《Cursed Hunter: Regressor In A Strange World》 Transmigrating Heaven or Hell - wherever I am, I deserve it. Xavier thought, his mind a dull throb, floating in endless darkness. He couldn''t remember much from the life he had - just numbness and the endless gray it brought. Sighing deeply. Maybe ending it was the only crime I ever committed, and if that earned me Hell. Well, then I had to accept it. The endless darkness finally receded, and his eyes blinked into an endless, starless void devoid of any light or sound. He wandered around for what felt like an eternity. His mind on the verge of breaking and shattering into fragments of nothingness and a likely descent into madness itself. His very soul on the verge of breaking apart. Yet, he struggled to hold on. Allowing himself to be carried by an invisible current as he floated across this endless expanse of eternal darkness. No friends, no family, no lover, no enemy, no hatred. There was absolutely nothing. Nothing could exist in this endless space of nothingness. Hence, he had no choice but to be all alone for what felt...like eternity. He had no idea of how long he had been on this endless voyage of his. But at a point, it abruptly came to an end. Xavier felt a strong force pulling him. He was scared at first. But immediately shoved down the unsettling ease that gnawed onto his heart. What more is there to worry about? Worst-case scenario¡­ I finally get the death I deserve. Xavier thought as he got dragged into what seemed like an endless whirlpool. A blinding ray of light flared into his eyes, causing him to involuntarily close his eyes. His eyes opened, and he found himself amidst a ruined building. His lungs felt like they were on fire, a weird hot feeling coursing through his entire body. But that feeling disappeared just as it came. The roaring flames burned chaotically, and the building crumbled into a pile of dust and shards¡­one after the other. His hands were clutched against his forehead as he struggled to make sense of the various scenes rapidly flashing past his eyes. He had suddenly found himself in a mysterious space that seemed to encompass endless knowledge. Xavier blinked as he tried to make sense of this unusual surroundings. His eyes swept past the various lights that seemed to contain infinite untold secrets and knowledge. Staring at the sky if it could be called one, he could see seven stars in the sky. Each one seemed to represent a different aspect of life. And just as he stretched his hands toward the seven stars in the sky, his hands got pulled back as he realized that the strange vision w-was gone. All that remained¡­was memories that slowly flooded in. He felt as though something had exploded within his mind, but then a faint glow seemed to radiate from his body, bringing every single piece of chaotic memories back together. ''Is this a joke¡­'' Xavier thought at first. The idea of transmigrating never occurred to him. So many chaotic thoughts flooded his mind. How had he transmigrated? Why had he transmigrated and so much more? At first, he thought perhaps a god decided to give him one more chance after all the pain and trauma that he had gone through. But he easily waved that off. If suffering is the criteria for transmigrating¡­ Then the whole universe will be filled with transmigrates at this point¡­ Is there even a universe? Xavier thought, according to the memories he had gotten. This Xavier he is inhabiting was born into a family of hunters - humans who hunt supernatural creatures, demons, cursed spirits, etcetera. This sent strange electric currents running through his body. With this, I don''t have to that scared of the various hidden threats lurking within the shadows. He thought, his body trembling slightly from the various memories he had of these so-called supernatural creatures. Yet what was funny, ironic, and yet scary enough was the fact that the previous Xavier, after setting up a petrol explosion to momentarily escape from a demon, had died from the unraveling of some memories of some sort. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. How can someone die as a result of a hidden memory? Xavier was visibly shaken, his legs wobbling subtly and what heightened this unsettling feeling was the fact that these same set of memories and some of his normal memories were sealed together! The thought of the seal on the memories breaking open sent cold chills running down his back. Cold sweat broke along his spine as he struggled to pacify his thrumming heart. He finally calmed down after a couple of seconds. Exhaling sharply. Aright¡­I just happened to be a lucky fellow and got transmigrated. His mouth twitched at this thought of his. But he had no choice anyway; he could go on with that or keep cranking his head around the unfathomable mysteries behind his transmigration. ¡°So what next?¡± He glanced around him; fallen buildings, charred structures, and broken wood were reflected into his pupils. While he allowed his eyes to move around the place. He caught a glimpse of a lady¡­ a large stone pressing her abdomen onto the ground, with blood gushing out uncontrollably from her body, forming a pool of blood around her. He immediately moved to save the lady. But just as he took his first step, the various pieces of fragmented memories came flooding in. His heart tightened as he sucked in a cold deep breath at the thought of almost saving a demon! He exhaled sharply, his hands trembling lightly as a lump of saliva got forcibly drowned into a bottomless pit, ¡°So it''s safe to assume that she''s a demon,¡± He glanced at her warily, whilst her cold black pupils lingered on him. Since demons aren''t from this world and are from a place known as Hell¡­is it the same hell as the one rumored of back on Earth? He thought. Yet, he couldn''t come up with a reasonable explanation especially because thinking too much strained his brain and probably his mind. Most likely because he was still finding it challenging to adapt to this new body of his. The memories and knowledge included. According to the knowledge he had of these so-called demons. They aren''t from Earth and, therefore, need an anchor for when they make it to Earth. This leads them to possess the humans of the society, and this lady is such a demon. He had a light smirk spreading across his face, upon realizing that he didn''t need to be scared of her. In such a weakened state. ''There''s no way she can pull off her possession stunt. Or can she?'' He thought, visibly shaken as he approached her, one step at a time. Arriving before her, he pushed up the courage to speak, ¡°Who sent you?¡± The demon glared at him with a cold look from the depths of her eyes. He felt a cold chill run across his back, and he felt his legs giving in. But as an experienced keyboard warrior. He could only force down the unsettling fear, he braced himself as he tried to appear calm. "How about you tell me who sent you to kill me? ¡°As long as you do that. I promise not to kill you,¡± Seeing the hesitation etched across her face, he knew he had to press on as the rule of psychology in his novel Back on Earth agrees with attacking the mind whilst it was faltering. A light smirk spread across his face, "This is a fair deal to me. ¡°Or don''t you think so?¡± The demon was silent for a while, obviously struggling to come to a decision. Her thoughts ran amok. ''If he does happen to search my memories, I might probably suffer a fate worse than death. But¡­I have to¡­'' She gritted her teeth. With clenched jaws, she realized that she didn''t seem to have any other choice. ¡°His name is Azazel. A higher demon.¡± Hmm¡­ Why does the name sound so familiar? With a narrowed gaze, ¡°What does the demon want from me? Why did he order for me to be killed?¡± T-his¡­ How the hell am I supposed to know? With clenched jaws and gritting teeth, ¡°You can ask him when you see him.¡± She spat out irritatingly. Xavier exhaled lightly, not knowing how to press on. But at least on the bright side, I know who''s trying to kill me, and on the well bad side, I don''t understand why this demon is after my petty life. And to make matters worse. This fucking stupid demon doesn''t seem to have an inkling about the higher demon or his plans.'' Xavier facepalms himself, resisting the deep urge to slap the demon. ¡®Who even takes a mission without knowing anything about said mission.¡¯ He thought irritatingly. Calming himself down, he decided to leave this place as soon as possible. With the flames surging upward and burning wildly, the chances that they would attract the attention of a few cops were rather high. He immediately dashed forth, preparing to leave the demon to her miserable life. Well, she can bleed to death, for all he cared. But the demon who realized that he didn''t need to kill her since she would still bleed to death, got angered. Her veins thrummed with negative primal emotions. The thought of having been led by the nose of a little bastard irritated her as she spat out, ¡°You weakling, your father will never be proud of you. You are just a pathetic bastard who runs away from the truth.¡± She had made use of an ability fully possessed by higher demons and partly by a minute number of demons. Mind read¡­ subconscious dive. Whatever name you give it, its goal is simple. It simply enables the demons to know of a person''s hidden thoughts, motivations, fears, and goals so it could be used as leverage to get under their skin. Xavier suddenly stayed rooted to the spot, his legs unable to take a single step. His command was useless and futile, as his body trembled visibly. Somehow he felt as though the demon had struck a nerve. A fragile part of himself¡­ He wanted to refute. Fuck at least say something to counter her words. Yet nothing came out of his trembling lips. A cold look slowly crept up his face. Previously he had decided to leave her alone, but now that she had well-succeeded in angering him¡­ She will have to face the consequences of her actions. With an expressionless look etched across his face, he turned back, bringing out a mini-book from his pocket before scrolling through the pages, eventually stopping at a particular page that read: Romaniakn Exorcism Spell. The demon glared at him, if looks could kill, he would probably be dead by now. She wondered what he needed a book for. ''Smack her to death?'' She thought, forcing laughter internally. Xavier steadied his breathing, his feeling a mix of thrill and anger. The thrill that he could try out one of the mysterious supernatural aspects of this world and a strange, indescribable anger towards the demon for using a soft, subtle part of his memory against him. He couldn''t accept it, he was unable to tolerate it. And he definitely wouldn''t let her go scot-free. He closed his eyes before it snapped open as his lips moved, and weirdly enough. He could actually read, understand, and pronounce every single strange word before him! These words seem to carry a mysterious force as they resonate with reality, sending formless waves of energy toward the demon. She let out a loud, blood-curdling scream as she felt the pain of a thousand needles boring through her soul, then deadly hammers shattering her soul into pieces and fragments. Such a pain couldn''t be described in words, she literally felt like dying!! She waddled in her pool of blood, deep crimson and dark as she tried all means to alleviate the pain. Yet nothing seemed to work. And worse of all¡­ The pain was only intensifying! Xavier, who was already engrossed in this mysterious state of having a weird invisible force feeding him with a strange energy, continued reading at a fast pace. Heightening the pain and blood-curdling scream that escaped the demon''s lips, of course, the engrossed Xavier was completely oblivious to this. Scrolling as he continued to recite the chant. When his voice finally died down. His eyes slowly moved towards the demon, the mysterious glow in his eyes having vanished. He felt a cold chill run across his back. T-his¡­ Was this done by me? His lips shivered uncontrollably as he saw a dark reddish pool of blood. The body of a lady had been utterly disfigured and dismembered by some mysterious force, immediately followed by a dense smoke that suddenly shot out of her body. Startling him as he fell onto the ground. The dense eerie black smoke immediately vanished into the ground, leaving a charred metallic stain on the ground whilst Xavier simply stared blankly ahead of him, shocked and completely shaken by the scene before him. A shape Shifter At Hand Xavier had no idea of how long he had been sitting there, the minutes blending into hours as the grim reality weighed down on him. His thoughts churned in a chaotic spiral, guilt clawing at him with every heartbeat. His eyes, hollowed by an oppressive sense of despair stared vacantly at the dismembered body before him. He felt hollow, like a shadow existing without light, a ghost wandering through the shell of his life. The gruesome image of the body lay reflected in his darkened azure pupils, the disarrayed limbs a cruel reminder of his actions. The woman had once been a human, but unlucky enough to be possessed by a demon. Her fate had been sealed long before he even lifted his hand or recited the chant. A part of him knew that she couldn''t have survived. The demon''s grip on her soul already signed her death warrant; it definitely wouldn''t leave a human alive even if it did later decide to look for another meat suit He tried to cling to that logic, to use it as a balm against the overwhelming guilt. But no amount of justification could ease the gnawing emptiness inside him. He exhaled sharply, tearing his gaze away from the mess of blood and flesh. With shaking hands, he got a lighter, setting the remains ablaze until the fire swallowed every trace of his cruel action. The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air as he descended into the basement, retrieving weapons he might need. Who knew when the next demon would strike? The thought made his pulse quicken, his heartbeat slowing down, urgency pushing him to move faster. He packed his gear swiftly, closing the door beneath him and throwing the red carpet over the entrance like a forgotten memory. Outside, the chaotic roar of flame painted the sky orange, but Xavier had no time to dwell. He needed to leave before the cops arrived. He glanced at the burning buildings one last time before taking massive strides as he made his way to leave. Not only that, but he was about to leave when the sound of screeching tires suddenly rang into his ears before a black car slowly appeared in his line of sight. Furthermore, he, whose heart was about to jump out of his chest at the thought of the car being driven by a cop, immediately tried to run away, but a familiar face slowly appeared in his line of sight before the car came to a stop right before him. The door opened as the familiar face appeared before him. ¡°Hey little kiddo, get into the car,¡± The figure said, ¡°You have got a lot of catching up to do.¡± Always trying to act cool. Xavier''s mouth twitched as he gazed at the C-shaped mark Klaus had made on the ground. He gave that just a single glance before getting into the car, then he closed the door. He was about to put on his seat belts when the car suddenly busted into a short sprint, his head smacking against the window as a result of the sudden acceleration. Seeing the wide grin on Klaus''s face. He knew his stupid elder brother had done it on purpose. ¡°Bastard,¡± Xavier muttered, rubbing his temples. Klaus opened his mouth in feigned shock, ¡°Doesn''t that also make you a bastard.¡± Xavier rolled his eyes at his brother''s teasing words. Klaus grinned, obviously pleased with himself. ¡°Consider that as a payback for abandoning the family.¡± ¡°Well guess I deserved that,¡± Xavier sighed, settling into the seat. His mind was still a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but at least his brother''s teasing words momentarily pulled him out of the dark thoughts that threatened to consume his mind. They sped down the road, the chaotic remnants of Xavier''s home disappearing into the rearview mirror, as they passed by a group of oblivious cops headed in the opposite direction. Xavier realized that the cops were most likely heading for his house. Klaus gave them a slight wink while they simply nodded their head at the supposedly law-abiding citizen. ¡°True¡­ What of the old man?¡± Xavier shifted his gaze towards Klaus who handled the wheels with great dexterity, "I haven''t heard from him in ages. ¡°Hope he''s still alive?¡± Klaus shook his head whilst laughing lightly, ¡°Unfortunately for you, the old man is still alive and kicking.¡± ¡°Well¡­that''s good to hear,¡± Xavier muttered in response. ¡°Yeah,¡± Klaus handed a phone over to Xavier, ¡°Listen to the voicemail.¡± A few minutes later. "Hmm¡­So it''s safe to assume that the old man got a trail on the demon that killed Mum ¡°So he won''t be available for a while, so he wants us to continue with the family business.¡± Klaus nods in response. Xavier was silent for a while, enjoying the quiet moments before he finally spoke up. ¡°Alright. So where are we headed for?¡± ¡°New Orleans., Klaus replied smilingly. ¡°Also¡­it''s really good to have you back in the family business,¡± Klaus added with a wide grin. Xavier nods his head before being handed a newspaper. ¡°So, according to the report in the newspaper. Three murders have been reported in a short span of three days,¡± Xavier muttered, his brows slightly creased downward whilst his eyes slowly moved down the pages of the newspaper. ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaus nods with a cold expression settling on his face. ¡°Those crazy shape-shifters are always psychopaths with a crazy sense of reasoning.¡± Xavier, seeing Klaus''s bitter expression, chuckled lightly. ¡°Like you are any better.¡± Klaus laughed lightly, ¡°No, this is different.¡± ¡°Yeah obviously," Xavier replied with a light smile. Klaus had a wry smile on his face whilst Xavier simply shook his head. Klaus glanced at his brother before he spoke. ¡°Do you know what the two witnesses reported to the cops?¡± Xavier smiled, ¡°Probably that they saw two look-alikes.¡± Klaus chuckled lightly, ¡°Eggzactly.¡± His hand moved backward slightly as the car made a loud screeching sound before drifting into another street. It barely avoided two cars before drifting past the normal drivers who felt like cursing Klaus, whilst some thought the driver was on drugs, some too worried or occupied with what life has got to throw at them, to care or be bothered about some fool''s reckless driving. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Klaus chuckled inwardly, clearly pleased with himself ¡°If that doesn''t show that we are dealing with a shape-shifter, then I don''t know what will.¡± Xavier nodded in agreement, his eyes slowly shifted to his left- as he prepared for Kansas City to become nothing more than a mere fleeting memory. He let out a light, melancholic sigh. According to the memories he had, the time the previous Xavier spent here could be said to be, weirdly enough, one of the most blissful moments of his life. A thing he couldn''t find a reason to Since most of his memories were sealed, others were a chaotic mess, whilst others seemed to be floating in a weird space that glistened with a bright luster. Added to the fact that he was unable to find the cause or the reason for this. Xavier sighed in exasperation, the various mysteries threatening to break his mind apart. He sighed inwardly, as he decided to remove the various thoughts away from his mind. Thinking about them won''t solve them anyway. ¡°It will probably take us around fourteen hours to arrive at New Orleans, right?¡± Xavier questioned; multiple buildings reflected in his eyes. ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaus was silent for a second before nodding in reply. Both brothers returned to the eerie, strange silence for a few minutes. These few minutes had the car racing down streets as they rapidly approached New Orleans, with Klaus controlling the steering wheel while Xavier seemed to be lost in thought. His brows were tightly furrowed. ¡°But, I still don''t get something.¡± He muttered, his gaze vacant and unfocused. ¡°What''s that?¡± Klaus questioned, his eyebrow lightly raised, whilst he tapped on the edge of the steering wheel with his index fingers. "According to the reports. This shape-shifter appears to be going after young women." Klaus stared at him for a quick second with a blank expression before letting out light laughter and receiving a cold stare from Xavier. Cough... Klaus finally managed to keep his laughter under control¡­ under the intense stare from his younger brother. The car continued to race down the street, the wind easily howled past them, with various buildings becoming mere memories among the many yet to come ¡°Don''t tell me you think the shape-shifter has got a knack for young women?¡± Klaus finally spoke up with exaggerated widened eyes. ¡°No, no¡­definitely not. And Klaus,¡± Xavier''s face hardened. ¡°This isn''t really a good time for jokes.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Always a jerk as usual.¡± Klaus replied jokingly. Who''s the jerk between both of us? Xavier lampooned inwardly. Lightly shaking his head, ¡°So it''s safe to assume that the shape-shifter is targeting young women.¡± Yeah. Klaus nods in agreement. His leg smashed onto the pedal, causing the car''s speed to shoot forth to greater heights, easily bypassing multitudes of other cars that appeared to be driven by good, law-abiding citizens. Contrary to Klaus, who controlled the car to move as though the devil were hot on his tail. ¡°If you noticed, after torturing the young women. What does it lead to?¡± Xavier questioned, eliciting a light frown from Klaus who was silent for a few seconds. ¡°Not only does it seldomly lead to the woman''s death. It often also leads to the husband''s arrest, probably as a result of being impersonated by the shape-shifter.¡± ¡°You''re catching on,¡± Xavier said with a smug expression etched across his face. ¡°...¡± Klaus was startled for a second there, a blank expression settling on his face. ¡°You have got to be kidding me, kiddo.¡± In a bid to save his face, he added, ¡°Do I need to remind you that you met me in this business?¡± ¡°Age is just a number,¡± Xavier gave a sharp remark, causing Klaus to let out a slightly exaggerated gasp before he shook his head wryly. ¡°Guess you''re right,¡± Klaus said after a few seconds of momentary silence. His brows were tightly furrowed before he added. ¡°But the question remains. What does the shape-shifter aim to achieve from doing all this?¡± Xavier sighed lightly, "If I do say I understand, then I am probably just pulling your legs. "There''s almost no reasonable explanation behind the shape-shifter''s action. It''s-¡­almost as though the shape-shifter is doing all this, just to have¡­ ¡°Fun.¡± Both brothers completed the statement simultaneously. Klaus received a nod from Xavier, who slowly reclined his back against the chair. Klaus exhaled lightly, ¡°It doesn''t matter anyway. Whatever the reason might be, we will find out when we arrive at New Orleans.¡± He paused for a second before he added with a slight wink, ¡°Talking of New Orleans. Are you going to meet with her?¡± Her? Xavier was momentarily baffled before the pieces of fragmented memories slowly came flooding in. Oh. ¡°You mean to meet with Sophia?¡± ¡°Yes of course. Who else had our young Xavier falling head over heels for her?¡± Klaus said whilst chuckling. ¡°Numerous girls have,¡± Xavier replied with a roll of his eye. Klaus laughed lightly, ¡°Yeah¡­But it will be cool. If I recall correctly, it was around five years ago.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xavier nods his head in reply, a solemn expression etching across his face. ¡°That year was filled with rampart supernatural creatures, cursed spirits, and demons.¡± He let out a light sigh before adding, ¡°It took the lives of many revered hunters to restore peace.¡± Klaus sighed lightly, ¡°Their deaths weren''t in vain,¡± "Not only did they succeed in killing various supernatural creatures, and cursed spirits before their deaths. But they also helped in reducing their numbers by a large margin. ¡°Since then, the dangers we have had to face have lessened considerably.¡± ¡°Yeah, guess you''re right,¡± Xavier could only force a smile. Klaus glanced at Xavier whose mood seemed to have turned sour. He sighed inwardly before concluding to liven up the atmosphere. ¡°I still remember those days, they were really so good.¡± Realizing that he had garnered Xavier''s attention. He continued, ¡°Despite Dad''s warning to stay at home. You begged me to help you sneak out just so you could meet with Sophia.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Xavier didn''t deny. He stared ahead of him, the crosslanes appearing in his line of sight. ¡°But still. We are going to New Orleans to hunt. Not to meet an old friend.¡± He gave a light sigh before he added, ¡°Doing that will only lead to unnecessary heartaches.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re definitely right on that.¡± Klaus nods in agreement. ¡°But still, if there''s an opportunity¡­" Klaus gave a wink, allowing his brother to comprehend the rest of the words. Xavier sighed inwardly. ¡°Sure.¡± He lied, forcing a smile, resulting in Klaus letting out a light laugh. The car rapidly passed by various places: various houses, buildings, stores, malls, and so on. Time easily passed by with a ghastly silence enveloping both brothers. A few hours of a long slightly tedious journey easily passed by. ¡°How long has it been, New Orleans?¡± Klaus had a wide smile on his face as the car passed by the road sign that read - Welcome To New Orleans. Klaus lowered the car''s speed, trying to avoid a troublesome case of mistakenly hitting somebody or moving faster than the speed limit. Which would, in turn, result in a troublesome meeting with the cops. They passed by various neighborhoods with narrow streets, wrought-iron balconies, and a mix of commercial and residential buildings. But the car didn''t come to a stop since this wasn''t their destination. According to the reports, the incidents took place in Lake-view and Mid-city parts of New Orleans. The shape-shifter appears to be making use of the residential parts of New Orleans as its hunting ground! ¡°Luckily for Sophia, she lives in bye-water,¡± Klaus muttered, eliciting a nod from Xavier. Xavier''s mind slowly slipped into deep thought. He couldn''t help but reminisce on the moments he had with his girlfriend: Ife. ''How is she? Will she be alright? How will feel?'' Various thoughts ran across his mind, whilst a solemn expression slowly gripped onto his face. ''I am sorry, Ife...am sorry. I just couldn''t hold on any longer. I just couldn''t¡­'' Teardrops slowly dripped down the corner of his eyes, attracting Klaus''s attention. Klaus had a light frown adorning his face. ¡°What''s wrong, Xavier?¡± Xavier was silent for a while before he hurriedly wiped the tears off his face. ¡°Nothing.¡± He forced a smile, ¡°Just remembering about the sacrifices of that year.¡± Hmm¡­ "Alright. But it''s okay. You don''t have to cry because of that. ¡°Their sacrifice was worth it,¡± Klaus said with a rarely seen serious expression. Xavier forced a smile on his face whilst nodding his head. His gaze slowly moved towards the window. ¡°Seems like we''re already in the suburbs of New Orleans.¡± He was about to head out of the car when a voice suddenly rang into his ears. ¡°Oh- also, before I forget. Dad left his journal behind.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Xavier, whose hand was making way for the door''s handle slowly came to a stop, shifting his head. His eyes on Klaus, ¡°You mean his journal with important records on various cases and supernatural creatures?¡± ¡°Yeah, that one,¡± Klaus replies after a light nod. ¡°Well, that''s good. Not only will it make our work easier. Perhaps we''ll be able to find Dad in the process.¡± Xavier had a light smile slowly curling up his lips. Klaus stared blankly for a while before exhaling lightly. ¡°I wouldn''t place high hopes on that.¡± He paused for a second before he added, ¡°If Dad doesn''t want to be found, then we surely won''t be running into him coincidentally.¡± The brothers were both silent for a few seconds. Klaus lightly shook his head, ¡°Do I need to remind you of how good the old man is?¡± ¡°I know we both miss the old man, but if he would rather not be found. Then we definitely won''t be seeing him anytime soon.¡± Klaus sighed inwardly. Xavier let out a deep sigh after a couple of seconds, ¡°Guess you''re right. But well, just the journal contents will do anyway.¡± Klaus nods in response before he removes a badge from a small compartment within the car and then gives one to Xavier and keeps one for himself. A forged badge. The memory slowly flooded back into him. A light chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°I almost forgot about this.¡± ¡°Yeah, you did,¡± Klaus let out a light laughter before he proceeded to get out of the car after having hidden a gun and a silver blade. According to the memories that he had, shape-shifters can only be hurt by objects made of silver. He smiled before immediately following suit, with the knowledge he had from his memories. He kept the weapons with great precision and ease. Almost as though he had been doing it for years. The feeling is so surreal¡­ A few minutes later, they both arrived at a residence. A woman came to open the door after a few seconds of occasional knocks. She seemed to be in her early thirties, with brown hair and quite a voluptuous chest. Klaus assessed her, noticing the slight bruises on her body and a solemn expression that refused to fade away. Klaus immediately recollected himself. He removed his badge, ¡°I am Detective Zander and this here is my partner, Detective Hollerein. We are from the Kansas City Detective Division. If you don''t mind, we''d like to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°I thought I went through this with the city''s CID.¡± The woman replied with a narrowed gaze. ¡°Yes ma''am. We are aware.¡± Xavier paused for a second, organizing his thoughts before he added. ¡°But we need to verify some things and ensure that this case is truly solved. We have realized that this kind of case is becoming more rampant in New Orleans. Hence, our superiors ordered us to perform a thorough investigation and get to the root of the case.¡± The woman was quiet for a while. ¡­" Alright. Come in." She opened the door fully, to accept the visitors. After Klaus and Xavier had their seat. She left after excusing herself and came back a couple of minutes later. Handing over a cup of tea to the detectives. The brothers accepted the tea as Klaus took a light sip whilst Xavier simply placed his on the table. He could easily analyze the woman''s current state. Confused, sad, shocked, hurt, broken¡­A chaotic mess of primal emotions! And she appears to be fighting back against the tears that threatened to drop from the depths of her eyes. Xavier could only sigh inwardly, ¡°Ma''am, we know it has been hard on you. We are truly sorry about the occurrence.¡± Seeing that he had managed to garner her attention, he continued, ¡°But we do hope that you can cooperate with us. Anything you tell us will be of great help in our following investigations.¡± The woman was quiet for a few seconds, teardrops stirring within the depths of her pupils. She cleaned the tears dripping down before she said, ¡°Yeah¡­ Thanks. I will do my best to help in any way I can.¡± Xavier nods before proceeding. ¡°Ma''am, before the incident. Did you notice any violent or harmful action from your husband?¡± ¡°No,¡± She said in a very firm tone. ¡°He has always been caring. Over our years of marriage. He had never once laid his hands on me.¡± Klaus and Xavier glanced at each other, nodding at the same time. They had reached a silent understanding and were now more certain that they were dealing with a shape-shifter. ¡°Alright, Ma''am. Can you tell us how it happened?¡± Klaus questioned, a few seconds after he had dropped the teacup. She was silent for a while. Her brows slightly narrowed, ¡°He said he had a night shift and was driving to work. But minutes later, he called saying he would be returning home.¡± Xavier''s brows were slightly raised. ¡°And the reason?¡± ¡°His boss called off his night shift. The cops confirmed this,¡± She said, ¡°But-¡± Her brows grew tightly furrowed together. ¡°But what?¡± Klaus questioned with a slightly narrowed gaze. ¡°B-ut immediately after he called. He was home when it should have taken him around twenty minutes to get back home.¡± She paused for a second before proceeding. ¡°Then, we were¡­" She was silent for a long while, obviously hesitating. ¡°Ma''am, feel free to speak to us.¡± Xavier pressed on, a calm expression still on his face. She nods her head whilst biting on her lower lips. ¡°We were about to have sex. But he suddenly knocked me out. When I woke up, I realized that I was tied to a chair and i-t it was almost as though the man in front of me wasn''t my husband.¡± Crystal-like teardrops slowly dripped down the corner of her eyes, slumping onto the floor whilst sending unheard echoes across the ground. ¡°That''s all I know. Now can you please leave?¡± She sniffled, struggling to keep her composure. ¡°Thanks for your time, Ma''am,¡± Klaus said, as both brothers immediately stood up in tacit understanding. He knew that if he was placed in her shoes, he might probably fare worse. For her to summon the courage to say all that definitely wasn''t easy for her. Xavier shook his head after a light sigh escaped his lips. A few minutes later. They were back in the car. In the car, Xavier rubbed his chin. ¡°Okay. Now that we know we are dealing with a shape-shifter. We need to figure out the next shape-shifter''s target.¡± Klaus had a solemn expression on his face. A few seconds of oppressive silence easily went by before his mouth slowly drew a wide grin as he stared ahead of him, ¡°Yeah¡­And I think I just figured out who our next poor victim might be.¡± Encounter With A Shape-Shifter Um- what do you mean?" Xavier''s brow got slightly raised. Klaus pointed towards a woman approaching a house. "Long brown hair, deep black eyes, and a curvy waist. "And to top it all, from her facial appearance. I''d bet a hundred bucks that she''s most likely in her early thirties." Xavier shot him a sharp look. "Seriously?" Klaus chuckled, guilt washing over him. "Alright. Alright. But what does she have in common with the other victims?" "Curvy waist?" Xavier replied, incredulous. "You don''t really think your elder brother is that thirsty, do you?" Klaus lightly shook his head. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Xavier replied while nodding, the serious expression refusing to fade away. A solemn expression crept up Klaus''s face, as he exhaled lightly, "Seems that even my own younger brother doesn''t trust me. Who else have I got in this world?" His lament earned him a roll of the eye from Xavier. ''Can''t you be serious for once?'' Xavier lampooned inwardly, shaking his head after sighing internally. Klaus''s gaze slowly grew more serious, his hands ramming against the edge of the steering wheel. "Anyways let''s get back to business. If you had paid more attention or even stayed at home whilst going on frequent hunting trips. Perhaps you wouldn''t have failed to notice it." "..." Xavier was rendered speechless, "Are you gonna bicker or get straight to the point." Klaus shook his head, his hands went for the newspaper before handing it over to Xavier. Who easily held on to it, "What am I supposed to do with this?" "Pay more attention," Klaus replied with a serious expression. "And tell me the similarity between each one of the victims." Xavier was silent for a while. Did I fail to realize something while going through the report? His brow lightly creased downward. "Alright." He nods in reply. Since Klaus had said so, then I must have definitely missed something. Perhaps my mind is still finding it hard to adapt to this transmigrator...No Regressor stuff whatnot. Fuck who cares which one it''s. All that matters is that I am already here anyway. And all I can fucking do is to try my best to find a way to get back to Earth and if there''s really no way¡­ Well, He sighed inwardly. Guess I have no other choice than to go all out with this whole family hunting shit. Whilst he allowed his thoughts to wander off, his eyes, which were glued on the newspaper, finally caught a glimpse of something. "How couldn''t I have realized?" He face-palmed himself, eliciting a light chuckle from Klaus, "As you can see, each one of the victims are all in their¡­" "Early Thirties." Both brothers chorused at the same time. Klaus nods his head, whilst Xavier had a wry smile slowly creeping up his face. Wasn''t it just a whilst ago that he had talked about this with Klaus, but when his brother asked, his mind didn''t really go there. ''Seems that I am still finding it rather difficult to adapt psychologically.'' He could only come up with this seemingly reasonable explanation. "Hmm, So¡­all we just have to do is to wait for a couple of hours, probably until nighttime. And we will have the shape-shifter falling right into our trap." Klaus said with a wide grin whilst he rubbed his hands, his eyes gleaming in anticipation. Hehehehe¡­Just hope I don''t get my hands on you. While Klaus was busy fantasizing about the various ways to deal with the Shape-shifter. Xavier let out a light yawn, his eyes growing slightly groggy. "Well, until then, I am gonna have a few minutes of respite." His eyes slowly got closed, his back reclining against the seat whilst Klaus had a light smile adorning his face. Although they both had their grudge-filled days. He had to say, he really missed his younger brother. He had a light smile on his face before bringing out a camera from the same small compartment. This is, after all, the only way to watch out for the shape-shifter. Since shape-shifters practically resemble humans in every sense of the world, the only way to distinguish them easily is by the flare of light that flashes within the depth of their pupils every once in a while. And usually without any supernatural-related items. The next best choice would be to make use of a camera. Three hours easily passed by. The rays of the moon illuminated the path beneath it whilst glowing with an eerie glint. Klaus kept his eyes open while trying to catch a flare of light. Yet, so far, so good; he hadn''t found anything suspicious or related to a shape-shifter. He was even beginning to question their analysing skills. But he still decided to keep it up, if there wasn''t anything after one more hour. Then we will leave¡­ He came to this conclusion, moving the camera towards his eyes once more. Xavier had his eyebrows quivering lightly, the intensity and amplitude growing faster by the passing moment. He had suddenly found himself in a room. A white-painted room, judging from the crimson rays of the moon that seeped into the room, casting eerie shadows across the wall. It is safe to assume that this is nighttime. B-ut where am I?? Where is this? His body trembled lightly, his heart thumped violently as cold sweat broke along his back. He glanced around him as he tried to move around, just as he moved. He seemed to have heard a distant sound, yet it seemed so near almost as though the...voice was coming from right behind-him! His eyes widened in horror, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated as his eyelids quivered. He immediately turned backward, only to be met with absolute silence. Except for the lingering shadows that danced along the walls, he couldn''t really see anything else. He forced down the unease, before slowly approaching the door before him. A smell of rotten course assaulted his nose with mix of scent that was revolting to say the least. Each step he took sent echoes across the desolate silence, his heart thumped violently as he struggled to pacify the rapid rate at which it was accelerating. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Within the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself in another room. No¡­judging by the various utensils such as knives, mortals, pests, and so on. He knew that he was definitely in a kitchen. He moved towards the door slowly, his heart had almost jumped out of his chest from the sudden displacement or whatever that was. With pounding heart, he moved towards the door, before stopping before some set of knives. His hands moved towards the knives and then. WHOOOSH!!! They flared to life! His eyes widened, his heart gripped with fear. And just when it seemed like he would really lose his life this time around. He found himself in another room once again. He caught a glimpse of a lady. The same lady that Klaus had previously pointed to, was seated on a chair. No, she wasn''t seated on the chair, but was actually tied to it and had a rope wrapped tightly around her mouth. A figure of a man slowly appeared in Xavier''s line of sight. The man squatted before her, sometimes standing up. Sometimes laughing maniacally whilst making use of various sharp weapons to torture her. Xavier guessed this was most probably the shape-shifter. He had already tried to move and save the lady. But he couldn''t. It was almost as though he was watching a TV with a first-class ticket. He could only watch but could do absolutely nothing about it. This feeling of anger penting up yet not bring able to vent it, or the fact that he couldn''t save the lady truly irritated and angered him a lot. His hands were tightly clenched, as he watched the man continue with his gruesome act, causing tears to stream down the corner of the lady''s eyes. She was struggling to speak, yet no words came out. Xavier could see that she was in so much pain, his hands were tightly clenched, his fingers digging deep into his palm. Yet despite her being in so much pain, the supposed shape-shifter simply held a wide grin, obviously enjoying the process. The man let out a light laughter, "You can only blame this on your husband. He caused this; he placed this calamity on you." The man gritted his teeth, his hand holding the knife tightly wrapped around it as blood dripped down his hands. Yet, he didn''t seem to notice this as he spoke through gritted teeth. "He and his friends did that to her." He seemed to want to continue but stopped. He let out a sharp exhalation, "Aren''t you enjoying this? It''s actually kinda cool, don''t you think?" The lady simply shook her head, The teardrops grew denser, her trembling grew even more intense, and her struggles to speak became even more violent. CLIICK!!! The door to the house got opened, and a man who greatly resembled the man torturing the lady walked inside. "Honey." He hanged his coat, before moving to a nearby room. He didn''t find his wife there, "Dear. I''m back." He said, before moving towards various rooms whilst calling out to his wife. "Hehehe seems like your husband is back." His eyes gleamered with anticipation. "I can''t wait to see the look of shock and dread on his face when he sees you in such a state, before I proceed to end his pathetic life. Gosh... That look must definitely be worth looking forward to." The shape-shifter realized that the steps were getting closer. He had a wide grin on his face before moving to another part of the room. Hiding behind the door, he waited as a man who resembled him in every sense of the world finally entered the room. "Fuck! What happened to you!" The man yelled, immediately dashing towards the lady. Whilst on his knees, he tried to remove the ropes that were wrapped tightly around her whole body; he succeeded in doing that but saw that she was struggling intensely. She wanted to say something. He nodded his head and immediately removed the rope binding her mouth. "B-ehind you." She struggled to speak with widened eyes. "W-hat¡­" The man immediately turned back, and his speech abruptly ended, as a sharp blade easily sliced through the air. Akin to a crescendo of a fierce whirlwind, it easily ripped the man''s head apart. Blood gushed out continuously from the neck before the man slowly collapsed onto the ground with a widened look even after his death. Blood splattered onto Xavier''s face, it seemed as though they had poured a cold bucket on him. One that chilled his bones to the core. "NOOOO!!!" He yelled out, his eyes darting around to find out that he was still in his car. So what was all that? "What happened?" Klaus hurriedly questioned, his heart thumping extremely fast. "The shape-shifter," Xavier muttered, finding it challenging to understand or even come to terms with that dream-vision of his. "Yes, what happened to the shape-shifter?" Klaus questioned, his brows slightly narrowed whilst his gaze lingered on his brother. Xavier was silent for a while, his body shivering crazily. "It''s in the house. It''s already there." Klaus was silent for a moment, but seeing Xavier''s bodily reactions really bothered him a lot. "What do you mean by it''s already there." He paused, his eyes lingering on the empty streets, "I have been paying attention the whole time. "So don''t you think I will have known if someone had passed by." ''How will someone even pass by and I won''t have noticed it? Impossible.'' Klaus was very confident in his skills. "I also don''t know, I really don''t know. I just know that the shape-shifter is already in that house." Xavier said in a frenzied manner, the scene playing over and over in his mind, making it insanely difficult to breath, stop talking nor stop his rapidly beating heart. "So, let''s assume I am to believe you," Klaus said before he added. "How do you know that the shape-shifter is already in the house when you have been sleeping like a damn baby the whole time?" Xavier was silent before his eyes gleamed with impatience, "Klaus. This is no time for questions. We will talk about this later, just trust me on this one. I am very sure about it." "I am very sure." Xavier added, the corner of his eyes immediately caught a glimpse of a man in a blue suit. One look and he could immediately recognize the man even in ten lifetimes! ''It was the man who had been killed!'' "That''s him, that''s him." Xavier''s hand continuously tugged against Klaus''s hand who was slightly irritated yet bothered by his brother''s actions. "Calm down Xavier," Klaus calmly said, "Who''s he?" "The lady''s husband," Xavier replied immediately, receiving a weird look from Klaus, who felt like asking him about how he knew of all these things. But since Xavier had said that he would explain later on. He decided to remove his skeptical trait and trust in his brother''s words. He had nothing to lose anyway. "Alright," He said, "But you owe me an explanation." He received a nod from Xavier as they both got out of the car after grabbing onto the guns imbued with silver bullets. Arriving before the door, they immediately entered the room after Klaus gave the go-ahead. A tight grip held on to Xavier''s heart, and his heartbeat accelerated to insane heights. The reason was that the room looked just like the one in his dream. No¡­it''s definitely the one in my dream! The corner of his eyes caught sight of the room. He dashed towards the room, immediately followed by Klaus. "Nooooooo!!!!" A loud shriek pierced through the air, sending cold chills down the spine of those who heard it. They both dashed into the room as an headless head could be seen spewing out blood uncontrollably whilst a severed head rolled towards their feet. Xavier''s heart skipped a beat as his eyes moved towards a man holding onto a blade. ''Who are they.'' The shape-shifter thought. Realizing that they might probably be cops and they might have companions. He immediately took to his heels. My mission here is done anyway; there''s no reason to duke it out with the cops. Klaus immediately pulled onto the trigger three times consecutively. KA!!! KAA!!!! KAAA!!!! PUCHII!!!! One of the shots managed to pierce through the shape-shifter''s leg, just in time before it jumped through the window. KAATCHAA!!! He smashed through the window, rolling on the ground before getting onto his knees. Taking one last look at the intruders, he had marked their faces and didn''t intend to let them get away so easily. But as of now¡­ A wise man knows when to retreat. He immediately ran with everything he had got, despite the countless shots from Klaus and Xavier. It seemed futile, as the distance between them and the shape-shifter only grew even larger. "Take care of the lady, I will go after it." Klaus said, receiving a nod from Xavier, "Be careful." Klaus gave a light nod, "I will." He immediately jumped through the shattered window, going after the shape-shifter, who was slowly disappearing from his line of sight. "Ma''am, everything will be okay. You just have to calm down." Xavier comforted with a forced calm expression settling on his face. "H-e¡­he killed my husband." Tears ran down her eyes as she struggled to accept the grim reality. Xavier, of course, didn''t stop her from grieving; he knew she must really be in so much pain by now. Such pain ¡­ She will probably feel as though the world had suddenly shattered before her very own eyes. Such pain really can''t be described with words alone. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The shape-shifter abruptly left Klaus''s line of sight. Seemingly having merged with the surrounding humans, who scampered for safety after Klaus shot the gun into the air consecutively. "Fuck¡­what a crafty bastard." Klaus''s hands were tightly clenched around the gun, and he felt like smashing the gun against the ground. Yet, he refrained from doing so. He exhaled sharply before his eyes moved through the entire area. As people ran heater skelter after hearing the gunshots, the entire area was less dense, yet he still couldn''t find the shape-shifter. It was almost as though it had suddenly vanished. But he knew it definitely wasn''t that simple. He wanted to keep looking yet he knew that finding the shape-shifter was most probably impossible as of right now. Not to even talk of the fact that it can just easily revert back to its original skin. "This is nothing short of a futile attempt." A few seconds later, Klaus shook his head after a deep exhalation before moving to meet with his brother. Uncovering The Truth "Did you catch him?" Klaus shook his head, jaw tightly clenched. "No. He disappeared into the crowd before I could catch up to him." "Damn it." Xavier''s voice was slightly hoarse, his fist tightening, "Now that he knows we are on his tail..." The sentence hung in the air like a bad omen, the consequences too heavy to say. They both knew the stakes: Now, the shapeshifter would grow more cautious, more vicious and...more lives would be lost. Xavier''s teeth grazed his lower lip, a sharp metallic tang spreading on his tongue. His fist tightened, knuckles paling as chaotic thoughts crashed against the wall of his mind, each one more frantic than the last. ''Now this is a race against time. We need to put an end to the shapeshifter as fast as we can.'' Xavier could only exhale sharply. Xavier ran a hand through his air, casting a glance towards the woman in the corner. His gaze slowly grew calmer. "Ma''am, I understand how you feel. And we are sorry for your loss." "No one wishes to witness the death of a loved one. But at the same time, I hope you can aid us with all you know. So we can put this criminal behind bars and put an end to more potential deaths." Klaus nods his head, pressing on, "Ma''am, by providing us with the needed information. You will be saving more lives than you can imagine." The woman''s silence felt heavy, like a surreal weight pressing against the room. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over in thin streams that glistened under the dim crimson rays of the moon, leaving cold, wet tracks down her cheeks. Klaus caught Xavier''s eyes, and both brothers immediately came to an unspoken agreement in the briefest of glances. They remained still, their patience as heavy as the grief that pressed against the woman''s chest, as they waited for the storm of sorrow to pass before pressing further. Five minutes quickly passed by, yet the brothers still retained their eerie calmness. They knew that she would eventually speak up. It just depends on how long that will take. Within the blink of an eye, another twenty-five minutes easily passed by. The woman''s tears finally showed signs of being subdued. She made use of the back of her hand to wipe off the remnant tears. "He''s my husband''s twin brother." Her voice quivered slightly before she added, "They went to the same university and..." "And what, Ma''am?" Klaus questioned with a cold calmness. "H-he said something." She stuttered, tears trickling down the corner of her eyes. She was filled with a lot of questions. ''Why would he kill his twin brother? It apparently had something to do with a girl, yet what grudge could have been so great as to kill one''s own brother?'' She was confused, her heart broken into fragments of shards that refused to fade away, her mind wracked by chaotic turmoils that threatened to break her apart. Said something. What could a psychopath probably say? Klaus''s brows were tightly furrowed, "What did he say?" Her teeth sank into her lower lips, hard enough to leave a faint line of blood in its wake, and her shoulders quivered with the effort to hold back the tremors that ran across her body. Trembling lightly, she struggled to speak "He said that my husband and his friends did something to her." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "..." "Her" Xavier was startled, his brows slightly narrowed, his voice a little bit intensive, "Who is he referring to by her?" "T-this," slightly startled, she added. "I also don''t know." Um. This just made the case a...biit more complicated. Xavier pressed his fingers on his temples, kneading the skin as if he could massage the puzzle pieces into place, but the tension only thickened, the fragments of the puzzle swirling around his mind like a fog he couldn''t clear. Hmm...He lightly raised his head, "Your husband''s twin. Does he have a wife?" "No." She shook her head, "His wife died in a car accident some few years back. Since then, he had become an introvert, rarely communicating with anyone." Xavier rubbed his temples, thinking if this had been a cursed spirit case, it would have been easy to point fingers at the dead wife. But this? This was something different. Klaus''s eyes were slightly narrowed, "Ma''am." Seeing that he had garnered the lady''s attention, he added, "Did your husband ever mention any kind of falling out with his brother? Any bad blood?" "Um- No. None that he spoke of anyways." She shook her head, receiving a light nod from Klaus who slowly got onto his feet. "Alright. Thanks for your time, Ma''am. "We''ll do everything we can to stop him. "Also...sorry for the loss." "Thanks." She nods her head, cleaning her face with the back of her hand. She slowly stood up before walking the brothers towards the door. Both of them gave her a light nod before the door got slammed, followed by the sound of legs giving in, and finally, the tears that she had been holding back rushed out, akin to a rampaging dam. Her sobs didn''t escape both brothers'' ears. They could only sigh inwardly. As hunters, they had to witness tragedies like this in almost every single moment of their lives. In the car, the tension hung between them like a fog. Klaus was about to start the car engines when Xavier spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I could have saved him." Klaus froze. "What?" Xavier stared blankly ahead of him, his voice flat. "I had a vision. I saw how her husband was killed." "Xavier, don''t start this again," Klaus snapped, his hands gripping the wheel. "It''s true." Xavier''s eyes were vacant, his face ashen. "I saw it...before it happened. And I didn''t act fast enough." Klaus''s knuckle whitened, as he clenched the steering wheel tighter. "You did what you could. No one would''ve believed you, not about...this." Xavier didn''t answer, his mind broken into splinters of thoughts. If only he had been faster. The thought gnawing at Xavier, a slow, cruel twist in his chest like a drill burrowing deep with each second. The man''s death wasn''t just a failure- it was a gaping void inside him, a space carved out of Klaus''s hesitation. Klaus''s face hardened, a wall of icy difference rising between them, but a flicker of warmth still lingered in his eyes. "Klaus. You can choose to believe me or not. But the truth is that I had the vision and could have stopped the man from dying." Xavier''s laugh was hollow, more like an amalgamation of a broken echo than a real sound. "You know that too," He said, his voice brittle as if the truth itself might shatter him, "You are just trying to convince yourself that your brother isn''t some kind of monster." His laughter grew denser and louder, "Aren''t I right Klaus?" "Yes...you''re right," Klaus said through gritted teeth and balled fists. "But believe me when I tell you this. You''re no monster." Xavier was quiet for a while before exhaling sharply, "I hope so." An uneasy silence settled between them, thick and awkward. The words they both searched for stayed tangled, stuck in their throats, too heavy to force out. Xavier shifted his gaze away from the window. The various shopping malls, hotels, moving cars and citizens dining in restaurants rapidly vanishing from his line of sight. "Alright, let''s get back to business." Seeing that he had garnered Klaus''s attention, he proceeded, "So it seems like our previous assumptions were way off point. And the shape-shifter isn''t going after its victims just to have fun. "Oh, also, it seems that the true targets of the shape-shifter are the husbands of the ladies, who are all in their early thirties. "Yeah." Klaus nods his head, "...And he seems to be doing it for revenge." "So we know the motives behind the shape-shifter''s action and why he tortures the men''s wives in the process. It''s all to have his revenge on something they had done to someone close to him." Xavier muttered after a few seconds of organizing his thoughts. Klaus nodded in agreement, "Yeah." "Now... All we have to do is to find out who the girl is, the university they all went to, and then send the damn shape-shifter to hell." Klaus said with a wide grin of anticipation slowly creeping up his face. For a moment there, Xavier said nothing, the weight of his thoughts hanging between them; a quiet chuckle broke the tension- soft, almost bitter, like a man resigned to his fate. "And I think I know just where that''s." Finding Her Klaus raised his brows, a flicker of interest crossing his otherwise stoic face, "And where''s that?" Xavier''s lips curled into a light smile but it didn''t reach his eyes. He turned to Klaus, his voice subtle and quiet. "Tulane University." For a moment there, Klaus''s vacant gaze sparkened, a spark of recognition lighting up his eyes. "The one founded in the Medical College of Louisiana?" Xavier gave a curt nod. "Yeah. That one." "How''d you know?" Klaus''s brow furrowed, but there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Vision again." Xavier rolled his eyes, lightly shaking his head. "No, not this time. I saw an old photo...group of teenagers standing in front of the university''s dark steel door. One of them looked like the shape-shifter. Plus, with the woman''s story, of them going to the same university. It wasn''t hard to connect the dots." Klaus chuckled lightly, a brief break from the tension that hung onto the air, akin to a waterfall that refused to stop falling. "Makes sense." "Yeah." It does. Xavier''s voice was soft, the weight of their task gnawing against his mind. He turned away from Klaus, staring blankly out of the window, as the world outside sped in a blue of gray and crimson. The silence between them thickened, as the car roared through the streets, its tires screeching as Klaus''s leg hit harder. Buildings flashed by, mere illusions in their line of sight and before long, the towering gates of Tulane University loomed ahead, rusted and desolate. Xavier''s eyes narrowed as they approached. "Did it get shut down?" His voice barely above a whisper, his gaze lingering on the heavy, iron barrier that stood as a gigantic barricade, blocking all those who dared to enter. "Looks like it," Klaus muttered, his face unreadable. "Doesn''t matter. We''ve got work to do." Knowing that the chances of them encountering cursed spirits or spirits-related creatures were rather high. Not to talk of the fact that as hunters, they had to enter a fight fully prepared. Klaus exited the car, his movements precise and methodical. Popping thw trunk, he rummaged through their carefully conceakrd cache of weapons and tools- guns, salt bullets, a flask of holy water and so much more. Xavier joined him, his expression unreadable as Klaus began loading the firearms. "Hope you aren''t thinking of doing, what I think you''re actually trying to do?" "Oh," Klaus displayed a confused look, "And what''s that." Xavier''s brows got increasingly narrowed, "Stop playing dumb, Klaus," His voice grew louder, "We could get caught!" He paused for a second, glancing at the metal barricade before his eyes moved towards his brother. "It obviously states that all sorts of entries are prohibited." Klaus paused, his hands momentarily still as he looked up at his brother. His expression hardened. "Kiddo, it seems the long break has softened you. Do I need to remind you that we''ve done worse. This is just another job that has to be done. We have got no other choice." Xavier''s gaze dropped to the ground. For a long moment, he said nothing, tension and desolation brewing in the space between them. Finally, he let out a deep sigh, nodding. "Guess you''re right." "I always am," Klaus smirked, handung him a gun. "Now fucking load your gun with the salt bullets. And let''s get to investigating." "We haven''t gotten all day." "Yeah," Xavier nods before grabbing onto a gun. A light laughter, a soft brief break on the silent tension that weighed upon the air to the very atmosphere. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "It would probably be crazy to try to break into such an open place in broad daylight." A few seconds later, after they were done imbuing the guns with salt bullets and carrying some equipment they might need. They could be seen on the other side of the barricade, landing on the ground with a light thud, before dashing forward. As they moved deeper into the depths of the isolated building, the stillness pressed down onto them, like a suffocating blanket. Every creak of the floor, every flicker of the din hallway lights sent a shiver down Xavier''s spine. They appeared before a large door. Klaus had a light smirk spreading across his face, he brought out a pin before placing it in the keyhole. Xavier slowly closed the door after they had both entered; the entire room was completely dim and eerie silent. Luckily, they came prepared. Making use of the torch lights, the rays of the torch brightened up the path before them. From the surrounding chairs and tables, it was safe to assume that they were in a hall. Xavier''s eyes caught a glimpse of the switch. He moved towards it before tapping on it. CLIICK!! Rays of light immediately enveloped the entire hallway. Everywhere appeared to be eerie warm, and strangely cozy. Stacks of cobwebs running down from the ceilings showed that this place had long been abandoned. "Seems the lights are still working," Xavier muttered, a light smile adorning his face. "Guess little brother is now scared of the darkness which he hunts." Klaus teased, though there was a tensed edge to his voice. Xavier simply rolled his eyes at his brother''s remarks. Letting out a cold snort, "Since the lights are okay, why not make use of them?" He defended himself, a smug expression slowly settling onto his face. Klaus shook his head, a light, inaudible chuckle escaping his lips. With a serious expression on their faces, they both reached a silent tacit understanding to spread out in search of clues. They both approached different rooms. The eerie silence threatened to shatter their mind, with the only source of warmth being their heavy footsteps and the rapid pace at which their heart was beating. Xavier in particular, felt as though his heart could jump out of his chest at any point in time. He suddenly thought that he saw a shadow. Causing his heart to cease thumping for a short second. He immediately glanced back, grabbing tightly onto his gun, only to realize that it was simply the shadow of a broomstick. He let out a sigh of relief before proceeding onwards. The corner of his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of an opened door. Hmm¡­ This place has been abandoned for a long time. So how come there''s an opened door. He took in a gulp of saliva. His brows tightly furrowed, while his heart rapidly thumped, blood flowing at an incredulous pace. His footsteps grew more heavy, his hand subconsciously gripped tightly onto the gun, whilst his trembling right hand held on to the torchlight. He slowly opened the door completely, his footsteps slow and calculated as he scanned the entire room. From the papers on the table and a few compiled books that looked like files. He was able to come to the conclusion that it was probably the headmaster''s office. He dropped his gun onto the table, glancing around him for a while, not noticing any strange thing or reaction. He breathed a sigh of relief before holding on to a file. A few minutes later, he heard rapid footstep; his heart skipped a beat, prompting him to immediately grip the gun, the rays of the torch reflecting outward. His heart thumped violently as the figure passed by after glancing at him. Realizing that it was Klaus, he breathed a sigh of relief before dropping his gun. He suddenly caught sight of something within a file, opening the file. He had a light smile on his face, "Hey Klaus. Come check this out." Klaus, who was already growing tired of, walking about, had a light smile on his face. Before moving towards the room. "Did you find anything?" He questioned, dropping his gun onto the table before walking towards Xavier. "Check this file," Xavier said before handing over the file to Klaus who had a slightly narrowed brow. The sound of pages being flipped open reverberated through the air. A few seconds easily passed by, with his gaze lingering on the file. "So a girl was raped to death by some set of students. While a guy who appears to be her boyfriend reported the case to the school authorities." Klaus dropped the file onto the brown table, his gaze shifting towards his brother. "But unluckily for the guy and the poor girl''s soul, the bastards who performed such a heinous act happened to have one of them being a descendant of the University''s Founder. "Hence, they went Scott free." "Yeah," Xavier nod his head. "Which explains why the shape-shifter is killing some set of men and torturing their wives in the process." Xavier let out a deep sigh before he added, "It''s because those set of men were all accomplices." To be honest, if he was in the shape-shifter''s shoes, he might have probably done worse. But as an hunter, it''s my job to ensure the safety of the society as a whole. Hence as inhuman as it might seem to be, we still have to put down the shape-shifter. Xavier tightly gripped onto his gun subconsciously, before letting out a sharp exhalation. "So...it''s safe to assume that the shape-shifter''s next target will be the descendant of Tulane Derimi." Klaus muttered whilst rubbing his temples. "Yeah," Xavier nods in reply. Realizing that he was suddenly feeling uncomfortable, almost as though the room had gone darker. An even more eerie silence had enveloped the room, and a slightly dreadful foreboding gripped onto heart. He warily assessed the room. He didn''t find anything yet something was telling him to leave here... Now! "We should probably get going," Xavier said before he added with a forced smile. "We have gotten what we wanted anyway." Klaus nodded, grabbing onto his gun before both brothers proceeded to leave. Immediately after they left the room, the entire lights suddenly started flickering crazily, and a terrifying chilling coldness spread across the entire enclosed space; it felt as though some set of invisible hands were grabbing onto their legs whilst illusory ants gnawed against their skin. The strange coldness, the rapid flickering of lights, and the illusory ''hold'' on their bodies were more than enough to understand what was going on. "A cursed spirit!" Both brother''s voices tore through the eerie silence and dreadful darkness almost at the same time. A figure suddenly appeared at the far end of the hall. Messy long hair, bloodshot eyes, fangs glistening with a chilling coldness, and the middle of her leg had blood flowing down unceasingly; a proof of the unjust that she had gone through. She flickered in and out of reality, almost as though she wasn''t actually in the mortal world, and is only able to anchor herself to the mortal world through a wondrous yet dreadful nature of life. "She''s the one," Xavier muttered, receiving a nod from Klaus. The blood flowing out of her private part truly disgusted him, making him feel disgusted with the men and feel that their deaths were worth it. Yet ironically, as a hunter, I still have to save their pathetic lives. Xavier grabbed tightly onto the gun, yet he wasn''t able to press onto the trigger. The cursed spirit continuously phased in and out of reality, just some mere feet away from both brothers before three consecutive gunshots tore through the air. BAAANG!!! BAAANG!!! BAAAANG!!! Klaus shot out consecutively, the salt bullets piercing right through the cursed spirits, the first two slowing her down before the last one turned her into a pile of dark smoke. "Go go go," Knowing that she would reappear again, Klaus''s voice tore through the air. Xavier seemed to have instantly recovered from his stupor, immediately following behind his brother as they both ran towards the door. BAAANG!!! BAAAANG!!! Each time she reappeared, the sound of gunshots reverberated through the endless darkness, which would, in turn repel her, giving the brothers more time to advance towards the door. After all, salt bullets can''t actually kill cursed spirits, though they can repel and hold them back for a while. This isn''t a long-lasting solution. The best and simplest way to deal with a cursed spirit is to burn the corpse or remains of the cursed spirits with salt. And without knowing her burial ground, nor having the needed resources to gank her. The only thing they could do is to make a run for their lives! Lodging Into A Hotel Both brothers immediately ran past the door after Xavier opened it. Klaus gave one last final shot. The salt bullet easily pierced through the cursed spirits'' forehead. BAAANG!!!! She busted into a pile of smoke, vanishing into the endless darkness. She reappeared once again, just a few inches away from the ashen door and a second away from grabbing onto Xavier. Xavier''s breath grew heavy; his heart almost skipped a beat before he recollected himself, immediately slamming onto the door. The force exerted by him sent the door smashing backward, as it closed with a loud thud! HUFFF!!! WHEW!!! Their breath was heavy as they inhaled and exhaled continuously for a while. "Too close," Xavier exhaled, leaning heavily against the door. Klaus''s dry laugh broke the tension, "Not really, more like mid-level danger." "Sure." Xavier didn''t argue, but the chill that rab across his spine told a different story entirely. Xavier closed his eyes for a second there, willing his heartbeat to decline to a steady pace. The cursed spirit''s eyes, hollow and fragmented with negative primal emotions, lingered in his mind. He rubbed his chest lightly, trying his best to shake off the intense dread that held onto him. Klaus clapped him on the shoulder, the usual smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Relax, man. You''re still alive. Count that as a win." That''s still worth celebrating on. Klaus sighed inwardly. Xavier nods at his brother with a forced smile, eliciting a light smirk from Klaus. Klaus''s hand lightly tapped against the side of the torch. He succeeded in turning off the lights before he moved his head towards his brother, "Well on the bright side of things. We not only managed to find out who the mysterious ''Her'' is, but we also found out the reason behind the shape-shifter''s action." "Yeah," Xavier nods, "And most importantly, we also know the shape-shifter''s next target." He glanced at the surrounding large trees, the various buildings and the desolate road before they both arrived before the car. Xavier glanced towards the sky. The endless darkness and the crimson rays showering them in its strange eeriness told him that it was already nighttime. Turning his head towards his brother. "But first things first. We should probably find a place to spend the night." "Yeah," Klaus nods, getting into the car. His hand were on the gears after the car engine roared to life. Xavier also got into the car, placing the guns inside the hidden compartment under the rug beneath his feet. Klaus added with a light smirk spreading across his face, "And I think I know just the right place." The car immediately busted forth, rapidly speeding along the road. The car easily passed other cars, which moved at a snail''s pace, in Klaus''s opinion. He had a wide grin on his face, easily moving into narrow gaps whilst enduring curses from the mild drivers. Xavier, who was already used to Klaus''s reckless driving simply decided to stay silent. Reclining his back against the chair, he did as though he didn''t exist. A desolate silence enveloped the confines of the car. Xavier simply made use of the time to relax a bit, whilst Klaus enjoyed indulging in his cool driving skills. Klaus''s gaze shifted towards his brother for a moment, "So, how was your time in college." Xavier, who was staring out of the window, seemingly lost in thought was brought back to reality, his gaze shifting towards his brother, whilst a light smile slowly curled up his face. "Well for most part of it, it was quite fun and thrilling," He paused for a second, his brows slightly raised, "Oh and there was also this girl. I think her name is¡­yes¡­Maria. Her name is Maria." "Oh-" Klaus gave a light chuckle, "Seems you were out hunting ''fishes.'' "It seems you haven''t forgotten some things after all." Xavier shook his head with a wry smile, he then let out a light chuckle. "Out of all things, that would probably be the last thing I could possibly forget." He gave a light melancholic sigh, "I can still vividly remember those days when you taught me the tricks and various ways to sweet talk a girl, get close to her, and then win over her heart. "Even to the extent whereby we were on a hunting trip, in hmm Selinsita, I think- whilst hunting a demon. Then you played the villain, whilst I played the hero to win that girl''s heart." Klaus''s brows got slightly narrowed before they suddenly brightened up, "Oh, that''s true. What''s even her name." He paused for a second, one of his hands on the steering wheel whilst the other rubbed against his temples, "Don''t remind me, don''t. I will definitely remember." I will. He added inwardly, a light smile creeping up his face. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Xavier simply shook his head before chuckling lightly. Remember, it would probably take you an eternity to remember about a random chick. Xavier lampooned inwardly. "Yes yes¡­I finally remember." Klaus muttered, a light smile slowly settling on his face. "Yeah, you do." Xavier, who obviously didn''t take Klaus''s words to heart, replied. "Her name is Jessica. Yeah, that''s her name," Klaus replied with a nod. Um¡­interesting. Xavier''s brows got slightly raised, surprised that his brother could remember the name of a random chick, especially one that wasn''t dated by him. Truly fascinating... "What''s with that look?" Klaus questioned, a few seconds after realizing that Xavier was still staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Nothing really," Xavier replied nonchalantly, "Just surprised by how you could remember the name of a random chick." Oh that- Klaus let out a light chuckle, "How could I forget her name when I made it a mission to hook up with the hot elder chick?" Um- Xavier''s brows got slightly raised, "You mean you hooked up with Melissa." "Yeah," Klaus nods his head in reply; the car suddenly made a sharp drift, barely scraping past two cars before entering into another street. Rays of light from the crimson moon reflecting onto the various surrounding buildings. "But I didn''t notice anything weird between you guys," Xavier muttered with a slightly narrowed gaze. Klaus let out a dry, hoarse cough, "The elders have their ways." "Oh-okay," Xavier replied nonchalantly. To be honest. Talking about some hot chicks was just a balm to get his mind of Ife. Yet the more he tried to cloud the thoughts and memories he has for her. The worse the grip it had on him became. It was almost as though he was being dragged into a bottomless abyss with no way out. Yet he knew thinking about her wouldn''t help him in anyway. If nothing, it would only affect his state of mind and his longing for her might badly affect his psychology. He could only let out a deep exhalation, removing the thoughts away from his mind. I just have to try my best. Hopefully, I find a way to get back. Unconsciously, even unknown to him, his hand was tightly clenched whilst his eyes blazed with weird illusory flames akin to tempo''s and rythms'' of love and confidence. The car rolled to a stop in front of the Pontchartrain Hotel, the crimson moon casting illusory shadows over the building. Its once grabs fa?ade was worn and slowly fading, ivy crawling up its sides akin to willow branches holding onto their only thread of surviving. The sign that read- Pontchartrain Hotel flickered faintly, casting dark-green eerie glow over the shattered pavement. This place...must have seen better days. Xavier thought, a sharp exhalation following forth. Being from the 3000''s, seeing such a bad...ruined architectural building slightly irked him in some invisible ways that he couldn''t really place his hands on. But slowly, he didn''t need to be disgusted for a long time as the memories came flooding in, akin to crimson blood erupting forth from a severed neck. "Oh, the Pontchartrain hotel-," Xavier mutters, before he added with a light chuckle. "Guessed as much." "Yeah," Klaus nods, a light smile on his face, "Not only is the price affordable. If I recall correctly, it''s known for its old-world charm with hmm wasn''t it a distinctive southern hospitality." Xavier had a wry smile slowly creeping up his face, "I am more willing to believe that you came here because of the free food." Klaus, who had been caught in the act, could only awkwardly scratch his hair, before letting out a dry cough. Xavier''s chest tightened as they crossed the threshold of the hotel. Memories of the spirit''s twisted grin followed him. His brother filled in the silence and dread that had gripped onto him, b-ut Xavier couldn''t shake the feeling that something darker lingered just behind them- something they had yet to ever come across. "You okay?" Klaus asked, eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief, but the slight tremor in his voice told a different story. "Yeah," Xavier lied with a forced smile. Shifting his gaze away from his brother. Xavier didn''t bother with Klaus anymore. He alighted from the car, the same could be said for Klaus, who alighted, locked the car, and then proceeded to follow Xavier. Xavier pushed the door open before they both stepped into the hotel. They slowly walked towards the female receptionist who greeted them. "Good evening sirs. How may I help you?" Klaus assessed the last before him. She had long dark hair and a voluptuous chest, and he could even faintly see the outline of her backside, which caused him to involuntarily take in a light gulp of saliva. Wow¡­ Clearly startled, he slowly regained his calmness before he spoke in a hushed tone, "Xavier, this chick is hot." He emphasized on the hot, causing Xavier to roll his eyes. His mouth slightly twitched, "Yeah¡­ Tell me more about it." Klaus didn''t seem to have any intention of answering his brother. His eyes were still glued on the lady. But of course as an experienced chick hunter. He didn''t make it too obvious. He still had his stoic expression adorning his face in its full glory! Xavier shook his head, "Hi. I am Detective Hollerein, and this here is my partner, Detective Zander. "We would like to lodge into a room for the night." "Oh-Okay sir." The receptionist, who was clearly confused as to why they had taken some time to talk in a hushed tone, was startled for a second before she regained her calmness. After she finished attending to them, Klaus gave her a slight wink, which she simply forced a smile to. As shameless and flirtatious as he is, one has to say. Klaus is indeed quite handsome. With a smooth jade like skin and a noble aura to boast of. Most girls would stop at nothing to get him. A few minutes easily clocked by. Within a dimly lit room, with the rays of the moon seeping in through the opened window. Klaus collapsed onto one of the two beds, before letting out a sharp exhalation. WHEEEW!!! After spending from the hard stolen, I mean hard-earned money. I should at least enjoy myself and have some moments of respite. Who knows when I will go on a hunting trip and never live to see the next day. Klaus sighed inwardly, forcing a light smirk to creep up his face. Xavier removed his shoes whilst sitting on the second bed on Klaus''s left. "All right. I guess we should have some rest." He paused for a second, his gaze shifting toward the laying Klaus before he added, "First thing tomorrow morning, we have to track down the shape-shifter." Klaus''s brows got slightly raised, his mouth twitching slightly. "And how do you intend to do that." Xavier finally removed his shoes before his eyes once again shifted towards his brother. "Probably check a CCTV camera close to the incident location." He paused for a second, organizing his thoughts before he added. "Perhaps if we''re lucky enough, we might even be able to find its hiding spot." Um- "Well that sounds like a good idea." Klaus nods his head in acknowledgement. "Goodnight Xavier," Klaus muttered with a light smile settling on his face. "Goodnight bro," Xavier replies, a light smile slowly crept up his face before he also laid on his bed to have a few moment of respite. Within the blink of an eye, both brothers slowly zoomed into the dreamland, the dark hollow grin still reflecting within the depths of Xavier''s pupils, refusing to fade away even after he had entered into the peripheries and safety of the land of dreams: a realm where dreams thrive and the illusory becomes reality. Underground Sewage System As the sun rose into the sky in its full glory, its golden rays seeped into the room, thereby bringing both brothers out of their short-term slumber. It was early in the morning, around 7:00 Am. Both brothers woke up, exchanged pleasantries, and then got to getting ready. Performing the needed necessities: brushing their teeth, bathing, and adorning some set of clothes. Subsequently, they had a free meal, which was the main reason why Klaus had chosen this hotel. Klaus opted for bacon cheeseburger, whilst Xavier, ever the healthier of the two, went for salad. As they passed the front desk, Klaus exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist, his charm disguising the flirtatious being within. Xavier watched with a hint of amusement, shaking his head with a wry smile. Klaus could talk to anyone and win them over without breaking a sweat. It was almost like a God-gifted talent, but as of now, there was no time for idle talks. They have got work to do. Minutes later, they sped down the nearly deserted morning streets. Klaus kept the car at a steady pace, the roar of the engine a soothing rhythm in Xavier''s ears. His thoughts, however, were anything but calm. The shapeshifter- an elusive, cunning and a psycho of a creature- had vanished right under their noses. They needed answers, and at that, fast. A few minutes of absolute silence easily passed by, before the car finally came to a stop before a small mall. The greenish shade on top of the mall was carefully designed, giving off a strange liveliness. They pulled up in front of Shoprite Mall. Above them, the CCTV camera slowly rotated, scanning its surroundings with mechanical precision. "This place should have the footage we need," Xavier said, his eyes following the camera''s path. "Let''s hope so," Klaus replied, exhaling sharply. He reached under his seat and pulled out a shotgun, checking it with practiced ease. His mind flashed back to a scene. A middle-aged man stood amidst rumbling thunder and muddy floor. The endless darkness before them sent cold chills running down young Klaus''s spine. The middle aged man retracted his gaze away from the depths of the shadows that stretched for as far as the eyes could see. Eyes lingering on Klaus, the middle aged man spoke. "Remember Klaus. As a hunter, you must make sure to never perform unprepared. Always keep this in mind." Klaus face softened for a moment there, before sparkling back to its normal stoic expression. He sighed internally before passing a gun to Xavier. Xavier''s mind spiraled into the depths of his subconsciousness. Remembering a fragmented scene amongst the many within his mind. "One of the necessities of being a hunter is to never perform unprepared. A rule you must always abide by." He knew they needed to take the necessary level of precaution. Who knows, the shape-shifter might even be looking at them right now; hence, they had to be prepared for the impossible so they could at least put up a fight against the inevitable. Xavier allowed his thoughts to run amok before his gaze shifted towards Klaus, who handed a forged badge over to him. Holding onto the bade, he glanced at it before letting out a light chuckle. Alighting from the car. Xavier pushed open the door before they both walked into the mall. Arriving before the receptionist, their badges flickered to light. "I am Detective Zander. And this here is my partner, Detective Hollerein." Klaus said, his voice clipped. "We are working on a case and need access to your surveillance footage." The receptionist hesitated, her fingers twitching toward the phone. "I... I don''t have the authority for that," She stammered. Klaus leaned forward slightly, his eyes cold. "Make a call. We don''t have time to waste." Her hands shook as she dialed. She ended the call within a minute. "The surveillance technician will be here, shortly." She stuttered, her eyes lingering on Klaus''s cold pair of eyes. She felt as though a cold chill was running across her spine. Every second she spent with him, filled her with hallucinations. She felt as though she was trapped within the depths of an endless darkness, with shadows reflecting within the depths of her eyes. The man before her, evoked an unspeakable sense of dread. Each breath of his, each second her eyes spent lingering on him, filled her with crazy, unbelievable hallucinations that sent cold droplets of sweat running down her spine. A minute later, a man emerged from the back, with Klaus gaze leaving her, shifting towards the approaching middle aged man. Upon realizing that the eerie dark, indescribable shadows had receded into an endless darkness of sort, she breathed a sigh of relief. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Good morning, detectives. I''m Raphael, the surveillance technician. How can I assist you?" Klaus had a light smile creeping up his face. He nodded his head enthusiastically, "Good," He paused for a second before he added, "It''s good to know that we have still got good law-abiding citizens." Xavier''s lips slightly twitched. Says the worst of them all. He lampooned inwardly, a wry smile creeping up his face. Klaus shook hands with Raphael, who was now starting to get slightly uncomfortable from the long expanse of time which the shaking was going on for. Xavier rolled his eyes at Klaus before his gaze shifted towards Raphael. "We need to see the footage from last night," Xavier said, cutting straight to the point. Raphael nods, "This way," He said before learning both detectives towards the closed ashen door. They walked down a narrow hallway, past flickering lights, rythmic echoes of mechanisms and faint hum of machines. Inside the surveillance room, screens lined the wall, each one depicting a different angle of the Mall. Raphael sat down, his fingers working wonders on the keyboard before him. A minute of fruitless endeavor passed by with Xavier''s mind spiraling into an abyss of endless frustration, his hands tightly clenched whilst his hands lightly kneaded his temples as he paced up and down the room. Just when it seems like his mind would shatter from the endless abyssal strain that enveloped the depths of his mind, a flash of light; a rekindling spirit sparkled to light amidst this endless darkness that gnawed onto his mind. "There" Xavier pointed at one of the screens. "Can you zoom in on that?" "This?" Raphael raised his eyebrow, whilst his hand pointed at one of the screens. Upon receiving a light nod from Xavier. Raphael was silent for a while. His lips trembled slightly, his mind breaking into splinters of shards and fragments of constant hesitation and subtle hints of fears. Amidst the fear that gripped onto him, he finally managed to voice out his thoughts, "You know. You could just tell me what you''re looking for. Perhaps then, I will be able to help." "Yeah, you would," Klaus muttered, before his cold gaze shifted towards Raphael, "That''s for us to know. "Just do as you''re told." Raphael nods his head, forcing a smile before he continued as instructed. "Zoom in on that guy," Klaus suddenly commanded, his tone cold and distant, causing Xavier to chuckle inwardly. "This guy?" Raphael''s gaze moved away from the screen after pointing at a guy who appeared to be slipping through the crowd with unnatural grace. "Yeah," Xavier nods in reply. A light smile appeared on Raphael''s face before he got back to work. Seeing the flare of light within the depths of the man''s pupil and the face of the dead guy, Xavier didn''t need to be told to know that was their shape-shifter. Hmm¡­Xavier''s brows got slightly raised, a thought crossing his mind "Can you zoom in on the guy," He paused for a second before he added, "And then if possible, slow done the footage." Raphael let out a light chuckle before nodding, "Yeah, of course. I can do that." "Good," Klaus said, receiving a light nod from Raphael, who proceeded to slow down the footage. The footage finally slowed down, then continued to replay the scene of the shape-shifter; at first, they weren''t able to figure out what was happening. But after Raphael tampered with some controls. It seemed to be enough to do the trick. The footage was no longer blurry, and as the footage played in slow motion, the truth became clear. The shape-shifter had blended into the crowd before disappearing into an open manhole cover. Klaus clenched his fists, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "Damn it. Should''ve seen that." After a few seconds, he finally managed to heave a light sigh. His gaze shifted towards Raphael, "Thanks for your service." A light smile slowly crept up Mr. Raphael''s face, "The pleasure is mine." He was quiet for a while before letting out a deep sigh, a grim expression creeping up his face, "Most of the victims were friends or neighbors'' of mine. And I assume this is the criminal behind the various death." He paused for a second, receiving a nod from Klaus he then proceeded, "Guessed as much. Hopefully, you detectives will be able to put him behind bars for all the heinous crimes that he has committed." Mr. Raphael said with tightly clenched hands. The brothers couldn''t really blame him anyway. Whilst the shape-shifter had the power to take law into his hands. Mr. Raphael is just an ordinary citizen, hence would have to behave like one. Not to even talk of the fact that he was simply a normal guy with no ability whatsoever. Hence, he could only grit his teeth and clench his hands whilst being filled with hatred towards the killer who continued to kill people assumingly close to him. Xavier sighed inwardly, "We will be sure to put an end to the murder cases." He could only try to reassure Mr. Raphael. "Good," Raphael nods his head, he paused for a second. A light smile crept up his face before he added, "Guess I should be expecting good news then." "Definitely." Xavier nodded, his voice laced with a tinge of confidence. Klaus and Xavier were quick to leave the Mall. They both got into the car. Klaus was about to grab onto the gun inlaid with silver bullets, when Xavier''s voice suddenly rang into his ears. "So, what do you think?" Xavier''s right hand was placed on the window whilst his gaze shifted towards Klaus. He paused for a second before he added, "Do we first go after the shape-shifter or find the corpse of the cursed spirit." Klaus was silent for a whilst, his hand rubbing against his temples, "Trying to hunt down the shape-shifter by nighttime, wouldn''t really give us much an advantage compared to hunting it down by daytime." Klaus paused for a second, organizing his thoughts before he added, "And since the cursed spirit is bounded to the isolated school. It stands to reason that it doesn''t pose a threat to anyone. "Well, except for fools who venture into its confines. "Whereas the shape-shifter is the complete opposite. It''s strong, cunning, and it''s out for blood." Xavier who already understood what his brother was getting at nods his head, "Alright then. Guess the shape-shifter is the first on the kill list." A cold look slowly crept up his face, before both brothers got out of the car after picking up the needed gun- in this case, a gun imbued with silver bullets! They both arrived before the manhole cover with Klaus opening the lid, before both brothers proceeded into its confines. Climbing down the ladder, they landed on the ground with a light thud. Their gaze assessed their surrounding. Everywhere was slightly dim with sporadic lights flickering with an eerie glow, casting long shadows across the wall. Their gaze moved about whilst they paid close attention to any sudden, strange movement. On numerous occasions, Xavier''s heart skipped a beat by the sudden movement of shadows later realized to be the shadows of rats causing Klaus to chuckle every once in a while, a brief break amidst the tension that weighed heavily against their mind. Distant echoes seem to reverberate into their ears, shadows lingering across the corner of their eyes. A weird irritating pungent smell clouded their nose, chilling winds running down their spines while a seemingly endless darkness spread for as far as the eyes could see. Slowly, they started to come across trails left behind by the shape-shifter. Each trail, heightening the sense of dread that pervaded the atmosphere to the very air they breathed in. Torn out flesh, mangled and sticky flesh, skin ripped apart from one''s body- All these were more than enough to prove that they were on the right track. Wont Make The Same Mistake. After descending into the underground sewage system, a few minutes easily passed by with the brothers in a tense state, especially Xavier, who felt like he had been placed into an icy crucible. The rotting stench hit his nose like a physical blow, thick and cloying as if they were wading through the rot of a thousand bodies. His fingers clenched around the grip of his gun, palm slick with sweat, but it wasn''t just the smell that bothered him. Something was peering at him. He could feel it- a pair of eyes lurking within the depths of the endless darkness that surrounded them. Indescribable shadows seem to last longer, with the sound of their footsteps constantly resounding throughout the eerie, silent sewage system. Each echo sends light, frosty currents along their veins and lungs. As they walked deeper, their mind on the verge of being completely overwhelmed by the constant fragments of desolation, coming together to form a surreal mountain that pressed onto their lungs and backs, cold sweats running across their back with their urge to gasp for air growing more intense with every passing second. Xavier''s mouth slightly twitched at the smell; it felt as though they were walking within the waste of a thousand rotten corpses. The damp, musty smell that permeated the air slowly grew denser and more stomach-revolting. ''Perhaps even a rotten corpse of a thousand-year-old wouldn''t smell this bad.'' Xavier commented inwardly, his hand tightly gripping onto his gun whilst they continued walking forward. A faint trickle of water echoed in the distance, the only sound aside from the rhythms and tempos created by their heavy footsteps and rapidly beating hearts. Moss clung to the stone walls, slick with moisture as the brothers made their way deeper into the maze of a sewage system. At some point in time, the tunnel would cut into various branches, creating a constant headache for the brothers on which path to take. Beside them, a dark greenish water flowed down the canal whilst faint beams of light slowly enveloped them, causing the brothers to raise their heads. They realized that rays of light from the sun were seeping in through the small openings surrounding the manhole cover above them. And the deeper they walked, the more abound the manhole covers became. Leading them to conclude that the shapeshifter was making use of them to rapidly transverse through the city. Above them, rays of light filtered through occasional manhole .covers, but the light grew dimmer the farther they ventured. Soon, they''d be in total darkness. Xavier swallowed hard, his gaze darting towards the amorphous shadows that seemed to stretch for as far as his eyes and...soul could see. Is it just my imagination? He thought, his mind on the verge of crumbling into pieces and crumbles of dread and a slight tinge of hesitation. His breath hitched, his heartbeat quickening as his mind raced. The shapeshifter was down here somewhere, lurking just out of sight, perhaps even watching them right now. As they walked further, various pipes cut through the tunnels, some leaking or hissing with the escaping steam of gas. The tense and oppressive atmosphere was broken by the constant sound of their footsteps, which seemed to create a desolate echo that resounded into the distance. Yet despite the absolute desolation, the eerie silence, and the mind-wrenching shadows that seemed to envelop the entirety of the sewage system, there were still signs of human activity. Discarded items, old clothes, and other kinds of debris littered the floor. As they walked deeper into the tunnels, the sporadic lights slowly started to dim, and the occasional rays of light slowly came to a stop, forcing them to resort to the use of torches. The entire surrounding suddenly went cold, and a terrifying chilling wind blew forth, causing their heart to almost skip a beat. They immediately accessed their surroundings but were met with an eerie silence that was probably enough to send cold chills running down the spine of an ordinary man. Klaus struggled to remove his unease, he let out a sharp exhalation whilst his gaze lingered on the floor. The mangled flesh and torn skin on the ground proved that they were getting closer and... Closer to the shapeshifter. They slowly moved forward whilst making sure that their steps weren''t too heavy, in order not to alarm the shapeshifter or bring about any unnecessary disturbance which would in turn foil their plans. The tensed aura pervading the surroundings grew to greater heights, the oppressive silence gnawing on their bodies to their soul...each step they took felt heavier than the last, with streams of sweat drops trickling down Xavier''s forehead. His hand gripping onto the gun where slightly sweaty as he tried his absolute best to control the incredulous pace at which his heart was beating. The air seemed to grow colder, more frosty, and more chilling. It''s every howl sending shivers down their spines, biting and gnawing on every cell of their bodies. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Xavier had a grim look on his face, his hand tightly wrapped around the gun. Ahead, Klaus slowed, kneeling. "Look at this Xav." His voice was a low rasp as he pointed to a smear of sticky, mangled flesh mixed with blood. The dark liquid glistened in the beam of his flashlight, fresh and sticky. Xavier''s stomach twisted and grumbled, "It''s close." Klaus nodded, rising onto his feet. His expression was cold, his voice barely above a rasping whisper. "Already shed its skin again. The bastard is in a new body." Xavier said nothing, trying to appear calm. But the tightening of his jaw, his clenched hand, and his subtle shaking hands said another story entirely. They both got ready, their heart thumping at a rapid pace, lungs burning with a fiery glint. They cautiously walked forward, each step of theirs sending unheard echoes across the ground. With the desolate silence threatening to shatter their minds into fragments of constant fear and wariness. Yet despite the endless darkness that enveloped their body and mind to the very essence of their being, they pressed on, their movements slow and cautious. Torches barely cut through the thick shadows before them. Each step of theirs'' sends weird electric currents across their body. The tunnel ahead suddenly yawned open, and a figure emerged- familiar, too familiar. Xavier''s blood ran cold as his brother''s face stared right back at him with an unholy grin. ''Fucking Bastard!'' Klaus hissed. He didn''t hesitate. His gun was up and ready in an instant. BAAANG!!!! BAAANG!!! BAAANG!!! Bullets easily pierced through the air at a rapid speed. The shapeshifter darted to the side, dodging the silver bullets with unnerving speed. Klaus''s shot ripped through the pipes behind him, some piercing right into the wall behind him. Klaus continued shooting, the pierced pipes sending steam hissing into the air, clouding the tunnel in thick vapor. By the time the gas cleared, the shapeshifter was far in the distance. The shapeshifter rapidly disappeared from Klaus''s line of sight, who despite knowing that he couldn''t make an accurate shot kept on shooting. "Damn it!" Klaus slammed his fist into the wall, frustration rippling through him. Xavier who stood frozen felt a cold feeling wash over his skin. It was almost like he had just woken up from a dream. His entire body was filled with an eerie strange warmth and his heartbeat seemed to have slowed down considerably. Why hadn''t he shot?. He could have ended it right there and...there. His grip tightened on his gun, and his fingers trembled. But his hesitation had cost them. Once again. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew he would have probably done the same thing if he were in the shapeshifter''s shoes, or perhaps it was the fact that the men the shapeshifter was killing weren''t all that good either. And to be honest, he had to say... The actions of the shape-shifter to enact his revenge were very well okay and highly plausible. He would have done the same thing in its shoes... perhaps even worse. Yet he knew he couldn''t allow his emotions to mess with his judgment skills. Who''s right or wrong at this point no longer matters. The only thing that matters and the only thing that I need to keep in mind is that the shape-shifter is a source of great danger to the society as a whole. Hence, he has to go down. Whether he''s right or wrong. At this point, that no longer matters. After a few seconds of standing rigid on a spot. Xavier heaved a light sigh, his churning mind slowly coming to a halt. Klaus paced back and forth, obviously trying to control himself, inhaled and exhaled continuously before he suddenly stopped, his gaze shifting towards Xavier. "What is wrong with you Xav? "You had so many opportunities to shoot, yet you threw them away as though they didn''t amount to anything." "I..." Xavier''s voice trailed off. There was no excuse. He''d hesitated and it had cost them greatly. Silence fell between them, heavy and thick. Xavier''s mind was a whirlwind of confusion, but one thing stood clear: the shapeshifter had to be stopped. It didn''t matter if it was right or wrong. It was dangerous...and that was enough. "I...I won''t make the same mistake." Klaus glanced at him. He wanted to say something but, in the end, chose to keep quiet; he let out a sharp exhalation, "I hope so." "Now, where did we come from?" Klaus added, his eyes moving around, assessing the various tunnels that surrounded them. Tsk... Xavier''s mouth slightly twitched, and he chuckled inwardly, "I wonder how you have never gotten lost with such a short memory." Klaus awkwardly scratched his head, and a wry smile slowly crept up his face. Under Xavier''s lead, they made their way back through the labyrinth, except this one was filled with pipes; occasionally leaking gas, with a stench more dreadful and mouth twitching than a thousand year old corpse. ''A result of the waste of thousands...'' Xavier shook his head with a wry smile before taking one last look at the underground sewage system beneath him. When they finally emerged from the manhole, Xavier took a deep breath of fresh air, grateful to be out of the claustrophobic tunnels. They both headed for the car; Klaus was about to start the car engines when a voice suddenly rang into his ears. "Since the shape-shifter has already escaped from us. What should be our next course of action." Xavier said, his fingers tapping on the window whilst his arm laid to rest on it. Klaus was silent for a second, before letting out a light chuckle, "Of course, do we have any other choice than to wait." Um- That''s true. Xavier nodded, his gaze slightly narrowed before he shifted it towards his brother, "Um- So basically, we wait until night time. "Yeah. We wait for it to make a move on the Tulane guy. Then we take it down." "Hopefully your hands will be able to fucking move, then." Klaus added with a light chuckle. Xavier smiled wryly, a calm look slowly crept up his face, "You don''t have to worry." He paused for a second, his voice turning icy cold and eerie dark, "I won''t make the same mistake." ''Definitely not.'' He added inwardly, his eyes blazing with an inferno-like confidence. Klaus sighed lightly, "Hopefully, you won''t." Both brothers were quiet for a while, the situation was getting awkward before Xavier finally broke the silence. "H-mm Since shape-shifter hunting is out until nighttime." He paused for a second, a light smile slowly crept up his face, "Guess it''s spirit hunting time." "Alright, spirit hunting it''s then," Klaus replied, a light smile on his face as he started the car engines. The car engines roared to life before the car immediately busted forth with great speed. The car easily bypassed multitudes of other cars and vehicles as they prepared to burn some remains! Meeting With Hander The car sped down the bustling street as the brothers headed for Layette Cemetery, located in the Garden District of New Orleans. New Orleans...A land where the pen weaves dreams into reality, tunes and rhythms moving in tandem or in opposition with each other. A Major city where powerful, wealthy families reside in huge numbers. Be it the music industry, writing industry or political schemes among the senators, Governors in charge of The States, mayors of towns under the jurisdiction of New Orleans or the city councils in charge of lesser towns. This town had them all. And on the top of them all stood a revered young man. ''Well being buried there can also be considered to be a fortune for the poor.'' Klaus shook his head with a wry smile. Five minutes passed by in silence before the car screeched to a halt at the entrance of the cemetery. Layette was one of the oldest graveyards in the city, established in 1830. Its towering, moss-covered statues loomed like ancient sentinels, guarding the entrance to long lost forgotten secrets. Just like Xavier had said previously, it was nothing more than a five-minute journey. They both alighted from the car. After Klaus brought out the salt. Without a word, Xavier vanished into the dark, returning minutes later with petrol in hand. Already having taken the necessary equipment, ranging from petrol to a lighter, shovels, guns, and salt in hand. They walked into the cemetery. The surroundings were gloomy, and the oppressive atmosphere drenched the entire space in a weird, chilling coldness. It was like stepping into the abyss, except for the fact that this abyss was frigid as fuck... Frigid in a spiritual sense of course. As they ventured deeper into the graveyard. The oppressive atmosphere of the cemetery swallowed them whole. A chilling coldness wrapped around them- not the kind of cold that cut through the skin but one that gnawed at the edges of the soul. The golden sun, pale and weak, barely illuminating the path ahead. Klaus swore under his breath; the weight of the equipment made each step heavier than the last. After a couple of minutes of walking past various graveyards, their legs were already showing signs of wearing out, and their body already feeling the slight aches of holding so much equipment whilst walking around, looking for a single corpse amongst thousands of other corpses. Who knows when we will find it? Xavier let out a sharp exhalation, he was about to take one more step when the corner of his eyes caught a glimpse of a name... Sarah Margarine. His mind easily raced, as he swept through his subconsciousness. He soon remembered where he had seen the name, it was in the reports the school had on the cursed spirit! He was about to call out to Klaus. But Klaus had already arrived right beside him; he dropped down the other equipment before getting to digging with the shovel in hand. Xavier also joined in the fray. The shovel scooped out loads of sand and debris one after the other. Time seemed to slow down as they unearthed the casket, the chiming sound of wood hitting metal sending a chill through Xavier''s spine. Klaus pried the lid open, and a wave of rancid air hit them- an oppressive stench, a pungent bad odor, stale and suffocating. It was akin to a formless wave, it easily went past them, spreading wide and far, causing Xavier''s mouth to twitch. "Just as smelly as usual." He muttered before shifting his gaze towards the casket''s inner parts. The corpse inside was little more than bones, with patches of decaying skin clinging stubbornly to the remains. She died just twenty years ago. So it makes sense that her bones haven''t dried up completely. The dried-up bones before him. Xavier thought, a grim expression settling on his face. He could only hope that she makes it to the so-called Heaven in "HIS BOOK." That''s if it even exists in the first place anyway. Sighing internally, he stared at the corpse for a couple of seconds before shaking his head, a light exhalation escaping his lips. A solemn expression slowly crept up his face as he sprinkled the salt all over the body, while Klaus doused it with petrol. A flick of the match and flames violently roared to life, vehemently engulfing the corpse in a fiery blaze, determined to erase such monstrosity from the surface of the world. The heat was intense and blazing hot, but Xavier''s focus was elsewhere. He could feel it- a subtle pair of eyes filled with negative primal emotions seemed to linger on him for a few seconds. A subtle shift in the air, a faint tug at the edges of his consciousness. When the flames died down, there was nothing left but ash... Still staring at the ashes that floated across the space as the wind blew about violently. He wondered and pondered on what this could truly be called. He had no idea why he was even doing this in the first place. But it didn''t take him long to realize the perfect word to describe this state. "Nothingness." He muttered grimly. Xavier felt a slight subtle elevation in his spiritual level, it was almost like he had grabbed onto something. But yet was miles if not light years away. Glancing at how everything, be it the body to the bones to the ashes had been reduced to Nothingness. He couldn''t help but remember a famous saying in most if not all, cultivation novels back in his world. At the end of it all... All things will eventually return to Nothingness. He sighed inwardly before both brothers breathed a sigh of relief, especially Xavier who was happy that nothing went wrong. But the relief was short-lived. Footsteps echoed across the space. TAAAP!! Quick and urgent. Before they could react, a voice barked from within the shadows. "You both move one more step, and I am going to fucking drill a hole through your skulls!" Their heartbeat suddenly went into a frenzied state; blood rushed at an incredulous pace whilst the flow of blood switched states almost instantly, going from beating insanely fast to skipping a beat every once in a while. Their mind easily raced for a way out. Xavier''s face had turned grim a long time ago. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. They were only trying to help. How had they end up becoming the criminals. Almost as though they had reached an invisible tacit understanding, they both turned backward. Appearing right before them, within their line of sight, was a man who was probably in his late forties, had a slightly muscular build with both hands of his pointing the rifle right at them. They had no misconceptions about it. If they dared to move, he definitely wouldn''t hesitate to... Shoot! And being mere humans...their death were more than certain the moment the man decides to pull the trigger. The man''s hand gripped onto the gun even more tightly, "How dare you desecrate a corpse whilst this young man is on guard!" "Ehn?" Klaus thought he had heard wrong. But the man didn''t seem to care less. His expression turning frigid cold. "Both of you, get down on your knees, right now!" Xavier''s grim expression slowly turned into something else. With a sharp exhalation, a symbol of authority flared to life. A cold expression slowly crept up his face, "I am Detective Hollerein. And this here is my partner, Detective Zander." He paused for a second, seeing that the man''s gaze had returned to an amiable look with a tinge of wariness. He calmly added, "We got a report from our superiors informing us that the corpse has been infected with a strange virus. Hence we were given an order to burn the corpse and prevent the spread of the deadly virus." Uh- "Oh," The man''s brow got slightly raised, a scrutinizing gaze enveloping his face. All that they had said did seem possible, yet he felt like something was wrong somewhere. But he just couldn''t place his hands on what it was. Well... Who am I to stop an agent of the law? That''s a punishable offense under the law of the universal states. And he didn''t plan to spend a few years in jail: well thirty to be precise especially when he still had so many clubs to visit before the fabled death comes to take him away. Sighing inwardly, his mind racing with thoughts. He could still remember...the scene felt just like yesterday. Three years ago, the doctor had told him that he was suffering from cancero already in the fifth stage and unless some miracle occured he was going to die in the next three to four years. Xavier and Klaus who didn''t know what was going on in the man''s mind, could only walk faster. Within the blink of an eye, they disappeared from the man''s light of sight. By the time he looked around for the weird detectives... They were already gone. He shook his head, a light exhalation escaping his lips before he proceeded with his duty. Both brothers had gotten into the car. Klaus let out a light chuckle after starting the car engines. Xavier had a light smile creeping up his face whilst he chuckled inwardly at the recent incident. The car easily sped past multiple buildings, malls, shops, and so on. Being one of the most powerful Major cities under the jurisdiction of two senates. The town could be said to be a walking legend of industrialization. Bordered by Lake Antanze; New Orleans was a town that delved greatly into the art of fishery. Highly valued resources like Aetrium used to power up cars, machines and so much more are also produced in New Orleans including a lot of farm related stocks such as greans, weans and so much more. Twenty minutes later, Klaus''s car screeched to a halt. Arriving before the house of Tulane''s descendant, they alighted from the car before approaching the blue-colored building. The golden sun illuminating the path before them, endless shadows far away from the "holy" rays. Ringing the doorbell, a woman who seemed to be in her early thirties with brown hair and brown eyes soon appeared in their line of sight. She had a narrowed brow, opening the door halfway through, "What can I do for you?" Xavier had a light amiable smile creeping up his face. "Nothing really much. We just have a few questions for your husband." He paused for a second, bringing out his badge, which he now saw as a lucky savior before he added, "I am Detective Hollerein, and this is my partner, Detective Zander." Her expression turned solemn almost immediately. "Did he commit a crime?" She asked hurriedly. Xavier forced a smile on his face, "Well, not really, ma." Well except if we are to consider the heinous deed of his twenty years ago. If not, the records on him seem pretty clean. Or perhaps his family had covered all of his bad deeds. After all, the Tulane family are one of the families to have produced many ground-breaking geniuses of the literary industry. Xavier''s mouth twitched slightly, while he lampooned inwardly. Klaus let out a dry cough, "So, can we now meet with your husband?" She forced a smile on her face, "Sorry but you won''t be able to see him." She paused for a second, gathering her thoughts before she added, "He''s currently out on a business trip and supposedly won''t be coming back anytime soon." Hmm... Something is definitely off. Klaus''s brows got narrowed as he assessed the lady''s demeanor with a scrutinizing gaze. The hands behind her are slightly sweaty; her voice were quivering a little when she said that and she was finding it slightly hard to say those words. There were so many more reasons for him to find fault with her words or, better still... Lies. He harrumphed coldly, inwardly. Xavier''s mouth slightly twitched, "You don''t have to worry Ma. We are simply here to help. "We suspect that his life is in danger." He added with a solemn expression. Seeing that he had succeeded in gaining the lady''s attention, he continued, "According to reports and from our investigation. It''s safe to assume that an old friend is out for blood. And the people killed by said person just happen to be close friends of your husband. Hence we have reasons to believe that your husband is next on his list." Klaus had a light smile creeping up his face before he chuckled inwardly "Well haven''t you heard of the saying, Leave the best for the last." "Who knows? Perhaps your husband was a bully back in the day." The lady shook her head, her hand hidden behind the door tightly clenched. "No-Hander would never raise his hands on anyone," She was quiet for a few seconds before she added, "He can''t even kill a fowl." Klaus let out a light chuckle, about to continue with his dark humor before being stepped on by Xavier, who gave him a stern expression. Klaus simply shakes his head, a wry smile adorning his face. Xavier nods his head at the lady, "Okay, Ma. I just hope you can get him to come back home faster." He paused for a second before he added, "The faster he gets back home. The better it''s for all of us." A tensed voice suddenly reverberated outward, cutting short the lady''s voice, "You agents can enter." Just as I thought. Not surprised at all, Klaus chuckled inwardly whilst a light smile slowly crept up his face. The lady opened the door for them before they both walked in. Moving towards a room where a man who appeared to be in his late thirties sat down on a chair. He brought his hand forward, "I am Tulane Hander." He paused for a second before adding softly, "It''s nice meeting you detectives." Xavier forced a smile, "The pleasure is ours." Klaus slowly walked towards Hander, a light whisper ringing into his ears, "If it isn''t the high and mighty rapist." Hander''s expression slowly turned grim, he wanted to move back immediately. But it felt as though his legs were stuck on the spot. Feeble and shaky. That was what he could use to describe the feeling his legs currently gave off. How do they know about it. The first thought that came to his mind was to outrightly deny it, but judging by how things had escalated to such heights and how his friends were being killed one after the other. He knew he would simply be holding onto a straw of hope. He sighed inwardly, his expression slowly turned calm. He turned to look at his wife. "Mary, take the kids to school." Mary had a wary look on her face. Why had her husband suddenly reacted weirdly after the whisper from the detective, and why had he decided to send her away? So many thoughts ran through her mind within that split second. But she knew the nature of her husband''s family and why he had distant himself away from them. Perhaps they came from his family. She forced a smile on her face, "Um- Are you sure?" Hander''s expression turned cold as he glared at her, "Do I need to repeat myself!" She shook her head, biting onto her lower lips before heading for a room where two kids could be seen playing on the bed. One of the daughters, who seems to be of age five, questioned, "Mum. Who are those people?" Mary forced a smile, "They are dad''s friend." She carried one in her arms then held onto the other before they moved out of the house as she took them to school. Inside the room.... Hander had a solemn, grim expression slowly creeping up his face, "So it''s just as I guessed," He paused for a second before he added after a deep sigh, "Fenar is the one going after us." A few seconds easily passed by whilst the room was enveloped in a mind wrenching silence. Hander finally spoke up, "Alright," a calm expression slowly crept up his face, "I don''t assume you came here just to mock me. So... What do I have to do?" Xavier had a light smile adorning his face, "We will indeed save your life. "But... Each second felt like an eternity in a mind-wrenching silence. And Xavier seemed to be doing that on purpose. Well at least that was what Hander thought. "On one condition." Xavier''s voice broke the tension after a few seconds that felt like an endless eternity to Hander. Hander''s brow got narrowed, his heartbeat pacing abnormally fast. His hands slightly sweaty with his body suddenly heating up. Not knowing what the detectives might be after. He could only hope that it wasn''t anything too outrageous. After a few seconds, he finally voiced out his restrained thoughts. "And that being?" On One Condition Xavier''s face hardened as he leaned forward. "You will confess," he said, his voice steady but icy-cold. "Tell the world about the crime you''ve hidden." "Are you kidding me!" Hander''s face twisted in disbelief, his hair extremely disheveled. Xavier''s gaze was unflinchingly cold. "Does it look like I am joking?" "No-No, I can''t do such a thing... I can''t, " He muttered, rubbing his temples. His voice crackled with fear and a slight tinge of disapproval. From the corner of the room, the previously idle Klaus tilted his head, eyes focused on the horizon as if he could see beyond the endless shadows that completely overwhelmed the citizens of this room. He let out a light chuckle as he said, "When you were busy having fun twenty years ago. Did you think of the consequences?" A bitter smile tugged at Klaus''s lips. "Oh- of course you didn''t. The Tulane Family covered everything up, didn''t they? A dark ironic laughter escaped Klaus''s lips. "Isn''t it so great to be born into a wealthy family?" Tulane Family. One of the seven wealthiest families in New Orleans. It''s said that the family has a strange culture. One that no one can really pinpoint on its definite importance or why it was even done. Every fifteen years, the Tulane family organizes a competition. The battle of the pen weavers. It''s said that the young descendants of that particular generation or lineage are each given a paper and a pen to weave out their thoughts, their minds, and souls into words, words that stand out amongst the many that wield the pen. Whoever wins the tournament is named the Heir Of The Weavers. Of course, many believe that the Tulane family does this to secure their position as one of the top families in New Orleans and tightly hold onto their position as a towering powerhouse in the literary industry. But there are still a few sets of people who believe that....there''s more to what meets the eye. Hander shot Klaus a cold, piercing gaze. He gritted his teeth as he attempted to refute those words, yet no words escaped his lips. Klaus suddenly let out a light laughter, causing a light frown to tug at the corner of his lips, his gaze cold and distant. Klaus chuckled, the sound sharp like a blade scraping metal. "Why don''t you run back to them. Tell your family. I''m sure they''d pull every string and make this all disappear. Isn''t that what families like yours are for? "With all their mighty power and influence in the city, saving you shouldn''t prove to be that much of a problem, should it?" Hander sighed inwardly, his gaze turned calm for a second before he immediately regained his piercing cold gaze, "It''s none of your business." Seeing how he was sharp to refute. Klaus knew that something was wrong somewhere. And indeed, he had enough logical reasons to come to this conclusion. Not only did he not run to his family, but his family also weren''t attempting to save him. What''s going on? Whatever the reason might be, he didn''t know and couldn''t care less. But he definitely didn''t plan on letting him get away that easily; a sly smile slowly curled up his lips, "Oh, oh... Seems I touched a soft spot." Xavier shook his head at his brother''s antics. He had already identified so many problems. Among many would be why he didn''t try to receive help from his family? Or perhaps he has tried but they refused to help him. But that''s not possible. He''s the 16th Heir. Hence they would without a doubt spare all efforts to help him out, but I also should have thought about it. Why will a descendant of the Hander Family live in such a place? Compared to a normal noble standard... This standard of living is like comparing an Emperor with a wretched fellow. Seeing that he couldn''t come up with a logical explanation, he decided to wave it off his mind. He glanced at Hander, "Anyway. The deal still holds. But maybe the terms were too harsh." Hander''s gaze lifted, hopeful, just for a second. "In exchange for your life, you''ll hand yourself over to the cops. What do you think?" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A light smile slowly crept up Xavier''s face before he added, "Kind of a fair deal if you ask me." Hander who now had a reddish shade within the depths of his pupils was silent for a long time. Hander''s face was pale and for the first time that night, fear truly registered. He glanced around the dim room, shadows dancing across the corner of his eyes. His hand on his chain whilst he was lost in thought, the dimly lit room and the eerie silence created an oppressive atmosphere that greatly unsettled him. Slowly gnawing into his psyche and mind He didn''t want to go to jail. But he also didn''t want to die. Now... He was starting to regret his actions. Yet he didn''t feel like he was to be blamed. The Tulane Family, who taught their younger generation to be all high and mighty, were the cause of all this. If only they had imprinted great discipline into the children of the family. The younger generations wouldn''t be bossy, prideful or arrogant. If only they had been a source of good values and moral attitude... perhaps that wouldn''t have happened, and I wouldn''t have had to face the bad side of my heinous act. I would have lived a simple, happy, and joyous life with my wife and my children. But now... Now. That opportunity is forever gone. Tears streamed down the corner of his eyes, his reddish shade slowly grew eerie calm as he glanced upward, "Fine," he whispered, breaking the silence, his voice thick with regret. "But on one condition." Xavier had a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. "And that being?" He questioned with a calm expression etched across his face. Hander gritted his teeth, his hands were tightly clenched as he exhaled sharply. "I need three days." He paused for a second, his gaze hardened, his jaw tightly clenched. "Three days... " Hander repeated, his voice steadying. "Then after that, I will do all that you ask of me." Klaus and Xavier gave each other a sidelong look, before nodding their heads, reaching a tacit agreement with Hander. Xavier''s brows were slightly narrowed as he realized that they could have just made use of this method. Removing the cause or the source of anchoring, which in this case is most probably to ensure that justice gets served and the ones who had committed the deed against her don''t go unpunished. This way, they wouldn''t have had to desecrate the corpse and would still be able to send her to the mysterious spirit world. But well... It''s already too late for that. Xavier sighed inwardly. And he was indeed quite surprised that Hander would actually be willing to give in. As the Heir to a wealthy family such as the Tulane Family, it makes perfect sense that he would be pretty much arrogant. But weirdly enough, so far so good. Hander hasn''t displayed any obvious signs of being arrogant or prideful. And this very much contrasts with the knowledge he had of most of those so-called "nobles." Beyond the sights of his eyes and many more. He felt that something was wrong somewhere. But he just couldn''t place his hands on what it could be. Exhaling lightly, "Alright," He nodded. "After Fenar is dealt with. You have three days... Just three days. Then after that, you will have to surrender yourself to the nearest police station." Hander''s jaw was locked, and his fists were balled up and slowly opened before he nodded his head after exhaling lightly. "Alright," Klaus said, garnering their attention before he continued, "So, what now? We hole up here or some-." The previous Incident with the shapeshifter had taught him the need to be more cautious. Hander was silent for some time, still battling his inner turmoil. He lifted his head, his gaze lingering on Klaus, "You can use the guest room," He said, before leading them towards the guest room. The brothers followed silently, the dimly lit room sending frosty chills down everyone''s spine. Each step sends light unheard echoes across the ground. Xavier closed the door behind them, offering Hander a brief nod. Hander''s smile was tight, forced as if the world had closed in on him, Karma had finally caught up to him, leaving no room to escape its bone-chilling grasp. He brought out a beer from a glass shelve and then poured the beer into a white crystal-like cup- his hand trembling as the amber liquid swirled in the glass. He grabbed onto the beer and the cup before walking for a while, and then he collapsed onto a dark-brown chair in the living room. Staring at the blank screen of the television, his gaze seemed to pierce into the horizon before taking a deep swig of the beer. But he didn''t appear to be satisfied; it didn''t ease the weight crushing his chest. It did nothing. His fingers traced the rim of the glass as he filled the cup to the brim once again, gulped it down within the blink of an eye, and then proceeded to fill the cup to the brim. Again and again... At this point, he had even lost count of the number of cups that he had taken. With every drink, the past clawed its way back to him. Regret seeped in like poison, the life he could have had, slipping through his fingers. The family he would never hold again, the peace he could never reclaim. His eyes were bloodshot with a mix of teardrops stirring within the depth of his pupils, yet he still kept going. Trying to wash away the frustration, anger, sadness, and regret. The teardrops that he had forced back in finally came sliding down the corner of his bloodshot eyes, and the more he drank, the more the tears that streamed down his eyes became even more abundant. He stared into the endless darkness, a self-deprecating smile slowly curled up his lips. "Perhaps this is karma." He muttered, closing his eyes before opening them after letting out a deep exhalation. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Xavier''s brow slowly narrowed, becoming slightly furrowed, before his gaze shifted towards Klaus. "Do you think he will go on with the deal?" Klaus chuckled lightly, shaking his head, "No," A light smile curled up his lips, "The douchebag will probably kill himself." Klaus had a nonchalant expression on his face while he went through the journal with his hands. "Yeah," Xavier nods, a deep sigh escaping his lips, "He will probably take the coward''s way out." "Suicide," Klaus said flatly, not even looking up from the journal. "He''ll have his final moments with his family, then he''ll end it." Xavier soon joined Klaus as their eyes swept past the various symbols, unfinished cases, coordinates, information, and so much more. The brothers went through the journal in absolute silence before a light voice broke the eerie, desolate silence. "And Dad? You think he''s in trouble?" Xavier muttered, a knot tightening in his chest. Klaus chuckled. "The old man?" He''s tougher than both of us combined. I''d be more worried about the poor fool who crossed him." Xavier tried to laugh but it didn''t reach his eyes. "I hope you''re right." Klaus stopped going through the journal, realizing that Xavier was quiet, he chuckled lightly. "Well you can stop worrying about the old man. Wherever he''s... He''s probably doing just fine." His eyes left the journal completely, as he directed his gaze towards Xavier, "On the other hand, the same can''t be said for you." Hmm... Xavier''s brows got slightly narrowed, "What do you mean?" Klaus was silent for a while, realizing that Xavier was still staring at him; he exhaled lightly, "Like bro...For real, I still can''t believe it," He said sarcastically, before he added, his voice becoming deeper "You can''t even shoot a single bullet out of the fucking damn gun." He shook his head, sighing lightly, "Anyway. It''s all good. You still have one more chance tonight. If you freeze up again tonight..." "I won''t," Xavier cut in. "This time I''ll finish it." Klaus clapped him on the shoulder. "You better. The bastard''s wearing my dashing skin. Can''t let him get away with that." Xavier let out a light laugh, "I was wondering why you had brought this up again," He shook his head, and a light laughter escaped his lips. "Turns out it''s because of this." "Yen yen." Klaus gave him a cold glare, "Of course it''s funny. Since it isn''t your skin that''s being made use of anyway." Klaus gave a deep sigh. "Who even knows the things it has been doing with my face, wondering around pretending to be me. It''s fucking creepy and at the same time frustrating." Xavier gave him a sideways glance, humor still tugging at the corner of his lip. "True. But tonight, it all comes to an end." The room fell into a tense silence, each brothers lost in their own thoughts. Xavier''s hand tightened, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He couldn''t afford to mess up. Not again. Hander''s words still lingered in his mind, his hollow surrender and the eerie calmness of his final condition. Three days ..it gnawed on him, the unease gnawing onto the edges of his soul. What exactly was Hander really planning? Before long, the crimson moon was already in the sky, the ethereal rays of the moon seeping into the various rooms, banishing the shadows into the depth of the endless darkness. Both brothers were already prepared, they had their guns that were imbued with silver bullets as they calmly waited for the shape-shifter to appear. Outside the house, a car slowly came to a stop before it. A figure of a lady could be outlined. She alighted from the car before shutting it, then she proceeded to lock it. After ensuring that the door was locked, she immediately headed for the house. Meanwhile... Within the depths of the darkness, a cold white pair of eyes watched with untold malevolence. Goodbye New Orleans Brown Hairs... Brown Eyes and a face that depicted years bothering between the early and mid-thirties, the figure was none other than Mary, who had just gotten back from her office. She gave a light exhalation, parking her hair to the left, before she slowly approached the ashen door. The cold pair of eyes saw all this, its whitish gaze cold and eerie, a cold smile curled up its lips before it suddenly moved. TAP!!!! TAAAAP!!! RUSTLEE!!!! Mary''s heart skipped a beat, heart racing abnormally fast. Her hand tightened instinctively around her handbag, a cold chill finding its way through her spine, lungs and heart to the very depths of her soul. A cold chilling wind surged through her body. Her brown eyes looked around warily, the weight of dread settling into her bones. She stood on the same spot for a long time. The endless darkness creating an eerie oppressive atmosphere that threatened to swallow her whole. The entire surrounding was quiet....perhaps a little bit too quiet. After standing on the spot for so long that she felt like she was starting to lose it. She sighed lightly. Perhaps it''s those squirrels or I am just thinking too much. She could only try to convince herself. She exhaled lightly before she headed for the ashen door. TAAAP! TAAAP!!! The sound of footsteps suddenly rang into her ears, the distant echo shortened to a near heart-thumping echo within the blink of an eye. She was about to scurry towards the door as she already realized that something was obviously wrong. But just as she was about to take a step, a pair of cold white eye suddenly appeared behind her, its hand immediately covered her mouth tightly, making her feel as though her breath was becoming stagnant... The first thought that came to her mind was to try and scream, but with her rate of respiration rapidly declining, and the cold hand tightly covering her mouth. She couldn''t make an iorta of noise; the next thing that came to her mind was of course to try and fight back. Hence she kicked, struggled and threw out what the figure saw as tantrums. "Sssh," A voice whispered, a sharp glistening blade pressing into the delicate skin of her neck. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shivered subconsciously. She felt a cold chill surge terifically around her neck, especially the area where the knife was placed against. Seeing that she had quietened down, the figure wrapped his left hand around her neck before they both made their way into the room. The figure seem to blend seemlessly with the endless darkness that surrounded it, its footsteps were deliberate and eeriely calm. CLIICK!!! The door creaked open as they entered the dimly lit living room. He had a weird feeling that something was definitely off. Yet he couldn''t place his hands on what that was. Hence he decided to be as cautious as possible. Hander slowly walked towards the entrance of the house, his voice reverberating through the air, "Darling. Is that you?" He was silent for a second before he added, his tone cold yet calm, "I thought I told you to go to Gramps house." He finally arrived at the sitting room; he saw a figure behind his wife; his wife in particular was at a daggered point. It sent a kind of indescribable rage coursing through his heart. His first thought was to rush towards the bastard, an exact replica of Detective Hollerein. A wide grin spread across the shape-shifter''s face... Oh, the gods know so well that I have waited for this day my entire life! He felt a warm surge of energy course throughout his entire body; the terrifying anger was surging calmly... The calmness before the storm yet to come! Klaus and Xavier peeked slightly from the guest room, and were easily able to outline three figures. Albeit the figure behind Mary was slightly obstructed, but without a doubt, The knife he held, the clothes he wore... Everything pointed to the fact that this was the shape-shifter. It had even gone to the extremity of wearing the same clothes as that of Klaus! Klaus felt like rushing outside and smashing its head to a pile of pulp, but he ultimately held on, exhaling lightly. "Should we head in?" A calm voice rang into his ears; the source of the voice was none other than Xavier, who had a cold look adorning his face. Klaus shook his head, "No. We wait," He muttered, before his gaze shifted back towards the ongoing commotion. Xavier nods in understanding, his hands tightly gripping the gun as he reached an agreement with himself... A decision to not hesitate... He wouldn''t hesitate to pull the trigger when the time comes. I absolutely won''t. His gaze was frigid cold as he glanced outward. Tension thickened, the air heavy with anticipation. "F-enar...," Hander stuttered, finding it hard to say anything more. Its voice suddenly shifted from its eerie cold calmness to that akin to an erupting volcano, "How do you know it''s me?" Fenar''s grip on the cold dagger grew tighter, as a few drop of blood dripped down Mary''s neck. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Hander said through gritted teeth and balled fists, "Just a guess of mine." He exhaled lightly, trying to calm down. Yet the situation before him was removing all sense of logic away from his mind. Calm down Hander... Calm down. He muttered inwardly, knowing he couldn''t afford to spoil the detectives plan. A wide grin slowly etched onto Fenar''s face, "Well what can I say," His gaze shifted away from Hander, a cold smile curled up his lips as the dagger in his hands went deeper into Mary''s skin, who struggled to speak...grunt or at least say something. Yet she wasn''t able to break free from his inhumane grasp. Tears slowly streamed down her eyes as she continued to struggle. Yet it was evident and clear as daylight that our attempts were pathetic, to say the least. Its lips slowly crept up her neck, Mary felt a weird sensation coursing through her body, her body visibly trembled as tears welled within the depth of her eyes. Hander''s breath grew extremely heavy, his body on the verge of exploding. Klaus and Xavier gritted their teeth forcefully. Fuck. Klaus cursed inwardly, ready to dash out at anytime. But it seems they were a little bit too worried. Hander heaved a deep exhalation, forcefully bitting onto his lower lips. "Please Fenar... Please don''t involve her in this," He paused for a second before he added, his pupils growing a red shade, "She knows nothing about this." "Oh oh," Fenar raised his brow with a chuckle, a sly smile curling up his lips, "Then how about we tell her." He paused for a second, his gaze shifting towards the young lady who had tears streaming down her eyes, "I am sure she must be dying to know by now." Hander''s heart pounded. He could barely hold it together, knowing the truth would destroy her. No...,he shook his head, his hands tightly clenched, "Please. Am begging you... Please..." His feet were slowly giving in, tears streaming down the corner of his eyes as he realized that he was on the verge of collapsing. Both physically and mentally. He really doesn''t want her to know. How would she see him after being told about that heinous deed of his? Would he even still have the face to ever stand before her? So many mind-wrenching thoughts that tried to forcefully shatter his mentality continuously assaulted him, and various possible aftermaths were being played at an incredulous pace, causing the tears he was forcefully holding back to rush out in abundance. Fenar felt like he was in paradise. ''Oh heck- This is even way better! He had waited for this moment for how long!'' A cold smile curled up his lips as he said, "You see this husband of yours-... Xavier knew what would happen should the shapeshifter reveal to Hander''s wife his past misdeeds. It would destroy their happy home. And somehow he knew that the shapeshifter was merely enacting his revenge. Yet he couldn''t watch a happy family getting ruined. He just couldn''t... KATCHAAAA!!! A horrendous sound of glass shattering into pieces; shards of fragments boomed right into everyone''s ear. A wary look slowly crept up his face, his hold on the dagger growing tighter. "What the hell was that?" His loud voice reverberated through the sitting room, causing Hander to stutter as he replied, "I- I don''t know." Fenar assessed the obvious shock and the surprise evident on Hander''s face. Seems like he''s saying the truth. But stil... His gaze was frigid cold as he commanded, "Move," He pointed towards the guest room, the source of the disturbance. Hander hesitated, causing a frown to tug at the corner of Fenar''s lips, "I said move..." A cold look adorned his face, "Or do you wanna see your wife''s guts spilling out right before your very own eyes." He paused for a second, seeing the intense anger evident within those dark pupils; he chuckled inwardly before adding, a light smile curling up his lips, "It would be a shame to kill such a beauty, you know." Fenar had a wide grin etching across his face, obviously enjoying this moment. Fuck that...enjoyment is an understatement. He had waited his whole life for this moment. Hander finally moved, he forced himself to remain calm as he slowly approached the guest room. His steps were not too fast and not too slow. Just enough! Yet he couldn''t stop the trembling of his hand as he finally arrived before the door. He knew this was very risky. Any slight mistake and his wife will drop dead. His jaw trembled as he opened the door, before heading for a table where the glass cup had fallen from. He bent down to pick up the remains, whilst Fenar assessed the room with a wary look. Did it fall on its own? He was about to take a step into the room before a familiar figure rapidly outlined itself before him. He realized that it was the bastard who had shot him. The first thing that came to his mind was to finish off the bug before him, before proceeding to deal with the guy he was impersonating. It was almost akin to a blur of movement . A flash of silver. In the blink of an eye, Klaus''s spear drove into Fenar''s ribs, the force sending the shapeshifter crashing to the ground. Mary screamed as she was thrown aside. Klaus was right on top of Fenar, smashing the dagger away from Fenar before he could strike with it. CLANG!!! The dagger was sent flying into the distance. Klaus immediately tried to shoot with the gun in his hand. BAAANG!!! BAAAANG!!! The bullets were surprisingly dodged by Fenar who had one of his hands holding onto Klaus''s hand, disrupting his shot before he punched out with the second hand. BAAAANG!! A solid punch landed on Klaus''s stomach before Fenar followed through with a kick that sent the gun flying out of his hand. Fenar had a light smile curling up his lips as he punched outward, expecting Klaus to be caught off guard by the rapid series of events or counter. But Klaus held his ground. His experience shown in every counter, every swift strike. He was quick to regain his bearing as he bent downwards, before making use of his elbow to smash forcefully onto Fenar''s ribs. BAAAANG!!!! SPLUTTER!!! Blood spluttered out of Fenar''s mouth, drops of blood dripping down his nose. Fenar immediately tried to punch Klaus in the face but Klaus had already dodged to the left. His hand immediately struck, smashing ferociously onto Fenar''s left hand. His knee raised into the air, Fenar''s elbow connected with it. A crisp, bone-chilling sound echoing out. Criick!!! KATCHAA!!! Fenar''s eyes widened as he let out a loud shriek. Klaus smashed his legs against Fenar''s leg, causing him to smash onto the ground with a loud BAAANG!!! Klaus immediately followed through with rapid punches which were easily blocked by Fenar. The two grappled, bloodied and brutal. Xavier after seeing that Mary was now save with Hander immediately rushed towards the sitting room. His gun raised, eyes darting between the two identical figures now locked in combat. Which one is the real Klaus? He panicked, his hands gripping tightly onto the gun as he glanced at the two figures with unflinching attention. "Xavier!" Klaus''s voice cut through the chaos. "Shoot him! Now!" Both figures turned to him, faces bruised, eyes wild. They wore the same clothes, their movements mirrored in perfect synchronisation. Xavier hesitated- the dread of pulling the trigger on the wrong one freezing him in place. Klaus suddenly spoke again, his voice calm but urgent. "Send him to Hell." Xavier''s hand steadied, his target clear. Fenar tried to turn back and escape, but it was already too...late. BAAANG!!! BAAAANG!!! Xavier didn''t hesitate to pull the trigger, two silver bullets glistened with a mysterious glow as they tore through the air at a rapid speed before piercing through Fenar''s forehead. Blood spluttered into the air as the unwillingness and indignance on Fenar''s face couldn''t be any more obvious. Why? Why!! Why are the rich always fawned upon and respected and the poor have no choice but to obey and be shitted upon. Why didn''t they get punished for what they did to her? Why!! Why is this world so unfair!! Why!!... His eyes slowly grew blurry as he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud! The unwillingness in his eyes was clear as daylight. Xavier exhaled lightly, his chest rising heavily as Klaus gave him a thumbs-up before collapsing onto the floor. Fuck... I can''t even lift my legs. A few minutes later. After Hander had finished feeding his wife with some lies which the brother happily went on with. Even to the extent of lying that they were his childhood friend, which Mary did question its authenticity. How come he had never talked about them. Of course, Hander simply lied that they fell out. Fenar''s girlfriend was his ex-girlfriend which he broke up with in a ruthless manner. And with that... Everything died down there. Hander slowly kept the phone inside his pocket before shifting his gaze towards the two brothers'' "I just called the cops. "They will be here in a few minutes." Klaus nods his head, a light smile curling up his lips, "Alright then," He kept his gun before he added, "Guess it''s time for us to take our leave." Xavier subtly nods at Hander, he was silent for a whilst. "If you don''t want to... You really don''t have to," A wry smile crept up his face, "That''s way better than committing suicide." Hander who easily understood the hidden meaning behind those words had a smile creeping up his face. Though he was still surprised as to how they were able to come to figure it out. He pondered hard on it, yet couldn''t come up with a logical explanation. As expected of detectives. He thought, a smile adorning his face, as he felt a slight surge of joy course throughout his body. Now... I don''t have to commit suicide nor do I have to leave my family. He escorted the detectives towards the door. Klaus was about to take a step before he paused, his gaze lingering on Hander. "It has really been a nice time with you," He paused for a second before he added whilst chuckling, "Hopefully we don''t have reasons to meet again." Hander''s mouth twitched as he already knew a thing or two about Klaus''s personality. He nods his head before forcing a smile, "Thanks." Both brothers got into the car whilst Hander watched the car slowly vanish into the distance. Finally.... Everything is over...I can finally return to the family. His thoughts trailing off. Klaus gaze shifted towards Xavier before he muttered. "Guess it''s time to leave this city," He paused for a second. "Do you wanna stop by her place," He exhaled lightly before he added, "Who knows... This might be our last time in New Orleans." Xavier was silent for a whilst before shaking his head, "No... I will pass." Klaus exhaled lightly before nodding his head as the car busted forth, moving along the road at an incredulous pace whilst Xavier stared at the eerie crimson moon that seemed to have been formed as a result of the blood of millions if not billions... The eerie cold rays of the crimson moon covered the surface of the earth as the car rapidly moved past countless buildings, shops, houses and cars included. "Goodbye New Orleans," Klaus muttered, as they bade silent farewells'' to this wonderful city...In five to ten minutes at most. They will be out of New Orleans. In A Precarious Situation The car sped down the road, easily bypassing multitudes of other cars. Klaus took control of the steering wheels whilst Xavier''s gaze lingered out of the windows, his gaze swept across the streets as the car sped into the distance. Suddenly, Xavier tensed. "Klaus. Stop!" "Klaus! Klaus!" He hurriedly called out to his brother who chimed out in annoyance, "What!" Klaus''s hand jerked on the wheel, his foot slamming the brake. The car screeched to a halt, leaving a sharp arc on the Pasphalt. A material produced by mixing various natural resources found within the earth. Used to create various architectural structures. Manufactured by the Pasphalt Architectural Heights Industry. Rumor has it that the industry is connected to a powerful family. Well, the rumors have enough valid reasons. No industry would rise to success within the short span of fifty years...at least not in such a powerful Major City... As Xavier allowed his thoughts to trail off. A voice reverberated into his ears, bringing him out of his short reverie. "What the hell was that all about? Xavier pointed out of the window, his voice trembling lightly. "There." Klaus followed his brother''s fingers to a brick wall made of Pasphalt. Wanted posters adorning its surface. His blood ran cold. "You''ve got to be kidding me..." Xavier had a grim expression etched across his face. On the walls, there were various posters about a wanted criminal. Suspected of murder, impersonation, rape and so much more. But that wasn''t really what disturbed or annoyed Klaus. The cause of disturbance and anger surging within Klaus was due to the fact that the image of the wanted criminal was unmistakably him... His face stared back at him- same eyes, same nose, same charismatic charm. It was in no way different from him... Almost as though it was a perfect replica of his. He didn''t need to be told to know that the shape-shifter had made use of his meat suit to commit some really serious crimes. Anger surged within Klaus, his fists tightening on the wheel. "That son of a butch used my body to do all this." Even after the bastard is fucking dead, it still won''t leave the living in peace. His hands were clenched together, he breathed in and out as he tried to calm down. Xavier hesitated for a while, his gaze solemn as he said, "You don''t have to be this stressed out. We have already eliminated it." Klaus gave him a blank stare, he bit onto his lower lip before he spoke through gritted teeth, "Easy for you to say. "He wasn''t making use of your meat suit anyway." Xavier exhaled sharply, his gaze turning back to the bustling road. "Let''s just keep moving." Before anyone sees you. Xavier thought in exasperation with a slight tinge of fear evident in his trembling voice. Reluctantly, Klaus pulled the car back into gear, but the anger ever continuously simmered under his skin. They drove in silence, the windows rolled up while the weight of the past few days hung in the air. As they passed through the city streets. One among the hundred...no to be more precise...one hundred and thirty streets within New Orlean A TV screen in a shop window caught Xavier''s attention. He leaned closer, watching the live news feed. On the screen, a gray house could be seen in sight. The military agents busted into the house, making their way through several rooms before they found a woman. She was tied to a chair and a man who was bleeding unceasingly through the circlic gap on his neck could be seen on the ground. A pool of blood pooled around the severed head. Straps of fingers, tongue, and some more body parts littered the ground. The scene before them was enough to deeply shake most of the agents. A figure suddenly ran across a room. Casting a shadow onto the room which the military agents were in... They immediately caught sight of the shadow, tracing it to the figure who had his back facing them whilst holding onto a sharp knife. The sharp knife had blood glistening across its body, casting an eerie reddish shade across the room whilst it dripped onto the ground...sending light unheard echoes running across the rooms. "Stop right there!" Multiple loud voices tore through the air. The figure had a wide grin creeping up his face. He side glanced backward, revealing his face- Klaus''s face. Having already completed his revenge plan, he had a light smile on his face as he dashed outwards, amidst the terrifying bullets that tore through the air at a terrifying speed. KAAA!!! KAAA!!! KAAA!! He had a grim expression on his face before smashing through the eerie dark window. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. BAAANG!!! SHATTER!!! The glass crumbled under his might. He landed on the ground, rolling for a while before getting back onto his feet. Multiple bullets easily tore through the air at an incredulous pace, yet only two managed to pierce through the shape-shifter, and since they weren''t silver bullets. It did little to no harm. Within the blink of an eye...The shape-shifter disappeared from their line of sight. Hmm, Klaus''s brows got slightly narrowed. Wondering what could have kept Xavier''s attention at bay, his eyes darted towards the window. One of the multiple TV screens came into his line of sight. "Oh great... Just great," He said through gritted teeth. His hands were tightly clenched. He felt like strangling the shape-shifter. But unfortunately... The frigging poor bastard was already dead. Fuck it! Fuck it all! He exhaled lightly, trying to release the pent-up emotions. Xavier turned his head towards his brother. He hesitated for a while, not knowing what to say. After a few seconds of obvious struggle, "We just have to wait for a while," He paused for a second, forcing a smile before he added, "The cops must have gotten to Hander''s house by now." "Yeah." Klaus''s voice was hoarse. "Let''s just hope the cops figure it out before they come after me next." "You don''t have to worry about this. As long as the cops arrive at Hander''s house. He would most likely explain everything to them..." Hopefully. Klaus was silent for a while before muttering. "Hopefully, he doesn''t forget to talk about the impersonation." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In front of Hander''s blue house, the police were wrapping up their investigation. Hander nods his head, "Yes that''s how it happened. Luckily for us, two detectives showed up and saved us, thank God." "Praise be to Christo." The cops chorused reverently. The officers listened closely, taking notes. Hander rubbed his temples. " I''m pretty sure Fenar was impersonating one of the detectives. Yeah... that''s why they stepped in." The senior officer nodded, "Everything now makes sense. The detective and his partner were probably trying to stop him. In retaliation, Fenar decided to impersonate one of the detectives." His dim eyes slowly lit up. "Which means he has probably been impersonating others." Another officer, a balded man who held onto a baton chimed in, "This way... He will never be caught and at the end of the day, the crimes would fall on the detective." Another officer muttered, "What a crafty bastard. This way he pins everything on the real detective. Genius." The corporal''s mouth slightly twitched, before a light smile slowly crept up his face. "Anyway, it''s good to know that you and your family are now away from harm''s length." "Thanks to the detectives." Hander had a light smile adorning his face before shaking hands with the corporal, "Also once again, thanks, Corporal Senogascar." Senogascar shook his head, "Nothing worth mentioning. We literally didn''t even do anything." After the exchange of handshake, Senogascar turned his head towards the officers, "Alright boys. Pack it up and let''s get moving." The senior police officer immediately followed behind the corporal after the officers'' salutations in reply to his command. Starting the car engines, the various vehicles immediately moved into the distance. Hander held his wife in his arms, giving her a peck on the forehead. She rested her head against his chest whilst he bade farewells to the officers. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Approximately thirty minutes had passed since the officers left Hander''s home. Xavier''s gaze shifted towards his brother, "I guess it should have been dealt with by now." He paused for a second, before he added, "Or what do you think?" "Probably," Klaus replied with an expressionless look. But his trembling hands said another story entirely. He exhaled lightly before stepping on the pedal. A few minutes later, just as they had expected. Some cops were stationed at the end of the city. Klaus had a grim expression creeping up his face. His heart pounded as he considered hitting the gas, making a break for it. Even Xavier seemed to be getting ready for this. WHEEEW... But as they rolled closer, Klaus''s eyes easily caught sight of one of the cops who just ended a call with a slightly furrowed brow etched across his face. His mind raced with various different possibilities as the car slowly rolled towards the cops. _ _ _ _ _ "All right guys, pack it up," The cop in black, said to his fellow cops before he added, "The criminal has been reported dead." He was about to take a step before he stopped, "Oh- Also. The boss said two detectives might pass by soon and hmm... "And keep an eye out for detectives. One of them might look like the perp but don''t shoot. Orders from the top " Although they all found it weird. Still, this was an order from a superior, they were in no position to go against it. Klaus''s car came to a half before then. They were already packing the obstructions when their eyes suddenly caught sight of the criminal. Their heart skipped a beat as some of them were even about to fire their bullets. But they suddenly recollected what Aden had just said. They breathed a sigh of relief as Aden looked at Klaus with a scrutinizing gaze. Fuck... This isn''t just the same facial resemblance. It''s practically the same person! Klaus brought out his badge, a calm expression adorning his face, "I am Detective Zander, and this is my partner, Detective Hollerein." One of the cops nods his head, "Yeah... We already got a call. You''re clear to go." He paused for a second before he added with a wry smile, "It must have been tough dealing with a criminal wearing your face." Klaus chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "You have no idea." Aden nods, his voice piercing through the air. "Let the detectives pass through." He commanded, receiving salutations from two cops ahead, "Yes sir!" They replied in unison. Xavier subtly nods at Aden before the car slowly moves forward. Aden had a light smile creeping up his face, "See you again detectives." Klaus nodded in reply as the brothers escaped the deadly, capricious situation that they had found themselves in. As they drove away, both brothers could be seen laughing heartedly in the car. Xavier laughed softly. "You should have seen the look on their faces. It was like they''d seen a ghost." Klaus grinned, the tension finally lifting. "Yeah. Guess we gave them something to talk about." A few seconds easily passed by as the brothers drove in silence. "So...where to now?" Klaus questioned. Xavier handed over a newspaper to Klaus, who raised an eyebrow. "Desolate Wilderness in Yansen." One of the seven Major Cities found in the Northern parts of the Universal States. Xavier nods, "Dad left some coordinates, and guess where one of them points to?" Klaus, who had also seen the coordinate within their dad''s journal, muttered in response. "Desolate Wilderness." Xavier lightly nods in response. Klaus handed over the newspaper to him. "Alright. Desolate Wilderness it''s then." He tuned in to a classic rock music and then stepped onto the pedal, causing the car to burst into a frenzied speed. Klaus seemed to have turned into a rock star now, as he sang to the tunes of the classical rock music. While Xavier smiled at him, enjoying the time he had with his brother. The doubts of the future gnawing on the very edges of his soul to the very depths of his mind. Two yellow Pair Of Eyes "So, around thirty-two hours to get to desolate wilderness," Xavier muttered, eyes scanning the crinkled newspaper on his lap. Klaus nodded. "Yeah." Xavier paused, frowning. "But I''m still not sure of the creature we could be possibly dealing with. Which one do you think is responsible for the disappearances?" Klaus exhaled, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Honestly? I''m leaning towards a werewolf." "Werewolf..." Xavier rubbed his temples, the strain clear in his voice. "Attack under the crimson moon, claw marks at the scene- definitely fits. But indigenous predation? That''s... strange. Still, it night be our best lead. Klaus shrugged, a dry chuckle slipping past his lips. "Guess we''ll find out soon enough." The conversation fell away, leaving an awkward silence to settle between them. Outside, the empty streets paved with Pasphalt stretched on, shadows swallowing the few remaining cars. Even bars were shuttered, their neon lights flickering weakly in the rearview mirror. Klaus turned the radio on, tuning into classic rock to fill the eerie void. The car roared to life as he pressed the pedal, speeding through the desolate streets. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Within the confines of a forest where trees with gnarled trunks reign supreme and the crimson rays of the moon illuminates the forest in its eerie warmth. Three tents could be seen in sight, and within each of these greenish tents. One could see one to two teenagers or of adult-age boys within its confines. They seemed to be in quite a good mood. Despite the non-existing chirping of birds and scurrying of squirrels. All this didn''t seem to affect them as they were busy chatting and gisting about their fearless adventure. Staying in the forest for three days consecutively was no joke. If that isn''t worth bragging about then really.... Nothing else is. Within the confines of one of the tents. One of the campers with dark sleek hair that cascaded down his shoulders with deep black eyes could be seen. His hand went for his red bag before bringing out a camera. With a light smile adorning his face, "Hey guys. I am about to begin with the third record. "I still can''t believe it! Despite the historical lore on the forest. Three days in the forest and we''re still standing." Alex said, his voice tinged with disbelief and excitement. "Hmph... I am not really too surprised by this." A harrumph resounded from one of the other tents. "I bet the old folks all said it to dissuade us from camping in the forest." He added with a cold snort. "If this place were dangerous we wouldn''t be alive in the first place." Lightly shaking his head, Adrian added. "If there''s really a monstrous creature here. Then do tell me, who was able to live to tell the tale?" Seraph shook his head before lying on the cloth spread across the tent, "If this forest is really as dangerous as they say it''s. Then shouldn''t we have at least had an unfortunate encounter with the least of all... A bear." "Well, dangerous or not. We are three days down to completing our one-week camping quest," Said Belday, one of the teenagers who slowly munched on his burger. Of course, they brought food along with them. They weren''t so crazy to actually think of hunting a wild animal. Fuck that... They can''t even hold a gun. Belday allowed his thoughts to run amuck, whilst he happily munched on the burger. Alex nods his head, "Alright then. Let me begin the record anyway. "So I can send it to Bella. She must be worried-sick by now." "Yeh Yeh... If ain''t elder sister''s little pet." Adrian who had a muscular body and a deep voice teased with a light smirk etched across his face. "Haha....So funny." "Alright Adrian. "Can you stop being a jerk for once?" Julian; Adrian''s elder brother cautioned him. Adrian simply rolled his eyes in reply before shifting his body to the left as he prepared to have a few moments of respite. Alex stepped outside to capture the footage. The night felt alive, the forest breathing in sync with his heartbeat. "Hey everyone. It''s Alex here, and welcome to our seven-days camping adventure. "It''s night tree and the forest is absolutely magical. The trees here are so tall and thick, it feels as though we are in another world. And the night sky here is like nothing I''ve ever seen," Alex exaggerated. With a little smile on his face, he proceeded to continue. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "The crimson moon lights up everything in its crimson glow. It''s cool and tranquil within the desolate wilderness. But there''s also this sense of mystery as though the forest is alive and watching us!" RUSTLEEE!!! The wind shifted, carrying a sudden rustling through the trees. Alex frowned, immediately glancing around him. A few seconds easily passed by, yet he heard or saw absolutely nothing. "Just the wind..." he muttered, shaking his head as the unease gnawed at the edges of his thoughts.'' He chuckled lightly before proceeding with his record. "We have already seen some amazing wildlife today and we can''t wait to see what tomorrow brings for us in the heart of the desolate wilderness. "Stay tuned for more updates from our adventure!" RUSTLEEE!!! RUSTLEEE!!! The rustling of tree leaves became even more violent just after Alex was done with the record. The rustling had intensified and this time, he was sure it definitely wasn''t the wind. Realizing that something was definitely off. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately ran for the tent. His heartbeat seemed to have accelerated tremendously, as he panted continuously, running with everything he had got. Inside the tent, Alex''s voice trembled. "Guys guys. I think something is out there," Alex was breathing heavily whilst his voice quivered continuously, "I d-on''t know. B-ut God... I can fucking swear that i thought I saw a reflection of two deep yellow pair of eyes." Seraph the closest to Alex frowned slightly, "Calm down Alex. It''s probably nothing." "Yeah you''re losing it." Adrian yawned, stretching before stepping out of the tent. "Where are you going?" Julian questioned with a slightly raised brow. "Gotta take a leak ." Adrian replied hurriedly before dashing out of the tent. Standing in front of a large tree with the crimson rays of the moon serving as his only source of light in the eerie silent and desolate atmosphere. He removed his little dragon from its confines before he started to release the barrage. PEEEEEEZZZ!!! He breathed a sigh of relief. ...That feeling is always as good as ever. Probably even better than cumming inside a lady. Adrian thought with a mouth-watering look. RUSSTTLLEEEE!!! RUSSTLLEEEE!!!! The rustling returned, closer, heavier. "Knock it off guys. It ain''t really funny." Still peeing, Adrian could only let out his aggrieved words. "Stop what?" Questioned Julian who was still inside the tent. Gosh... Why are they all acting weird today. Julian thought upon receiving no reply from his younger brother. Silence swallowed them whole for a second there. SLAAASSSH!!! A dark abyssal-like claw suddenly cut through the eerie silence. Immediately followed by a loud roar filled with pain. "AAARRRGHHHH!!!" Adrian let out a loud roar and it only continued to get worse, his screams pierced through the eerie silence, sending frosty chills down the spines of those who heard them. SLASSSSH!!! AAAARGHHH!!!!! Within the blink of an eye, silence finally reigned supreme and except for the slight rustling of tree leaves, there wasn''t really anything horrifying or bone-chilling to say the least. If they hadn''t heard those screams with such clarity that sent cold chills running down their spines, before extending to grip tightly onto their hearts. They would have thought that they were probably all hallucinating. ADRIIIAAAN!!!! ADRIIIAAAN!!! Julian immediately dashed out of the tent, his heart pounding terrifically. He felt like his heart could burst out of his chest at any point in time. Those loud roar of his brother truly sent icy chills down his spine. There was something screaming to him to not leave the tent. Stay away... Stay away!! Yet here he was. He had to see his brother. He had to! "Where are you Adrian?" He questioned no one in particular. He glanced around him, taking into view the eerie desolation and mind-wrenching silence with the only source of warmth being his rapidly pacing heartbeat and the warm feeling of his feet touching the ground. He suddenly saw something, a glimpse of his brother. Well... What remained of him. Tears streamed down the corner of his eyes as he took into view the sight of mangled flesh, ripped out organs, intestines and so much more. He covered his mouth as he tried to speak. He tried to say something...Yet nothing came out of his mouth. He was terrified, he was scared. Whilst he was lost in his world of chaotic internal turmoils... He suddenly felt as though an invisible cold pair of eyes was watching him from the depths of the darkness and the eerie silent forest. RUSTLEEE!!!! RUSTLEEE!!! He moved with the rustling of the tree leaves, circling around in a crazed manner as he tried to identify the wild animal. He suddenly felt a cold breath cascading upon him from above. He took in a gulp of saliva, his body absolutely terrified whilst it screamed for him to move...run! Just get away from here! His heartbeat seemed to have stopped beating for a second there. His body trembled instinctively as he glanced backward slowly...but surely. A monstrous figure appeared in his line of sight, one that caused his eyes to widen to unbelievable extents. What the fuck is this! He tried to scream...shout. Fuck! at least do something to warn the others. Inform them that the historical lore is right. Yet it felt as though the words were stuck in his throat. He couldn''t even move his fingers, talkless of moving his lips to speak. He was horrified...scared and petrified! A few seconds that felt like an eternity easily passed by with his heartbeat pounding so hard, that he wouldn''t have been surprised if it actually jumps out of his chest. Frosty coldness latched onto his bones, his back in particular were all drenched in sweat, his spine felt as though they had been placed in a chilling cube whilst his blood flowed at an abnormal pace. Just when he was beginning to lose it all, his mind on the verge of collapsing completely, a large eerie dark claw suddenly tore through the air. Cleaving Julian''s head off his body before it dropped onto the ground then rolled towards one of the tents. Julian''s body spluttered out blood unceasingly before it finally died down, collapsing onto the floor with a loud thud. ADRIAAN!!! JULIAAAN!!! They managed to call out amidst the terrifying fear that gripped onto their hearts. Yet the eerie silence that followed sent chills running down the spine of the teenagers. They were jittering crazily inside the tent while some of them were already too freaking scared to even say a word. Fuck It All... They only wanted to have some fun and prove the elders'' wrong. B-ut Now... They had of all things become the prey of some fucking psychopath of a wild animal. Why else would it be psychologically torturing them if it wasn''t a psychopath. They knew such thoughts about a wild animal being that smart was too crazy to be true, but so where the lores pertaining to the desolate wilderness. Now... They were really beginning to regret not listening to the words of the elders. If they could go back in time. They would do absolutely anything to ensure that they never step into this forest. But unfortunately for them... With the sudden disappearance of Transcenders which came with the loss of the pathways. It stands to reason that this was absolutely impossible! Hence whilst jittering crazily, their minds'' on the verge of breaking apart. They could only pray and hope that the wild animal would leave. Yet how ironic and laughable that''s...because unfortunately for them. The Hunt had only just begun. Panic Settling In. Belday and Ashner, two teenagers around seventeen years old, with green hair and brown eyes, sat in the same tent. Both had lost composure entirely, trembling so violently that the fat on their bodies visibly shook. Neither were warriors - just food enthusiasts- and now they could do nothing but panic. To be fair, no one could blame them. Even a hardened man would feel the chill after such a terrifying encounter. RGAAAH!!! RGAAHH!!! RUSTLE!!! The creature''s speed was overwhelming. It moved so fast that even the massive shadows cast into the endless darkness seemed like nothing more than a blur. If Belday and Ashner hadn''t heard the bone-chilling screams of Adrian and Julian-followed by their sudden silence-they might have believed it was all a hallucination. B-ut it wasn''t. This wasn''t an illusion. Definitely not. The creature, whatever it was, moved too quickly for their eyes to fully comprehend. All they could make out was the faint, blurred outline of shadows like some twisted mirage. Then¡­It struck. Rustle! RIIIIPP!!! One of the tents tore apart violently, followed by the piercing screams of Belday and Ashner. Their heads were suddenly airborne, torn clean from their bodies, which collapsed with a sickening thud as blood sprayed unceasingly across the dark tent. The blood pooled on the ground, slowly creeping toward the last tent - the one where Alex and Seraph stayed. The sight of it made their pupils shrink in sheer terror. They wanted heavily, their hearts beating so furiously it felt like they might burst. Seraph''s pulse quickened as the eerie silence of the night was shattered. He gripped his knife tighter, his knuckles white against the cold steel. His breath misted in the air, heart thudding louder than the rustling leaves surrounding the tents. Shadows flickered in the corner of his vision, dancing unnaturally across the forest floor. ¡°Seraph, get back here!¡± Alex''s trembling voice was a distant echo, drowned out by the roar of blood pounding in Seraph''s ears. But Seraph couldn''t listen. Not now. Fuck it all! He was done hiding. He was going to face it. The thing¡­ The sight before him was beyond anything he had ever imagined¡­even as a worse nightmare. It reminded him of the day when he got back home from school, only to see his parent''s limbs and visceral flying across the ground. A figure on its four. Snowy-white body, glistening blue eyes, and a maw of razor-sharp teeth could be seen munching on his parent''s bodies. Meat, blood, limbs, and organs included. He could clearly remember that day¡­.it was a day that he could never forget. At the Northern edges of Yansen City. He had frozen at the sight. His hand subconsciously covered his mouth. His breath came out in powerful, short bursts. Frosty air intertwined with the chilling coldness that pervaded the atmosphere. That day¡­he felt a cold chill run down his spine, a strange terrifying current coursing throughout his body. The urge to dash towards it and wrestle with every ounce of strength within him tried to overwhelm him completely. Yet, he held on- tears dripping down the corner of his eyes. Forcefully biting onto his lower lips, despite the pain that gnawed on his heart to the very depths of his soul. The crazy urge to battle it out with the white wolf. He did what his parents would have wanted him to do in such a situation. He silently turned back, yet doing that felt too difficult. His body felt heavy, his steps denser as he slowly walked towards the backdoor. Each step he took sent silent, unheard echoes across the ground. His heart pounded terrifically, while his blood seemed to have frozen. Each step more difficult to take than the last. Yet, he knew that he couldn''t stay here for too long. The white wolf was busy with its meal - his parents. At the thought of this, veins wriggled crazily across his hands. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Tears rushed out in abundance while he tried his best to suppress the roar within him. Tap. Step. Just one more step¡­ He thought, taking one more step. CREAK!!! He had subtly stepped on a broken wood stained with a dark reddish shade. He suddenly froze in place. Slowly turning his head backward, a beautiful pair of deep blue eyes was staring coldly at him. Its razor-sharp teeth glistened with an eerie dark liquid. FUCK¡­He immediately dashed through the wooden door, slamming it shut. He dashed forward, running toward somewhere¡­anywhere. Anywhere that could stop him from getting killed. As he ran, short, powerful bursts of air escaped his nostrils. His heart raced abnormally fast, the chilling wind gnawing on his skin. Each step he took felt like his last. Remembering his parents torn clothes, limbs, organs and so much more forced out the tears that he had forcibly suppressed, the sweet memories he had with his parents flashing past him. How he had promised to take care of them. How he talked about marrying a beautiful lady from one of the noble families. How¡­he had promised them everything. Y-et...now. They were gone. Forever. Tears streamed down the corner of his eyes as a loud roar subconsciously escaped his lips. A roar filled with the pain that gnawed at him. He could subtly hear the powerful tremors reverberating beneath him. He didn''t need to be told to know that the white wolf was rapidly catching up to him. Not only that, but as he ran past the gnarled, tall trees, running with everything he had got. The snow beneath his feet sent cold, chilling wind into his feet. The weird sensation forced him to run faster. He ran and ran¡­ a chilling coldness broke along his spine. Taking a glance- he saw it. The figure of death. It was rapidly gaining on him. Each stride it took sent it countless feet into the distance. Despite the burning feeling that swept across his lungs, the fatigue and weariness that held on to him. He still kept going. He knew he couldn''t afford to be caught. I can''t die¡­I don''t want to die. His eyes were extremely red at this point. Three feet behind him¡­one could see the white wolf with unmistakable clarity. Its figure blurring into shadows that promised suffering and pain of untold horror. He suddenly made a sharp dart to his left. The white wolf swept past him, its cold white claws skittering across the ground as it forced itself to come to a stop. Seraph immediately continued running. Short, ragged bursts of air continuously escaped his lips as he struggled to surpass his body''s limits. He felt like collapsing¡­.he felt like giving up. But, he didn''t want to die¡­he knew his parents would want him to live a happy, joyous life. Yet, a part of him felt like giving up, another part of him wanted to go all out against the white wolf. But, he knew that would be plain suicide. Despite the overwhelming toil of emotions that threatened to break him apart, he was able to maintain a light semblance of reasoning. Hence, he ran. He ran like his life depended on it. He dashed¡­turned¡­rolled and did everything he could. Everything he could just to hold on to that thread of hope. He did every single thing¡­ And on that day¡­the day he heard three loud and crisp gunshots. He could say with utmost certainty that he had never felt so relieved¡­ And the sight before him wasn''t less worse. His hand shot to his mouth, holding back the bile. This wasn''t real¡­i-t couldn''t be real. And yet, it was. The stench of death, heavy and cloying. He took a shaky step forward, knife held out in front of him as if it could offer any protection. A sudden blur of motion to his right- faster than his eyes could follow. His heart seized in his chest for a second there. Then came the rustling, louder this time, closer. He strained to track its movement, his mind screamed for something- anything- that would help him survive. But nothing stood out, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the bizarre, headache-inducing shadows that swirled around them. Alex, however, noticed something peculiar. Though he couldn''t track the creature''s speed, there was a striking feature he was unable to ignore- a pair of yellow eyes, faintly hidden beneath the creature''s deep black pupil. And from what he had noticed, the bright yellow pair of eyes would only unravel themselves when the creature decided to strike. Well, these were just his assumptions anyway. Throughout his entire life¡­ He had never heard of such a wild animal. That''s just illogical and dreadful to say the least. But again¡­ I doubt this is a wild animal. Alex''s thoughts ran amok as he shivered subtly, glancing at the supposed battlefield. His body trembling lightly. WHOOSSSH!!! A cold rush of wind swept past Alex as though an invisible force had gripped him. ¡°Seraph! Behind you!¡± Alex roared, his voice slicing through the suffocating coldness. Seraph''s body tensed as a wave of adrenaline surged through him. He rolled to his left just in time, feeling a sharp sting on his neck. Blood dripping down his skin. If Alex hadn''t warned me. Then I would have died from that strike. Visibly shaken, Seraph''s grip on his knife tightened. His palms were sweaty, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. His wariness had intensified. He didn''t want to die. Not like this- not the same way in which they died. But this¡­this thing. Whatever it was, was too fast. Too strong. The white wolf was nothing in comparison. His thoughts spiraled into madness as he fought the rising panic. And then, Silence. A mind-wrenching silence followed forth. Then, from beyond the tree behind him. Two glowing yellow eyes emerged- unnaturally bright against the ink-blank night. He could feel it¡­weirdly enough. The flow of the calm, soothing breeze from behind had grown more violent. Slowly turning back. His eyes fully took into view the horror-inducing body of the monstrosity. A primal fear gripped him. Negative primal emotions thrummed in his chest. This wasn''t a wild animal- It was something far worse. But before Seraph could react, a powerful force slammed into him. Heavy and thick. The wind was knocked from his lungs as he hit the ground hard. His knife skittered away into the shadows. His mind raced in a chaotic whirlwind. Panic setting within him. Seraph gasped, a lump of bile stuck in his throat. Suddenly¡­ He felt the creature''s breath¡ªhot, wet and rancid- on the back of his neck. His mind scrambled for a plan, an idea, a way to survive this predicament. Any plan¡­but there was nothing. Nothing came. There and then¡­. He knew he was going to die. Similar to how they had died. In the hands of a monstrous creature. A savage blow struck his soul and the world went black. Unwillingness etched across his face. Alex watched in horror as Seraph collapsed, his body motionless on the ground. H-e he wanted to say something yet nothing came out of his mouth. Panting heavily, Alex''s eyes widened as the creature slowly stepped toward him. Its gaunt, emaciated body, bony claws, and abysmal eyes glistened in the night, dripping blood onto the forest floor. Tap¡­ taaap... taaaap The creature moved with slow deliberate steps, each one more terrifying than the last. And then¡­in an instant, it vanished from Alex''s sight. Alex gritted his teeth before making a decision. Suddenly dashing out of his tent. He was going to risk it all. I can''t just wait for death, he thought, his heart pounding harder with every step. ¡­Even if I die. I will know I died fighting. HUFF!! HUFF!! He panted heavily as he ran for his life. Sometimes, he would fall, sometimes he would hit his head against a few hard rocks or pebbles. Sometimes, smash into a tree¡­Most times he would feel a crazy level of pain shooting through his entire body, but he forced himself to keep going. His breath came in ragged gasps as the sound of his footsteps echoed through the forest. And then, silence. For a while now. He hadn''t heard any violent rustle of tree leaves. Yet, he still kept running as though his life depended on it. Alex skidded to a halt, his hands on his knees, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He glanced back, his eyes scanning the darkness. Nothing. No shadows. No movement. Just as he was about to turn, he felt it- the rancid air, the sickening distortion in the atmosphere. Slowly, Alex looked up. The creature loomed above him, its cold, yellow eyes boring into his soul. ¡°Holy-!!!¡± Before he could react, a devastating punch struck him, sending him spiraling into unconsciousness. As Alex''s body crumbled to the ground, the creature bent down, effortlessly lifting both him and Seraph before vanishing into the endless darkness. It left behind only a scene of carnage- blood, mangled bodies, and an eerie, unnatural silence. _ _ _ _ _ _ "WHEEW!! ¡°We''re finally in Yansen,¡± Xavier said, his voice a mix of relief and excitement. The car sped past the ¡°Welcome to Yansen" road sign as Klaus hummed along to the music. A few minutes later. Klaus stopped the car. ¡°It''s still the middle of the night. We should probably find somewhere to sleep.¡± Xavier nodded in agreement. They both stepped out of the car. Clutching their father''s journal in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Together, they headed for a nearby hotel. Making Researches Azure Hotel, Wahoe Town- Anuerea Mountain Range, Yansen. The flickering neon sign outside the Azure Hotel illuminated the foggy streets below. Inside the dimly lit room, Klaus sprawled across one of the two green beds, an easy grin on his face. The muted hum of the air conditioner and the distant howl of the wind through the mountain passes created a hollow echo in the mind-wrenching silence and oppressive darkness. Xavier set his dad''s journal and a crunched newspaper on the wooden table. His fingers drummed the edge, creating a hollow echo that reverberated through the unnatural silence. He paced, eyes scanning the room- two beds, a long table, and a chair- until his gaze rested on Klaus. ¡°What do you think we''re dealing with this time around?¡± he asked, his voice low. Klaus''s smile faded as he sat up, his expression sharpening. ¡°Whatever it is, it''s hungry. Insatiable, even.¡± He paused, his brows furrowing. ¡°And¡­smart. Thirty people have disappeared in ten days. This thing-whatever it might be knows when to strike and when to disappear.¡± Xavier nodded, his mind swirling in a chaotic turmoil. He didn''t like how easily Klaus could praise the creature. Every word left a cold chill in the air, heavy and dense. ¡°Well, I''ll start researching. We need to get ahead of it before more bodies vanish into thin air. We should also visit the families of the latest victims.¡± Klaus chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°You expect us to visit them all? That''ll take us a lifetime.¡± ¡°Probably an eternity.¡± Klaus subconsciously muttered, his voice low. ¡°And that''s if we''re lucky enough.¡± He added with a wry smile. Xavier rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching lightly. ¡°Yeah¡­ As though you can live for that long.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Klaus leaned back, smirking. "Perhaps some ¡°old god¡± from the mysticism era will bless me with eternal life. A few of those Asian busty beauties wouldn''t Hurst either." Xavier rolled his eyes; for a second, there, he thought he saw Klaus¡­drooling. He shook his head, blinking for a second before staring back at his brother. But¡­ Everything was perfectly normal and Klaus now held his normal cold, noble look. ''He didn''t clean the drool with his hands¡­right?'' Xavier''s body shuddered slightly. He exhaled lightly before deciding to remove his brother''s acts away from his mind. Focusing on the laptop''s screen, his fingers danced across the keyboard. It''s said that the first laptop originated from a place¡­somewhere beyond the sphere of the world or so some said. As for how it somehow got to the so-called center of the world. No one knows or perhaps does who did didn''t want to disclose it. Whichever one it''s¡­Xavier knew he wouldn''t be finding out about that¡­at least not anytime soon. This happened ages ago¡­long before he was even born. But hopefully, I get a chance to uncover the secrets behind it. Xavier thought smilingly while glancing at the small yet miraculous force that couldn''t be ignored in this present age¡­ especially when considering the fact that knowledge of the ages beyond the dark era or ages were far too few, almost nonexistent. Klaus, who now held the drooling, mouth-watering look, slowly regained his calm bearing before he added, ¡°That had sure hell be fun.¡± "Talking about Asian Beauties. He added after shifting his gaze towards his brother. ¡°Do you still¡­ You know- you understand right?¡± He blinked multiple times in an attempt to pass on the intended message. Xavier stared at his brother, whilst he felt a cold chill running down his spine. Somehow¡­ Those words felt awfully familiar. He didn''t have to ponder or furrow his brows for too long. The set of memories which luckily and perhaps unluckily weren''t among the set of sealed memories slowly came flooding in. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He sighed inwardly. Realizing that he couldn''t really blame the previous him- Xavier anyway. With no girl to fuck in sight due to his age. The previous Xavier could only set his eyes on a more accomplishable feat. Which is, of course, to watch porn to ease the temptations and mind-wrenching urges. Although Xavier- He felt a little ashamed that he had such a bad record on him. But upon thinking about it, unlike he who had a girlfriend very early on in his previous lifetime. The previous Xavier didn''t have one until a few years ago. Well, at least that''s what the unsealed part of his memory said. As a result, until then, Xavier could only keep up with those urges he had to suffer from. He felt like facepalming himself. The reason being that it was this dear, dashing and unruly brother of his that had introduced him to porn watching. Even going to the very extreme of subscribing to see the best of the best. Xavier coughed inwardly, as he tried his best to remove all those ugly thoughts and memories away from his mind. Although it felt like a long time had passed, only a few seconds had clocked by. ¡°Nope, I don''t.¡± Xavier bluntly replied. Shifting his gaze back toward his laptop. He started typing even faster as his hands moved with greater precision. Klaus had a raised eyebrow. A sly smile slowly curled up his lips. He had decided to pester Xavier even more. He wasn''t fooled. Definitely not. Quit? How could he quit? That is just¡­impossible. Wait¡­ Unless. Klaus''s eyes widened to an exaggerated extent. With a wide grin, he got onto his feet before walking toward his brother, who immediately stopped what he was doing due to the soft echoes of Klaus''s feet hitting the floor. Seeing the wide grin on Klaus''s face, he had a wary look on his face as he unconsciously shifted back. The chair got slightly bent as Xavier deeply reclined into it. ¡°Hey¡­What do you want?¡± He asked warily. Klaus laughed lightly for a few seconds there, whilst Xavier felt like his brother had finally run mad. He knew it would still happen. But¡­not this early. His way eyes refused to leave his elder brother, a tense oppressiveness hung in the air. A few seconds easily clocked by before the eerie silence finally got broken. "Have you hmm¡­ I mean have you scored the goal. ¡°You understand what I mean, right?¡± Klaus added with a raised brow. ¡°You know- The goal, the one found in a girl.¡± He clarified even further. But to be sincere, Xavier didn''t really think that he needed any further classification. Xavier had already understood what Klaus was trying to say from the first sentence that talked about ''goal.'' He just wanted to play dumb. But the second and third set of words from Klaus wholly ruined that. Sighing lightly. ¡°Yes.¡± He replied before getting back to work. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Klaus grinned widely, his voice offering a brief relief from the tension and anxiety on the mission hand. ¡°So¡­who''s this lucky girl?¡± Xavier rolled his eyes, his eyes fixed on the screen, ¡°That, you don''t need to know.¡± He didn''t bother himself with Klaus anymore. He was finally starting to get the answers that he was looking for. Klaus simply shrugged it off. He had gotten what he wanted anyway. And was happy with it. Grinning widely, he lightly straightened his finger''s bones. ¡°I am happy for you bro¡­ really happy for you.¡± At least now, you don''t have to watch porn again. Klaus sighed, his sigh filled with various chaotic and contrasting emotions. ¡°Yeah¡­very obvious,¡± Xavier replied with a forced smile. ¡°Who would have thought that the kid of yesterday would also score a goal in a few years to come,¡± Klaus added with a melancholic sigh. ¡°...¡± Xavier didn''t bother to reply. He was quiet for a while. Tapping onto the keyboard one last time. WHEEW!! ¡°Done with the research.¡± He informed his brother, who immediately got onto his feet. A serious expression immediately crept up his face. ¡°Alright. So what have we got?¡± Xavier nodded before he proceeded to explain the result of his research. ¡°According to my research. We have four primary suspects.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­alright. So what are the four suspects?¡± "The first one is probably a skin-walker. ¡°I am sure you are all too familiar with skin walkers so there''s really no need to emphasize more on them.¡± With a frigid gaze, Klaus muttered. "From Navajo folklore of the western region. "Witches that transform, disguise, and pose as animals. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I know quite a lot about those bitches.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­" Xavier laughed lightly, a light flash of scene rapidly flashing past his eye. How young Klaus had been handicapped and tricked by a young skinwalker. Having being tricked by the girl-according to him, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes on. Truly she was beautiful, but not the most beautiful. If it wasn''t for the old man. He might have probably been mind controlled by the girl''s mum. Xavier sighed inwardly, throwing his thoughts at the back of his mind. "Anyway next on our list is an Aswang. ¡°You see¡­these ones are rarely seen. Records about them date back to around three hundred years ago.¡± The Middle Ages of the dark era. Klaus nods his head in understanding. ¡°Alright¡­ So what does the lore say about them?¡± "Well, In Roman Folklore, the Aswang is a shape-shifting monster that can appear as a human during the day and transform into various animals at night. Xavier paused for a second, allowing Klaus to digest the information before he continued. ¡°They are known for their predatory nature and their hunger for human flesh¡­ particularly those of unborn children.¡± "Alright. So that clears this one out. ¡°There has been no record of the disappearance of pregnant women.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Xavier nodded in agreement. ¡°Third on the list is the Yara-ma-yha-wo.¡± ¡°Ya-ra what now?¡± Xavier simply chuckled whilst shaking his head. ¡°Not much is known about these freaks except- they resemble vampires in all sense of the world and well- drop from short trees into unsuspecting victims.¡± ¡°Well, this freak of nature is also out of the list then. The trees in the northern region are all tall- and with gnarled trunks¡± ¡°Yeah. Based on my analysis. Most of these creatures are not really behind the killings nor the sudden disappearance of the campers?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So what do you think is behind it, then?¡± Klaus questioned with a raised brow. "I am not really too sure about it. "But I am more than willing to bet that it''s probably a¡­ A Wendigo ¡°But I am more than willing to bet that it''s probably a¡­ Wendigo.¡± ¡°Wendigo?¡± ¡°Yeah a Wendigo,¡± Xavier replies with a nod. Klaus frowned, ¡°But aren''t those mythical creatures rooted in the Algonquin Folklore, primarily associated with the indigenous people of the northern forests of the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes region of the universal states.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xavier nods in affirmation. ¡°Everything you said so far is quite correct. Well, of course apart from the fact that they are no myth.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Klaus shifted, a hint of skepticism still in his voice. "Let''s say Wendigos are real. What do we have on them? Xavier exhaled, eyes narrowing. ¡°Cannibals. Humans who result to cannibalism in extreme conditions, and well the hunger kinda warps them into something monstrous.¡± Klaus listened attentively, the lightness in his expression gone. ¡°Cannibalism¡­ and it has to take place in a frosty region?¡± ¡°Exactly. The cold somehow¡­ facilitates the change.¡± A kinda further supernatural transmutation. Klaus''s eyes drifted, lost in thought. ¡°I''ve heard this before¡­" He stood suddenly, striding across the room. ¡°Dad. He talked about them.¡± He yanked his father''s old journal from the shelf and flipped through the pages with frantic precision, until he found the entry. -I saw traces that made me believe I was after a Wendigo.- Just like I thought. ¡°It''s real. Dad hunted one.¡± Klaus exhaled sharply. The memories slowly came flooding in. He remembered that day with great clarity. When he was close to clocking seven. He heard his dad talking about hunting a Wendigo. It could be said that he started hunting at a young age. Young as in¡­ when others his age would be climbing and jumping, crying for sweets and playing games around. He was both glad and well...not that glad about it. He let out a melancholic sigh before dropping the journal. Xavier felt a cold chill creep down his spine. If Dad hunted one. Only the gods know just how dangerous it''s. His thoughts trailed off, dread settling within him. Klaus let the journal fall shut. He let out a breath, tension think in the air. The dimly lit room casting endless shadows on the walls. ¡°Alright, guess we already know what we are after.¡± Klaus finally spoke up after a long slightly uncomfortable silence. ¡°Yeah. Now we just have to confirm if we are really after a Wendigo.¡± Xavier''s voice was quiet, the weight of the task sinking in. For one he really hoped they weren''t dealing with a Wendigo. And on there other hand...if they were really dealing with a Wendigo just as he had suspected. He hoped he got enough information on it. Just enough to gank it. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Klaus ran a hand through his hair, sighing. ¡°Alright. We''ll figure it out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Right now, I am crazy famished.¡± He added, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Xavier chuckled lightly, but his mind remained focused. ¡°I think we should be careful if this is a Wendigo.¡± He finally spoke after a few seconds of constantly rubbing his temples. Klaus, who already removed the upper part of his cloth, with his six well-defined parks in full display and was busy caressing it, suddenly raised his head. ¡°Uh¡­ and why do you say that?¡± ¡°Well, the lore says they are great at mimicry. So¡­" ¡°Hmm¡­indeed, this might prove to be more difficult than I previously thought.¡± More difficult. Klaus muttered, eliciting a nod from Xavier. ¡°But well, how hard can it possibly be? Its weakness is something we have in abundance.¡± ¡°Fire?¡± Xavier questioned with a raised brow. ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaus nods in affirmation. "And instead of using silver bullets, fire seems to be the best option.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Xavier muttered with a nod of his head. ¡°No¡­not likely, definitely.¡± Klaus chuckled lightly, "We just have to get it to an open area, and then¡­ it''s done for.¡± Klaus snapped his hands together, perhaps to pass across the intended information. Xavier didn''t respond but his mind was racing. Klaus always acts like it''s no big deal¡­but I know him. He''s just hiding¡­it¡­" He sighed lightly, a light smile crept up his face as he shut the laptop. Klaus''s stomach grumbled in dissatisfaction. ¡°Hey, Xavier, can we get something to eat now? This stomach of mine isn''t really in a good state.¡± ¡°Yeah obviously.¡± Xavier chuckled lightly, eliciting a light laughter from Klaus. ¡°Alright, so is it the same old burger?¡± Xavier questioned, just a step away from leaving the room. ¡°Of course, they are the best after all.¡± Of course they are. Xavier lampooned inwardly. ¡­Who in their right senses would believe bacon burger to be the best food across the world? That''s just¡­" Xavier allowed his thoughts to trail off for a second there. Lightly shaking his head. He proceeded to open the door. ¡°So¡­two or three?¡± Xavier questioned, considering the fact that they had been on the road for close to two days. ¡°Um¡­Yeah, three should suffice.¡± Klaus replied with a subtle nod, before collapsing on the bed. Xavier smiles, closing the door while humming a song. Sung by a famous rock star back on Earth. A few minutes easily clocked by, probably around ten minutes. Xavier finally got back, opening the door before slowly closing it. He handed the burger to Klaus, who hurriedly jacked it away from his hands. ¡°Alright, alright, take it easy. No one is taking it away from you.¡± Xavier shook his head, leaving Klaus to battle with his burger. ¡°Aah.¡± Klaus let out a light exhalation, his voice a mix of relief and pleasure. ¡°Now¡­ this is what I''m talking about.¡± Xavier simply shook his head with a smile. He placed the bento box on the table, then sat down on the chair, before slowly digging into the salad. ¡°You still into salad?¡± Klaus questioned, his gaze lingering on his brother for a few seconds. ¡°Yeah¡­ why do you ask?¡± Xavier was about to speak but suddenly stopped halfway, subtly nodding in affirmation. Clearly paying attention to table manners/ eating etiquette. But the same couldn''t be said for Klaus, who continued speaking while having a load of burger, crispy bacon, and cheese in his mouth. ¡°Well¡­nothing.¡± ¡°Oh-okay.¡± Xavier simply shrugged it off. Who knows what''s going on in that mind of his. He thought, a smile finding its way to his face. A few minutes passed by before both brothers finally finished their respective food in silence. The rays of the crimson moon slowly dipped into the room, banishing away the endless shadows that lingered in the corner of their eyes. Klaus let out a light yawn before slowly closing his eyes as he lay on the bed. ¡°Good night, Alexandros.¡± ¡°Good night, bro.¡± Xavier replied with a light smile. It had been a long time since his brother or anyone last called him by that name. A really long time¡­ He had a light smile on his face, an indescribable feeling coursed throughout his body, whilst his heart surged with indescribable current of emotions. He couldn''t really describe this strange, distant yet familiar feelings in words, he just knew that it felt great and he wanted it to last forever. Cleaning the table and everywhere else, with a light beaming smile on. He dropped onto his bed afterward. Letting out a light yawn, he slowly closed his eyes. They had to sleep as early as possible. Knowing they only had a few hours to rest before the hunt began once again. For how long exactly¡­ Xavier pondered on this for a long time before his mind slowly wandered off, drifting into a deep slumber. A Hybrid The rays of the sun slid into the peripherals of the room. Klaus let out a dissatisfied grunt. His hand rubbed his groggy eyes before he forced himself to his feet. Across the room, Xavier stirred at the sound of his brother''s movements. . A few minutes later, both brothers were adorned in a new set of clothes. ¡°Wheew!¡± Klaus exhaled sharply. "Time to kick some asses. Wait, No¡­ Time to kick an ass.¡± Klaus mutters, his face plagued with confusion, before slowly nodding. ¡°...¡± Xavier simply stared blankly at his brother, not knowing how to reply to his brother''s weird antics. Outside the Azure Hotel, the brothers got into the car. The engine roared to life and then sped down the snow-covered roads. Xavier''s eyes followed the passing scenery- Majestic pines, snowy paths and bundled citizens hurrying to work. Yet beneath the peaceful exterior, a cold unease crept in. Minutes later, they arrived at their destination. ¡°North Lake Dahoan,¡± Xavier muttered. ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaus nodded in affirmation. "Now get your ass out of the car. ¡°We have got some investigation to do.¡± After the brothers got their hands on another set of hidden badges. They picked up guns loaded with silver bullets before hiding the guns, at the best blind spots they could find. With the years of experience they had, this was too easy and was no different from the feeling of breathing. After hiding the guns away from plain sight, they alighted from the car. Right before them stood a white house with some parts of it covered in condensed snow. Isolated and beautiful. It was nothing short of stunning despite it being rustic and nestled among tall pine trees. The feeling it gave off felt akin to that of nature itself with a sprinkle of a piercing coldness. Truly remarkable for a modern-day cabin structure. Xavier thought smilingly. Both brothers walked towards the door. The frosty snow sends cold currents into their legs. The rugs were all covered in snow, light faint footprints easily discernible. Klaus''s hand hovered over the door, hesitating for a brief moment before knocking. A few seconds later, a young woman with long brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders with a dark, stunning pair of eyes appeared before them. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± She asked warily. Klaus brought out his badge, ¡°I am Detective Winston and this here is my partner, Detective Xander.¡± With a suspicious look, her hands moved to collect the badge from Klaus''s suspended hand. Which, of course, he happily gave to her. What could a brat who was wet behind her ears probably know He thought with a smug expression. Her expression shifted, skepticism lingering as she examined the badge. Yet come to think about it, no one in his or her right frame of mind would dare to impersonate a detective. Right? With a slightly raised brow, she returned Klaus''s badge to him. Which he collected before keeping it in his back pocket. Tension thickened, the eerie silence becoming one with the howling, chilly wind. ¡°Alright. What can I do for you detectives?¡± Xavier, who had expected such a question immediately replied. ¡°Nothing really much. We just need to hear your thoughts on your brother''s disappearance.¡± Her face paled slightly, tension pulling at her features. She stepped aside, allowing them in. Both brothers walked into the room before sitting down on the brown chairs situated around the dining table. Inside, a bit, no older than fifteen sat at the dining table silently observing them. He raised his head to take a clear view of the strangers. He had heard his sister''s words with them and knew that the guys were detectives and wanted to know more about his elder brother''s disappearance. Hence, he was quite thrilled. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. His elder sister had reported the case to the cops. But according to them, his elder brother is most likely¡­ He shook his head, not wanting to complete that strain of thought. Perhaps these detectives will be able to help find Alex. Although he still kept a poker expression, inwardly he was happily rejoicing. ¡°So ma-,¡± Xavier attempted to speak but was cut short by the young lady. ¡°You can just call me Selina.¡± The young lady then proceeded to hand over a cup of warm water to both brothers. The brothers collected the water with Klaus drowning the water immediately. Xavier simply kept his on the table. He smiled before nodding at her. "Okay, Selina. These questions might come off as a little bit offensive, so please bear with us. ¡°It''s okay. As long as my brother can be found.¡± She forced a smile before taking her seat on one of the brown chairs. Xavier nods, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°So¡­ How do you know your brother is missing or more appropriate... Still alive?¡± "Well, according to the cop''s investigation. He and his friends were probably attacked by a wild animal. Biting onto her lower lips whilst forcing back the teardrops that threatened to fall from her eyes, she added. "Though according to the cops. Alex is probably... dead. ¡°But I went there, later on and managed to get my hands on Alex''s camera. Which clearly proves that he is still alive. Though¡­" ¡°Though what?¡± Questioned Klaus. The tension hung in the air, thick and cloying. Selina glanced at Klaus whilst sighing lightly. "We couldn''t really see anything in the video apart from the videos he does send to me every camping night. ¡°But he suddenly ceased sending it which made me realize that something was off and I reported to the cops who failed awfully in doing their duties.¡± She explained with a bitter expression. "But after that. Everything just seemed s-o weird. She paused, her brows slightly narrowed before she added. ¡°All we could hear was screams and Alex talking about a yellow pair of eyes or some-.¡± She rubbed her temples as she found it difficult to explain the ordeal of events with great clarity. A pair of yellow eyes. Both brothers immediately glanced at each other. Never had they heard of a wendigo with a yellow pair of eyes. With a slightly raised brow, "Alright Selina. Can you do us a favor? The video recorded by your brother. ¡°Can we see it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Selina subtly nods her head. She stood up before heading into a room. A few seconds of absolute silence easily passed by. ¡°Hey Kiddo. What''s your name?¡± Klaus questioned the kid in front of him smilingly. ¡°Aven.¡± The boy replied before he quickly returned to eating his food. ¡°So Aven. What do you think about your brother''s sudden disappearance?¡± Aven was quiet for a few seconds before exhaling. "Alex and his friends decided to go out on a camping trip. "Despite the local lore that talks about a monster inhabiting the desolate wilderness. ¡°Alex and his friends wanted to prove the community and the elders wrong¡­" ¡°So they decided to go camping?¡± Klaus completed the sentence, receiving a nod from Aven. Well, that''s quite a good way to court death. A light sigh escaped his lips. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Selina finally came back with the camera. She handed the camera over to Xavier who nodded before collecting it. Both brothers had furrowed brows as they watched the footage over and over. A light sense of unease gnawing on their hearts to the very depths of their soul. While they tried to gain a deeper and clearer understanding of the bizarre scenes rapidly flashing past their eyes. A few minutes later, Klaus glanced at Xavier and spoke in a hushed tone. "The stalking of prey, the terrifying speed, the mimicry. All this proves we''re dealing with a Wendigo. ¡°But what''s with the yellow pair of eyes?¡± ¡°Baffles me" The only thing that should be able to result in such a change would be if this wendigo isn''t just an ordinary wendigo. But is actually a hybrid. But¡­ how the hell is that even possible. Supernatural creatures shouldn''t be able to crossbreed. This has been proven true without any exception! Xavier''s thought ran into a frantic, spiraling descent, his mind on the verge of breaking apart. Various thoughts and possibilities tried to overwhelm him completely. He exhaled sharply, trying his best to pacify his rapidly beating heart. Alright, let''s assume it somehow managed to become a possibility. A question still remains. If one of its parents is a Wendigo, what, then could be its other parent? He pondered hard on it yet wasn''t able to come up with a logical explanation. Sighing in exasperation, he shifted his gaze toward her. ¡°Alright. Thanks for your time, Selina.¡± After both brothers got onto their feet. Selina whispered in a barely audible tone. ¡°Please, do help us find my brother.¡± She sniffed lightly in an attempt to force back the tears. If she cried, then what was Aven supposed to do? Klaus sighed inwardly before nodding. ¡°If your brother is still alive. We will do our best to bring him back in one piece.¡± Aven got onto his feet before bowing lightly. ¡°Thanks.¡± He muttered then proceeded to take his plate to the kitchen. Selina had a worried expression, obviously hesitating to say something. ¡°Is there anything you wanna tell us?¡± Klaus questioned. ¡°No-no I mean yes.¡± She stuttered whilst biting onto her lower lips. ¡°Feel free to speak. If we can help out, then we surely will.¡± Xavier reassured. "Well¡­ I kinda hired a hunter to help find my brother. ¡°I was wondering if you detectives can also help out.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ a hunter,¡± Klaus muttered, eliciting a nod from Selina. ¡°Fool, it''s probably just a normal hunter,¡± Xavier replied in a hushed tone. ¡°I see.¡± Yeah. Xavier thought with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, Selina. We are glad to be of help. ¡°So¡­ When do we drop by?¡± Questioned Xavier. ¡°Around five in the evening.¡± Xavier nodded before both brothers headed for the car. The car immediately sped into the distance, whilst Selina waved her hands towards the car eliciting a light smile from Xavier. ¡°Sis, do you think that.. Alex is still alive?¡± Alex walked over to his sister, a solemn expression plaguing his face. ¡°Don''t say that Aven. Alex is alive¡­ He''s definitely alive.¡± She comforted Aven who rested on her bosom, teardrops dripping down the corner of his eyes. She caressed his hair as she tried to comfort him. Ever since their father and mother died in the car accident. She had single-handedly taken care of her two younger brothers with everything she had got. She had done...so many...bad... perhaps too bad things just for them. Yet she never regretted it and if she was given the chance to start all over again. She would still go on with her choices. For...they meant the world to her. Hence, she couldn''t bear to accept the cruel fact that Alex was dead. She didn''t want to¡­ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Meanwhile, as the car sped down the road. Xavier finally spoke up after a few seconds of constantly rubbing his temples. ¡°I think we are dealing with a hybrid.¡± Klaus''s brows immediately narrowed to point ends. Hybrid¡­ He had never heard of such shit¡­such shit only exists in fairy tales. After all, it''s a known fact among hunters that supernatural creatures can''t crossbreed. It''s nothing short of a daunting¡­ impossible task. ¡°What do you mean by a hybrid?¡± Klaus replied, a solemn expression gripping his face. "Think about it, Klaus. Everything we have gotten so far proves that we''re dealing with a wendigo, but those yellow pair of eyes. ¡°No¡­ That''s no Wendigo.¡± He paused for a second before adding grimly. "That''s another creature entirely¡­ One that''s even more fearsome and deadly.¡± Klaus didn''t like the ominous feeling plaguing his heart one bit! The car abruptly screeched to a halt. ¡°And what''s this creature?¡± Klaus asked hurriedly, tension brewing softly, thick and cloying. Xavier gave a deep sigh. The tension brewed continuously, the terrifying sense of foreboding, heightening. "It''s probably a¡­ A what¡­ speak up you...! Klaus roared inwardly, his mind on the verge of crumbling. Whatever was holding onto his heart right now...he didn''t really like it one bit. Mac Donalds Restaurant Xavier sighed deeply, his gaze distant. ¡°It''s probably a Berserker Wendigo.¡± Klaus tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. ¡°Berserker¡­ what now?¡± Without missing a beat, Xavier continued, his tone more focused. "Yeah¡­ You see, there''s a kinda lore on this monster. ¡°The Berserker Wendigo is a rare and fearsome variant of the traditional Wendigo.¡± ¡°Variant as in a hybrid?¡± Klaus questioned with raised brows. Xavier shook his head, his expression slightly pale. ¡°You see¡­ I won''t call it a hybrid.¡± Klaus stared blankly at Xavier. "Oh- so now it isn''t a hybrid. ¡°Alright. Then what''s this monster we are dealing with?¡± Xavier let out a light sigh. ¡°As I previously said. It''s a rare variant. Much more dangerous than the regular Wendigo.¡± Klaus snorted, eyes on the road. ¡°Well, that was made obvious after watching that footage.¡± ¡°That was definitely no ordinary Wendigo.¡± Klaus further added in exasperation. Xavier''s expression turns pale. "Yeah. You see, the berserker Wendigo shares many traits with its more common counterpart. "Cannibalism, a predatory nature, insatiable hunger, and much more. ¡°But you see. There''s a big difference between a Wendigo and a Berserker Wendigo.¡± ¡°And what''s that?¡± Klaus questioned with a slightly raised brow. ¡°As you have seen from the footage. The Berserker Wendigo is more fearsome. It''s Faster. Stronger and definitely more resilient.¡± ¡°Simply put ¡ª if a normal Wendigo has to be shot twice to kill it. Then we will need at least three times that amount of gunshot to take down a Berserker Wendigo.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So basically, we have to impale more silver bullets into its damn skull or a more suitable option¡­ Roast it to death.¡± Klaus replied, his voice devoid of the slightest hint of fear, but his sweaty hands said another story entirely. Xavier simply shook his head. ¡°The Berserker Wendigo definitely won''t stay still whilst that happens.¡± Klaus was silent for a while. His brows suddenly got raised after a few seconds. Throwing Xavier a side glance. ¡°Yeah. Just remembered. You said something about the Berserker Wendigo not being a hybrid.¡± Xavier exhaled sharply, his eyes darkened. "Well¡­ Legend has it that the Berserker Wendigo was once ordinary. ¡°Oh- so what caused the further transmutation?¡± ¡°Well, the ordinary Wendigo consumes the flesh of other supernatural creatures. Gaining their strength, speed, agility, and seldomly¡­ Their abilities.¡± Klaus slightly frowned, ¡°So basically it munches on monsters similar to it.¡± Xavier nods his head in acknowledgment. Whilst Klaus simply let out a light chuckle, trying to break the tension. ¡°Well well. Guess we finally have our hunter among the monsters.¡± Xavier deeply sighed after shaking his head. ¡°This act of cannibalism among monsters is said to have cursed it further. Changing the color of its eyes and amplifying their powers to a terrifying degree.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Klaus muttered in understanding. Klaus grunted in acknowledgment but kept his usual bravado. ¡°Well normal Wendigo, Berserker Wendigo. What difference does it make¡­ At the end of the day, we will still gank it.¡± ¡°...¡± Xavier stared blankly at his brother. Not knowing how to reply. His mind drifted, his thoughts consumed by the grim reality of their task. His gut told him this hunt wouldn''t be like the others. ¡°Hopefully, it all goes well,¡± Xavier muttered whilst staring out of the window as the car rapidly sped past down the road. A few minutes easily clocked by before they made it back to Azure Hotel. Both brothers immediately alighted from the car after Klaus turned off the car engines. ¡°We should get something to eat,¡± Klaus said after alighting. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Yeah.¡± Xavier nods in agreement. ¡°We should probably find a nearby restaurant.¡± Klaus nods his head in affirmation. After a few minutes of walking whilst talking about various things: their day-to-day activities, human activities, and so much more. They finally arrived at a rustic charming haven tucked away in the serene yet desolate landscape of the Desolate Wilderness. The haven was surrounded by towering pines, and far into the distance stood a gargantuan, nightmarish mountain that gave off a white crystal-like glow with a mix of a dreadful dark glow; as though it represented the dark obsolete nature of life. The mountain had a crystal-like waterfall falling into the stream beneath it. Xavier and Klaus walked into the restaurant. And they had to say. It was quite the sight. It was extremely desolate with a mix of an eerie silence that would make anyone uncomfortable. There was only a middle-aged woman in sight, who was too busy cleaning the dusty chairs and tables to notice the new customers. ¡°Seems we are a little bit early,¡± Xavier muttered. The desolate surroundings sent cold chills down his spine. He couldn''t just shake the feeling that something was wrong with this restaurant. As for what it''s¡­that he couldn''t really say. ¡°It''s never too early to eat.¡± Replied Klaus, bringing Xavier out of his reverie. Klaus slowly walked toward the brown wooden counter. A light smile slowly crept up his face as he arrived before her. The woman raised her head to see the figure¡­ A figure that gave off a noble aura. She stopped what she was doing, a light smile adorning her face. ¡°What can I get for you lads?¡± ¡°Can we have the menu?¡± Klaus questioned with a forced smile. ¡°Yes of course. Take this.¡± She immediately handed over the menu to Klaus, who nodded and then proceeded to collect the menu. He and Xavier found two seats among the wooden chairs and tables. Klaus looked at the chair warily. Xavier also had a slightly narrowed brow upon seeing the chairs in close view. After some moments of hesitation, dread creeping in. They both sat down carefully. That''s¡­ Whilst being filled with the dread of the chair suddenly breaking into pieces. The woman finally saw this. Slightly shaking her hand, she chuckled lightly. "You both don''t have to worry. ¡°Those chairs have existed for a good twenty years my dear, and yet no causality has ever occurred.¡± Well, isn''t that an achievement? Klaus lampooned inwardly, his mouth slightly twitching. ¡°Who''s to say that the causality won''t begin with us,¡± Klaus muttered in a low tone, his voice devoid of emotion. Xavier smiled before his gaze shifted towards the middle-aged woman. "Thanks, Ma. ¡°I guess we were being overly cautious then.¡± The middle-aged lady forced a smile before sighing deeply. ¡°It''s okay. New customers have done far worse than just being cautious.¡± ¡°Well, you can''t blame them,¡± Klaus muttered in a low breath, receiving a stare from Xavier. Luckily, the woman had returned to dusting the tables and chairs, so she didn''t hear his remark. Xavier subtly shook his head, throwing a light smirk at his brother. ¡°But to be honest. It ain''t really that bad.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Obviously.¡± Klaus replied nonchalantly. Knowing his brother. Xavier knew the comment was probably meant to be sarcastic. Well, it was indeed full of a sarcastic nature. Xavier lightly shook his head before his eyes went through the menu in his hands. He spoke up after a couple of seconds. ¡°I will have forest berry salad and well- a cup of coffee will do just fine.¡± The woman nodded whilst smiling. ¡°An apple crumble, and two grilled bison burgers,¡± Klaus ordered; his eyes went through the menu before it suddenly lit up. ¡°Oh, and also, can I have one of this smoked trout dip?¡± He further added, receiving a nod from the woman. ¡°Let''s see if it''s as delicious as it seems¡­ Looks to be.¡± He muttered in anticipation. ¡°Alright. Will get it for you boys.¡± She turned towards a door behind her, her voice reverberating through the air. ¡°Amanda. You heard the guests right?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma.¡± A small petite voice replied from the other end. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xavier''s brows got slightly raised. ¡°What a sweet voice. I wonder who that is.¡± He muttered with a poker expression. ¡°Probably the woman''s daughter,¡± Klaus replied, winking lightly at Xavier. Xavier forced a laugh, lightly shaking his head at his brother''s ridiculous thoughts. A few minutes later. A girl with long crimson hair that cascaded down her shoulders, akin to the ominous and dreadful yet enchanting and mesmerizing, her light crimson pupils and lips adding to her charm¡­ Makes her a walking enchantress. She seems to be around age eighteen, her flawless snow-like skin mesmerizing those who came in contact with her. Seeing the slightly dazed expression of the brothers, who were quick to recollect themselves. A reddish shade rose on her face as she couldn''t help but wonder why her mum would allow her to attend to the customers. On normal occasions, her mum would do that. While she was lost in thought, she missed a footing, just a few inches away from hitting the floor. Time seemed to have slowed down at that point. Xavier suddenly got onto his feet. Within the blink of an eye, she felt a soft yet rigid hand wrapping tightly around her waist while one hand held the tray in hand. A reddish hue rose on her face, whilst Xavier immediately removed his hold on her. A reddish shade adorned his face whilst he lightly scratched his hair. ¡°Thanks.¡± She finally said after a few seconds, her lips lightly trembling. ¡°You welcome,¡± Xavier replied smilingly. His hands behind him trembling ever so lightly. She nods her head before turning back, immediately scurrying towards her safe heaven¡­ With rapid footsteps, she opened the door behind the counter and immediately closed it. Immediately disappearing from everyone''s line of sight, including her mum, who chuckled lightly after giving her daughter a slight wink. She could see that the young man was quite good-looking, charming, and possessed a strange demeanor. As a mother, seeing her daughter without any guys or friends that were girls truly bothered her. Most of the girls were too jealous of Amanda to be friends with her, whilst the guys would most likely just be infatuated with her. Yet somehow she had a strange feeling that this guy was different. Ah¡­ What am I even thinking about? He''s just a stranger. She sighed deeply, her eyes regaining their focus as she returned to dusting the tables and chairs. Xavier sat down on his chair, his mind still wandering back to the girl. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he''d seen her before- perhaps in a dream, or some distant memory. The more he thought about it, the more elusive the thought became, slipping through his fingers like a grain of sand. Klaus smirked, a light chuckle pulling Xavier away from his thoughts. ¡°You know you can have her if it pleases you. I am not really into underage girls.¡± Xavier simply kept quiet. Refusing to reply to his brother''s antiques. Right now¡­ He was trying to breach the memory gap. He was trying to dive into his subconsciousness and find out just where he had seen her and why he found her oddly familiar. Yet, no matter how hard he attempted to remember, he wasn''t able to remember anything. It was as if something, an invisible thread of nature, was preventing him from remembering. He sighed in exasperation before digging into his food. And just like that, both brothers ate their food in an eerie, awkward silence, punctuated only by the occasional clink of utensils against plates. Missing A few minutes later. Both brothers finished their meal in an uneasy silence. After paying, they stood to leave the restaurant. ¡°Hope to see you boys again,¡± the waitress called out as they neared the exit. Xavier nodded politely, but Klaus, grinning, muttered. ¡°Hopefully, our next visit will be just as eventful.¡± He nudged Xavier, who gave him a tired look, catching the wink his brother threw his way. Once they arrived at the Azure Hotel, Klaus made a beeline for the bed, not bothering to hide his smirk as he stretched out, clearly indulging in whatever thoughts filled his head. Xavier, meanwhile, resumed his research. He wasn''t just focused on their current supernatural case: he scoured the pages of his father''s old journal, sifting through forgotten lore on supernatural creatures that prowled on the edges of human understanding. A sigh escaped his lips, memories of his previous life as a struggling author creeping in. Ife, his girlfriend lingered in his mind like a shadow. An endless shadow. He couldn''t remember her face clearly, but the ache of her absence gnawed at him. Some things, he realized, were better left buried. But that didn''t make the sting of the past any easier to bear. If nothing, it only worsened it. And the memories surrounding his sealed memories didn''t make things any better. Although he really wished to know everything. The feeling of knowing something yet not being able to hold on to it truly disturbed him in an unsettling manner. But remerbing what had caused the death of the previous Xavier. He could only accept defeat. Hopefully, it has some requirements for its unsealing... That''s without killing me in the process. As a keyboard warrior in his previous life. He knew that apart from being strong, all-powerful, or omnipotent. The best thing one could possibly ever ask for is¡­ knowledge. Yes. Knowledge! With knowledge, one could do anything. One could bring down the stars, grab the moon, and even figure out the intricate secrets of the past epochs and long-lost secrets of the eras before the current dark era. With knowledge¡­anything is possible. He couldn''t really understand his strange urge for knowledge. Yet, he somehow loved, adored, and cherished it. He knew being all-knowing is the same as having the world revolving around one''s palm. Yet, he also knew that in such a world where logic and theoretical sense of reasoning are most consistent. Having such kind of knowledge seems¡­ impossible to say the least. Still, that doesn''t mean that he wouldn''t amass enough knowledge to ensure his and his brother''s safety. Sighing in exasperation. His fingers moved across the Keyboard; the unfathomable mystery behind its creation lingering in his mind. The rhythmic tapping blended with the low hum of the hotel air conditioner. Hours passed in a blur, his thoughts consumed by the information he devoured. Suddenly, a dull ache throbbed at his temples. Chiming and destructive. He leaned back, eyes growing foggy. Rubbing his eyes, he wondered if this world had a ¡°force¡± like the ones in novels. The kind that demanded an adjustment period. If so, it could be said that the current him is still in the stage of being accepted by the ¡°World''s Force.¡± Well-provided this world has one. If it does, then just like in the novels. I have to slowly adapt and acclimatize myself to the various conditions and threats that this world has got to offer. Though it will be immensely difficult. I still have to give my all. He struggled to stay awake, yet he couldn''t go against the chiming, destructive force. Before he knew it, he had passed out. Hours later, Klaus''s eyes shut open. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. A grin spread across his face. ¡°Man, that was one hell of a dream,¡± he muttered, chuckling to himself. His eyes moved around the room, finally stopping on his brother, who was fast asleep. Checking the time, he nodded," Two more hours to go." He smiled, deciding to let Xavier rest a little longer. It had been a long few days, and his brother needed the break. Slipping quietly from the room, Klaus hummed a soft tune as he made his way down the hallway. He slowly made his way to the Mac Donald''s Restaurant. After sleeping for a while. He was feeling weak, and his stomach was in dire need of something to munch on. Arriving at the familiar restaurant. The terror-inducing mountain still stood high and tall, radiating an unholy glory that stained all who came near. Klaus removed his gaze from the mountain before walking towards the restaurant. The MacDonald''s restaurant glowed ahead of him, a familiar sight. But as he approached, something felt wrong. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He stopped, eyes narrowing at the shattered glass scattered across the entrance. Inside, red streaks smeared across the floor, and the windows were blown inward. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, but he pushed forward. ¡°What the hell happened here,¡± Klaus whispered, his eyes darting across the wreckage. With a wary look adorning his face, he stepped forward. TAAAP!! TAAAAP!!! The ominous feeling of this eerie silence would have been enough to send cold chills running down the spine of any ordinary man, but not Klaus. He glanced around warily whilst his feet created echoes that silently reverberated through the enclosed space. He didn''t know if it was a supernatural or a normal human affair. But be that as it may, I am already here, so I might as well check it out. Just as he took one more step. He caught a faint whiff of sulfuric smell clinging to the air. His heart rate spiked. Demons! Before he could react, a shadow moved- a bat swung. Darkness rushed in as the blow connected. But within that brief moment of a second or more, he not only saw the demon, but he also caught a glimpse of Amanda. Blood gushing unceasingly from her chest whilst she gasped heavily for breath. He knew she would definitely die and as a hunter, it was his duty to save her¡­ yet his life was also hanging on a thread. He needed to keep himself safe before thinking of saving others. Should he really faint, he didn''t need to be told to know his life would be in the hands of the demon. And this really didn''t sound so well to him. Yet despite his obvious struggles, it was as clear as daylight that he was on the losing hand. His eyes finally blacked out as he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. ¡°As expected of a Michealson.¡± The demon muttered, dragging Klaus''s body into a room filled with mops, rakes, and cutlasses. He then proceeded to gag Klaus''s mouth. He wouldn''t want to be sent back to Hell with the Romaniakn Exorcism Spell, would he? Chuckling lightly in anticipation, he slowly gagged Klaus''s mouth. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Meanwhile, within the Azure Hotel. Xavier slowly opened his eyes. A few seconds later, after he had removed the slight tinge of drowsiness that lingered within the depths of his eyes. He searched around for Klaus yet couldn''t find any trace of his brother. ¡°Klaus. Klaus!!¡± Xavier yelled out as he searched every nook and cranny of the room. Yet, Klaus was nowhere to be found. ¡°Perhaps he''s left for Selina''s house.¡± He muttered, before leaving the room. Outside. He still saw his brother''s car in sight. Now¡­ He knew something was wrong. Klaus would never go anywhere without his precious car, That is definitely impossible. Now he was really starting to panic as his heart went into a frenzied pace, thumping abnormally fast. As of now, he didn''t need to be told to know that his brother was undoubtedly in danger. With clenched fingers, red eyes, and a trembling body. Fuck Fuck..where the hell should I even check. He thought as his mind raced at an insanely fast pace. ¡°The restaurant.¡± He muttered after a few seconds, his eyes abruptly lit up. With a racing heart, he immediately dashed for the restaurant with everything he had got. His heart raced and thumped violently as he moved at an incredulous pace. Xavier''s speed would have been more than enough to make the legendary Zenaris back on Earth to eat his dust. But even still he wasn''t satisfied. Why can''t this body fucking move faster! He yelled inwardly as he pushed his body beyond his limits. He soon arrived before the remarkable haven. Likewise, he wasted no time as he immediately dashed into the restaurant. Slowly closing the door with his hand tightly gripping onto the gun. He moved with caution as his eyes easily caught a glimpse of the sulfur on the window after a few seconds of investigating. ¡°Demons.¡± He muttered solemnly. KATA!! KATA!!! His feet stepped onto the shattered glasses. The eerie silence sent cold chills running down his spine, and the messy state of the restaurant heightened his dread and concern about his brother. He slowly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Her entire body was in quite a bloodied state. ¡°Amanda!" Xavier yelled, feeling an indescribable feeling coursing through his heart. He immediately arrived before her as she coughed profusely. Leading him to clench his hands as various primal emotions surged within him. She coughed profusely as she tried to say something. ¡°Don''t say anything.¡± He said as he attempted to carry her. She abruptly forced her weak arms to point behind him. He suddenly felt a ferocious, cold rush of wind behind him. Xavier immediately rolled to his left. The demon had come out of plain sight and when he saw who it was. For a second there, he lost the strength to even raise his arm. Fighting A Demon Xavier darted to the left, narrowly avoiding the swing of the baton. Glass shattered where he''d been standing moments before, shards spraying like shrapnel. Klaus advanced relentlessly. Possessed by the demon, his strikes gained unnatural precision and power. But Xavier had already pieced things together after seeing the sulphur, the ruined state of the restaurant and the bait-Amanda. And because of her, he knew that he had to end this fight with his brother as fast as he could. BAAAANG!!! The baton landed against the place he previously stood, causing splinters of glass shards to fly into the air. Klaus- The demon was previously certain that he would be able to knock Xavier unconscious within three breaths of time. But now¡­ He wasn''t really so sure. Xavier, who felt a raging fury burning through his lungs, immediately leaped forward. He ducked another wild swing of the baton, twisting and launching a hard kick that connected with Klaus''s jaw. CRACK!! Klaus winced as the impact echoed through his bones, hating every second of it. The demon, though only grinned through Klaus''s face, a chilling sight to say the least. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he felt as though he had been struck by a metallic hammer. He grunted lightly as he attempted to stabilize his footing. Xavier''s cold gaze locked on Klaus, his leg a blur as it slammed into him again. BAAAANG!!! Smashing right onto Klaus''s chest, who felt his breath stagnate for a second there before he was sent smashing into the distance. Xavier''s heart hammered. Every blow he landed on Klaus hurts him more than it did the demon. And it would all come crashing down on Klaus when the demon left his body- but he had no other choice. He had to end this now. Xavier pressed forward, unleashing a barrage of strikes. Jabs, elbow strikes, jaw-breaking knee strikes. He basically went all out, eliciting a surprised look from the demon who was possessing Klaus. He had thought Xavier would reduce the impact because he was facing his brother, but now. Xavier had completely gone against his expectations. Yet despite the rapid barrage of strikes that struck hard on him. Klaus- the demon had a wide grin on his face. Realizing that his mission here was done, tested and dusted. A sly smirk slowly curled up his lips as a brutal knee strike tore through the air. Connecting hard with his chest. Blood splattered onto the floor as he was sent sprawling into the distance. BAAANG!!! BAAANG!!! CRASSSH!!! The demon coughed out a mouthful of blood as he stared at Xavier with a wide grin, his lightly pale eyes gleaming with victory. That grin, for some unknown reason, sent an ominous chill running down Xavier''s spine. He struggled to force down the uneasiness gnawing at him. ¡°Get out of him!¡± Xavier growled through gritted teeth and balled fists. He had expected the demon to refuse and carry on with the fight. But contrary to his expectations. The demon chuckled loudly, muttering in a low breath. ¡°See you again¡­hopefully by then, we will be on the same side.¡± It didn''t escape Xavier''s ears whose brows got tightly furrowed. What is he talking about? Who wants to be on a fucking side with you demons. Does he even know what''s he saying? Join those who killed Mum. I had rather die. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Xavier''s mind swirled chaotically, confusion creeping in as black smoke suddenly rushed out of Klaus''s mouth before disappearing into the distance to look for another unlucky host. Klaus grunted lightly before collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud. Xavier breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn''t imagine the aftermath if he had gone with his previous thought of making use of the Romaniakn Exorcism Spell on Klaus. If it went well, not only would we be able to pry out words from the mouth of the demon, but I would also be able to easily send it back to Hell. And should it really go wrong, it would have been devastating to say the least. It might even probably result in Klaus''s death. A deep exhalation escaped Xavier''s lips, a smile plastering his lips. A light groan suddenly rang into his ears as he immediately rushed toward Amanda. She lay In a pool of blood, her hand weakly reaching out. COUGH!! COUGH!!! ¡°Mm.¡± Despite the crazy level of pain that must be coursing through her right now, she was still desperately trying to pass across a piece of information as teardrops streamed down the corner of her eyes. Panic and fear surged through him. Hitting him hard and fast. Brutal and unforgiving. "It''s okay. Please don''t say anything again. ¡°Your injuries will only act up.¡± Xavier said solemnly, immediately carrying her into his arms. TAAAP!!! TAAAP!!! TAAAP!! Glass crunched underfoot as he hurried out of the wrecked restaurant, every step a battle against time. Staring at his brother with gritted teeth. Klaus would be fine, he comforted himself. Amanda might not be. He came to this decision after a few seconds that felt like an eternity. If Klaus were in my shoes, he would probably have chosen the same thing. As hunters¡­ Saving the lives of others was very well paramount, perhaps even to the detriment of their own life. Not to mention the fact that Klaus''s life isn''t in any sort of danger for now, and he would most likely wake up in a few minute''s time. He tried to justify his actions within that split moment. Exhaling sharply, he immediately dashed out of the restaurant with every ounce of strength contained within him. Each moment felt like an eternity, his heart thumped and rippled with intense force. Every time he caught a glimpse of her in this state, it sent a strange feeling coursing throughout his body, and he could feel a slight part of his mind roaring to be broken. Her tears were slowly ceasing, whilst her otherworldly crimson pupils lost their usual luster. Fucking move faster. He yelled inwardly, pushing his body beyond its limits. He finally arrived at the Azure Hotel, dashing straight into the hotel. Within the blink of an eye, he was before the kind receptionist of the Azure Hotel. ¡°Where''s the nearest hospital?¡± Xavier questioned, his chest heaving up and down. ¡°She''s severely injured.¡± He further added solemnly. ¡°Hmm¡­ Isn''t that Amanda?¡± The receptionist mused as he got closer, upon realizing it was Amanda. ¡°What happened to her?¡± He asked, a grim expression settling on his face. ¡°I don''t know. I just found her in this state.¡± He replied hurriedly. ¡°It''s okay. It''s okay. Follow me.¡± The receptionist hurried to cut Xavier shut. Outside the Azure hotel. ¡°We can take my car,¡± Xavier said after spotting Klaus''s car. A few seconds later, Xavier had his hands on the steering wheel as he hoped for everything to go well. He was just fifteen in his previous year and didn''t really know how to drive a car. Hopefully, the muscle memory of his current body would be able to help out. He thought, immediately starting the car engines. The car immediately sped into the distance, and under the direction of the kind receptionist, they headed for a nearby hospital at a rapid speed. Practically becoming a blur on the streets. The streets blurred as he drove, his heart thudding with every glance at her pale face. He wasn''t sure if it was her fading breath or the fear gnawing at his chest that urged him to go faster. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, Klaus let out a light grunt before getting to his feet. He rubbed his head in an attempt to alleviate the intense headache that assaulted his mind. ¡°Fuck that demon. It better pray I don''t see it again.¡± He spoke through gritted teeth. He exhaled lightly before moving toward the place where Amanda was previously lying. Although he was possessed, being possessed doesn''t mean that one can''t see or witness the acts committed by the demon who possesses one. It will simply be in a kind of third-person view whereby one can only watch and do absolutely nothing about it. He sighed lightly. At least this will teach me a lesson to be more careful. He was about to leave when he noticed a streak of reddish liquid flowing from behind the door, diagonally behind the counter. ¡°Blood.¡± He muttered solemnly, after placing it before his nose. He glanced around, gripping tightly onto his gun before busting into the room BAAAANG!!! He entered the room and was immediately met with a grotesque scene that made his organs churn and filled him with the urge to puke out his intestines. Amanda''s mum well her remains laid on the floor. She had her entire body torn and ripped apart. And from the slight sharp marks on her body, he was able to conclude that it was caused by a sharp knife. And from this, he could deduce some things. The demon decided to possess Amanda and then made Amanda kill her mum, all due to some strange reasons which was currently unknown to him. But definitely baffled him a lot. What does the demon aim to accomplish by doing this? It just doesn''t make sense. ¡°Or is it just for fun?¡± Klaus muttered, but he highly doubted that was the case. Before the demon left, it said something about Xavier being on their side. But that isn''t even possible. ¡°But then what could it possibly mean?¡± Klaus pondered hard, yet couldn''t come up with a logical explanation. He exhaled in exasperation, before deciding to leave the room. ¡°Xavier has most likely rescued the girl.¡± He muttered in a low breath. "I should probably get going before the cops arrive. I wouldn''t want them to meet me here anyway. ¡°That will just lead to unnecessary problems.¡± He added with a wry smile, flashbacks of the various encounters with one cop or the other due to one illegal activity or the other flashing past his mind. Shaking his head with a light smirk, he walked for a couple of minutes whilst his stomach grumbled. ¡°Why is this world so unfair?¡± Klaus lamented whilst patting his stomach. Perhaps in an attempt to alleviate the ache gnawing at his stomach. He finally arrived at the Azure Hotel and made way to head inside. Then¡­ he suddenly noticed something that sent his head on fire! Staring at the spot where his car should have been. There was nothing but dust and snow. ¡°Where the hell is my car!!" On the verge of losing control, his loud aggrieved voice tore through the air and perhaps¡­ The Heavens. Cursed Presence Klaus''s eyes narrowed as he stood in the shadowed alley beside the hotel, his blood simmering beneath his skin. He clenched his fists, fighting the impulse to lash out. But then clarity hit. Xavier. He must have taken the car to rush Amanda to the hospital. Relief trickled in, and Klaus allowed himself a slow breath. He sighed lightly, pulling out his pocket watch. It was already fifteen minutes past four, and they had less than an hour to make it to Selina''s house. If Xavier didn''t return soon, he would be forced to act without him. And that¡­ Wouldn''t really end well for any of them - neither the hunter nor the desperate siblings. He sighed in exasperation. Both he and Xavier were just ordinary humans anyway. Perhaps just lucky enough to be born into a family of hunters. All they could do was try their best and leave the rest to fate. ¡°Hopefully, Xavier returns on time,¡± Klaus muttered, before pushing open the green door. Knowing his brother, he felt confident that Xavier would make it back on time. After all, Alexandros had a peculiar hero syndrome. With both hands in his pocket, he walked into the Azure Hotel. He immediately noticed the kind receptionist, Klein, was absent. He must have directed Xavier to a nearby hospital. After all, Xavier probably doesn''t have any knowledge of the nearest hospital to the Azure Hotel. Hence, he needed a citizen or someone who lives around this area. And what better person than the male receptionist who just happens to be such a kind gentleman. TAAAP!!! TAAAAP!!! Klaus walked past the receptionist''s desk, greeting fellow lodgers as he went. He had a knack for fitting in quickly, chatting with others before drifting away just as easily. Upon entering the room, he closed the door behind him. A light smile creeps onto his face as he collapses on the bed. His moment of relaxation was interrupted by a grumbling stomach. Klaus glanced down, shaking his head slightly before sitting upright. What should I do next? A thought crossed his mind. Maybe I should go after the siblings. When Xavier returns and doesn''t find me here, he''ll definitely come looking for me. But as he pondered, he recognized the risks. There''s a high chance the siblings will follow me. Just facing the hunter alone would be burdensome- adding the siblings would turn this into babysitting, not hunting. He sighed in exasperation, dismissing the thought. He had no desire to court death - not when he still had so much left to accomplish. Klaus rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He sat in that state for a few minutes, allowing his thoughts to wander into a realm of possibilities. He glanced at his watch but was left disappointed. ¡ª Forty minutes left. And I''m already bored, and starving! The word ¡°starving¡± felt like an understatement. He considered heading to a nearby restaurant, but the destruction of the Mac Donald''s left him with no choice. The nearest restaurants would require driving since Wahoe is located at the Northern desolate edges of Yansen City. And without my car¡­ He sighed deeply. With nothing to occupy his time, he decided to steal a moment of respite while waiting for Xavier. Laying back in the bed, he closed his eyes. At first, it was difficult to drift into a dream state, but before he knew it, he had entered a world where his desires could unfold. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Thirty minutes flew by in a heartbeat. CREAAAK! A figure stepped into the room, hands stained with blood and a solemn expression on his face. Klaus rolled to the side, instinctively grabbing the gun beneath his pillow. The figure that entered was coated in blood. Klaus raised his weapon, eyes narrowing before he recognized Xavier. He lowered the gun slowly, relief washing over him. An awkward silence filled the air for a moment. ¡°Hmm So¡­ Did you manage to get her to the hospital on time?¡± Xavier stood rigid, silent for a beat before exhaling sharply. "Well, the doctors saved her. They called it a ''miracle'' that she survived such grievous injuries. He said, fists clenched. ¡°But I beg to differ.¡± Things just kept happening, yet he had no idea¡­ He had no knowledge of anything. He was extremely clueless about everything going on around him. Xavier felt like he was akin to a small dot in the vast expanse of space and time. H-e he felt¡­ Insignificant. Klaus''s brow furrowed in concern. Honestly, with those injuries, I didn''t think she''d survive. Hope was all I had. ¡°Well¡­ guess she''s quite a lucky fellow then,¡± Klaus replied nonchalantly. ¡°True.¡± Xavier nodded, his expression hardening. "Talking about Amanda. I hope she doesn''t mention the possession and stuff whatnot. ¡°If she''s interrogated by detectives, who knows what they''ll think.¡± ¡°That''s true. Why didn''t I think of that?¡± Klaus facepalmed. Xavier shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. How could you think of it if you were off in your dreamy world. Klaus sensed the look but pretended not to notice, clearing his throat to speak. "It''s alright. We just have to get to her before the detectives do. ¡°Not to even talk of the fact that no one will believe in her ''superstitious supernatural reports. They will probably label her a psycho.¡± Xavier sighed. Somehow, he couldn''t bear the thought of her in that state. It unsettled him, and he could still vividly remember how scared he had been when she was being rushed into the emergency room. He had never felt fear like that before. Never. What puzzled him was the bond he felt with Amanda- an attachment he couldn''t quite understand. I can''t let myself get stressed over it. Since I don''t know anything, I might as well wave it off my mind. He tried to convince himself, not that he had any other choice anyway. Klaus glanced at his watch, then back at Xavier. "Alright, enough talking. We have only ten minutes left. ¡°If we don''t get there on time, those fools might just end up wasting their lives.¡± Xavier nodded, moving toward a gray door. He opened it, stopping in front of a mirror as he washed the red liquid from his hands. Afterward, he rubbed his wet hands across his face, realizing why hunters were warned against getting involved with ordinary humans. Dad was right after all. It''s not about being a jerk. This trauma¡­ it makes sense now. He remembered Amanda''s tear-streaked face as she murmured with great difficulty, ¡°Mum.¡± The realization hit him hard - the demon had possessed her to kill her mother. Shock rippled through him. And what made matters worse. He had felt this pain, and it was all his fault - he believed it was his presence that brought about the tragedy. And he had a lot of reasons to believe this. The demon said something about him being on their side, coupled with the earlier attack from the demon he exorcised. He was more tempted to believe all this happened all because of him. Furthermore, he had this weird dreadful feeling that his presence might lead to even more deaths. He wasn''t too sure about this. But there was one thing he was definitely sure of. ¡°I will fight to the very end. No matter what it takes, I will eradicate these demons and save as many lives as I can,¡± he muttered, clenching his fists as determination ignited within him. He wasn''t so stupid to think he could save everyone. That would be delusional to say the least. He knew he just had to try his best and leave the rest to¡­ fate. Her. ¡°Alexandros! Get your fucking ass out of the toilet. We are running out of time.¡± ¡°I am coming!¡± Xavier quickly exited the bathroom. ¡°Now¡­ can we get going?¡± Klaus raised an eyebrow. Xavier nodded at the rhetorical question. Both brothers immediately stepped out of the room. They soon appeared before Klein, who had resumed his duty. He knew what he had previously done was quite risky and could result in him being fired His boss wouldn''t want to hear anything. Even if a million people were to die right now. Klein dared to say his boss wouldn''t flinch as long as he gets his hands on the cash. All his boss ever cared about was money¡­ money and then¡­ Money. There wasn''t an end to his boss''s love for money. ¡°Where are you brothers headed to?¡± Klein questioned smilingly. ¡°We are heading for a nearby restaurant.¡± Xavier replied with a smile. Klein nodded, ¡°Alright. I guess I should be expecting mine then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± A light smile curled up Klaus''s lips. Klein chuckled lightly. ¡°You do know I was just joking, right? I don''t joke with my stomach; hence I eat quite a lot before resuming for work every morning.¡± He further added, smilingly. ¡°I see,¡± Klaus muttered in understanding. Makes sense. Xavier nodded lightly. He probably won''t have the time to eat after resuming. Though he guessed Klein would most likely have some time off. But as of right now, that was the least of his concerns. The lives of a few others currently hung on a thread, and they were here busy chatting with Klein. He frowned lightly, slightly nudging his brother, who immediately got the gist of the matter. Klaus let out a dry cough. ¡°Alright Klein. See you later.¡± Klein gave a light bow before both brothers hurriedly left the Azure Hotel with quickened footsteps. Inside the car, Klaus started the car engines before tuning in to a classical rock music. The tension thickened, a palpable sense of dread lingering in the air. ¡°Time to save some asses,¡± Klaus muttered; the sound of tires dragging against the floor immediately rang out before the car busted forth with great speed. Rapidly vanishing into the distance. While a faint, dreadful, and ominous sense of foreboding tugged at the corner of Xavier''s mind. Heading For The Desolate wilderness The bright golden rays of the sun shone upon the surface of the world. A car could be seen speeding down the winding road. Xavier had his hand placed on top of the edge of the window, whilst he gazed outside. Staring absently at the passing landscape- snow-dusted trees, distant snowy-white mountains with piercing peaks and the desolate wilderness stretching out into the horizon. Whilst he seemed to be lost in thought, Klaus was lost in the ¡°realm of the legends¡± as he sang to the tunes and rhythm of one of his favorite classical rock music: Rolling Thunder! Klaus''s voice, rough but earnest, sang along to the lyrics: ¡°Drivin down this dusty road, a seemingly endless road. The sun shines and illuminates the path before me. Got the humming, got the car down. A restless soul, a broken heart, drifting through this town. Let me sing, let me dance.¡± He smirked as he hit a sharp turn, sending the car into a smooth drift. The thrill of the moment pushed his foot harder onto the pedal. "The Angels stand beside me, their grace showering upon me. Rolling Thunder, hear my call. Let''s fall into eternal freedom. On the highway, constantly chasing dreams. Life is nothing but a journey. A journey treaded with a demon''s heart. ¡°City lights are fading fast, shadows in the rear. The part is just a memory, no time for fear nor regret. With every mile I left behind, I break open the shackles of fate! On this open road, a land of darkness. I seek the light no one can find.¡± At this point, Klaus''s voice was already reaching a crescendo, his fairly decent voice mixed with the blood pumping thrill coursing through his heart propelled him to hit harder on the car''s pedal. Stepping onto the pedal forcefully, the car sped into the distance with an incredulous speed, shocking the mind of most as Klaus rapidly drifted past them, barely avoiding smashing into a few cars in the process whilst he sang along to the classical rock music. Xavier''s brows furrowed. The rhythm of Klaus''s carefree energy contrasted starkly with the weight of the mission at hand. He turned from the window, thoughts still tangled in a web of¡­ imminent danger awaiting them in the wild. ¡°In the rearview mirror, I see the light I left behind. But on this open highway, it''s a new world that I find. On the highway, chasing dreams and hunting things. Life is a journey, far more precarious than it seems.¡± His voice tore through the air like a fierce whirlwind, cutting through the desolate silence as his voice reached what one would call- the turning point; a crescendo state unlike no other. ¡°So here''s to the road and the night so long. To the endless horizon and to finding where we belong. With the wind grazing my hair and the world beneath my feet. I''m a rolling thunder no one can defeat!¡± The car made a sharp drift before it came to a halt. Klaus''s voice had finally tuned down since the song had ended anyway and he had definitely sung to his heart''s content. Xavier, who had a furrowed brow slowly released the invisible grip on his brow before turning to face his brother. ¡°I have been thinking about it.¡± Xavier said, his right hand placed on his chin. "I think it will be for the best if we hunted down the Berserker Wendigo with the Remington 870 shotgun. "Think about it. This is no ordinary Wendigo. We need a gun that delivers significant damage with every single hit. ¡°And the Remington 870 shotgun has just that. Compared to Glock 29 which, I doubt, will even be able to cause an iota of damage to the Berserker Wendigo.¡± Klaus nodded, ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± He sighed lightly, ¡°Well then, guess we should get to loading the guns with silver bullets.¡± This is bound to be a hell of a fight. Klaus thought in exasperation, a faint sense of dread settling within him. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Both brothers alighted from the car. Through the corner of his eyes, Xavier caught a glimpse of the incoming Selina who slowly headed their way. She was adorned in a black trouser and a light white top. Xavier stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze that gave Klaus the wrong impression. Hmm¡­She seems to be calmer and more refined compared to when we first met. Whilst Xavier thought about this. His elder brother held the wrong impression. Chuckling inwardly, Klaus spoke lightly, ¡°You should probably meet her and get to know one or two things about her current plans.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Xavier smirked. Klaus nodded in response. A few seconds later. Xavier arrived before Selina. Klaus''s gaze left Xavier before he got back to filling the guns with silver bullets. ¡°Good morning Detective Xander.¡± ¡°Good Morning Selina. How''s your brother doing.¡± Xavier replied smilingly. Knowing that Detective Xander was probably talking about Aven, she smiled. ¡°Well he''s okay¡­ I guess.¡± She was silent for a whilst, a solemn outlook settling on her face. But after a few seconds, she regained a lively demeanor that was bothering on the edge of solemnity and liveliness. "I am really glad that you detectives are willing to help out in the search for my brother. ¡°I really appreciate it.¡± Selina gave a light bow. Xavier''s mind easily swept through his subconsciousness, easily finding the reason behind such a way of greeting. Since Yansen City is in the northern region of the universal states. It stands to reason that its mode of greeting would be that of the Ancient Norman Empire of the supernatural Era. Whilst Xavier was lost in thought about the history of the Ancient Norman Empire. How they had surfaced to their decline to the unknown secrets between them¡­ The history bridge¡­ the gap between that era and the Mysticism Era. He sighed lightly, a subtle urge to become more knowledgeable slowly overwhelming him. He had to find the cause of all this, he had to breach the unbreakable barriers between the various eras and their subsequent epochs. He had to¡­ A man who seemed to be in his late forties had little white hair sprinkled around his head and held a gun in hand, slowly walked towards them. Xavier was immediately drawn out of his reverie by the subtle echoes. He does seem to be the hunter. Xavier analyzed with a scrutinizing gaze. The man approached Selina before speaking up. ¡°Hey Kiddo, aren''t you done yet. The earlier we head for the forest, the better it''s for us.¡± ¡°Staying in a forest during the nights'' can be quite dangerous.¡± The man added solemnly. ¡°Yeah we can leave now. The detectives have arrived.¡± Selina replied smilingly. The man''s gaze shifted towards Xavier who felt he was being scrutinized. ¡°And what do you know about wild animals?¡± ¡°Enough to roam the forest.¡± A loud voice rang into their ears. ¡°Oh- And also- less I forget, I have probably killed more of this so-called wild animals than you have ever seen.¡± Klaus said with a wide grin, his voice laced with overwhelming haughtiness. Arriving before them, he threw a gun at Xavier who easily caught it. ¡°And you are?¡± The man questioned with a raised brow. ¡°He''s one of the detectives.¡± Selina immediately interjected. She could feel the unseen heat surging upward, slowly but surely. And she had to stop it. She needs their help. All of them. Not one nor two less. ¡°Alright. Just tell this friends of yours to not obstruct me from doing my job.¡± The man said with a poker expression. Turning his gaze towards Klaus, he added. ¡°As for you, brat. I have been hunting before your parents probably even met talkless of having you as an idea.¡± The man chuckled lightly, then proceeded to walk away with a wide smirk settling on his face. ¡°Sorry guys. Please don''t take it to heart.¡± Selina suddenly bowed as she tried to appease the detectives. ¡°Nah we''re good.¡± Xavier simply laughed it away. Whilst Klaus gave the man a piercing cold look. Just you wait till you find yourself in its mouth. Let''s see if you''re still so cocky. He harrumphed inwardly, hoping for the man''s death to come as quickly as possible. Selina was still staring at Klaus, which prompted Xavier to glance at his brother. Seeing the look on his brother''s face, he couldn''t help but laugh inwardly. A wry smile finding its way at the corner of his lips, he proceeded to nudge Klaus whilst letting out dry coughs. This seemed to be more than enough to bring Klaus out of his reverie. ¡°Alright. So when do we leave?¡± He questioned after regaining his cool. ¡°Right now.¡± Selina replied before walking toward the man who stood by his black truck whilst smoking cigar. She spoke with him for a while, enduring the unbearable stench of the cigar. Minutes later, she arrived before the detectives. ¡°We can head for the forest.¡± Hopefully, it all goes well. Alex¡­ Selina''s mind ran into shards of frantic thoughts, each one more difficult to bare than the last. Unknowingly, she was even gnawing on her lower lips, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Both brothers nodded, sighing inwardly before following behind Selina. ¡°Good morning.¡± Aven greeted both detectives. ¡°Does he also plan on following us?¡± The man asked with a raised brow. ¡°Yes.¡± Aven hurriedly replied. With Selina being quiet for a pretty long time, he knew the kid would be tagging along. ¡°Alright. But the price will be doubled.¡± I can''t be babysitting two kids for such a petty amount. ¡°Also if we don''t find any trace by nighttime. You both will have to return first.¡± Selina bit on her lower lips. I can¡­I should be able to come up with the amount¡­ hopefully. ¡°Okay.¡± She spoke up a few seconds later. The man nodded before turning his back, as they made way for the eerie desolate region of the desolate wilderness whilst taking into view the distant nightmarish abyssal mountain that reeked of unholiness. Both brothers immediately followed behind, both having a solemn expression. They knew what the siblings were currently attempting was nothing short of being a suicide mission. Yet, they didn''t need to be told to know that no amount of words will be able to convince the siblings to stop looking for their brother. And Klaus was the most irritated. This is literally the same thing as going on a hunt with a bunch of kids. He lamented inwardly. Hopefully, none of them dies¡­ on our watch. Both brothers gaze subconsciously lingered on each other for a few seconds before Klaus let out a depreciating laughter, whilst Xavier sighed lightly. Both acknowledging the fact that they had a hell of a workload ahead of them. Klaus was silent for a whilst as both brothers stood rigid on the spot. He exhaled deeply before speaking up. ¡°We should probably start moving.¡± He paused for a second, organizing his thoughts before he added. ¡°We just have to try our best.¡± Xavier nodded before both brothers immediately tried to catch up with the rest of the cohort. A tensed aura brewed within the eerie atmosphere, a cold chilling wind washing over them, whilst the nightmarish mountain in the far distance, heightened the sense of dread and terror that had grabbed onto them. Forcing down the unease, both brothers walked into the confines of the forest, as they prepared to face the beast within¡­ and perhaps, much more. Cunning Bastard Ancient towering trees pierced through the heavens, standing tall and imposing. Sending cold wind down the spine of those who gaze at them. The gnarled trunks of the tree tops came together to form a complex pattern of canopies, blocking the ¡°holy glow¡± of the Sun in the sky. The landscape seems to border between the limits of reality and the nightmarish. Adding to the sense of desolation and the eerie silence that plagues their minds, the cohort felt as though they were walking in an abyss whilst being stared at by countless unseen eyes. Occasionally, they would pass by chirping birds and scurrying squirrels who scurried up and down tree trunks, foraging for nuts and seeds. The air was filled with the scent of pine, most likely due to the pine trees that were layered across the forest. The ground beneath their feet was covered in snow that was cold to the touch, and the air was filled with a bone-chilling drop in temperature that sent frosty chills running down the spine of the two siblings- Selina and Aven. Despite its eerie desolation broken only by the occasional chirping of insects, the distant call of birds and the occasional rustle of tree leaves, the forest still possessed a strange liveliness that was hard to overlook. And like that, the cohort of five. The experienced hunter, the desperate siblings, and the depressed hunters who felt like they were being dragged to an untimely death all trod on this natural landscape, eyes gleaming sharp in search of any slight ¡°anomaly.¡± Harland, the seasoned hunter, crouched down. His fingers brushed the damp ground, bringing a dark stain to his nose. He inhaled sharply. ¡°Blood.¡± He muttered, eyes narrowing as he stood. ¡°It''s fresh.¡± The group stiffened. Selina swallowed hard, her heart pounding as the oppressive quiet pressed in on them from all sides. Aven''s breath fogged in the freezing air, his hand trembling as he gripped Selina''s arm. Aven gripped tightly onto Selina, both siblings clung onto each other, forcing down their unease as they slowly followed behind the hunter. ¡°He''s good- I will give him that.¡± Klaus shook his head. ¡°But unfortunately, this is not a work for him. He will just end up killing himself.¡± Xavier sighed. ¡°That''s why we are here.¡± Klaus sighed. ¡°Guess you''re right.¡± Xavier nodded before both brothers proceeded to walk side by side whilst constantly scouting for any hidden threat and also paying attention to the siblings and the experienced hunter. The chilling frosty ice blew back and forth, sending ominous chills down the spine of the cohorts. The eerie dark trees gave off an unholy tainted aura, causing anyone to shrink away from them. Despite the howling cold wind surging unpredictably. The brothers didn''t really attribute any weirdness or strange paranormal activity to this. Not only is the desolate wilderness located in the northern parts of the universal states and the northernmost region of Yansen City. It''s also glazed with the occasional presence of lakes and serene ponds which leads to a logical and feasible conclusion that it was most probably a natural feature of the desolate wilderness. Simply because it''s located at the Northern edges of the Universal States. Desolate Wilderness. Truly an enigmatic place of nature. It was filled with an eerie desolation yet a strange liveliness, as though it had once been¡­created, received, and perhaps disowned by the forces of nature itself. On numerous occasions, due to the mind-shattering silence threatening to overwhelm them in its eerie warmth. Their hearts would often thump violently, their blood flowing frantically. With the only constant source of comfort being the seldom chirping of birds and the random scurrying of squirrels. Hmm¡­ Klaus''s brows suddenly got raised, and his heart immediately tightened, almost as though it was being clutched by unseen forces. Misty eyes immediately darted around. ¡°Did you also notice that?¡± Xavier questioned, his hold on the gun getting stronger with each thump of his heart. BADDUUMP!! BADDUUMP!! ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaus nodded in response, paying more attention to his surroundings. It''s too quiet." Klaus said solemnly, his hand shaking subtly. ¡°Something''s definitely wrong.¡± He added, scanning the treetops, his breath shallow and ragged. Xavier nodded in agreement, confirming that he wasn''t the only one having this dreadful feeling. A very bad feeling¡­.one which he didn''t like one bit. His expression slowly turned solemn as he realized they were probably being¡­ ¡°We stop here,¡± he said, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°We''re being watched.¡± The tension in the air became palpable, thick enough to choke. Selina clung to Aven as the whispers grew louder, a promise of something supernatural and malicious just beyond the trees. Harland snorted, glancing over his shoulder with a cocky grin. ¡°Don''t you think I would know if a wild animal is on our trail?¡± ¡°Aren''t you undermining my skills a lil bit too much?¡± The man questioned his voice frosty cold. ¡°This old man here has been in this business for way too long to not know when I am being trailed by a wild animal.¡± The hunter added with a cold snort. I hunt animals, not the other way around. The man laughed inwardly, a smug expression etching across his face, yet he still did well to assess his surroundings, but he didn''t notice anything strange. And this only heightened the smugness that had grabbed onto him. Increasing with each passing second. "Hey, old man. I know you feel all cocky and arrogant about your skills. And I hate to admit to it, but you are definitely good. I will give you that. ¡°But believe me when I say this¡­ This wild animal is unlike any other animal you have ever come across.¡± Klaus said solemnly- This is a fucking supernatural hybrid for gods sake. At the end of the day, he could only exhale sharply. His gaze slowly grew calmer yet the tension that hung in the air had thickened to unbearable extents, the leaves sending whispers carried along by the current of the winds, promising tales of unimaginable sufferings and horror. "This animal is brutal, fast, strong and most importantly, it''s as cunning as a fox. "And as you might have noticed. The chirping of birds and the occasional scurrying of squirrels have all ceased. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Based on your years of experience, what do you think can cause this?¡± Harland''s brows were tightly furrowed before his eyes abruptly widened, shock gripping him hard and fast. ¡°A higher animal on the food chain!¡± His voice was like a catalyst for a greater change. Shadows flashed¡­all they saw was a mere blur. And then¡­ TAAAP!!! TAAAP!!! RUSTLEE!!! The slight rustling of leaves suddenly became more violent. The sound of the footsteps felt so distant yet seemed miles away. Almost as though¡­ ¡°It''s circling us!¡± Klaus''s loud voice tore through the air, his voice serving as a brief source of comfort. "Stay calm everyone and try to stay in one spot. ¡°Don''t move. I repeat, don''t move!¡± Irrespective of any fucking shit. Klaus spoke, his voice clear and loud as he gripped tightly onto his shotgun. The sibling''s hold on each other only grew stronger, the violent thumping of their heart grew louder, the frosty chills became even more unbearable, more bone-chilling than ever, whilst their body shivered continuously with each surrealist touch of the cold wind. Klaus and Xavier tried to make out the figure that was moving at an abnormally fast pace. But it all proved to be futile, he; couldn''t even cast his gaze on the creature due to its fast inhuman speed, talkless of trying to take it down. ¡°AAAAH!!! HEELP MEEE!!!¡± A loud pained voice tore through the air, akin to a crucible placed within a crux. This seemed to have slightly agitated Harland who ignored Klaus''s previous warnings as he dashed forward at a terrifying speed, trusting in his skills as he slowly vanished from their line of sight. Fuck. Klaus gaze grew solemn. ¡°Stop!!" Both brothers yelled out. But it was already too late, he had already vanished from their line of sight. Klaus immediately busted into a fast sprint, rapidly followed by Xavier, who monitored each and every movement of the desperate siblings. They moved at a rapid speed, their steps sending loud echoes across the snow beneath their feet. Klaus suddenly came to a stop, his expression turning solemn. Xavier and the siblings arrived just in time. ¡°Aaah!!¡± Selina suddenly covered her mouth as her body trembled. Whilst she struggled to accept the cold reality that had suddenly unfurled before her. Aven had a look of shock on his face as he panted heavily. He sharply exhaled, trying his best to reduce the abnormal pace at which his heart was beating. Before them Harland¡­ Well, his remains could be seen scattered and strewn across the white snow now dark-reddish white. Whatever had killed him had done so in the most ruthless, fast and probably the most horrifying way thought possible. Blood, organs, liver, and tendons were strewn across the snowy ground, creating an eerie beautifying aspect of hunting! A deep, pungent smell suddenly assaulted their nose, with the grim reality before them heightening the sense of trepidation and fear to greater heights. What happened to him? He was perfectly fine just a second ago. What wild animal could have laid waste to him within a mere couple of seconds? Aven thought solemnly as he recalled Klaus''s words. ¡°Trust me¡­ This is unlike any wild animal you have ever hunted.¡± Something along that line, this and the fact that detectives suddenly decided to help out in a missing case prompted him to believe that this definitely wasn''t an ordinary wild animal. But if it isn''t a wild animal. Then what could it be? Could it be the monster talked about by those old fogies? He thought, his body visibly shaken as his lips trembled in shock. He felt a tight invisible grip holding onto his heart; he could hear the violent thump of his heart with nightmarish clarity whilst a cold, chilling wind soothed his skin in its eerie warmth. ¡°Everyone. We go back Now!!¡± After a few seconds of gritting his teeth, Klaus was able to come to a decision. Hopefully, the best. He knew they were currently in great danger. And most ironic of all, the siblings didn''t help out in any way. Now, the only thing they could do for now is to retreat whilst reorganizing their thoughts and planning on their next course of action. In fact, he already had an idea in mind. But first things first¡­ They had to leave here ¡ª now! This instant. Xavier seemed to have regained his bearing, beckoning for Selina and Aven to follow him as he ran at a rapid speed, whilst Klaus did most of the attention routine, his eyes moving with extreme dexterity. Keeping watch on any slight rustling of tree leaves or strange eerie shadows that were continuously being cast around, moving in an unpredictable, chaotic yet effective manner. He kept his eyes on any strange passing silhouette that suddenly turned into a blur within the blink of an eye. RUUN!!! TAAP!!! They ran at a terrifying speed whilst being close to each other. The occasional distant call for help resounded in their ears every once in a while. Every time it rang out, they would feel a cold creeping feeling as though invisible hands were moving around their body in an eerie, strange manner. But now, instead of having the urge to save the ¡°victim,¡± they knew too well to trust the callings for help. Now, anytime the pained voice rang into their ears, their hearts thumped at a rapid speed, their blood flowing at an abnormal pace. They struggled to remain clearheaded and on their feet as they scurried towards safety. RUSSTLE!!! To his left, Klaus''s pupils suddenly caught a glimpse of a blurry shadow. His heart almost skipped a beat, but he immediately made a light rotation by propelling himself backward with a light tap onto the snowy white floor. Trying his best to reduce the fear slowly gnawing at him. He panted heavily¡­ Focus Klaus. Stay focused. Closing his eyes. A light rustling of tree leaves rang in his ears and then¡­his eyes suddenly shut open. ¡°There!!¡± Xavier pointed at Klaus''s right hand. Klaus, who had also marked the vicinity as the possible location of the Berserker Wendigo immediately tapped his legs against the ground. His body made a slight twist. Not only that, but he immediately caught a subtle glimpse of a gaunt, emaciated being with elongated limbs that screamed of abnormality and long eerie dark claws that seemed to block the rays of the sun!! Yet what stood out the most was the yellow pair of eyes that was about to turn into a fleeting movement. Gripping tightly onto his gun, he knew he couldn''t afford to waste such an opportunity. He couldn''t. Not know when they were still at the forest''s heart. His resolve was immediately followed by multiple consecutive gunshots. KAAA!!! KAAA!!! KAAA!!! Two of the three silver bullets pierced through the air, missing the Berserker Wendigo who sprinted past them, as the silver bullets easily pierced through the dark tree trunks, splintering some shards into the air. The world seemed to have come to a stop as the last and final bullet moved three steps further away from the previous location of the Berserker Wendigo. The Berserker Wendigo already noticed the imminent threat on its life after the silver bullets escaped from their shell. It could feel a great sense of dread just like when faced with that being... and it felt a weird sense of ominous foreboding...one that promised tales of unmistaken death had washed over it. It didn''t need to be told to immediately realize that the silver would be of a faint threat to Its life. Although faint, it wasn''t willing to take a bet. The urge to survive prompted it to move even faster, blurring into multiple fleeting images whilst the splinters of shards remained in the air. Yet ironically enough, in some cases being too good isn''t really a good thing and can lead to devastating consequences. And in this case, its inhumanly fast speed enabled it to move right into the bullet''s ominous path; a path of damage. PUCHIII!!! A dark red blood immediately spluttered into the air immediately followed by a loud thud. "GOTCHA!!" Klaus''s eyes beamed with joy. He was about to move towards the creature, when a cold grip suddenly held him back. Turning, he realized that it was Xavier. A wary expression etched across his face. "It''s probably just feigning its death or injury. Have you forgotten? It''s far stronger than a traditional Wendigo." It''s just as cunning as I had thought. Xavier thought in exasperation, dread and anxiety creeping in. Klaus face contorted with rage as he realized that he had almost fallen prey to the cunning nature of the Berserker Wendigo. "What a cunning bastard." He spat out with balled fists and clenched jaws. Xavier nodded, looking around before he spoke. The tension, thick and cloying had begun to rise to even more unbearable extents. "We should probably head back for the car. Get Selina and Aven to stay back at home, then we come back to gank it with the aid of the flame projector. "Oh- We should also save any surviving victim whilst at it. If I remember correctly it goes into a minimum hibernation every summer, but we are currently in winter season, so it stands to reason that it will be going into deep slumbers. So... perhaps they might still be some survivors contrary to our previous speculations." Hopefully they''re. If not...then Selina''s brother is most likely dead. And she will definitely be heartbroken...broken completely by such news. Xavier sighed inwardly, a solemn expression gripping onto his face. Klaus nodded at the words of his brother. "Alright, let''s do just that." Xavier nods in response. Both brothers returned to escaping once again. They made use of various methods to escape. Running, scouting, dealing with fear and anxiety. They were battling with various metaphorical and metaphysical themes¡­not just the physical dread alone. The siblings rapidly followed Xavier''s lead. Running with a heightened sense of dread. A faint, palpable and ominous sense of death lingered heavily in the air. The stench of blood on the now hot-in-pursuit Berserker Wendigo could be subtly smelt by Klaus, yet this didn''t change the fact that this was bound to be a chase filled with the constant sense of dread and even¡­ Death! A Veteran Gunslinger A figure with snow-white hair that cascaded down his shoulders and piercing Azure pupils that spoke of untold knowledge could be seen at the forefront. His every step resulted in slight unseen undulations running across the ground. Each step he took brought him countless steps forward as slight tremors ran across the ground. One of the reasons why the Michealsons, the brothers'' to be precise, were rather feared by evil supernatural creatures. Although they were mere humans or mortals, and weren''t experenzean cultivators nor were there Transcenders. They possess immense physical attributes that would leave most supernatural creatures in shame. Rapidly running behind this figure with snow-white hair, desperately chasing after him whilst clinging onto each other were the two siblings: Aven and Selina. And closely following behind them was Klaus who tightly gripped onto the Remington 870 shotgun, whilst constantly looking for any slight movements or disturbances amidst the rustling of tree leaves. The cohort of four easily sped past countless trees, the constant threat of death threatening to shatter their minds into splinters of constant fear and dread. TAAAAP!!!! STEEEP!!! Each step of theirs brought them further by countless feet, they ran with everything they had got, going beyond their limits as their ever continous panting weaved through the eerie tensed atmosphere. Yet despite the fatigue that overwhelmed them, despite the fear and dread that threatened to completely overwhelm their subconsciousness within its eerie warmth. Amidst the feeling of heaviness that held onto their bodies, and the dread that took over their mind, the siblings still ran with everything they had got. Mustering every ounce of strength within them as they pushed themselves beyond their limits. They were just mere humans with sub-par abilities at best. Yet right now, there is a clear contrast between their current ''self'' and their previous. Right now, they were fighters, they were adapting and they were willing to give their all to survive. They knew deep down within them that they just had to hold on and give it their all. The fear, dread ans constant threat of death would all soon be over provided they gave it their all. They just had to endure and adapt and so they did. Xavier analyzed all this with a light smile slowly curling up his lips. Witnessing the unique self mechanism of the human body, mind and soul. The will to live, thrive and survive filled him with an indescribable pride. Selina and Aven panted heavily, their eyes slowly losing its normal luster. Xavier glanced backward and caught a glimpse of this. His Azure pupils got slightly narrowed as he realized that they were already reaching their limits. He could have offered to get a salt from the car to create a blessed circle where the Berserker Wendigo wouldn''t be able to enter. This way he and Klaus would be able to fully focus on dealing with the supernatural creature. Yet he knew that before he could make it back. Whilst it might be a fleeting moment for him. But for Klaus who would have to constantly look out for the siblings whilst still battling against the Berserker Wendigo. It would seem as though an eternity had passed for him and if Klaus wasn''t even careful, he might lose his life in the process. He exhaled deeply ad he glanced at the siblings, "Hold on! we are almost there." His words seem to have served as a source of hope; an unseen thread to grab onto. TAAAP!!! TAAAP!!! Two blazing yellow pair of eye monitored them from the shadows. Following their every movement with cold piercing gaze. Its eyes never for once left its prey. Its sharp rows of teeth gleaming in anticipation, whilst its gaunt, emaciated body easily melded with its surrounding. The figure shrouded by the natural features of the eerie desolate wilderness suddenly moved. A terrifying tremor ran across the ground, there and then, it suddenly appeared within Klaus''s line of sight. Few meters away from Klaus whilst being covered by trees. And before Klaus could even lock onto it, it would turn into a fleeting image of blurry shadows. It was easily moving at a breathtaking speed! It was moving at an incredulous pace, one that frustrated and enraged Klaus. His hands involuntarily snapped onto the trigger, immediately followed by the consecutive sound of gunshots. KAAA!!! KAAAA!!! KAAA!!! The silver bullets easily pierced through the air. They easily pierced through multiple trees, digging deep into them whilst splintering the tree parts into shards. Yet not a single bullet managed to find its way to its'' target. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. It seemed like the Berserker Wendigo already realized they would soon be reaching the outskirts of the desolate wilderness, which also meant that its preys would be in the line of sight of other humans. Hence it finally decided to go all out!!! It had already come this far. How could it allow the preys who radiated with such immense vitality escape from its grasp. TAAAP!!! RUSTLEE!!! Its legs and hand easily cleaved downwards, each time it left a deep gash on the ground. Within the blink of an eye, in the next possible second. It would be seen countless steps ahead, having moved multiple feet away from its previous position. Klaus had always tried to lock onto the target as the heavy panting of the siblings only got louder and heavier, the constant threat of death threatening to break them apart and leave them in an abyss of mental breakdown. Yet despite all this. They still gave it their all and ran beyond their limits. Evident from the strained veins that easily ran and wriggled around their bodies. Perhaps seeing Xavier ahead of them gave them hope and filled them with the motivation they needed to propel themselves further. Selina''s line of sight distorted and contorted constantly, her line of sight getting blurry. "Are we not there yet?" Her faint, weak voice rang into Xavier''s ears as a solemn expression immediately settled on his face. Fuck. Fuck. His eyes pierced through the distance, with his line of sight being far higher than an average human. He could finally see the vague cars and blurry Selina''s house in sight. "We''re almost there. Hold on, just please hold on." Aven panted heavily, as he tried to support his sister. His hands immediately wrapped tightly around her wrist as he dragged their weak bodies into the distance, rapidly chasing after Xavier. Meanwhile Klaus was having a crazy battle and a not really so good time with the Berserker Wendigo. Previously, the Berserker Wendigo was behind them and had been doing everything in its prowess to bring them down from behind. But now, it seemed to have grown a more calculative brain. It moved along the fallen dark leaves, dismissing Klaus as it ran further into the distance with a terrifying speed. Each stride of its'' scattered the fallen leaves beneath its feet as it moved and leaped countless steps forward with each claw it left on the ground. An eerie premonition suddenly gripped onto Klaus, there and then, a cold chilling wind rose into the air. Shit! Klaus''s pupils suddenly constricted, a tight chilling wind gripping onto his legs. He felt as though a crimson sea of blood had suddenly appeared beneath his feet, corpses and bones strewn across the sea whilst the crimson sea seem to spread for as far as his eyes could see. Illusory bones of hands suddenly rose from beneath the crimson sea, his heart almost skipped a beat as dark green pupils were reflected within his pupils. He frowned slightly as he realized that he couldn''t move. His entire feet were stuck in place. He was confused for a second there but that immediately went away as a sentence from Xavier immediately reverberated within the innermost depths of his mind. It devours other supernatural creatures and seldomly gains their... ability. Crap! He felt the tight grip on his legs growing even stronger, the chilling wind seemed to have become manipulative and flexible. It turned into an illusory circlic rope that tightly wrapped around his legs, limiting the flow of blood on Klaus''s leg, thereby reducing his speed to a very minimal extent compared to his full blown pace! "What a crafty bastard!" Klaus chimed out in annoyance. ''Realizing that I am the gunslinger. It decided to hold me down then it would stop Xavier and the siblings from leaving the forest. Easily killing them. Then it would come back to finish me off.'' Klaus deduced the most possible thoughts of the Berserker Wendigo by placing himself in its shoes. He felt a tight illusory grip on his heart, his heart thumped violently against his ribs as he tries everything in order to break free from the illusory shackles that binded him. Yet no matter what he did, he couldn''t break free of the illusory ropes, his efforts proved to be futile! He was about to lose it all, the frustration and pent up angers bordering on explosive levels, when an idea suddenly came to him. Since I can''t chase after the bastard, why don''t I gank it from here. Although with its constant motion, it would definitely affect my lock on it. But... It''s still way better than previously. Since this way, I have a better chance at ganking it! A wide grin slowly rose up his face, as he grinned in anticipation. Meanwhile the Berserker Wendigo was finally just some few meters away from meeting up with Xavier and the siblings, when multiple gunshots suddenly rang out within Klaus''s mind. ''Now!'' He yelled inwardly. Predicting the next position of the Berserker Wendigo. His gaze slowly got narrowed, his grip on the gun got even tighter and then. KAAA!!! KAAA!!! KAAA!!! He shot! The gunshots, loud crisp and clear! Three silver bullets tore through the air consecutively. This portray of skill was more than enough to probably label Klaus as the best gunslinger. A normal veteran gunslinger would probably only be able to shoot two bullets at most within the split moment of a second whilst enduring the terrifying recoil of the shotgun. But what Klaus has just showed has definitely exceeded such level of expertise. There we go, that should be more than enough to put the bastard down. Klaus smirked, there and then, the world seemed to have come to a stand-still, the silver bullets chasing after the rapidly advancing Berserker Wendigo. Xavier, Including the siblings could now get a clear view of the Berserker Wendigo with a dreadful clarity. The siblings had a look of horror, shock and dread on their face when they saw the dreadful abominable monstrosity moving towards them at a rapid speed, its black claws glistening under the blocked rays of the sun. The Berserker Wendigo seems to be happy, perhaps it was feeling a strange sense of joy upon seeing those familiar looks on the faces of its victims. The look of fear, dread and terror on their faces sent a slight rush of adrenaline running and surging crazily within the innermost depths of its heart. This seemed to propel it to move faster as it took a large stride, about to take just one to two more strides before pouncing on its prey when its eyes suddenly got narrowed. It felt a cold chill run across its back, an ominous dreadful premonition weighed upon its mind, a palpable dread that chilled its heart to the core suddenly overwhelmed it completely! The bullets appeared in its line of sight, the three bullets were symmetrically arranged behind each other, giving each other little respite and freedom of space. The bullets seems to be moving at a very slow pace. He could see them with monstrous clarity, yet somehow, strange and dreadful enough. It knew it couldn''t block or avoid it! It was akin to a divine judgement of death being placed upon it! ''NOOOOO!!!!'' A loud roar resounded within its mind and then, PUCHIII!!! PUCHIII!!! PUCHIII!!!! The three silver bullets wasted no time in piercing through the berserker Wendigo. Two hit its mid section, while the last one easily pierced through its forehead. It had a look of shock and unwillingness on its face as it dropped onto the ground with a loud thud, immediately followed by a deep sigh of relief. Klaus breathed a sigh of relief, his grip on the gun loosened slightly. His lungs felt as though they were on fire and he couldn''t even seem to feel his hands again. All that was on his mind right now, was just to close his eyes and fall asleep. Yet fainting within a forest just didn''t sit well with him. And most importantly, although weak, he could still walk; albeit barely. His eyes got closed for some few seconds as he panted heavily, before they snapped back open with a bright lustre. He forced himself to reign in his footing before slowly moving towards Xavier and the siblings: Selina and Aven who had a look of shock, relief and a slint tinge of joy on their face. The Will To Live, Thrive And Survive "It''s dead." Selina whispered, a mix of relief and disbelief in her tone. Klaus staggered toward her, each breath labored and heavy. "It should be. That was enough to put it down." Aven''s voice cut through the stillness charged with awe. "Three shots in a second? How''s that even possible? His eyes, wide and disbelieving, scanned the blood-soaked ground, thoughts scrambling for an explanation. Klaus managed a small, weary smile. He''d heard the question before. But now wasn''t the time to explain. Aven''s pupils were slightly narrowed as his thoughts swirled into chaos. Over his years of web surfing, he had never heard or seen such a thing. Such a level of expertise was basically impossible. Such a veteran gunslinger would only exist in fairy tales or fantasy stories for readers to indulge in. But now, such a surreal experience was taking place right before his very own eyes. This filled him with a whole lot of questions. Amongst many would be: Who''s the man in front of him, second of all. What''s their real job. The way they had handled that monster of a creature. The calmness amidst the tensed atmosphere was literally... too good to be true. I-It almost feels like this isn''t their first time handling such a creature. And upon reminiscing on Klaus''s words of warning to Hander. He was more certain of this. This now raises a question. If they aren''t mere detectives. Then what exactly are they? Perhaps they are from a secret agency that combats this kind of monsters! He finally came to this conclusion, nodding his head in agreement. If Xavier and Klaus had really heard his thoughts. They would have probably laughed their ass out. Xavier''s steely gaze remained fixed on the dark, twisted figure lying motionlessly ahead. "We need to make sure." Xavier spoke with a wary gaze. With how cunning it''s. It could as well be faking its death. Klaus nodded, recalling the moment he''d almost fallen prey to the cunning of the Berserker Wendigo. Their survival hinged on vigilance, and underestimating such a beast is the fastest way to meet death. "Approach with caution." Xavier''s jaw clenched. "I''ll do it. If it moves, you need just three seconds to take it out." "No." Absolutely not. Klaus''s refusal was swift. "If it''s alive, even our strength won''t guarantee your safety." A tense silence fell between them until Xavier finally spoke. "This is the best way. We both know it." Xavier''s gaze shifted to the Berserker Wendigo lying lifelessly on the ground leaving him with no choice but to believe it were really dead. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But what''s a supernatural creature? A supernatural creature isn''t just any creature, or some sort of wild animal. It''s literally an entity that defies all sense of logic to a certain extent. And he knew better than ever to be careful when facing one. As an hunter, that''s one of the strictest rule one must abide by and it was also one of the rules that has been keeping them and other hunters alive till this moment. With only one lifetime whereby any slight mistake would result in certain death! This is one of the best methods to stay alive. Without knowing any of this. Trying to endeavor into the "hunting business" is the same thing as courting death.'' Xavier exhaled deeply. "I know you are worried about me. But we both know deep down that this is the most feasible method of approach." Klaus exhaled, the fight leaving him. "Fine. But if you see so much as a twist, jump back three feet." That should be enough to put it down. Xavier''s nod was barely perceptible. He stepped forward, each movement slow and deliberate. His hands shook, legs trembled, the wind gnawing at his skin. The forest seemed to hold its breath as his shadows crept towards the creature''s emaciated form. The stench of decay clawed at him, mingling with the metallic tang of blood soaking the earth. Unbeknownst to Xavier, his hold on the gun had grown tighter. He slowly moved towards the gaunt, emaciated dark-ashen creature that had blood flowing down its skull and body. Dyeing the ground dark-red as a result. It suddenly twitched, its abyssal pair of eyes flaring to life with a powerful glow that sent cold chills running down Xavier''s spine as his heart leapt to his throat. Fear tightening around his chest like a vice. Before he could even think, instinct took over. His finger tightened around the trigger. KAAA!!! KAAA!!! PUCHIII!!! Two gunshots pierced through the air, easily finding their way through skull and tissue as blood spluttered into the air. The Wendigo''s skull split, dark blood spraying like ink across the cold ground. The blood seemed to let out an eerie ghastly glow as a sense of relief and a soothing calmness suddenly washed over everyone. The forest included. It was finally over. Xavier let out a breath he hadn''t realized he''d been holding. His grip on the gun loosened as the weight of the monster settle. Supernatural creature or not, even they had that will. A unique trait that exits in every single living being, creature or entity. The will to live, thrive and survive Yet despite it showing such blazing will. He knew he couldn''t afford to be sentimental when it came to such a creature. And ironically enough, he did hesitate for a second there. But at the end of the day, he was still able to deliver the final judgement on it. "Is it really dead?" Aven''s voice trembled, hope flickering through the doubt. "Yes." Klaus confirmed, eyes on his brother. "Go on. We''ll handle the rest." Selina realizing that they probably needed to speak alone nods her head. The subsequent course of events alone had dismissed any strong fac¨¤de of hers. "Please do help me find my younger brother." Her hands shook as she handed Klaus a worn photograph. "I know you have seen him before, B-But I still felt like giving it to you. That''s the least I can do to help out." She stuttered, her voice wavering ever so slightly. Klaus took the picture, the face of a dark-haired teenager staring back at him. "We''ll," he promised. "We will be taking our leave." Selina gave a slight bow, whilst Aven nodded at the siblings before he and his sister both headed back home. "You sent them away to discuss about its hideout, right?" Klaus nodded in reply to his approaching brother. "We don''t know if there''s any hidden danger in its hideout. Not to even talk of the fact that trying to trace it to its hideout with it being dead spoilt our previous plans. Now one way or another, we will have to find the hideout without its aid." Xavier turned to Klaus, the weight of the task at hand sinking into his bones. "Yeah. We need to find its lair. Without it leading us it could take hours." Klaus ran a hand through his hair, frustration and exhaustion mixing in his gaze. "We''ll search. But first, we need the flame propellant and ensure any surviving victim lies about the incident." "And Amanda''s case..." Xavier''s voice trailed off, the exhaustion evident. Klaus exhaled sharply. "Seems we have a lot of workload on our hands." "But first things first. After we are done here, we will sneak into the hospital. Then after we are done with Amanda''s case, we leave California behind." Xavier was silent for a whilst before nodding in agreement. Both brothers took one final glance at the dead monstrosity before heading back for the car to get the flame propellant. As they headed for the car, the dead creature behind them served as a cold reminder that in their world, survival wasn''t always guaranteed and at the end of the days... all things shall eventually return to Nothingness.