THE REN UPGRADE: MONSTERS WITHIN

10: Dragon's Wrath

His chest was on fire when he burst out of the boardroom.

Ren hurried towards the restroom, pulling at his tie and struggling to breath. Heat seeped through the pores of his skin. In a split second, he was back in the raging flames, screaming and crying his heart out. 

The memory jumped out of nowhere, giving him the jitters. It made him break out in uncontrollable sweat. 

Ren knew what this feeling was. It was surprising, but he knew. Rage was one of the emotions that used to be strange to him…

…Up until the explosion and his miraculous survival. 

Now he was dishing ridiculous threats to men he would never have dared look in the eyes, a month ago. Powerful men who could toss him out with a flick of their fingers. 

Why did his life have to take such a drastic turn?

Bursting through the restroom doors, he hurried over to a sink and splashed cold water in his face. The heat simmered down slowly.

After a moment, he stared at his reflection…into the unfamiliar red eyes that stared back at him. “I just wanted to die,” he whispered. “I never wanted any of this.”

He had tried to buy into the explanation of the ninja assassin from Nakim academy. Juno did his best, but Ren still did not understand why he was chosen, out of the millions of others in the universe. 

He tried to be positive about it, but he knew it was more discomfiting than it was advantageous. 

He was still not in full control. In fact, he was at the mercy of these spirits. Especially the dragon. 

The fierce spirit took full control of his body at its whim. Making decisions that would be more harm than good to Ren. It was never Ren’s decision to hack into Dominic's system and announce the handover. 

For some reason he was yet to understand, the dragon spirit had come up with that cunning plan. 

He thought about diving into the internet for answers about his unique predicament. “I need a phone,” he murmured, patting down his pockets. 

CREAK!

He jumped at the sound, only to turn and see a petite woman in a wide hat and sunglasses, creeping into the restroom. 

He quickly straightened and put on a charming grin. An act that just slipped out of nowhere. It was becoming too easy…forgetting his identity. A pathetic loser who never even had the guts to hold a woman's gaze for more than a second. 

Now, he smiled so confidently at one.

The woman tore off the sunglasses and the grin split across every part of Ren’s face. 

“Ms. Blackthorn, I knew you'd come find me.” He narrowed his eyes on her flushed face. “But following me into the restroom? Isn't that—”

“Hush!” she hissed, slapping a finger over her lips. “I had to stay discreet.”

Ren frowned. “But you weren't very discreet earlier.”

A thunderous voice suddenly boomed in his head. >>Don't bore her with questions, lad. We need a wife, and she's perfect. Think, Idiot! She came back! She's willing!>>

Ren grabbed his head and grunted in pain. His ears felt like they'd split from his head. 

Hana cleared her throat. “Is everything okay?”

“Absolutely,” Ren replied in a nonchalant tone, even though his head ached like a gigantic bell clanged around in it. He waved his wrist in a dismissive gesture. “Why don't we talk about why you're here,” he swept a quick glance over her outfit, “in a ridiculous disguise?” He arched his brows. “Is this still about being an investigative journalist?”

Hana looked away from his intense gaze. “Something of the nature.” After a moment of awkward silence and shuffling her feet, she managed to voice her thoughts. “Why don't we have a word somewhere quiet?”

Ren moved away from the sink and stopped a few inches from her. He had that mischievous grin painted on his lips. “I'd appreciate some quiet.”

*****

Half an hour later, they sat facing each other on the ground floor of a high-rise restaurant miles away from the hospital.

In a private, discreet estate that Hana had suggested.

She sat watching him as he gobbled up the chicken skewers before him. “So, why did you bring up marriage?”

Ren paused his ravaging and took a large gulp from his glass of red wine. He arched his brows at her. “Did you not want to know some things about me?” 

“And you felt the only way to go about that was getting married to you?”

He shrugged. “It shouldn't be any more difficult than that?”

Hana heaved an exasperated sigh. “Look, you don’t even know me.”

“Wrong. I know you're Hana Blackthorn, only daughter of the powerful Blackthorn family in the top ruling class of Tokyo, born in the year 1990, schooled at—”

“Did you run a background check on me?” Hana demanded in a horrified tone. 

Ren smirked. “I just know things you would never imagine.” He picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth. “Which brings me to the conclusion that you want this marriage just as much as I want it.”

A conflict of emotions flicked across Hana’s face. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. After a moment of humiliation, she jumped to her feet. 

“You know what? This was a bad idea.”

“Oh come onnn. The truth hurts, but you don't have to go.”

“I should,” Hana insisted, stepping away from the table. “I'll take care of the bills, you don't have to—”

CRACK! CRASH! 

Bullets suddenly spilled through the floor-to-ceiling glass window sporadically, cutting the words from Hana. 

“GET DOWN!” Ren screamed. But it was too late. A bullet already whizzed through his arm, piercing his bone.

Shrieks rang in the air. People took cover, crashing tables and chairs in the scramble. 

A cry of anguish tumbled past Ren’s lips as another bullet sliced into his thigh. He whipped his head around to find where the sudden attack had come from. 

And he came face to face with a group of three bikers lined up in black jackets, sleek head gears, and footwears. 

For a split second, Ren was both confused and disoriented. Was this a broad daylight assassination?

In the next second, he realized he had just completely exposed his chest as a shield for more bullets.

They slammed in rhythmically. BLAM! BANG! 

He collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest. The fire-breathing voice in his head tsked in disappointment. 

>>Are you going to be of any use with these poor survival skills, oh ye of fickle strength?>>

“Mr. Carter!” Hana’s voice pierced through. She dropped her purse and ran towards him. “Are you okay?”

Ren lifted his head and looked at her, trying to not choke on his own blood. The shooting seemed to have stopped, but he knew it still was not safe. If they would do this in road daylight, not minding that they could harm others, then she was not safe. 

He feared he might be the sole target of the shootout, and he did not want her caught in the crossfire. “Get away from here,” he rasped. “Now.”

“No! I’m not—”

Sporadic shots blasted through the air. The gunfire had resumed. They rained down heavier. The panic grew thicker. Chaos became the order of the day, once again. 

Hana caught one in her shoulder and she screamed in agony, falling away from him.

The sound snapped something in Ren. He lost it when he turned his head and saw Hana lying still on the floor, blood soaking through her white shirt.

With a loud grunt that mirrored the fury of a beast, Ren sprang to his feet and dashed through the shattered window. 

“YOU DIE TODAY,  BASTARDS!”