me you are learning about strategizing and management… Zack is one of our main strategists, together with my sister, Sophia. You can ask them for some pointers…"

Igor asked many more questions, and their chat was interrupted when Aiden joined them.

Igor fidgeted nervously when he saw three dogs trailing after Aiden.

Aiden wrapped his arms around Sarah and kissed her temple before telling Igor: "Sarah should rest."

Sarah smiled, happy that Aiden is taking good care of her.

"Do you have more questions that only I can answer?", she asked Igor while standing up.

Igor thought of one. "At what point will I find out what organization is this?"

"When you are ready to commit. People who know about us are part of our organization or close allies.", Sarah explained.

Igor looked at Sarah with resolve. "I am ready."

"Are you sure?", Aiden asked. "If you cross that line, there is no going back."

"I am sure.", Igor confirmed.

Sarah and Aiden exchanged looks and shared an understanding.

"How much do you know about the Army of Chaos?", Sarah asked.

"A few years back, they made waves in North America and expanded to Europe. No one knows from where they came and there are rumors that their members are like ghosts and their leaders have supernatural speed and strength, red eyes that shoot lasers and black leopard…", Igor\'s voice trailed as he stared at Kitty and Atlas.

Sarah rubbed Vega\'s head and said in a whiney voice. "Sorry, baby… we will take you on more missions so that people notice you as well…"

Igor swallowed hard. "You are from the Army of Chaos?"

"We are, and that includes you. Since now you know about it.", Aiden corrected Igor, making the latter widen his eyes in surprise.

Sarah and Aiden smiled, and Sarah moved her fingers slightly, making both Aiden\'s and her eyes turn red.

Igor stared at them in disbelief. "Can you shoot lasers?"

Sarah stifled a laugh. "Lasers shooting out of eyes are made up."

Igor processed Sarah\'s words. "Does that mean that your supernatural speed and strength are real?"

Sarah put her left hand over the top wooden board that was forming the backrest of the bench and a cracking sound got Igor\'s attention as she shattered the thick wood like it\'s made out of a delicate eggshell.

Igor gulped a mouthful of air. "No more questions."

Sarah smiled and Aiden led the way back inside with their fur-babies following closely.

"Was it necessary to crush that board? The bench is ruined.", Aiden said half-grumpily.

"I wanted to leave a good impression.", Sarah responded innocently.

Aiden exhaled in defeat. "Well, he is impressed."

Aiden sneaked a glance at Sarah, and he was happy that her smile reached her eyes. His playful wife was back, and his world was at peace. 

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