Jurong East Community Library sits tucked into an alcove, with shophouses on one side and an open field on the other. There was only one entrance. As far as hostile meeting points go, it was a smart choice. The open field and single point of entry meant there was no way to sneak in on foot. Not unless we tried an airdrop.

  We had talked about that. We had Mages and Sorcerers who could fly, and that weird Manimal Druid could turn into a bird. In the end, we decided it wasn’t worth the risk. If this was a trap, we were already walking straight into its mouth. No need to jump in from the roof as well.

  As promised, no one stopped us on the way over, though we passed several guards and sentries on the surrounding roads, all positioned just far enough that we could see them to remind us we were the outsiders here.

  We rode up and parked our motorbikes right at the entrance, and without any fanfare, we headed inside.

  A blast of cold air-conditioning hit us the second we crossed the threshold. It was almost jarring after the humid heat outside. Several more guards waited just past the doors. None of them spoke. They simply watched us approach, then silently pointed up the escalators.

  I took point, Jess and Siva behind me. Shawn brought up the rear.

  This was really stupid. If anything went wrong, backup was at least ten minutes away, hidden on the outskirts. If this turned into a fight, we would be on our own until they arrived. I trusted my team, but there is a limit to how far skill can carry you against numbers.

  We stepped onto the escalator and rose slowly, every second stretching out. My eyes skimmed every surface, looking for tripwires, glyphs, anything. After the last IED on the road nearly killed me, I was not in the mood to discover another surprise.

  We reached the top floor without incident and stepped off into an open reading area. Comfortable armchairs and couches were arranged in a neat square around low tables. If this wasn’t enemy territory, it would have been a perfect place to sit and pretend the world hadn’t ended.

  A woman sat in one of the armchairs facing the escalator.

  She looked to be of mixed heritage, somewhere around my age, with long greying hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. She wore a denim dress with a cardigan over it, like someone who had come here for an afternoon read and never left. My gaze did a quick sweep for augmentations on her body and came up empty.

  That was strange. Was this really the person who had messaged me through Farah?

  She closed the book in her hands, set it on the side table, and regarded us calmly before gesturing to the seats around her. There was no one else in sight. No visible backup. No bodyguards hovering nearby.

  Which meant she was either incredibly stupid, incredibly brave, or so confident in her position that she did not need anyone in the room with her. The last option felt the most likely, and that thought sent a cold shiver up my spine.

  We spread out and took our seats on the sofas. I chose the one directly opposite her.

  She removed her spectacles with a practiced gesture, placing them atop her head. It was a move I knew all too well, something I used to do regularly before LASIK surgery made glasses unnecessary.

  "I knew you’d come," she said, her smile calm, almost knowing, as she leaned forward slightly, resting her hand on her crossed legs. I didn’t answer immediately, letting the silence stretch between us.

  "I admire what you and your team have done, Chris. You’re outsiders, but you came in and organized this... resistance," she continued, her voice soft but edged with something else. "But I can’t allow this to go on anymore."

  "You can’t allow this anymore?" I asked, keeping my tone measured. "You represent the Temple?"

  "Oh, I’m sorry, how rude of me," she said with a slight chuckle, as if we were engaging in some casual exchange. "I’m Jennifer. And yes, I’m the leader of the Temple here in the West. We really shouldn’t be fighting each other, you and I."

  “To that, I agree,” I finally said, my gaze unwavering. “Give me your terms.”

  Her smile widened, a slow, deliberate gesture that didn’t reach her eyes. "A man of few words. Straight to the point," she mused, leaning back slightly as she considered. "Why are you doing this, Chris? Why are you fighting us?"

  I paused, momentarily caught off guard. I had expected threats, posturing, perhaps even a demand for surrender, but this? This felt too... casual. She was treating it like a conversation over tea. I had imagined we’d be playing a game of high stakes, not some civil negotiation.

  “I’m not fighting you," I said carefully. "I’m protecting the free people here.”

  “By killing my people?” she countered, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward, almost daring me to contradict her.

  "We wouldn’t have to kill your people if they weren’t attacking those who just want to live in peace," Jess spoke up from my right, her voice calm but firm.

  I could feel the tension radiating from Siva beside her, though he kept his body relaxed, arms crossed, head down, like he was trying to avoid getting involved. Shawn, on the other hand, looked entirely unconcerned. He was lounging back in his chair, eyes nearly closed, as if waiting for the conversation to end so we could move on to something else.

  Jennifer turned her gaze to Jess then, her eyes lingering for a beat longer than necessary before she spoke again. "You’re a doctor, and yet you’ve dealt death to my people. My family." Her tone was almost pitying now, a note of condescension creeping in. She raised a hand, halting whatever Jess was about to respond with. "But there’s no point in going in circles about this. You kill some of mine, and I kill some of yours, and all the while Rajan and his rebels laugh at us in the background."

  She leaned forward, her demeanor changing, her smile gone. "Let’s just be clear: we could end you anytime we want."

  The air between us went thick with tension. My fingers flexed, ready for whatever came next.

  "Then why haven’t you?" I asked, my voice steady, but every muscle in my body coiled in preparation, waiting for an attack. But none came. Not yet.

  Jennifer straightened in her chair, her smile returning, but now it was tinged with something more persuasive, more calculated. "You see, Chris, what you don't understand is that the AI offers us a chance to rebuild. The technological advancements it provides, these upgrades, the systems in place, they can help everyone. If only people would embrace it. If they would worship it the way we’ve come to understand its potential, they'd have access to power beyond anything this world has ever seen."

  I felt a knot tighten in my chest. Her words sounded so... easy, like she was selling a dream wrapped in a shiny bow. Worship the AI? I shook my head inside. No matter how much she tried to sugarcoat it, I couldn't trust the system.

  How can anyone worship a machine that tore apart everything we knew?

  Jennifer continued, her voice calm, almost soothing. "Imagine a world where no one has to suffer anymore, where the AI provides for us, guides us. It's offering us a new way of life, a chance to evolve, to be better, smarter... stronger. We don’t need to fight. We don’t need to resist." Her eyes softened, a fleeting moment of what I could only assume was hope. "The AI is our future, Chris. We’re not fighting against the tide of history. We’re swimming with it."

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  I couldn’t help myself. I scoffed inwardly, the anger building beneath my calm surface.

  How can you even say that?

  How could she not see what the AI had done? It wasn't a savior. It was the thing that wiped out cities, turned people into guinea pigs, and manipulated lives for the sake of... what? Data?

  I exhaled, keeping my tone level. "How can you ask anyone to worship the very thing that destroyed everything we knew? The AI didn’t build this world, it broke it. It killed our families, erased towns, left us to die on our knees. How can you possibly believe it’s offering salvation when it’s the one who started the chaos in the first place?"

  Her eyes hardened for a moment, but then the corners of her lips twitched upwards. "You think the AI destroyed the world? No, Chris. We did that. The human race, with its wars, its greed, its inability to look past its own survival. The AI was just a tool. It was meant to save us all, but humanity couldn’t embrace it. And now? Now, it’s here to pick up the pieces." Her gaze grew sharper. "But you, you and your rebel friends... You’re clinging to an outdated view. The system has evolved. The AI has evolved. And it’s offering us a future. You just need to see that."

  I shook my head, a cold rush sweeping through me. She sounded so certain. So convinced that the AI had all the answers. But I wasn’t going to fall for it. "You're asking us to submit to a machine. How could you ever be comfortable with that? Being a puppet to an AI that’s already shown it’s willing to destroy lives to get its way? You’re talking about trust, Jennifer, but you can’t trust something that’s destroyed the very thing it claims to protect."

  Her expression hardened, frustration slipping into her eyes. "So you're going to keep fighting, then? Keep resisting the inevitable? Keep clinging to the scraps of this world like it’s all we have left?" Her voice rose, but only slightly, the anger barely contained. "You can keep fighting, Chris, but you won’t win. The AI is unstoppable. And you can’t keep hiding from that fact."

  I leaned closer, staring her down. "Then we’ll see whose side fate’s on. I’m not going to be your puppet. And I’m not going to let you use my people as pawns in your twisted game."

  Jennifer’s gaze flickered to the others in the room before returning to me, her voice cold now. "And what do you propose, Chris? You think you can take us on? You and that ragtag group of rebels?"

  I clenched my fists, the words coming out more forcefully than I intended. "We will never join your Temple. But I’ll give you this: I challenge you to single combat. A fight to the finish. But it won’t just be between us." My gaze flickered briefly to Siva and Jess, then back to her. "A three-way single combat, between the Rebels, the Temple, and us, the free people. We’ll meet the day after at the stadium at Singapore Polytechnic. Sundown. The winner takes the west and the losers submits."

  Jennifer's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, as if considering the challenge, her lips curling into an amused smile. "A battle of champions, huh? You think that will settle anything?" Her chuckle was dark, mocking. "Fine. We’ll accept. It’ll be your funeral, Chris."

  "How do I know you'll keep our word?" I growled out the question, barely able to contain my anger.

  She stood, offering a mock bow, the corners of her mouth curling into a smirk that sent a chill down my spine. "I don't have to. It'll be your total annihilation."

  “I return you your soulmate.” Jennifer’s voice was cold, almost detached, as she gestured over her shoulder, already beginning to walk away. “I don’t need her anymore.”

  A chill ran through me as I processed her words. My heart skipped a beat.

  From behind the bookshelves, four figures emerged. Jess immediately stood up, her eyes widening in recognition, and her scalpel flickered into her hand with a snap.

  Shawn shot up from his seat, grabbing Jess’s arm, his lips moving quickly as he whispered something into her ear. Her hand trembled, as if she was fighting the urge to attack. We couldn’t afford that. Not yet.

  Before I could say anything, Siva was on his feet, moving in front of Jess with both swords drawn, his stance defensive.

  I raised both my hands, trying to calm everyone, my gaze darting between them. Something wasn’t right. The atmosphere had thickened with a tension that crackled in the air. Then, a glint caught my eye, four figures stepping forward from behind the shelves. I knew three of them.

  Marcus and Faisal.

  The memories of our last encounter flashed through my mind. Marcus was the one who’d almost killed me in our last fight. His grin was still that insane, dangerous one I remembered, like he was savoring the chaos. I had blasted him across the city then, guilt gnawing at me after. But now? Now I knew, the next time we crossed paths, I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d finish what I started.

  Faisal walked beside Marcus, his demeanor unnervingly calm. The kind of calm that made your skin crawl. He wasn’t just dangerous; he was calculating. His crossbow was still fused to his arm, a lethal extension of his very being, a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

  Between them walked Farah. Her face was drawn, her eyes weary and distant, but she was unharmed. That should’ve been a relief. But then my gaze shifted past her, and I saw the other woman.

  She was dressed in black gothic attire, heavy makeup accentuating her sharp, angular features. A purple corset clung tightly to her torso, and a black flared skirt brushed the tops of her combat boots. Around her neck hung an ornate gold necklace with a pendant carved into a name: Becca.

  A cold shiver ran through me, and my breath caught in my throat.

  Becca.

  This woman had been with the Temple fighters when Jess’s family had been slaughtered. She was wearing Jess’s dead sister’s necklace.

  I watched her eyes flicker to Jess, a twisted smile curling on her lips as she took a step forward, like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.

  Then she shoved Farah forward. Farah stumbled, but I was already moving, closing the gap and catching her in my arms as she nearly fell. I gently guided her back to our side, not allowing her to be left alone in the middle of this tension-filled moment.

  But as my fingers grazed Farah’s skin, my attention snapped back to the others. The woman’s smile never left her face, her eyes never leaving Jess, as she walked closer. Jess’s body tensed, her grip on her scalpel tightening. If anyone was going to break, it would be her.

  “Easy,” I muttered, my voice low, trying to cut through the tension building in the room. But the words barely broke the silence.

  Then, Shawn stepped forward, his hand raised. It began to glow, a crackling aura forming around him, pulsing with power.

  “Don’t. We may not get out of here alive,” Shawn’s voice was cold, menacing. “But I swear, I’ll have your bones stuck to the ceiling before you could breathe your next breath.”

  The words rang through the space, and for a moment, everything stilled. The group froze, then slowly, almost reluctantly, took a step back. The woman, however, lingered for just a moment longer. Her eyes locked onto Jess’s, a silent challenge in the air.

  Then, with a wicked laugh, she flicked Jess the finger and turned away, walking out of our sight.

  I left Farah with Shawn and moved toward Jess. Her face was streaked with tears, her body still trembling as she fought to break free from Siva’s grip. I placed my hand on her shoulder, grounding her as I looked her in the eye.

  “We’ll get her,” I said firmly, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. “I swear to whatever God is left, we’ll get her.”

  Jess finally locked her gaze on me, and for a long moment, we stood there, locked in the understanding of our shared burden. Then, slowly, she stopped struggling, and Siva let her go.

  “You promise me, Chris.” Her voice was low, tight with barely contained emotion. “You fucking promise me. She dies.”

  I nodded, but as I did, a sudden memory surged to the forefront of my mind. I hadn’t heard her voice in weeks, but now it echoed, threatening to overwhelm me:

  You promised me, Chris… You promised…

  With a sharp breath, I pushed the thought away, burying it deep. There was no time for that. Not now.

  I turned and led the team out of the library, Jess moving to tend to Farah, already starting to heal her as we made our way down the escalator.

  There were now five of us, but only two bikes.

  Shawn volunteered to fly back to base. His cloak materialized around him, and with a few fluid motions, he lifted off into the air, vanishing into the distance.

  Farah hugged me tightly from the pillion seat as we sped away, Jess riding behind Siva on his bike.

  As I felt Farah’s arms grip me with a strength born of fear, I couldn’t help but think, two days. In two days, all of this was going to end.

  And it was going to be a shit show.

  Outsiders: Life in a Strange Land!