《Chained Force》


 Prologue: The First Chain

    On a rocky battlefield where time itself felt lonely, yet accompanied with living beings. The landscape showed a long-lasting war with a chaotic view. The golden sky, once a symbol of perseverance faded into a gloomy dusk, signaling the end of a great era. A short man with a great physique and a embracing long brown hair stood there, with scars that glowed like molten gold. Jace Goldscar. A name recognized across several nations. Known to be a warrior, a hero, a legend and a caring father. His natural strength carried entire armies, but today he stood alone. His daggers bathed in gold, were the weapons he carried since the beginning. These daggers held his legacy, being gripped by Jace who kept still despite exhaustion took control over his body, his mind refused. His sore muscles trembled in agony; He surpassed his body¡¯s limit. He had nothing left to give, no reinforcements or any cheap trick, only acceptation. Seven figures surrounded him. Known to be the strongest soldiers of different nations, they had come with a purpose, knowing they faced a man who defied fate itself. But even as Jace stood on the verge of collapse, they didn¡¯t move, scanning the man deeply. The commander enemy stepped forward, his gaze expressed nothing else but recognition.


    ¡°Jace Goldscar¡­¡± The name of a being who helped ally nations get through the adversities.


    Jace exhaled slowly, his chest rise and fall, signaling his final breath. He looks at the sky as he remembers what he has gone through to finally meet his last moment. The golden sky slowly changed to a gloomy dusk. He thought of the Gods which granted him that power, the ones who accompanied him since the day they meet.


    Jace: (Whispering.) ¡°I¡¯m glad, I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m glad I could raise a nation thanks to you guys¡­ If this is how my life will end, that¡¯s okay with me. I accept it. I have done a lot of journeys throughout the years.¡±


    And now, he stood at the end of that era. The era he embraced despite it¡¯s harsh reality, changing it for good. His j¨¦gosgalia awakened by its own. One last time. Molten gold lines coil, wrapping Jace in its embrace while a thick giant rock is summoned by his j¨¦gosgalia.. His golden scars shone as bright it could, almost blinding the enemies nearby. His daggers slowly moved towards the ground as he loses slowly his grip. With a weakened voice, he expresses his final words.


    Jace: ¡°Let my soul carry the willpower of a person worthy of my daggers.¡±


    ¡­ Complete silence.


    Jace did not fall. The giant rock helped him stand. His daggers plunged into the ground to Jace¡¯s side. The hilts glimmered for some brief seconds¡­ Nothing else occurred.


    One of the enemies walked to one of the daggers with curiosity, and the moment his fingers approached the blade, a thin invisible force cut across his skin. He gasped, stepping backwards. None dared to touch anything or get close to him. The breeze felt stronger than ever, an unknown presence watched. It witnessed Jace¡¯s death, acknowledging his final act. And so, his daggers remained untouched, sealed in time.


    Decades would pass. Nations would rise and fall. It was a complete loop of success, death, mourn. Humanity continued to destroy themselves for controversial, egotistical, pointless or partially good reasons. And so, the daggers would remain. Waiting¡­


    August 15th.


    A child was born in Croatia, His mother exhausted yet smilling, held him close. His father, proudly laughed, letting the newborn touch his finger with his tiny hands. And his sister, felt amazed, joyfully tracing her hands to his forehead. His name was chosen.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Donovan.


    August 23rd.


    Across the enormous ocean, in the United States, another cry echoed. A second child had entered the world, yet his presence carried a distinctive sensation. His birth was not met with a warmth salutations, but rather a silence filled in the hospital room. His mother, though loving, felt a strange sensation. As if this child had been born with something beyond human comprehension. While his father, a man hardened by life, stood beside her, sensing that his son¡¯s path would have a turning point. A name was chosen.


    Hjalmer.


    The Strings Begin to Move.


    At the age of 7, the Ethermythica Gods had already connected their paths. Born on separate continents, raised in different cultures. Donovan was playing near the Adriatic coast, running along the shore as the summer breeze had a salty scent. Suddenly, he paused, feeling something pull at his chest. A weird sensation¡­ His heart pounded of anticipation. Though, in a city thousands of miles away, Hjalmer felt the same pull, the same sensation. He felt confused, looking around for something. His parents noticed his sudden stillness but said nothing. He felt that something was gradually changing. It was fate. Hjalmer¡¯s parents made a decision.


    Hjalmer¡¯s dad: ¡°We¡¯re moving to Croatia.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a reason or a explanation, it was a feeling. What they did not know was their decision was not their own. Xyros, the Ethermythica God of Time and fate, had ensured this encounter.


    The ambient radiated a sunny day. Hjalmer and his parents arrived in Croatia for the first time. Somehow, there was something welcoming them¡­ He could not give an explanation, nor understand why, but his chest felt lighter as if he¡¯s reaching the missing piece. In a small, open field near the town¡¯s edge, a boy was kicking a soccer ball against a tree. His golden-eyes shimmered under the sunlight, having a concentrated expression with narrowed eyes. Hjalmer watched him foor a moment. The boy kicked the ball once more, but it bounced off the tree and rolled towards Hjalmer.


    He stopped it with his foot instinctively. They exchanged a look. Their chest felt way lighter than before. Neither spoke at first, but then Donovan grinned, asking him if he would like to play. Hjalmer exchanged with the same expression, nodding.


    And just like that, the two began to run. The soccer ball moved between them, like if they were playing for their entire lives.


    Their friendship started with soccer first, then races, baseball¡­ It was a daily activity, a new challenge, a new game, a new reason to prove who was faster, stronger, smarter. This was a rivalry formed instantly. Easily bonding. In fact, they were inseparable when school started. Sitting next to each other in class, training together in the evenings and defended each other whenever trouble appeared. They protected each other, just like how a good friendship does.


    Three years later, Donovan and Hjalmer were no longer two kids playing, they were constantly trying to surpass each other. And then, turning ten years old, their lives changed forever. During those three years, they began to practice martial arts.


    It happened during a sparring match. They found an abandoned lot where no one could disturb them. The fight had been intense for their ages, neither willing to give up despite panting heavily. Then, Donovan froze, his hands trembled with golden glows emitting from his skin. At the same time, a darkened aura covered Hjalmer. Both paused their sparring, having their own moment of surprise. They didn¡¯t understand it then. They were unaware of what had just awakened. But their fates had been chained. Their j¨¦gosgalia had been born.


    An Oath. The Gods watched in silence, witnessing their growth as the new saviors. The bond that was meant to be unity and peace¡­ would one day be broken. The two who were meant to save the world together¡­ would one day stand on opposite sides and clash each other.


    Neither of them knew what was coming, but their story had already begun.

 Chapter 1: Point Zero.

    A bright sun reflects the atmosphere¡¯s state, which is healthy and shining. Along with the pure fresh air, two boys were walking side to side slowly, appreciating the colorful atmosphere while they chat.


    Donovan: ¡°So¡­ Uh, are you going to continue training or you''re going back to the USA?¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Honestly, I might just stay here for a while now¡±


    Donovan expressed his joy by throwing punches in the air.


    Donovan: ¡°Excellent! Then we can continue getting more and more in shape!¡±


    The boy with dark blue hair simply laughed as he puts both of his hands in his head, as a relaxed position.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Haha, I know, but, I¡¯ve been thinking on studying more¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°How come?¡±


    Hjalmer sighs and explains with no motivation.


    Hjalmer: ¡°My parents told me to keep studying since my grades are decreasing¡­ And honestly, I don¡¯t really like how the school is getting me all stressed out.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Agh, just nevermind I¡¯m done with this school nerd stuff.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Why are your grades decreasing?? You¡¯re doing good in school¡­ I guess¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ Agh, I¡¯m not fully interested in learning some stupid stuff¡­¡±


    The boy with golden eyes gives him a dap with motivation .


    Donovan: ¡°Never forget you got my support!


    The dark blue hair boy doesn¡¯t respond, admiring Donovan¡¯s response.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Well, you know how I get when I¡¯m all stressed so¡­¡±


    The teenager didn¡¯t finish his sentence, as he instictively sprinted rapidly


    Donovan: ¡°Oh no you¡¯re not winning this one!¡±


    The boy with golden eyes also follows him, keeping up the same speed.


    Hjalmer: ¡°How are you even keeping up with me?! We both know you¡¯re slower than me!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I was just holding back!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s leg released a powerful boost, running twice as fast as hjalmer


    Hjalmer, in the other side, gets pissed off, using his abilities to reach his best friend


    Donovan: ¡°Wh-what?! You¡¯re using your j¨¦gosgalia?! WHY!?¡±


    Hjalmer ignores him and continues racing.


    Donovan: ¡°If so¡­¡±


    Golden particles are emitted from the ground, reaching Donovan''s head in the form of a tornado.


    Donovan: "Here I come!"


    He places himself in the position of a professional sprinter and runs so fast that his footprints leave a defined mark. Donovan catches up with Hjalmer and he pushes him away.


    Donovan: "Hey, since when can you push?!"


    Hjalmer: "Who said it couldn''t be done?"


    Donovan looks at him in frustration without being able to answer him, consequently he collides with a tree. Hjalmer stops and laughs exaggeratedly while pointing at him


    Hjalmer: "HAHAHA"


    Donovan makes incomprehensible sounds of pain as he gets up.


    Donovan: "It''s not fair dude... I didn''t see the tree"


    Hjalmer: "There are obstacles in professional careers for a reason."


    The guy with golden eyes doesn¡¯t reply back, asking a question.


    Donovan: "Anyway, are you feeling better yet?"


    Hjalmer: "Yes and no."


    Donovan: "Why?"


    Hjalmer looks at him for a few seconds, then walks again.


    Donovan: "Hjalmer, what''s wrong?"


    Hjalmer: "Have you ever had the feeling that you have to do something for the world?"


    Donovan is silent to think of a well-formulated answer.


    Donovan in his mind: "I never thought of that but I¡¯m just going to lie..."


    Donovan: "Well, yes."


    Hjalmer: "I have several things planned to improve the economy and repair disasters in this disgusting world..."


    Donovan: "And how will you do it?"


    Hjalmer turns his head a little to have physical contact with his best friend by touching his shoulder tightly.


    Hjalmer: "Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And what you¡¯re going to do then?¡±


    Hjalmer stares at Donovan, slowly giving a creepy smile


    Hjalmer: ¡°Oh you know, change the world¡±


    Donovan reacts shockingly, stepping back


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°This is not Hjalmer¡­ This is not him, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And how you¡¯re gonna change the world then?¡±


    He says, as he starts acting and laughs like it was real.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Oh Don¡¯t worry dude. Besides, Humans are creatures who only want to satisfy their needs in their absolute conformity, to become useless and live without any decisive purpose¡±


    The golden-eyed boy stares at him, asking.


    Donovan: ¡°Why are you saying those things? I¡¯m quite confused¡­¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Donovan, it¡¯s just that¡­I often see how horrible this truth is.¡±


    Donovan: "What¡­ Truth, exactly¡­?


    Hjalmer took a deep breath and try to regain his composure.


    Hjalmer: "Let¡¯s just¡­ stop it here, okay?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Dude, come on! I can help; I¡¯m your best friend.¡±


    Hjalmer¡¯s face hardened again, his frustration took control over him.


    Donovan: ¡°You¡­ Okay?¡±


    Hjalmer stops smiling, kicking Donovan and sending him flying¡­ Donovan collides on a giant deformed rock as he growls of pain.


    <h2>December 15th, 2041. 1:28 P.M.</h2>


    As the death battle between opposites starts, the body transforms into a vessel of raw, untamed energy. Muscles coil and tighten like some ancient serpents awakening from a deep sleep, poised to strike lethal precision. The whole ground gave way under their shoes, as though it was trying to contain the force of their fight. Like tremors resonating across the universe, each strike that was dealt sent shockwaves vibrating through the earth. The two warriors stood¡­ their breaths ragged and bodies trembling a testament to the ferocity of their death battle. Every ounce of strength expended, they locked eyes in desire to kill each other, their souls too weary to continue, knowing they¡¯ll die of excess fatigue, so they gave their last prodigy moves.


    <h2>2:53 P.M.</h2>


    As the final blow was struck, the battlefield descended into a creepy calmness so deep that even the noises of nature seem vanished. 1 HOUR AND 25 MINUTES OF CONSTANT FIGHT. Winner: Undecided. THE BATTLE BETWEEN OPPOSITES HAS ENDED.


    <h2>5 hours later, 7:46 P.M.</h2>


    Donovan was found lying on his back with severe injuries, staring up at the sky and thinking to himself, ¡°This is not Hjalmer¡­" He heard heavy footsteps approaching him as he attempted to rise up, and Hjalmer with a broken arm arrived.


    Hjalmer: ¡±Donovan, why don¡¯t you realize that WE HAVE THE POWER TO MANIPULATE AND SHAPE THIS WORLD¡­?¡±


    Donovan is quite confused of what¡¯s this drastic and rapid change of his best friend.


    Hjalmer stared at Donovan, looking disappointed by how Donovan didn¡¯t understand his message. Hjalmer: ¡°We may be 13 year old kiddos fighting, but in this moment, we are men that fight to claim the crown.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°What crown-¡± Hjalmer stomps Donovan on his throat repeatdly, enjoying the desperate screams of Donovan.


    Hjalmer laughs with a sadistic tone. Seconds later, Hjalmer cuts Donovan¡¯s legs and abandons his best friend on the floor, injured.


    The cut was so painful Donovan lost his voice for screaming a lot.


    Due to the J¨¦gosGalia''s high level of risk, Donovan rarely ever utilized it; so he was unable to activate it without his emotions. He continued to bleed until he was almost dead, but his spirit never slipped, and at the very last second, he used his J¨¦gosGalia "God''s Rend" to reverse all of his wounds.


    Donovan stands up agitated by the intense adrenaline he experienced, with all his efforts he tried to get up, however, the great ability to regenerate left him dizzy enough that he did not walk well.


    Donovan: "Agh... How did this happen so quickly...?"


    In the valley there was a great disaster, where nature was dirty and destroyed, the contour had somewhat large cracks that evidenced the chaotic fight of Hjalmer against Donovan.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°I should get back home before my parents punish me¡­ Dammit.¡±


    He came back home dizzy and more pale than ever. His parents got worried and quickly went to him.


    Donovan¡¯s mother (Ms.Ivanel): ¡°Son! What happened?!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Hjalmer¡­ I got into a fight with him and he left¡­ us¡­¡±


    As he was finishing his sentence, he lowered his tone.


    His mother looks at him, with confusion and doubts about the current situation. She hugs him and pats his head with ease.


    Donovan hugs her, as he zones out into his thoughts.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°I¡¯ll tell Hjalmer¡¯s family about this..¡±


    Her mother lets him go, as he woke up from his deepest thoughts. The teen with golden eyes walks to the door unmotivated and exhausted. On his way out, he finds Hjalmer''s father, who happens to be desperately asking about his son.


    Donovan: "Mr. Drameus!"


    Mr.Drameus : "Ah, champ! Have you seen Hjalmer?"


    Donovan looks him in the eye with a worried face without even answering him. The father assumes that he does not know where he is.


    Donovan: "He... He left."


    Hjalmer''s father tilts his head a little, looking at him confused, not knowing what he meant.


    Donovan: "I just... He abandoned us."


    Mr. Drameus: "But why?"


    Donovan: "Well, I don''t know... I felt something strange since I insisted on helping him. He got angry with me, attacked me, we fought and he stepped on my throat until I bled..."


    Mr.Drameus: "What are you talking about...? My son would never do that."


    The father raised his voice, even though he was horrified.


    Donovan: "I say the same thing, but it''s up to you whether you want to believe me or not."


    Hjalmer''s dad clenched his fist and sighed.


    Mr.Drameus: "I need you to give me the details of how it all happened."


    Donovan nodded his head to begin to explain, meanwhile, Donovan''s mother came out to listen to what was happening.


    Donovan: "We were walking to the Altar of Eshaana Gromsnaga, while we were talking about the school and... I wonder if I didn''t feel that something had to be done with this world... I lied to him because something was wrong..."


    Donovan looked down as if he were messing it all up. He kept talking.


    Donovan: "Anyway, I asked him how he wanted to change the world but he told me something that humans only want to satisfy their needs and then be useless and have no decisive purpose..."


    Hjalmer''s father was astonished by his son''s comment without saying anything at all.


    Donovan: "As I repeat, he got angry because I insisted and well, what happened happened... After waking up I didn''t find him anywhere."


    Mr. Drameus: "I don''t think he''ll abandon us, I guess he just had a hard time, he''s like that sometimes."


    Mr. Drameus comments with a slight smile encouraging Donovan


    Donovan doesn''t feel sure what his best friend''s father is saying.


    Donovan: "I''ll try to find Hjalmer."


    Mr. Drameus: "Be careful!"


    Donovan: "Yes!"


    Donovan jumps high to move from house to house.


    Donovan in his thoughts: "Really... What''s wrong with Hjalmer?"


    The golden-eyed boy activates his Dvasinis Nexus, trying to connect with Hjalmer, however, when he does so he hears a void, as if no one is there.


    Donovan through Dvasinis Nexus: "Hjalmer! Answer me, Hjalmer!"


    The boy did his best to talk to Hjalmer, but the chasm was a great obstacle that he could not undo.


    Donovan in his thoughts: "This guy is a weird... I can''t even contact him if I want to."


    The teenager regrets insisting on his best friend, and he goes ahead looking for him.


    Donovan''s fierce and desperate jumps cause a wake-up call to those who strolled through a square lit by many shopping malls.


    Donovan in his thoughts: "I''m starting to doubt, why am I trying to find him? Not even the Dvasinis Nexus works..."


    Donovan ends up at the top of a chair, appreciating the beautiful night of the thousands of living lights.


    Donovan: "I give up. This will take me centuries..."And so he returns home jumping much faster.


    A man: "Is that a booster?!"


    People notice the appearance of a booster, screaming in surprise.


    Donovan: "Hm? And what are they doing watching me?!¡±


    The teenager felt uncomfortable and sped up to go back home.


    Donovan: ¡°First of all¡­ What are boosters? I never heard that term before¡­ I should ask my mother.¡±


    After some minutes of leaping from place to place, he arrived with a big stomp that vibrated the whole ground.


    His mother ran to him to assure he¡¯s okay.


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°Donovan! Are you okay? Did you find your friend?¡± she asked while cleaning the dust with her hand gently.


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s gonna take me decades to find him, I can¡¯t even contact him with my dvasinis nexus¡­


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Oh yeah, also, what¡¯s a booster?¡±


    His mother looks at him with a gentle smile.


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°A booster is the name given for someone who has a j¨¦gosgalia¡­ It¡¯s pretty rare to find someone like you in this country.¡±


    Donovan gets more curious and keeps asking her mother.


    Donovan: ¡°Why is it rare?¡±


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know¡­ The j¨¦gosgalia is a mysterious and terrifying thing. The one who knows more about this is your cousin.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°You mean Danko?! He never comes here! The last time I saw him is when I turned nine years old¡­¡±


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°Honey, that¡¯s because he¡¯s working, you know his parents aren¡¯t in a good state¡­¡±


    Donovan takes a deep breath and sighs.


    The sudden comment made Donovan nervous as he looked at him with desperation.


    Mr.Drameus: ¡°Hey champ, did you found him?¡±


    Mr.Drameus: ¡°Champ?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­ It¡¯s going to take me million of years to find him¡­¡±


    Mr. Drameus looks at him gently, moving closer to him. Donovan stands there in confusion. Mr. Drameus hits him hard that Donovan spouts blood from his nose


    Mr. Drameus: "IS THIS HOW YOU COME BACK, YOU DAMN BASTARD?"


    The loudly strong slap got Donovan''s mom angry.


    Donovan: "Mr. Drameus... Excuse me, I''ll try to look for him one more time-"


    Mr. Drameus: "Silence."


    Donovan''s mother punches Mr. Drameus on the neck, along with a kick in the private parts.


    Ms.Ivanel: "Now I see why your wife left you, idiotic womanizer."


    The feral kick left the man on the ground screaming in pain.


    Donovan''s mother grabbed him very tightly by the hair.


    Ms.Ivanel: "Don''t return to this place, ever again."


    Mr.Drameus was so frightened by the look of the golden eyes that he began to go crazy.


    Mr.Drameus: "The... Eyes of... The reincarnation of Dainius..!"


    The man was alarmed, he did his best to run as fast as he could, but this was difficult because of the pain he received in his genital parts.


    Donovan: ¡°Mom?¡±


    Ms.Ivanel: ¡°There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know about this family¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The comment got Donovan more confused and intrigued on the mysterious family he has.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°What is relevant about my family...?? Why do I have golden eyes...? What does gold mean..?


    Donovan''s important questions spread and filled his head that he was unfocused on what was happening.


    Ms.Ivanel: "¡ª¡ª- Although in the end it was your father who made it."


    (¡ª¡ª Means a character is talking, while the other is distracted.)


    Donovan''s mother spoke without taking into account that her son was distracted.


    Ms.Ivanel: "Do you understand?"


    After a few seconds, Mrs. Ivanel sees that her son does not respond and she raises her voice a little.


    Ms.Ivanel: "Donovan!"


    Donovan gets scared and responds quickly


    Donovan: "Ehh.. yes, yes..."


    Ms.Ivanel: "Yes, yes, what? I know you''re not listening to me, what¡¯s on your mind?"


    The mother extends her right arm to hug him.


    Donovan: "Why do I have golden eyes, Mom?"


    Donovan''s mother stops hugging him after a few seconds and smiles at him.


    Ms.Ivanel: "You''ll see."


    She walks to the door leaving Donovan outside in the slum.


    Donovan: "Where are you going?!"


    Donovan raises his voice in curiosity


    Ms.Ivanel: "I''m going to cook and finish some meetings!"


    Donovan nods his head and leaps to the highest point of the church to continue appreciating the aesthetics of the city.


    Donovan covers his forehead with his hand with a disappointed expression at himself, thinking about being more careful with his words.


    Meanwhile, a faint light flashes rapidly, Hjalmer breathes heavily, staring at his blood-smeared hands. Three people were frightened by what Hjalmer caused, a homicide. The three people fled as far as possible and Hjalmer turned his head to his right, where there was broken glass. Hjalmer smiled and broke the glass¡­ The sirens of the police could be heard about 10 meters from the alley. Hjalmer leaned out and slowly approached. The police went towards the conflict, they pointed out nervously.


    Police: "Hands up! This is the p-police"


    Hjalmer smiled slightly and raised his hands as if ordered abruptly.


    Hjalmer: "Oh, they caught me, too bad."


    Hjalmer responded with a neutral tone without any fear.


    Police: "Put your hands to your head and get on your knees!"


    Hjalmer: "What?"


    Police: "Get on your knees!"


    Hjalmer: "Ah?"


    Hjalmer''s game killed the policeman''s patience, and he grabbed his Glock-17 tighter.


    Police: "Don''t make me repeat"


    Hjalmer: "Repeat what?"


    The bullet was fired suddenly. Hjalmer did not move a millimetre... There was none wound. The policeman was shocked because the bullet did not go through him, it remained intact in his clothes!


    Even with 365 m/s. His enhanced reflexes made him caught the bullet with his chest, the bullet lost its kinetic energy by spinning slower and slower to the point it didn¡¯t move and collapse.


    Police: "W-What?! You¡ª who... Or what are you?!"


    The policeman panicked too much that he vomited on the ground.


    Hjalmer: "Man, you did eat a lot today. But anyway, now it''s your turn to rest that meal, hahaha..."


    Police: ¡°What the fu-¡±


    Hjalmer absorbed all the energy proudly, unleashing a furious attack on the policeman''s throat. The scene is shown by looking at a fragment of broken glass on the floor, reflecting the worn walls that were covered in blood. Hjalmer is expressionless and after a few seconds, he covers his left eye while laughing lightly.


    Hjalmer: "Hmm.... Why... Is it fun for me to kill?"


    Moving on to Donovan, he had a strange feeling that something is being caused right now. A cold sensation passes through his entire body, alerting him to a dark and inexplicable presence.


    Donovan in his mind: "What the fuck is this...?!"


    His body felt a stinging presence, piercing his entire body as if it were a hedgehog in contact.


    Donovan clenched his fist, trying to keep his composure and looking at a fixed point to think about his decision. The presence pressured him to be fast, the fear also led him to an absurd despair.


    Donovan in his mind: "If I don''t go there, I won''t know what happened, if I do, I don''t know if it will be something that will be difficult for me to solve, besides, I have to think of a plan, no, I have to be quick."


    Donovan''s absurd questions made him doubt why he kept arguing with himself. Donovan raised his head quickly and sighed


    Donovan in his mind: "Let the party begin."


    The golden-eyed boy stood up with a determined & serious expression on his face, the ceiling started a light rumble and golden particles were surrounding him. He leaped so hard that he cracked the ceiling. Inside the church, The priest was preparing the chalice, bread, wine and altar for the Mass. He was frightened after hearing the roar of a desperate voice. The roof cracked showing Donovan''s footprints.


    Priest: ¡°What''s going on?!¡±


    The priest ran to check the church¡¯s outside, looking for the recent destruction.


    Priest: ¡°Those golden particles¡­ Wait¡­¡±


    Priest in his mind: ¡°I know these particles, they seem familiar¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it is¡­¡±


    The priest screams at the top of his lungs with agony and frustration


    Priest: ¡°Donovan Ivanel!!!¡±


    Donovan turned his head to the side, hearing someone shout his name in annoyance from 30 meters away.


    Donovan: "Now what did I do?"


    Donovan did a grimacing expression remembering what he did.


    Donovan: "Ohhh right, the ceiling. after this I¡¯ll repair it."


    Donovan''s speed was increased dramatically, and he became desperate for his curiosity. Hjalmer felt a huge chill hug his neck tightly.


    Hjalmer: "W-What is this weird feeling?!"


    Hjalmer immediately checks to his side, showing the two dead people in the gray alley. The agonizing space barely let Hjalmer look up, looking at a boy in a blue jacket next to golden particles around him.


    Hjalmer: "You, son of a...!"


    Donovan noticed the same clothes his best friend was wearing.


    Donovan in his mind: "Is that Hjalmer?! Time to talk to him."


    He lands abruptly, damaging the worn soil with the soles of his feet.


    Donovan: "Hjalmer!"


    Just as Donovan landed, a straight punch was thrown in a thousandth of a second, hitting Donovan''s solar plexus. Donovan begins to cough up blood. Tiredness leads him to give up talking to him, which leads him to the extreme.


    Donovan: "It seems that our language now is not English... Now, it¡¯s the blows."


    The Golden-Eyed Boy healed himself and started bouncing on his place, while his best friend looked at him with disgust. Hjalmer was so annoyed he took a deep breath and exhaled to continue hitting him. However, just as soon as he extended his arm, a golden slash swept diagonally, brushing against his tangled, tousled hair.


    Hjalmer: "Stop with the bullshit."


    His surly voice gave Donovan a sense of seriousness.


    Donovan: "If you say so."


    Two invisible blows were connected to Hjalmer''s liver and stomach. A great agony took hold of Hjalmer''s consciousness, so much so that his j¨¦gosgalia began to spiral out of control, pushing Donovan away with a shockwave. Hjalmer slowly crouched down and with his right hand grabbed his right side of his face, as if something was bothering him. Donovan worries that he runs towards him slowly, knowing that he has hurt him without any reasonable explanation.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Donovan: "Hjalmer! Is something wrong with you?!"


    The sixth step... Hjalmer expressionlessly landed a chop on Donovan''s neck, opening his skin somewhat. Which led him to regenerate, but Hjalmer, without a human heart, impaled his best friend. The golden-eyed boy kept going and kept regenerating, but the American sociopath repeated the same attack.


    Donovan in his mind: "Why does this fucking idiot keep up with the same attack?! Is he even conscious?!"


    Donovan, with the little strength he had, landed an uppercut without rotating his hips and feet, without generating any power. The most he could do was raise his head slightly, seeing that his eyes were closed.


    Donovan in his mind: "Why am I still here?! REACT."


    The inner voice drives Donovan to create an orb that reverses the damage to the one who caused it. Hjalmer''s sharp nails came into contact with the orb that was thrown into the sky.


    Donovan with an inhuman leap, caused the windows of the buildings to vibrate, collapsing like a rain glass. The citizens near the action recorded, others fled by instinct and some shouted to stop. Donovan didn''t seem to care about the citizens at all, his only goal was to finish off Hjalmer. The golden-eyed boy came to the distance needed to finish off Hjalmer. A strong fist bump, mixed with the aura, created a macabre atmosphere where many people began to feel dizzy.


    Donovan: ¡°Why do you keep running away from me?! What¡¯s wrong, dude?¡±


    Hjalmer looks at him, grunting in despair to finish the fight quickly.


    Hjalmer: ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Donovan looks at him amazed by his response.


    Donovan: ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t want to fight you! There¡¯s a another way we can talk about this!¡±


    Hjalmer Chuckles, punching Donovan in the stomach, sending him to the ground in the street.


    Hjalmer: "Pfft... Ha ha ha... Another way, you say? This world needs no other absurd way, it needs an order... A control."


    Hjalmer: "Do you plan to sympathize with me? No, you can''t. Power is not about understanding, it is about dominating.¡±


    Donovan: "And you call yourself my best friend, but it looks like you''ve become a jerk who only thinks about power and power."


    Donovan''s look reflects his disappointment with his so-called best friend. The golden-eyed boy''s voice became icy.


    Hjalmer: "I don''t need your fucking useless pity, dumbass. You''re in my way.¡±


    Donovan: "No, I''m not in your way, you''ve lost yourself. I won''t let you drag my family down with you. If you keep this up, you might be wrong and destroy this world.¡±


    Hjalmer speaks without shyness, with a strong and aggressive voice.


    Hjalmer: "Chaos brings order... You will do it with me, or you will get in my way.¡±


    Cars stopped and honked, some drivers came out to yell at the teenagers. The atmosphere became tense enough to cause a controversy, the news announced this event live.


    Donovan: "You are never aware of what you cause."


    Hjalmer: "You never asked yourself the question of why you exist."


    Donovan looks at him in shock without giving him any answer back. Hjalmer smiles at him in a macabre way and flees from the controversial place. A long-haired man with a beard helps him up, Donovan zoned out.


    Long-haired man: "Buddy, you good?"


    Donovan didn''t pay him an ounce of attention, focused on his thoughts as the man shook him, and nothing. The newscast trotted over to Donovan to ask him questions.


    Newscast: "Sir, what exactly happened?"


    Donovan''s horrified look suggested that something was wrong.


    Long-haired man: "Hey, I don''t think he¡¯s paying attention..."


    Newscast: "It seems not, and you, what happened?"


    Long-haired man: "Well, all I saw was two guys fighting in the sky... I even felt a little dizzy, I wanted to vomit, it was something strange."


    Newscast: "But why doesn''t he react?"


    Long-haired man: "I don''t know, I''ll try to get his attention."


    The long-haired man slaps him hard that Donovan became aware of.


    Donovan: "W-What happened?¡±


    Long-haired man: "What happened to you?"


    Donovan remained silent, took the hand away from the helper ran and then propelled himself with his j¨¦gosgalia.


    Long-haired man: "Hey boy, wait!"


    The man tried to keep up with him but he was very fast that in 5 seconds Donovan was already in the air.


    Donovan was alarmed by the people surrounding the place.


    Donovan announcing to Hjalmer¡¯s family & his family that his best friend left with disrespectful comments about them. They asked him if he would return, and Donovan had a preoccupied but angry look by the fact he knew Hjalmer would never come back.


    Donovan: ¡±I sense the bitterness he embraces toward us, and right now¡­ he¡¯s having a mixture of undesired emotions, his mind is blinded by something strange¡­ I don¡¯t really know what it is, but it¡¯s strange.¡±


    His family discussed the situation, while the protagonist, exhausted from using his God¡¯s Rend, went to sleep with his doubt about what¡¯s wrong with Hjalmer.


    <h2>Present:</h2>


    4 Years Later after the disappearance of Hjalmer, Donovan continued his casual live, improving himself every day, but those 4 years were really boring since he lacked a purpose. But for what reason was he improving for? Donovan never thought on the reason why he improved himself or what he wanted to become, he just did it by instinct. During his senior year, April, students were skipping school, one by one¡­ The situation became an important announcement around the school. Donovan was curious of the current situation, so he planned on staying in the school for investigations. Despite having a natural aptitude for academics, Ivanel frequently skipped school to escape stress since he disliked strict schedules that might be harmful to mental health.


    At 6:35 P.M. on April 17, he arrived at school to find the familiar gloomy and melancholic rooms due to shadows cast across the empty hallways. Donovan felt as though someone was keeping an eye on him from the shadows because of the uncanny quiet. Donovan predicted an opponent''s attack as he neared a dangerous way and managed to deflect it, but the strike broke his forearm.


    Donovan: ¡°Damn¡­ you got some strong legs right there huh¡­¡±


    His humor was ignored by the rival, who punched him until the school''s windows shattered. The opponent''s hoodie came off during their fight, exposing a blue and platinum-haired girl with facial injuries. She had no fighting spirit and appeared emotionless. They kept trading punches until underground pipes exploded, and Donovan just managed to avoid it before it missed his chin.


    Donovan: ¡°Metallokinesis¡­? What a unique power huh.¡±


    He touches the pipes to erase them as dust vanishes in the air.


    Donovan: ¡°God¡¯s Rend.¡±


    The mysterious girl backed off for remembering what her superior told her to find (She was not fully conscious). She was about to counter him, but Donovan quickly used God¡¯s Rend to make her not move an inch.


    Donovan: ¡°There¡¯s always going to be a reason for every action. So, answer me, you¡¯re attacking me because someone told you to, right?¡±


    The girl was terrified by the traumas she has had with her superior. Donovan didn''t understand what was going on, so he let her move to talk things out. As Donovan activated his Dvasinis Nexus and connected with the mysterious girl, he saw her traumas & past, he instantly recognized the villainous and psychopathic face of his ex best-friend. The mysterious girl gained full self-awareness and apologizes to Donovan for what she has done.


    ??? : ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, the last thing I remembered is that my superior complimented me but after closing the door, I fainted and appeared here¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I already know who he is, and I¡¯m figuring out what is his goal right now.¡±


    ???: ¡°You¡­ do you know him??¡±


    She asked in a delicate, timid tone as if begging for her life.


    Donovan: ¡°There¡¯s context, and a horrendous one¡­ By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ???: ¡°Aeris, Aeris Juno.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°From now on, I want you to quit your current job.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°This is the only job I have, if I quit, I won¡¯t be able to feed my family.¡±


    Aeris replies with a preoccupied tone, like drowning in an endless situation


    Donovan: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to cover the taxes, food, comfort and safety.¡±


    Aeris appreciates with emotion, feeling relieved that someone for the first time in 6 years, came back to help her. Before leaving they saw what they caused.


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah¡­ we should fix this.¡±


    The protagonist activated his dangerous ability to nullify all the destroyed stuff, leading to no evidence like nothing happened.


    ¡ªDonovan and Aeris left the school¡ª


    As they walked to Donovan''s house, Aeris asks him how he knows his superior (Hjalmer)


    Aeris: ¡°So, terminator guy¡­ How the hell do you know my superior?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Ah kiddo, a long story that seemed to be rosy but turned macabre.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°¡­ Why do you sound like an old man who was about to tell a crazy history?¡± she says with a uninterested tone.


    Donovan: "Eh I don¡¯t know, just trying to let the tension go. And I''m just some years older than you...I guess? Anyway, like I mentioned before, Hjalmer and I connected so well that at the age of seven, we were best friends. We used to argue as well as talk about a wide range of topics. But I also saw that he occasionally showed strange behaviors, and these days, he seems to like torturing and murdering people."


    Aeris stays silent like she is hiding something from him.


    Donovan: ¡°Aeris, is there something wrong?¡±


    Aeris clenches her fist and begins to regret meeting Hjalmer for what he has done to her.


    Aeris: ¡°He is the reason why I¡¯m like this¡­ A meaningless human that just kills people to earn money for my family.¡±


    She stayed determined and strong but couldn¡¯t hold her sadness and frustration back so she started crying for the traumas she¡¯s been through. Donovan holds her tightly.


    Donovan: ¡°Let all that pressure go, I¡¯m someone you can trust because from now on, I¡¯ll prove it.¡± Aeris hugs him tightly and cries into his chest, trusting in his loyalty.


    Aeris: "My father and I had to work hard every day to make ends meet when our family went bankrupt. Sadly, he failed by taking out an amount of money from some pals who later turned on him and murdered him. I met Hjlamer, who welcomed me into his company and at first appeared like a good friend. But since I was thought to be weak, he later mentally manipulated me and even physically tormented me¡­¡±


    Aeris then regrets telling him what happened to her, thinking that Donovan would laugh at her and abandon her. Donovan created an impenetrable barrier that activates when there is danger.


    Donovan: "This barrier will protect you, and you''re strong, right? You''ve survived and fought for your family, even if it meant doing things others couldn''t. You''re incredibly brave, don''t let anyone manipulate you. You know yourself better than anyone.¡±


    Donovan comforts Aeris by wiping away her tears, and she blushes before quickly resuming their walk as if nothing happened. Donovan doesn''t react and they eventually arrive at his house, both tired from walking. Donovan''s family is planning a trip to England for relaxation. When they knock on the door, Donovan''s older sister greets them, finding it unusual for Donovan to bring a girl home.


    Eleorona (Donovan¡¯s Older Sister): ¡°Ooooh, look who finally achieved the impossible! And well sweetheart, has he been rough or cold to you? He is as cold as ice and silent as empty darkness.¡± The pale-skinned woman asks in a playful and curious tone as she tenses her golden eyes. Aeris pronounces each word slowly, trying to regain her composure because of what happened a few moments ago.


    Aeris: ¡°No, no haha, he was kind and direct to me, he helped me with something going on¡­¡±


    Donovan simply stays silent, waiting for his sister to let them in. Meanwhile, her sister examines Aeris'' intentions with Donovan. After a while of chatting about school, Aeris passed the test of not being a dangerous girl like Eleorona thought. Donovan''s family sees that he brought a girl, and they all rejoiced.


    Eleorona: ¡°So... Don''t you mind introducing yourself?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Oh yeah... Sorry¡­ Uhh.. My name is Aeris Juno and I like basketball...¡±


    The girl feels anxious about how the family of golden eyes stares at her.


    Aeris: ¡°And.. That''s all.. haha...¡±


    She began to laugh uncomfortably waiting for some answer. Unexpectedly, the whole family got excited, all talking at once trying to tell her that many of them were famous basketball players. This left her somewhat surprised.


    Aeris in his mind: ¡°It looks like I was saved from a murder or something...¡±


    In her mind, all seemed confusing and curious, but in her facial expression, she acted happy to not have a bad impression.


    Eleorona: ¡°Well sweety, you should be having a competence against me!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Eleorona don''t even-¡±


    Donovan is interrupted by his older sister


    Eleorona: ¡°Awww who is going to stop me from playing against her in a 1v1? Aren''t you bad a basketball because you got tricked in front of the whole family???¡±


    She then laughs with a humiliating tone. Donovan doesn''t respond, instead, he uses his J¨¦gosgalia to not let his sister move.


    Aeris in her mind: ¡°Did he just immobilized her¡­? Who or what is this guy?!¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Okay dude I''m sorry you don''t have to be like that... Jeez.¡±


    Donovan forgives her, letting her move once again. Some mumbles between cousins could be heard from some meters. They were talking about how Donovan finally brought a girl to the house.


    Donovan''s mom shouted at them to be silent and hear more about the situation.


    Donovan''s dad: ¡°Yeah our family is kind of noisy¡­ And well, why did you bring this lady, Donovan? You¡¯re gonna marry her?¡±


    The response got Donovan so frustrated that he used his j¨¦gosgalia again, removing his dad¡¯s voice.


    Donovan: ¡°Quit it, please. Sigh, I meet Aeris at school.¡±


    He didn¡¯t intended to give a detailed explanation of what happened but this just made the family more curious of why he brought her here. He then gives his dad his voice back.


    Donovan¡¯s dad: Champ, I know you¡¯re hiding something. Your right shoulder is twitching a little.


    Donovan: ¡°Haha no, nothing wrong happened she just¡­¡±


    Aeris interrupted him explaining the truth.


    Aeris: ¡°Your son told me I was being controlled by my superior because I attacked him¡­ I don¡¯t even know what happened.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Superior?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°You know the friend I used to hang out with?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Huh?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°HJLAMER.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Yeah I remember him.¡±


    It takes her some time to realize that Hjalmer is behind this.


    Eleorona: ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me Hjalmer did this to her? WHY IN THE FIRST PLACE?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Beats me. Anyways, there¡¯s something I do need to accomplish to save Aeris.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Ok ok ok, hold on a second, you first surprised us with her presence, and now you¡¯re telling me you have to save her? This is not the generic princess and knight falling in love dude.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°How the hell do you even have a job¡­¡±


    The reply got eleorona annoyed


    Donovan¡¯s dad: ¡°Enough, you too.¡±


    The deep-voiced man spoke with simple but powerful words.


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­ Well, the thing is that she needs uhh.. She needs support, money and security¡­ That¡¯s because her family is not in good financial conditions so that¡¯s why I¡¯ll do my best to overcome this situation.¡±


    The whole family didn¡¯t flinch or speak, they understood the situation.


    Donovan¡¯s mom: ¡°You got all of our support.¡±


    She said, happily.


    Eleorona: ¡°Well then, what are we gonna do?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Beats me.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Oh come ON!! YOU¡¯RE THE ONE WHO KNOWS HJALMER MORE THAN ANYONE!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Calm down, let me think.¡±


    As Donovan thinks, other members of the family continue doing their stuff at their rhythm.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°To start off with, why does Hjalmer want to do all of this? I¡¯m surprised that after some years he decided to show up¡­ But why after 4 years? I guess he wanted to train enough to get me¡­ Hmph, there might be something going on¡­¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Well the so-called brain guy is thinking so¡­ What subject do you like?¡±


    Eleorona in her mind: ¡°Why the hell am I asking this to her¡­ Jeez, I feel like I¡¯m pressuring her to answer.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Well I like literature because you can you know¡­ umm, analyze and insert your emotions in the text.¡±


    She replied with such naturality that she smiled.


    Eleorona: ¡°Basketball and now literature? Looks like you do have some stuff in common with this family.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I guess, but why literature?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Because I¡¯m a singer.¡± Aeris got so excited she began to jump happily. For every jump, she said only one word.


    Aeris: ¡°Teach. Me. How. To. Sing. PLEASE!!¡±


    The girl with platinum blue hair replied with such joy that Eleorona understood her eagerness as she laughs.


    Eleorona: ¡°Someday I will, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Going back to Donovan¡¯s thoughts, he asked himself a clever question.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°After he disappeared, where¡¯s Hjalmer now?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Sorry for interrupting, you two, but, where¡¯s Hjalmer, Aeris?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I-¡±


    Donovan¡¯s mom interrupts Aeris, offering her a glass of water.


    Aeris: ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Oh- Yeah.. My superior is in Rome, Italy.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°What.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°What?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°What¡¯s with the what?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°How the hell did he manage to get there without his parents?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about his parents, he never told me anything about them¡­¡±


    Eleorona in her mind: ¡°I¡¯m really curious of what actually happened to this dude.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°To begin with, why is he in Italy?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Gang, uhhh, drugs, explosions here and there.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Eh, fair enough, I had the expectation that he would turn into something like that.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Huh?! Why?! I thought he was all nice and had a positive mind!¡±


    Eleorona got even more curious of who is Hjalmer.


    Donovan: ¡°Eh, he got obsessed with changing the world and blah blah blah¡­ But not in a good way, I guess. If he has done this to Aeris then he¡¯s planning something unnatural.¡±


    He replies as he starts walking to the door.


    Donovan¡¯s dad: ¡°You¡¯re leaving already son? Come on you have to join the family meeting.¡±


    His dad begged him to stay a little longer after leaving. Donovan sighs with an uninterested desire wanting to finish things already.


    Donovan: ¡°Fine.¡±


    After some minutes, the protagonist remembers that he has something to do.


    Donovan: ¡°Well yeah I never thought that guy would become that smart, mom¡­¡±


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°Shoot, If I don¡¯t do anything about this then somehow Hjalmer will do something horrendous.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°It was amazing to spend a good time with my family, anyway, I''m going to Italy.


    The parents and cousins were surprised by the comment.


    Eleorona: "Wait, wait, YOU''RE LEAVING JUST LIKE THAT?!"


    Eleorona grabs him by the shoulders.


    Donovan: "Hey no, you''re coming with me."


    Eleorona remains silent, looking at him as if she wants to kill him.


    Eleorona: "I have to go?! You know I have a lot of things to do."


    Donovan raises his eyebrow to insinuate that it''s a lie.


    Donovan: "Well? What do you have to do?"


    Eleorona: "You know, the usual, singing."


    When she finishes speaking, she leaves a fake smile to look good with Donovan


    Donovan: ¡°We both know you took a break from that.¡±


    The teenager got serious, grabbing her sister¡¯s and aeris¡¯ wrists to go with him.


    Eleorona: ¡°Dude, what are you doing?!¡± Donovan: ¡°I need you for this mission¡± Eleorona: ¡°What?! Mission?!¡±


    Eleorona tried to remove her arm from her brother''s grip, but her great strength prevented her from doing so. On the other hand, Aeris got carried away as she felt she had to do something about it.


    Aeris in her mind: ¡°I believe I should do something about this¡­ My heart is telling me to stand up for myself.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, just¡­ Come with us, please.¡±


    Aeris'' words were enough to tell Eleorona to stop. Even Eleorona felt that she was urgently asking for help.


    Donovan in his mind: "I almost forgot... clothes for the trip."


    Donovan lets go of Eleorona


    Donovan: "Go get your stuff."


    The boy turns his head in his sister''s direction, looking at her coldly.


    Eleorona in his mind: "What... Is it happening to you? And why do my hands tremble?! Ugh, I''d better do what he says."


    The young woman with golden eyes rushes to her room, surprising her parents.


    Donovan''s Mom: "Dov, what''s wrong?"


    The worried mother feels a burning in her son, a spark that is slowly igniting.


    Donovan: "I have to settle scores."


    A simple sentence was enough to imply the decision her son made, the mother nodded her head proudly.


    Aeris: "Hey, my house is 30 minutes from here and... I don''t know if we will be able to go and get clothes for me..."


    Aeris looks at him with concern.


    Donovan in his mind: "I don''t want to ask her this but I have to make sure she''s okay..."


    Donovan: "Well um, does your mom know you work for Hjalmer?"


    The question leaves her in absolute silence, putting tension on whether to answer her honestly or not.


    Aeris in her mind: "If I tell him about what Hjalmer has done to me¡­ He might kill him? I¡¯m unsure, this guy releases a dangerous presence. I want to avoid trouble..."


    Aeris: "Uh yeah, she knows."


    To mask the lie, Aeris fakes a confident look at her responsibilities. Donovan changes his expression to a calmer one and takes a deep breath.


    Donovan: "I see... So let''s go."


    Aeris in his mind: "I hope he realizes this..."


    Aeris: "Yes."


    Donovan: "Eleorona! Are you ready?! We''re leaving!"


    Eleorona hears her younger brother''s voice, getting annoyed at the little time he gave her to pack.


    Eleorona: "I''m coming Idiot, just give me a second!"


    Donovan: "Anyway, I''ll explain the plan when we''re on the plane."


    Eleorona leaves with her things desperately packed.


    Eleorona: "I''m ready!¡±


    The young woman with golden eyes remains silent but furious about what her brother is planning, as she holds her fist tight.


    Donovan: ¡°Aeris, you said he has a¡­ Organization?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Well, yeah¡±


    Aeris shrugs her shoulders.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°This dude is 17 years old and has an organization¡­ What the hell is wrong with this sadistic blue-haired guy?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Anyways, what does his gang do? Is he the typical mafioso who sells drugs or what?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s tone of voice became more curious about how absurd Hjalmer¡¯s change was.


    Aeris: "The only thing I know is that yes, they sell drugs and weapons..."


    Donovan''s question to Aeris did leave her thinking a lot.


    Aeris in her mind: "I feel like... It may be that my boss is doing something more macabre.¡±


    Eleorona interrumpts them and asks if they¡¯re going to start moving. Eleorona: ¡°Can we please talk about that later?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s Mom: ¡°Both of you, take care.¡±


    Eleorona and Donovan nod their head, responding to Mom¡¯s comment. They walked towards the door and followed Aeris.


    Eleorona: ¡°Why are we following Aeris in the first place?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Communication.¡±


    The young woman raised her eyebrow as she repeated herself once again.


    Eleorona: ¡°Be more specific, dumb-dumb.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Aeris will tell his mother that he will go to Italy to talk to Hjalmer¡±


    Eleorona is shocked, not even knowing that the mother knows about Hjalmer''s existence.


    Eleorona: "Wait, wait... Does Aeris'' mother know about Hjalmer?!"


    Donovan nods his head answering his question.


    Eleorona: "And do she know he''s a mafioso...?"


    Donovan: "Yes."


    Eleorona fixes her gaze on Aeris.


    Eleorona: "Are you sure your mom trusts you?!"


    Aeris stops walking, looking down, clenching her fist.


    Aeris: "I have been sacrificing my energy for years so that my family can support itself, if I have to rebel against my superior, then I will take that burning flame and emit it rigorously."


    The motivational words made the brothers feel a macabre psyfield coming from the silver-blue-haired girl.


    Donovan in his mind: "Something tells me that Aeris is the one who will become dangerous if her life is taken...."


    Aeris put her forehead up and kept walking, Donovan smiled slightly and followed her.


    Donovan: "Let''s continue."


    Eleorona also follows suit. After 4 minutes, Eleorona feels too lazy to walk, remembering her younger brother''s chaotic j¨¦gosgalia.


    Eleorona in her mind: "Now that I remember, my brother has a huge imagination... Hahaha, I have an idea."


    Eleorona: "Oh, Donovan, your sister is feeling very overwhelmed and pale, would you do me the favor of creating a car for me?"


    The golden-eyed young woman expresses with a tone of urgent help.


    Donovan: "If you''re pale already, what are you talking about?"


    The comment changed the girl''s expression to a disappointed face.


    Eleorona: "From our house to Aeris''s it''s 25 minutes, right?"


    Donovan: "30 minutes."


    Eleorona: "The same thing."


    Donovan: "5 minutes apart."


    Eleorona: "I SAID IT''S THE SAME THING."


    Eleorona raises her voice to be clear and Aeris interrupts them.


    Aeris: "It''s a 30-minute walk, do you have anything in mind?"


    Donovan: "Eleorona wants to abuse me because she knows I can create things."


    Aeris: "Create.. stuff?! Not that your j¨¦gosgalia was to immobilize people?!"


    Donovan: "No? Anyway, so that it is not bothering, I will create the car."


    Donovan extends his arm, thus calling the name of his j¨¦gosgalia.


    Donovan: "God''s Rend."


    Golden particles appear in the form of a whirlwind when creating a Toyota Hilux.


    Aeris is shocked by the existence of such a power.


    Eleorona: "Well, time to drive!"


    The siblings get into the car, while Aeris is still in shock.


    Donovan: "You stand there and go where the wind takes you."


    Aeris reacts and enters quickly.


    Eleorona: "Well, where do you live?"


    Aeris: "The Center of the Sun Goddess"


    Eleorona in her mind: "That place... Isn''t it abandoned?"


    Eleorona almost blurts out a word, but Aeris doesn''t question and they give their trip.


    7:21 P.M. They arrived at the house.


    The house lost its outstanding color, yellow. The paint was too dry to peel, and the ceiling was a little worn out like Aeris'' mental health. The windows, some broken and others in good condition, the grass not being cut for years, evidencing the long time that has passed since the loss of Aeris'' father. The atmosphere felt uncomfortable and unsafe, giving the impression that Eleorona felt that they could be assaulted at any moment. The wooden door opens with a prolonged creak. Eleorona is frightened and hides behind Donovan, however, she remembers that she has powers.


    Eleorona in her mind: "Wait... I have powers... AND WHY AM I SCARED?!"


    An aura of confused and bitter feelings abound in the house, and so, Aeris'' mother makes her presence.


    Aeris'' mother: "Good evening... Do you need anything?"


    The low, slow tone more or less hints at where Aeris''s way of speaking comes from.


    The mother takes a few steps forward to check those who are looking for something from her.


    She sees her daughter, with a happy face and she slowly runs to her daughter to hug her.


    Aeris'' mother: "Oh my girl, why are you coming at this time?"


    Aeris: "Well... I''m going to Italy to talk to my superior."


    Aeris'' mother: (Whispering) "Who are they? Are they related to Mr. Drameus?"


    Donovan: "Yes... Ehhh.."


    Aeris'' mother knew that Donovan wanted to confirm by naming her.


    Aeris'' mother: "Oh please, you can call me Doctor Juno."


    Donovan: "Are you a doctor?"


    Dr. Juno: "Of course! I attend at the Crimson Fire hospital."


    Donovan: "Ah.. I see, well, excuse me for leaving our talk so short, but we announce that Aeris will be with us for a few days... Doesn''t it bother you?¡±


    Doctor Juno simply laughs, covering her mouth.


    Dr. Juno: "Hahahaha! I would appreciate it very much if you took it on a trip... She doesn''t leave the house so much unless it''s her job. May I ask, for how long you guys will be there?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°For some days. Aeris should get everything for her traveling.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°W-What?! Dude how-¡±


    Dr. Juno: ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯ll help you with that.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Thanks a lot¡­¡±


    Aeris and her mother go inside to get her clothes, hygiene products, and books for her traveling.¡±


    After 10 minutes Aeris is now ready with all of her stuff.


    Donovan: ¡°Damn that was fast.¡±


    Eleorona: "By the way, how will we keep in touch?"


    Dr. Juno: "We can share the Dvasinis Nexus or communicate by cell phone. What do you prefer?"


    Aeris: "I say by cell phone."


    Donovan & Eleorona: "I say the same."


    The Doctor gives them her number to report inconveniences or share information.


    Dr. Juno: "Well, here it is. Remember to take care of Aeris and read her a book with her stuffed animal-"


    The doctor is interrupted by her daughter''s scream.


    Aeris: "MOM!! ENOUGH!!"


    Aeris embarrasses himself, changing the metal shape of the lamp posts.


    Dr. Juno: "All right all right, I''ll stop teasing you."


    Dr. Juno: "Anyway, good luck on your journey."


    Eleorona: "Thank you very much, we count on your support."


    Dr. Juno: "Well, I''m saying goodbye, I have to take care of Aeris'' younger sister."


    Donovan: "Good luck, take care of yourself."


    Dr. Juno says goodbye by raising his hand and moving it from side to side as he walks to his door.


    Eleorona: "Time to go.¡±


    Donovan created a plan to go to Italy and infiltrate as fake hitmen to counterattack Hjalmer and make him reconsider what he has done. For some context, Aeris was already in Italy weeks before this day. Luckily, Aeris¡¯ salary was enough to make her travel from country to country. She was assigned to take a look at Donovan and gain his information. Hjalmer used his J¨¦gosGalia, heating the office and eventually making Aeris faint when she was about to leave. The blue-haired boss attached a hidden camera to Aeris'' clothes so he could see what was happening. Ever since Aeris became aware, the j¨¦gosgalia of one of his hitmen was deactivated on his own for unknown reasons.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Ah, Donovan, my regret that I didn''t kill you in that fight fills me with frustration, but it''s good that you''re coming to visit your old best friend¡­¡±


    Hjalmer activates maximum security in his organization so that they do not gain access and thus, Hjalmer will be able to make a surprise attack.


    After some hours, Eleorona, Aeris, and Donovan went to the airport to travel to Italy, they took their comfy seats¡­ A strange smell, as if something was burning. It was the engine, the passengers panicked thinking it would be their last day of life. The protagonists immediately acted, Aeris and Eleorona told all the passengers to stay with them because they emitted their jegosgalia through their powerful psyfield. Meanwhile, Donovan confronted the enemy attack, one of Hjalmer''s enforcers who possessed pyrokinesis.


    Donovan: ¡°My patience is fading more and more, but my years have been boring, so let''s see what you have to give me, hitman.¡± The hitman grins and creates shockwaves with his fire whips, Donovan simply locks the hitman in an area where he lacks oxygen.


    Donovan (In his mind): ¡°All right I¡¯m starting to get headaches¡­ I have to finish this quickly¡±


    The hitman starts coughing desperately for oxygen as he tries to escape the no-oxygen area. Donovan interrogates the hitman asking if hjalmer knows about the current situation. The hitman acts innocent lying that he doesn¡¯t know anything, only that he was sent to stop Ivanel. Donovan knew the hitman was lying because of how exaggerated his tone of voice sounded.


    Donovan: ¡°Answer me or else I¡¯m going to erase you from existence.¡±


    Hitman: ¡°Fin..e.. But please let¡­me¡­ g-go¡­¡±


    Donovan erases the zone letting the guy speak. While Eleorona and Aeris were falling at a high speed. To protect the passengers, Aeris utilized her skills to stabilize and connect the rifle''s damaged section. Eleorona, meantime, made an ice platform to sit above the aircraft and have a better look. She used electricity to slow the plane''s fall and make a safe landing. Eleorona confirmed the successful landing by sending Donovan a message through Dvasinis Nexus. Donovan flew to where the others were, and got necessary the details to finish off the organization. The 3 were tasked with repairing the plane, Donovan retrieving the remaining tools for the plane, and Aeris finding a more resistible metal for the exterior and interior of the plane. After resolving the recurring problem, they resumed their flight and arrived safely in Italy.


    <h2>11:45 P.M.</h2>


    When they landed at Palermo airport, Eleorona said she knew a friend who lived in Italy, so he came to pick them up. The transmission of the camera carried by Aeris was cut off, as in the trouble it was destroyed by the large concentration of metallokinesis that she carried. Aeris threw the camera into the ocean, and by a stroke of luck, Hjalmer was training, which made the trip peaceful with no hitmen. Eleorona introduced her business friend, Lawrence.


    Eleorona: ¡°Guys, this is Lawrence, it''s a business friend who I contacted to give us lodging and help us with our mission, be kind to him.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Welcome to Italy.¡±


    Donovan & Aeris: ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± they both exchanged a handshake with Lawrence.


    ¡ª2 hours later...¡ª


    Hjalmer returned to his office and noticed that his hitman had not returned... He knew then that he failed his mission to stop Donovan, no, rather, he was stupid enough to know that 1 hitman was not enough.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Tsk, how could I forget the stupidly powerful J¨¦gosGalia.¡±


    Hjalmer is frustrated by his poor decision and destroys his entire office within seconds. The anger disappeared, his mind cleared, and he began to plan for hours.


    In the morning at 7:26 A.M. Aeris acted on instinct and activated her ability leaving a hole in the wall because of the nightmare she had, the abuse caused by Hjalmer. Her traumas were deepening for the worst¡­


    The protagonists wanted to finish their goal quickly, they wanted to live their lives in peace and reason with Hjalmer, so they trained for hours to improve their J¨¦gosgalia. Meanwhile, Hjalmer had 3 options:


    Go straight to them on his own.


    Wait for them to arrive to seal them all.


    Run them off with their strongest hitmen.


    Hjalmer rearranged his plan, starting off with waiting for them to enter their organization, then pretending he doesn''t have any hitmen to trick them, thinking Hjalmer is all alone, lying that his hitmen died in previous events to then, seal them all, especially Donovan.


    <h2>3:36 P.M.</h2>


    The protagonists were ready to head to the organization, for now, all seemed normal because Hjalmer would¡¯ve attacked them since he got a lot of technology in Italy. In a couple of minutes, they arrived at his organization. Lawrence activated his Quantum Shift, and for the first one he had to infiltrate, he did it successfully, he was able to store 4 identities by knocking out the hitmen with ease. While at the most unexpected time, did Aeris have to relieve herself in a situation like this?!


    Aeris: ¡°Very unexpected this but... The bathroom calls me..¡±


    Aeris just stares at the Ivanel brothers as if they have to help her.


    Donovan & Eleorona: ¡°You must be kidding.¡±


    Their voices synchronized, making their surprised tone stand out. Donovan''s patience was slowly waning, and he activated his jegosgalia and created a room with the tools needed for a proper bathroom. Aeris sprinted to the bathroom¡­ A minute later a wounded hitman appeared in front of the protagonists, in reality, it was Lawrence who warned them that there is dangerous J¨¦gosGalia.


    Eleorona: "Here we go with the stress...¡±


    Eleorona activates her Glacial Voltage: Flashy Storm.


    Donovan: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be using it, it¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°You didn''t have to make that comment, I just want to end the pugilist of our past life, besides, just knowing that he is still present, terrifies me.¡±


    Eleorona speaks with long pauses as if she is going to faint from her craving to kill Hjalmer.


    Lawrence changed her appearance to stealth. They sprinted straight to the building


    Donovan: "Oh, I forgot, Aeris."


    Donovan knocks on the door and tells Aeris to hurry up.


    Aeris: "OKAY JUST YOU WAIT FOR ME BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT HASN''T COME OUT" Aeris raises her voice with a desperate tone because she can''t believe that she¡¯s doing this in the middle of a mission.


    Donovan: (Covering his forehead) "Oh my God, you have a lot of trust in me... Well, I''ll wait for you."


    Donovan keeps an eye on his surroundings just in case.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°But in the middle of a mission? What did she eat?¡±


    Some hours ago¡­


    <hr>


    Lawrence: ¡°Well guys, I¡¯ve baked my special cinnamon rolls, please, enjoy.¡±


    The guests (The Ivanel siblings & Aeris) seemed excited for how well Lawrence baked, the cinnamon rolls had a tasty appearance that anyone could drool and barely resist the temptations. Aeris was the first one to grab a cinnamon roll, she hadn¡¯t ate anything sugary in a week. While the siblings only grabbed 3 cinnamon rolls, Aeris ate the rest, which was 10 cinnamon rolls.


    Aeris: ¡°Lawrence you should teach me how to bake these glorious cinnamon rolls, in fact, you should open a bakery!¡±


    Aeris told that to Lawrence in a happy tone.


    <hr>


    While Donovan was with Aeris, Eleorona, and Lawrence had a BIG struggle¡­ A towering hitman stood in the brightly lighted hallway, his body tensed with expectancy. As he got ready to take on Eleorona and Lawrence, he studied the area with his sharp vision, analyzing the situation. Eleorona unleashed her powerful J¨¦gosGalia, a flickering electric force manifestation of Forcemight, as the battle got underway. She unleashed a burst of energy in the direction of the hitman, hoping to shock him and take the fight to his level. The electric glacier rushed ahead, crackling and sending a blinding blue light across the hallway.


    His reflexes increased as the electric charge rushed in his direction. He dodged the upcoming blow with lightning-fast agility, shifting and twisting at an incredible rate of speed. Behind him, the electrified glacier impacted the earth, cracking the ground and launching sparks into the air.


    The hitman was not disappointed by Eleorona''s opening attack, and he quickly made up ground on his opponents. He struck out quickly at Eleorona and Lawrence, his powerful muscles rippling with strength. His moves were deliberate and accurate. In the tough 2 vs 1 combat, every punch was thrown precisely to take advantage of any vulnerability and gain the upper hand.


    Eleorona: ¡°Why am I not surprised by the tenacity of this juggernaut guy¡­ Tsk.¡±


    Eleorona comments with a disappointed tone.


    Even with Eleorona''s remarkable Force might skills and Lawrence''s strategic aptitude, they were confronted with challenges from the hitman''s extraordinary agility and skill. The three fighters were locked in a bloody struggle for domination in the dark battlefield, and the hallway was filled with the sounds of clashing forces and vibrating energy.


    The competition between strategy, power, and talent becomes a rain of blood created by the thirst for survival. The hitman made a feint deceiving the two, hitting them in the stomach spat blood, and sent them flying, crashing into the walls. Every movement is the approach to the extreme tiredness of an eternal battle... The body tenses more and more slowly, to the point that the bodies of Eleorona and Lawrence can''t handle the unimaginable pain anymore. Before fainting, Eleorona sends a message through the Dvasinis Nexus to Donovan.


    Eleorona through Dvasinis Nexus: ¡°Dov, we lost¡­ against the enem..y¡­ Hurry up and defeat him¡­.¡±


    His skin goes goosebumps, knowing that her sister is one of the strongest fighters in all of Russia and Croatia, how could it be that she would be defeated in a couple of minutes?


    Donovan: ¡°Aeris, hurry up we got no time left.¡± Aeris: ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m done give me some seconds.¡±


    Aeris washes her hands and activates her J¨¦gosGalia to get ready to fight. The two enter the building, they see the poor state of the place as if the fury of a lion was replicated to the edges of the building. Above, they see Eleorona and Lawrence on the ground wounded by a giant hitman, with defined proportions.


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s interesting how Hjalmer hired weird but strong people¡­¡±


    The hitman ran to the wounded protagonists as he was about to demolish them!


    Hitman: ¡°??!!¡±


    Donovan leaped at the velocity of a bullet, doing a sharp drill kick¡­ But the hitman¡¯s skin was too rough and durable enough to not feel a thing.


    Donovan: ¡°I guess that going with the traditional method is safer¡­ For now.¡± Donovan activated his J¨¦gosGalia to gain quintuple agility. As Donovan warms up by bouncing in a singular place, the hitman throws a jab that pierces the silent wind in just about 500 milliseconds. Predictable. Donovan dodges the punch and hits the juggernaut hitman with an accelerated & devastating overhand of 535 Kilogram-Force. The blow makes a sound of a shotgun. Donovan is starting to feel good about fighting for the first time in years... It will be that this time he can improve his God''s Rend.


    Donovan: ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy every second of this fight¡­¡±


    Donovan expresses his excitement and crushes the hitman¡¯s arm by twisting it into a helix shape.


    The painful and agonizing cry from his lips resounded like a lion¡¯s roar. The tall hitman fell back, his intimidating form shifted for a minute on the dirty surface. Even with all that pain shooting through him, his strong mentality maintained a solid position, calming himself quickly.


    The hitman moved like flashes of light, throwing rapid punches of a beautiful boxing combination. His left looked telegraphed, landing precise blows with force and accuracy. Every blow made him attempt to take out his opponent and alter the pattern of the fight, putting in all of his efforts.


    However Donovan, as the smart teenager he is, discovered a gap and took advantage of it to get the better of him. He struck the hitman¡¯s claves with a perfect-timed motion, delivering a fast unexpected blow, sending him backward. Donovan¡¯s punch weight went through all the hitman¡¯s body, throwing him against the next wall.


    Even more of an unexpected turn came from Donovan as the hitman tried to regain his balance. He reached out and pulled screws from the air, their metallic objects glittering menacingly as they materialized. With a sudden burst of strength and clever Donovan directed the screws to circle around the hitman, pinning him to the wall in a way similar to a crucifixion.


    The hitman was stuck, his movements limited by the screws holding him in place, and his muscles tightened. Despite the situation, he had a ferocious resolve in his eyes that demonstrated his tenacity and refusal to give up in the face of difficulty.


    The noises of the fierce struggle, the clashing of metal, and the fighters'' breathing difficulties filled the slim space, creating a tense environment. The hitman was fighting against the limitations placed on him by Donovan''s ingenious strategies, and every second of the fight was filled with suspense and anxiety over how it would turn out. Aeris just stood there, watching two lions fighting to see who was worth the throne.


    Donovan: ¡°Sigh¡­ 2 Minutes were enough for me to defeat this guy, at least, it was fun¡­ Now, time to heal these guys.¡±


    Donovan is shocked to see the wounds, both of which were precisely marked with a circle and an X. The silence becomes the most noticeable thing in the place, the wind only accompanies the melody of a twisted moment.


    Aeris: "Donovan, what''s going on?"


    Aeris only looks at Donovan with a lot of concern, as she doesn''t understand the meaning of the circle with the X.


    Donovan heals Eleorona and Lawrence but suddenly, a twisted but nostalgic Dvasinis nexus comes into contact with Donovan''s Dvasinis... It was Hjalmer.


    Hjalmer through the Dvasinis Nexus: ¡°It¡¯s been years best friend¡­ You know? I missed you a lot, I miss the times of we shared philosophies and practiced martial arts, it was fun, you know¡­ However, my emotions are telling me to hurry THE FUCK UP AND KILL YOUR COWARD ASS.¡±


    The Dvasinis nexus disconnected from the Dvasinis Link. Donovan sighed knowing that he didn''t want to deal with all this, but he had to stop Hjalmer''s selfishness.


    The depressing lighting in the corridor created extended shadows that gave the impression that a predator was waiting to devour its prey, with a frightening and quiet atmosphere. Every step resonated loudly, creating the impression that someone was observing from the shadows. Dust was floating in the air. The doors all seemed to hide something risky, and the walls themselves seemed ancient. This depressing passageway had a tense atmosphere, suggesting that a disaster may strike at any time. The predator appears empty-handed as if it were seen without the intention of attacking. Hjalmer appears stained with blood... Could it be he has committed something unexpected in his building?


    Hjalmer: ¡°How¡¯s your day, kiddo?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Meaningless.¡±


    Hjalmer grins knowing he¡¯s in front of his best friend.


    Hjalmer: ¡°That¡­ right there, is the Donovan I know¡± Hjalmer claps his hands, as he cheers Donovan up. Hjalmer: ¡°Welcome to your show, Dread Savant. The show now¡­ begins.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 1 ends...

 Chapter 2: Rendezvous

    Continuing Chapter 1...


    <hr>


    Hjalmer: ¡°How¡¯s your day, kiddo?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Meaningless.¡±


    Hjalmer grins knowing he¡¯s in front of his best friend.


    Hjalmer: ¡°That, right there, is the Donovan I know¡±


    Hjalmer claps his hands, as he cheers Donovan up. Hjalmer: ¡°Welcome to your show, Meaningless purpose. The show now¡­ begins.¡±


    THE TIES COME TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN WHILE GOOD AND EVIL FUSE TOGETHER!


    4:09 P.M. The battle became a whirlwind of indefinitely swift blows, windows breaking like a heart confessing to someone. The walls were scarred, as if they were suppressed emotions that get worse with each blow given. Hjalmer increased his punches speed, the acceleration was enough to go through Donovan''s guard, connecting about 34 punches in 3 seconds making a heated wound.


    Donovan summoned sharp screws throwing them to hjalmer''s weakest points; Throat, chest & Legs. However, at the last moment, Hjalmer stopped the screws without touching them.


    Donovan: ¡°I thought you''re just messing around with me dude.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Don''t you miss the times we used to dodge our punches? That was one of most fun things I''ve done in my life¡±


    Hjalmer laughs innocently without attacking his best friend.


    Donovan laughs too as he follows the commentary, realizing the moments they spent together excluding past fights.


    Donovan: ¡°Oh yeah¡­ those moments, I mean, you were pretty good with those combos, in fact, you''re almost a master in fighting.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Almost?! Why are you sayin that hahaha! I remember winning eight times against you. But I feel like you were just holding back¡­ Like right now.¡±


    His joyful expression changed to a serious and cold expression about to hunt down a weak bunny. Donovan stays joyful but able to react at the last moment, as Hjalmer threw a question mark kick but failed to connect it.


    Donovan: ¡°Oh shoot I did forgot, I''m holding back¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°You always hold back, meaningless purpose.¡±


    Hjalmer says that with a disappointed expression.


    Donovan: ¡°Well, there''s a reason why.¡±


    Their knuckles connected, ensuring an unforgivable fracture between the two. Fractured knuckles¡­ They both healed themselves with their advanced understanding of J¨¦gosGalia. As the two increased their speed every second, Aeris just stared at them as if she were a football spectator. Seeing two players looking for immediate ways to finish off their opponent. As they relied on martial arts, it became like the depth meaning of a true choreography, as if they were dancing to see who had the best performance¡­! Hjalmer could feel that his boredness gave him an idea to make his fight even more exciting¡­ By taking advantage of Aeris. He instantly swapped places in just 100 miliseconds to attack Aeris, but as soon as he switched places and tried to connect a side whip kick, a blue orb appeared, protecting her. After hjalmer realized, donovan did this, he had no choice but to move kinetic energy from the floor into Donovan''s body, paralyzing it¡­ A furious barrage of nail slashes, followed by a roundhouse kick damaged the protecting orb of Aeris¡­ Donovan was surprised by the way Hjalmer moves, because he¡¯s usually a offensive brawler to finish fights quickly¡­ Ever since the root began to grow, Hjalmer had a habit of being aggressive no matter what, almost always looking for reckless ways to take down Donovan while fighting or practicing. This time, Hjalmer moved with elegancy and precision. In this situation, he prioritized technique, speed, precision and timing over brute force... So how is it that he is able to break the shield?


    Donovan: ¡°How the hell were you able to create cracks in the shield¡­?!¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Let me show you once again.¡± Hjalmer duplicated his technique, so the cracks became wider and noticeable¡­


    Donovan: ¡°Is that-¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Bingo¡± Hjalmer interrumpted Donovan, as he was ready to explain at detail what he did to Aeris¡¯ shield.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Precision, technique, speed and timing. Sure, it''s a shield and there are ways to break a shield, so I used my j¨¦gosgalia. For every hit I landed, I didn''t do it to break the shield, but to penetrate the 50,000 layers behind the shield. When I was a few inches away from landing my punch, my jegosgalia multiplied the speed of my punches by x600.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°So how were you able to break through the layers without even breaking your bones?!¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°When I immobilized you I stole kinetic energy from you, creating energy sponges that protected my fingers based on the energy I took from you, surprising, isn''t it?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Don¡¯t even think you¡¯re gonna win this one.¡±


    He said firmly.


    Hjalmer: (Laughing in a creepy tone) ¡°Now that you mention it, why is Aeris terrified? Hmm, did my games surprise her? Hahahahaha¡±


    Donovan: ¡°What did you do to her¡­?¡±


    Hjalmer just stares at him with a smily face, expressing his signal of someone who is about to destroy everything without mercy. Since they were kids who played and trained together, they knew their own behaviours.


    Donovan doesn¡¯t let out a word, letting all that silence be in abundance.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Again with your bad mood??? Don''t you ever learn? God, how you let me down, brother. ¡°


    Hjalmer is put off by Donovan''s typical response.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Well? Will you do anything about it?¡±


    Hjalmer asks unnecessarily, knowing that Donovan would do something.


    Instantly, a line of gold cut through a hjalmer fringe, as it gave him time to react. Donovan just stares at him with the intention of torturing him. And so, he rises, freeing himself from his jegosgalia. Donovan and Hjalmer fight back, creating a shockwave that sends Aeris, Lawrence, and Eleorona flying. Donovan was tired, he wanted to get this over with quickly, so he had to create a transparent layer of ice for himself. That is why he let Hjalmer attack him, but because of the contact he made, his hands froze.


    Hjalmer: ¡°W-WHAT?! What kind OF JOKE IS THIS? You don¡¯t EVEN KNOW MY JEG¨®SGALIA!!¡±


    Hjalmer lost his calm so he rushed to Donovan once again, as he was shocked, not knowing why he was losing agility and air


    Hjalmer: ¡°EXPLAIN THIS, WHY THE HELL AM I LOSING OXYGEN?!¡±


    He shouted at the top of his lungs to Donovan with the anger of a lion.


    Donovan: ¡°You try to touch my ice cap, and every time you make contact you speed up your attacks using your jeg¨®sgalia by compensating for your body heat, which you are unable to touch.¡±


    He replies, with a confident attitude.


    Donovan: ¡°Sigh¡­ God¡¯s Rend.¡°


    Hjalmer: ¡°Don''t. Even. Start. With your cocky behaviour.¡°


    Donovan calls out his j¨¦gosgalia, as he extends his hands to the ceiling, knocking Hjalmer out.


    Hjalmer falls into a fighting stance, as if he was about to attack Donovan at the last second. Meanwhile, Aeris comes back to consciousness for what happened and helps Donovan stay on his feet because of how much he used his jeg¨®sgalia.


    Aeris: ¡°Sorry for not doing anything, it''s a lot I''ve been through... I feel.. guilty....¡±


    Aeris comments with a lot of eagerness to apologize for over a million times.


    Donovan: ¡°Hey, its okay, it''s not your fault that you''re like this with hjalmer... And in fact, I feel like you should tell me what has provoked you.¡±


    Donovan takes his composure and decides to keep an eye on Aeris. She stays silent, as the atmosphere gave them a signal to keep moving and take Eleorona & Lawrence out of the place.


    Donovan runs over to the wounded, checking to see if they had any serious damage and apparently only scratches.


    Donovan: ¡°Oh, what a relief, now we can leave without so much difficulty.¡±


    Eleorona becomes conscious and moves with difficulty, hinting at how difficult it was for them to fight the mysterious hitman in front of them.


    Donovan: ¡°Sister! Be still, I''ll heal you.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°N-no... Not me, dumbass..¡±


    Eleorona speaks in a soft tone as she stutters.


    Eleorona: ¡°If you look closely, Lawrence doesn''t have wounds on his back, but he does have wounds on his chest...¡±


    Donovan turns to Lawrence and looks at a circle with an X on it again, which for some reason, has felt like he''s seen that sign before.


    The protagonist is shocked, clearing his consciousness, he simply focuses on the circle with an X. Aeris and Eleorona try to get Donovan''s attention, but as it becomes impossible, the two punch Donovan to wake him up.


    Aeris & Eleorona: ¡°WAKE UP, DUMMY!¡±


    Donovan returns again, and realizes what he is seeing and heals Lawrence immediately.


    Donovan: ¡°Sorry... It''s just that that circle with the X...¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°It''s the second time you''ve come across that, isn''t it? Do you know what it means?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°No... But it looks familiar to me for some reason¡­¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°You explain it later... Let''s get out of here... Before that damn one wakes up...¡°


    The sister is desperate to get out as she feels that the predator will wake up very soon¡­


    <h2>April 18th, 6:31 P.M.¡­</h2>


    As the squad was leaving the scene, Lawrence woke up, warning them of the danger Hjalmer could cause.


    Lawrence: ¡°Nngh. Listen to... me¡­¡±


    Peacefury speaks with difficulty, so that others can hear what he experienced


    Lawrence: ¡°We... We won''t be able to stop Hjalmer... And I''m not saying that because it''s impossible, but that, right now, Hjalmer is in his best form...¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Lawrence...¡±


    The protagonist responds without any hope.


    Lawrence: ¡°Donovan, how did you defeat Hjalmer?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Knocking him out with my jegosgalia.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°So... Just like that?¡±


    The answer he expects is yes, but...


    Donovan: ¡°No, it wasn''t simple¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°W-What? How? W-Why?¡±


    The Italian asks as if his doubts were never answered.


    Donovan: ¡°Well... It''s simple to explain, but doing it was a bit complicated... In case you didn''t know, when Hjalmer uses his j¨¦gosgalia, he loses some of his body heat, capable of giving him chills or difficulty moving¡±


    Aeris: ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    She asks with surprise and intrigue.


    Donovan: ¡°I found out 3 years ago, Hjalmer and I got into a battle one day over issues I won''t mention... Whenever he used his j¨¦gosgalia a lot, he was unable to move for a few seconds or he would get dizzy... That was because he compensated for his body heat with his kinetic power...¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Lawrence: ¡°That explains it... So we have a chance to at least face him...?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Definitely. However, Hjalmer is a prodigy in martial arts, who always finds effective ways to solve things, in a few fractions of seconds, he solves it... Also, I had to release oxygen from his body to knock him out, it took me some time to imagine the process... But it was worth it¡­¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Leaving that aside, can we leave now? I have to take a bath and I''m sleepy...¡±


    Eleorona comments with much complaint, to the point of begging the other three to hurry up


    Donovan: ¡°You never change.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The sister wants to listen again to what her younger brother said to give him what he deserves, however, he keeps quiet to prevent problems.


    Eleorona: Hmph, that''s what I thought.


    Aeris: (yawning) ¡°Well, I''m feeling tired too...¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And you did almost nothing.¡±


    The teenager comments grumpily and without any regrets.


    Eleorona: ¡°RESPECT HER! You don¡¯t even know what has she gone through!¡±


    Eleorona attacks her younger brother with electric ice stabs.


    Donovan: ¡°Oh, excuse me, your majesty... I won''t do it again.¡±


    Lawrence simply laughs at what happened, but changes his face when he receives a call from someone he knows.


    Lawrence: ¡°Let''s get back to my house right away.¡±


    Lawrence mentions it with extreme seriousness, as it is usually easygoing.


    Aeris, Donovan & Eleorona: ¡°Yes.¡±


    <hr>


    <h2>April 18th. 7:10 P.M.</h2>


    After the exhausting and catastrophic event, the squad return to Peacefury¡¯s house to rest & recover.


    Eleorona: ¡°Finally! We are at home, now I can relax and watch the new season of my favorite series in peace... This is paradise!¡±


    Eleorona celebrates with anticipation and excitement for being able to rest after weeks of work.


    Aeris: ¡°I say the same thing! I''m even planning to do my nails in the meantime... Hey Eleorona, don''t you mind if you accompany me with your nails?¡±


    Aeris asks enthusiastically, expecting a yes


    Eleorona: ¡°Of course sweetheart, I haven''t done it in a while, and I miss that!¡±


    Putting Aeris and Eleorona aside, Lawrence finds Donovan, sitting on the backyard with lemon juice.


    Lawrence: ¡°Oh well, I didn¡¯t expect someone like you to appreciate the weather, Donovan. You and your sister have some features in common, in fact, you guys behave the same.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Somehow I expected you to say that¡­ Its the 15th time someone mentions it.¡±


    As Donovan talks, Lawrence sits down, next to the boy with golden eyes.


    Lawrence: ¡°Even that response is the same as your sister hahaha¡­¡±


    Peacefury laughs but then changes his expression to a concerning one.


    Donovan: ¡°There¡¯s something worrying you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m referring to¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Nah I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    The Italian just stares at him thinking he knew what he was referring to.


    Lawrence: ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, who is Hjalmer? Your sister has mentioned some things about him... She said he was someone polite and good people but for some reason he went to the other side, you must know something.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Yes, but not enough, I actually feel like his presence changed the time we fought to the death.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°To death? What the hell happened?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I don''t know, he asked me If I felt that I had to do something with the world and I offered my help, I insisted but then he did the first move¡­¡±


    Lawrence remained silent, giving him permission to continue the situation.


    Donovan: ¡°Sure, it''s okay to ask those questions but... He asked me in a strange way¡­¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°That¡¯s impressive, both of you being close friends and then boom! Now you¡¯re here.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Our Dvasinis Nexus got all messed up thought.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Something¡¯s off with him.¡±


    Donovan stands up and looks up at the sky.


    Donovan: ¡°Of course, there¡¯s something wrong¡­¡±


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°God damn I¡¯m so hungry I can just eat a whale right now¡­¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°We have to prepare.¡±


    The Italian also gets up and out of nowhere the two girls appear.


    Eleorona: ¡°Hey! What are you guys doing looking at the sky? Are you having a talk about how hard life is?! Come relax!¡±


    Eleorona raises her voice suggesting what she is saying.


    Aeris: ¡°I say the same thing, especially you, owl.¡±


    Donovan: I''m fine, don''t worry about me.


    Eleorona: ¡°Ughh, how I hate that men think they''re the roughest and most incredible. "Don''t worry, love, I know how to take care of myself"


    Eleorona expresses herself with grimaces.


    Eleorona: ¡°Donovan, you really have to rest, or else what happened 6 years ago will happen.¡±


    The sister changes her tone from a loud one to a serious one.


    Aeris: ¡°Elen? What do you mean?¡±


    Eleorona falls silent, knowing that she will have to say it.


    Eleorona: ¡°A year after Donovan got his jegosgalia, he used it recklessly that gave him immense headaches and hallucinations, those hallucinations came to life that caused damage in reality. ¡°


    Aeris and Lawrence are amazed by the ability of his jegosgalia.


    Aeris: ¡°Hold on... A few years ago a crack appeared in the news that opened up in the sky, maybe that''s what you¡¯re talking about¡±


    Lawrence worries Donovan even more.


    Eleorona: ¡°After he became conscious a few minutes later, my brother stopped the hallucinations and stopped using his jegosgalia for 4 months¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°It''s true, when someone stops using their jegosgalia for 3 months or longer, it reduces their potential.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°For most people it''s that way, but for my brother that wasn''t enough time for him to lose his ability as a booster.¡±


    After the three of them go about their personal business, 20 minutes pass; Donovan begins to feel nervous and anxious about the origin of the circle symbol and the X. This is how the golden-eyed teenager overthinks the things, he repeatedly hits in the stomach as a sign that he wants tregain his composure.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°Tsk¡­ What a huge headache...¡±


    The severe pain made it difficult for him to stand, so he stays on his knees. After a few seconds, Donovan realizes that the side effect of his jegosgalia is beginning.


    As the daggers inside his head continued stabbing him with the consequence of using the j¨¦gosgalia, Donovan tried to stay awake and not collapse, however, the vision fades like the last hopes of a flashlight battery and just like that, Donovan faints.


    Aeris decides to go to the backyard to get some fresh air after bathing. Just as she is about to go to the yard, she finds Donovan on the ground, immediately calling out to Eleorona and Lawrence.


    Aeris: ¡°Elen! Lawrence! Donovan has fainted, come quickly, please!¡±


    The two run to the voice of Aeris and lift Donovan to his room.


    Eleorona: ¡°I knew this was going to happen...¡±


    By leaving him in his bed, Eleorona stops feeling serious and now behaves like an older sister worried about her younger brother.


    Lawrence: ¡°Hey eleorona, sorry for interrupting your moment, but could you explain to us what is Donovan¡¯s j¨¦gosgalia?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°He never told me what it really does¡­ I think he doesn¡¯t trust me enough, even if it¡¯s just the j¨¦gosgalia. ¡±


    Aeris: ¡°What about that moment when you asked him to create a car?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Uhhh, that¡¯s the thing, all he told me it was he can create stuff and how it worked.¡±


    Aeris just stares at Eleorona, as she expected the ability to be cooler or more complex


    Eleorona: ¡°I¡¯m not done yet¡­ Sigh, do you guys remember when Donovan said it wasn¡¯t quite simple for him to imagine Hjalmer¡¯s oxygen to dissapear?¡±


    The two nods, affirming they do remember.


    Eleorona: ¡°Well, sometimes he speeds up the outcomes when there¡¯s more detailed information.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Ok¡­ what else?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°He also told me that he had a limit, which is how many times he can imagine something different. If he recycles information to use it again, the counter will not go up.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°And¡­ What happens if he breaks the limit?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Headaches, fainting, and creating catastrophes.¡±


    Lawrence and Aeris stay in silence by the last thing she mentioned. Eleorona just stares at them.


    Eleorona: ¡°What? I¡¯m not making this up.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°We get it, but it¡¯s absurd what he can do. You kidding me? ¡°


    Eleorona: ¡°I¡¯m not even joking¡­ Ugh, just leave It like that.¡±


    As she repeats herself once again, Donovan opens his eyes slowly as he tries to comprehend his surroundings.


    Aeris: ¡°He''s waking up!¡±


    As Donovan gains consciousness, Eleorona shows her happiness without realizing.


    Eleorona: ¡°My precious brother!¡±


    As she shouts, Lawrence and Aeris wrinkle their noses like if they smelled something disgusting.


    Eleorona: ¡°Hm? WHY ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?! I DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND-¡±


    Aeris asks her with a curious tone.


    Aeris: ¡°Are you that lovely¡­?¡±


    Eleorona stared at her like her eyes had no life.


    Somehow Aeris felt a bad feeling, like she was about to get knocked out.


    Lawrence: ¡°Okay uhh¡­ Eleorona calm down you don¡¯t need to put that face, please.¡±


    The protagonist''s sister maintained her slaughter expression and after a few seconds relaxed. Eleorona: ¡°I''m not going to answer your question.¡±


    She was embarrassed by what had happened... It seems that the Ivanels are cold, without showing any kind of affection.


    Lawrence: ¡°I guess for now we just have to rest, right?¡±


    Donovan opens his eyes completely staring at the ceiling.


    Donovan: ¡°Did I faint again?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Yes... You don''t even use your j¨¦gosgalia so often, that''s why it happens to you...¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Lately I''ve been having visions of something...¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°You mean my precious cinnamon rolls? Heh.¡±


    Lawrence responds proudly thinking that Aeris was referring to that.


    Aeris: ¡°Well, your cinnamon rolls are delicious but... Ah, how do I say it?¡±


    Aeris is nervous that it is uncomfortable for her to talk about it.


    Aeris: ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Come on, tell us, we¡¯re not gonna judge.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Then don¡¯t tell us until you¡¯ve gained all our trust.¡±


    Aeris nods her head silently, leaving the room to relax herself all alone.


    Lawrence: ¡°Well, I¡¯m also gonna leave, take care.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°You too.¡±


    As the door closes, the two Ivanel brothers talk about their family¡­


    <hr>


    <h2>April 18th, 9:32 P.M.</h2>


    After 2 hours everyone finishes their routine, Aeris studies human anatomy, Lawrence finishes making dinner, Eleorona talks to her manager for her next dance and Donovan rests well. Lawrence calls the three of them for dinner.


    Lawrence: ¡°The food is ready, come down for dinner!¡±


    The Ivanel brothers rushed to the dining table as they showed off how hungry they were.


    Lawrence: ¡°Okay okay you two calm down¡­ Jeez. Aeris, come here or the food is going to get cold!¡±


    After some seconds, Aeris didn''t answer, worrying Lawrence and the siblings.


    Donovan: ¡°Hey Eleo, I''ll bet you €210 that Aeris is thinking about what she was going to tell us a few hours ago.¡±


    The golden-eyed boy bets her believing that Aeris would be asleep.


    Donovan: ¡°Actually, I think she''s asleep, hehe.¡±


    Eleorona goes to Aeris'' room worried, waiting for her to be okay.


    Eleorona: ¡°Hey honey, are you okay? Dinner is ready.¡±


    While Eleorona was talking and walking inside, the room is in a disorderly and melancholy state. Eleorona enters the room and goes straight to Aeris'' bed, for which she was wrapped up crying silently.


    Eleorona: ¡°Ahh Aeris, come here.¡±


    Eleorona hugs her as if she were feeling a warm and pleasant touch that calms her little by little. Aeris in tears, tries to speak but only causes a stutter.


    Aeris: ¡°H-Hj...


    Eleorona: ¡°Hm? What are you saying? Come on, let it all out... I''m here with you. ¡°


    The older sister continues to pamper Aeris with pride.


    Eleorona: ¡°You can talk if you want to, I¡¯m not forcing you to say anything.¡±


    Donovan and Lawrence were curious of what was going on, so they both walked upstairs.


    Lawrence: ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°There''s something that''s on Aeris'' mind that I guess is stressing her out.¡±


    The girl cried less because of the security she had.


    Donovan: ¡°Now she¡¯s not crying that much, hm.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Is there anything we can do, Aeris?¡±


    Eleorona wipes off her tears as she mumbled.


    Aeris: ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I just want to relieve¡­ I¡¯ve been overthinking things recently¡­¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Aeris?¡±


    The girl doesn¡¯t responds and falls asleep.


    Donovan: ¡°Did¡­ She just fall asleep? I don¡¯t blame her though, that battle was exhausting.¡±


    Lawrence goes downstairs to store Aeris¡¯ food.


    Eleorona: ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to take care of her.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Us? Why do I have to take care of her too? Can¡¯t you do it yourself?¡±


    Sparks and sharp crystals rose through her shoulders and torso, thus showing the tension and anger that Eleorona felt for her brother.


    Eleorona: ¡°How¡­ Can you be disciplined¡­ And not even have some empathy for someone...?¡±


    The paced words had so much weight that Donovan regrets not taking responsibility. As Eleorona stands up and snuggles Aeris, she walks towards him grabbing his wrist and leading him out. Donovan was confused, believing that she was going to attack him. After being outside on the terrace, his sister sees him with a worried face.


    Donovan: ¡°First you activate your j¨¦gosgalia and now you bring me here? Get straight to the point, please.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°I just hope you choose your words well, because we don''t know anything about Aeris. I didn''t like your behavior at all, luckily Aeris wasn''t awake, but anyway, behave. Are you 17 years old and still not take responsibility? You just train to get stronger, but why do you want to get stronger? What motivates you? Hm?¡±


    The golden-eyed boy just stood silent, unable to say a word, he felt like a fool for what he said.


    Eleorona: ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m not forcing you to answer but you won¡¯t always get what you want.¡±


    She leaves him on the terrace thinking about lot of stuff. Donovan relaxes his hands on the railing as he thinks on what she said.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°I do doubt why am I training¡­ And, motivation? I don¡¯t have any motivation¡­ Tsk, how frustrating not being able to know the purpose of something¡­. Or maybe I just have to accept the fact that I don¡¯t have a fullfilling task in my life. Or maybe just¡­ Try things out?¡±


    He now puts his heads on his arms as he mimics the action of being exhausted. He stops thinking for a second and after some time, the image of the circle & the X displays in his brain.


    Donovan: ¡°!? Why do I keep remembering this sign? Is it that important!?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Something is telling me I should take action by now¡­.¡±


    The user of God¡¯s Rend walks inside to continue eating his food. When he went downstairs he did not find his sister in the dining room, much less her plate.


    Donovan: ¡°Hey Lawrence, where¡¯s Eleorona?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Well, she told me she was going to the store.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Oh, well, okay, I''ll eat my food.¡±


    Donovan hints at how fascinating Lawrence''s food is.


    Lawrence: ¡°I see you really like the pasta I made, I went through too many cooking classes from my grandmother and it was worth it in the end. Hehe.¡±


    The Italian is proud of themselves for his achievements while the boy eats with great emotion.


    Donovan: ¡°Hhm, and are you a well-known chef?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Let''s say yes... I''ve worked at famous restaurants that many customers have asked who makes the meals, and that''s me.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Wow, I''m surprised.. So, why are you a chef?¡±


    The simple question lets you think.


    Lawrence: ¡°I cook for 2 reasons. The main one is because of the appreciation I have of my grandmother, she was one of the best chefs. The second is because I can release my creativity in my dishes that give joy to those who eat them.¡±


    Donovan is surprised by the simple and clear answer he gave.


    Donovan: ¡°Do you think the purpose of something matters a lot?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Without the purpose many things would be in doubt. There would be no fixed direction, no meaningful goals to the point of dissatisfaction of living for the sake of living, and not living for meaning.¡±


    This quote prompted Donovan to know what he needed to do.


    Donovan: ¡°You''re right, besides being a chef, I didn''t know you had that knowledge.¡±


    The Italian laughs at his comment.


    Lawrence: ¡°Hahaha! You go through a lot to learn¡±


    The golden-eyed boy also laughs while Lawrence washes the dishes....After a few minutes, Donovan finishes his meal and thanks Lawrence.


    Donovan: ¡°Thank you so much for the food.¡±


    Lawrence nods and Donovan quietly retreats to his room.


    Donovan: ¡°I guess my goal now is... Discovering my purpose...¡±


    Donovan hears a doorbell, checking through his window and sees that it is his sister. He thinks of a way to apologize to his sister and goes downstairs to help her.


    Lawrence opens the door and gives her the welcome.


    Lawrence: ¡°Welcome, didn¡¯t know you was that quick, I¡¯m impressed. Here, let me help you with the groceries.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Thank you¡±


    Donovan went downstairs to help them both, Eleorona didn¡¯t even salute him for not noticing his presence.


    Donovan: ¡°Uh, Eleorona?¡±


    The sister is frightened and throws a punch at Donovan but he dodges it easily


    Eleorona: ¡°DON''T SCARE ME LIKE THIS AGAIN!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Excuse me, ah, and don''t you mind if I help you too?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°I would appreciate it.¡±


    A silence came over the moment, but Donovan said something.


    Donovan: ¡°Eleorona, I know what to do now.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    The girl perks up, changing her tone of voice.


    Donovan: ¡°Yes, I''m going to find my purp-¡±


    Eleorona interrupts him with emotion.


    Eleorona: ¡°Will you clean the house for next week?! Excellent! That''s my brother!¡±


    She gets so excited that she speeds up with the groceries. Meanwhile, Donovan is speechless because of the misunderstanding he had.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°Well... I suppose it won''t be necessary to tell her... I''ll keep it with myself.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 2 ends.

 Chapter 3: Lies

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Continuing Chapter 2¡­</h2>


    <h2>April 19th, 8:58 A.M.</h2>


    A darkness that emitted discomfort, fear, trauma, and insecurities, came closer and closer to where Aeris was, in a white room with blue stripes. This darkness became thick, thus reaching the door where Aeris stood. She felt confused and alarmed, desperately trying to activate her j¨¦gosgalia.


    Aeris: "Steelheart Fury, Steel-"


    Slow steps, with a unique rhythm. One, two, one, two. The second step was a little faster, which for Aeris became familiar to... Its boss, Hjalmer Drameus. Aeris fell silent with tears in her eyes, covering her mouth with both hands as she slid over the wall, falling into a sitting position.


    Aeris: "Boss...?"


    Hjalmer smiled as he approached Aeris slowly. She, for some reason, activates her j¨¦gosgalia.


    Aeris: "Steelheart Fury."


    Metal tridents are thrown at the boss, and he does not react. The tridents pierce the chief as he walks. He reached Aeris, she simply watched him in terror.


    Hjalmer: "Shhhh, it''s time for you to return to your sweet home, Rusty Iron."


    The sadist strangles her so much that her face turns a pale color after some seconds.


    Aeris: "Y-You... I''m going... To kill you... Imbecile-"


    Hjalmer: ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Hjalmer breaks Aeris'' neck. After waking up from her sleep, she hits the air instinctively. The unexpected dream caused her heart to pump at 160 beats per minute.


    Aeris: "Another nightmare, great."


    She reacts superficially, which indicates that such nightmares are customary.


    She stood up and looked out the window, seeing a thick mist that appeared in the neighborhood.


    Aeris: ¡°Why the hell is this thick mist the same as in my nightmare¡­? Eh, might just be casual.¡±


    Her thoughts declined the message the mist was giving to her. Aeris could barely give any response, her eyes were blurry so she couldn¡¯t walk properly. She did her best to get to the door. Her will made her run to the door, making her legs active. The door opens and she encounters Donovan, who is casually going to her room.


    Aeris: ¡°Aghhh, who¡¯s there?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Uhh it¡¯s me.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Hmwha- Ohh Itsh youhh.. Dono¡­hvan¡­¡±


    Aeris responds with an incomprehensible talk.


    Donovan: ¡°Are you sleepwalking?- Yeah you.. No wait no, never mind I can¡¯t even tell.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I.. aem jhust shleepy dude¡­¡±


    She can hardly stand and gets lazy of talking.


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah¡­ I see¡­ Lawrence and Eleorona made breakfast so you can go & eat.¡±


    The silver-blue-haired girl did not respond out of laziness, although she did murmur an ''okay''. She left her room for the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She went downstairs to eat her breakfast with the others. The food¡¯s smell was so good Aeris had the thought of the food calling her. Her motivation to eat was colossal she rushed to enjoy the taste.


    Lawrence: ¡°Aeris don¡¯t run you¡¯re gonna fall!¡±


    The Italian warned her with a loud tone of voice that triggered her, to trip over the stairs. Donovan was already active, so he ran to her, as he lifted Aeris to prevent more damage.


    Eleorona: ¡°Not going to lie, both of you look cute together.¡±


    The silver-blue-haired girl immediately climbs out of Donovan''s arms to ignore her comment and eat, pretending that nothing happened.


    Donovan in his mind: "Now I realize that a few seconds ago my heart was beating calmly, then, when I picked up Aeris it started to accelerate...What¡¯s going on?"


    Aeris eats her breakfast quickly as if she is in a hurry to do something.


    Eleorona: "Aeris, are you in a rush?"


    Aeris listens, stopping eating to respond.


    Aeris: "No? I eat the food I like quickly, haha..."


    Aeris in her mind: ¡°At this point, I¡¯m just going to avoid Donovan from carrying me¡­ It¡¯s so¡­ corny.¡±


    Eleorona had planned to follow her curiosity but she dismissed it.


    Eleorona: "Anyway, what will we do today?"


    Donovan: "I don''t know, I¡¯ll keep training¡±


    Eleorona: "Then I''ll go with you."


    Donovan: "Okay."


    The teenager with golden eyes sits down to eat just like Eleorona.


    Lawrence in his mind: "I feel like something has to be solved..."


    He stops washing the dishes, takes off his apron, and starts chatting.


    Lawrence: "Isn''t there something we had to do?"


    Eleorona looks at Donovan, signaling him to respond.


    Donovan: "We came to Italy to investigate what Hjalmer is up to, I even promised Aeris to help her with the economy."


    Lawrence: "Investigate? And does Aeris know what that mafia is about?"


    Aeris continues to eat, not paying attention to them because of the great luxury Lawrence gave himself when preparing the food. The 3 of them look at Aeris, waiting for an answer, but it goes on and on in their world.


    Eleorona: "Aeris."


    The deep and dark voice alarmed her.


    Aeris reacts once again. The others worry about how unnoticed Aeris is so far.


    Eleorona: "Hey, do you feel good? You haven''t been paying attention to what we say. Tell us."


    Aeris: "A nightmare... It was just that."


    Lawrence sat down in the remaining chair to help Aeris vent.


    Lawrence: "Specify."


    Aeris: "Well... I woke up in a room full of blue stripes, with a thick darkness that approached the door and from there, my boss appeared... His ears were bleeding as was his nose...


    Lawrence: "Tell me more, please."


    Aeris: "I was alarmed that I was over and over again trying to activate my j¨¦gosgalia, luckily it activated, and I threw some tridents at him but for some reason, it went through them. He told me something about me having to go home... He named me Rusty Iron... I don''t know why... Anyways, after that he strangled me, I heard a crack... And from there I woke up.¡±


    Lawrence: "How long have you been working with Hjalmer?"


    Aeris: "1 year."


    Lawrence: "Did you tell him about something?"


    Aeris: "I swore I was going to kill him."


    Lawrence: "And he answered you back?"


    Aeris: "Yes..."


    Lawrence takes a deep breath and gets up from his chair.


    Lawrence: "Then something will happen with Aeris."


    Donovan: "What are you talking about?"


    Lawrence: "It is clear that dreams have no meaning for a certain part, however, if you can talk to someone in a dream, then something will happen.


    Eleorona: "Stop joking with the kids, Lawrence."


    Lawrence: ¡°Having a Dvasinis Nexus does come with drawbacks. If you¡¯re dreaming, there might be a possibility you experience what happened in that dream, in other words, it works like a D¨¦j¨¤ vu, but worser, or better.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°What¡¯s exactly going to happen to me?¡±


    She asks with a curious tone.


    Lawrence: ¡°We can¡¯t measure that specifically, but it¡¯s something related to you and your boss.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And sorry for interrupting, but Lawrence asked you something, Aeris.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°What was the question?¡±


    Aeris gulped, thinking it was a personal question.


    Lawrence: ¡°Do you know what is this mafia about?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Honestly¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just know that they sell drugs and weapons, plus, I am a bodyguard, my job is only to ensure that no one outside the mafia gets close to my superior¡­¡±


    She says, as she slowly lowers her tone in discomfort.


    Donovan: ¡°There¡¯s your answer, Lawrence.¡°


    Lawrence: ¡°And, Donovan, you said you¡¯re going to investigate what¡¯s Hjalmer¡¯s mafia about, am I right?¡°


    Donovan: ¡°Of course.¡°


    Eleorona: ¡°Well, you guys can talk, but eat your breakfast.¡°


    Aeris and Donovan continued eating their breakfast to get ready.


    Lawrence: ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, then you must know how you¡¯re going to investigate his mafia, because some mafias are so secret, even the government barely knows.


    Donovan: ¡°What about Hjalmer¡¯s mafia?¡±


    Lawrence: (Laughs while scratching his head) ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know! Hahaha! That¡¯s why you¡¯re investigating, right Donovan?¡±


    Eleorona sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly with disappointed behavior.


    Donovan: (Calmly) ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°To begin with, how old is your best friend?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°You won¡¯t believe me, but he¡¯s 17 years old.¡±


    Lawrence: (Raises his voice in surprise) "17 YEARS?! No, no, no, let''s see, like 17 years? How is it that someone so young can organize a MAFIA?"


    Donovan: (Shrugging his shoulders) "The same thing I wonder, most likely he did it with help.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°In fact, he did, by forcing ex-mafia leaders.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°How?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°His j¨¦gosgalia.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°God damn just thinking about him makes me wanna crush his face.¡±


    Donovan frustrated slams the table.


    Lawrence: ¡°Calm down. Save that anger and release it when we can encounter him again.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I got a question¡­ Are you going to eat that?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Hm? Nah, I¡¯m not hungry-¡±


    Aeris aggressively grabs his plate, impressing Donovan and Lawrence.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Donovan: "Were you so hungry? You''re a glutton..."


    Aeris: "Mhmf Shshut up!"


    She responds as she eats with a hunger that sweeps away everything. Eleorona does not react, as she has seen Aeris behave like this when she¡¯s hungry.


    Eleorona: "Now that I wonder, why does Hjalmer have a mafia?"


    Aeris chews quickly so she can respond, signaling to wait for her. After chewing and swallowing Lawrence''s delicious 5-star food, she explains.


    Aeris: "The only thing I know is that my superior wants to achieve his first goal, and that is to have enough influence for his other goals..."


    Donovan in his mind: "No wonder he asked me if I felt like I had to do something in this world..."


    Donovan gets up from his seat and puts on his blue jacket.


    Lawrence: "Where are you going?"


    Donovan: "Where else?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°You¡¯re going to beat Hjalmer¡¯s ass again?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I wish, but my priority is to avoid Hjalmer from affecting the world negatively.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°And how you are you gonna do that, hm?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I have my ways, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Donovan leaves the house without saying anything, just acting as the serious guy he is. Golden particles coiled through Donovan¡¯s leg, making him leap to begin his mission and prevent Hjalmer¡¯s destruction.


    Eleorona: ¡°Not even a goodbye¡­ How typical of him.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°He¡¯s always like that?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Hmmm, kinda?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Should we worry about him?¡±


    Eleorona in her mind: ¡°Donovan is reckless sometimes without taking into account the drawback. What should I do?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    While in the other side, we got the ex-best friend of the protagonist, waking up as he grabbed his hair tightly, grunting from all the pain he received in the fight.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Gah¡­ What¡­¡±


    Hjalmer woke up looking at the destroyed building that took him all his efforts to construct. Reacting aggressively.


    Slow and loud steps could be heard from the hallway which had a unique rhythm. Hjalmer got up, recognizing these footsteps but unsure if it was him. The footsteps could be heard nearby. The mafia boss activated his j¨¦gosgalia and prepared an offensive attack. ¡®Clunk, clunk¡¯. Hjalmer charged up his fingers in a chopping hand position to finish the person in an instant but realizing it was his assistant, he cancelled his strike.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Josh, what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be traveling to Croatia?¡±


    Josh: ¡°Indeed sir, but Officer 12 sent me a message through the dvasinis nexus about what was going on.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Meaning?¡±


    Josh: ¡°Your old friend¡­ Donovan Ivanel, is here, right?¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Correct.¡±


    Josh: ¡°What about that insignificant blue-haired girl?¡±


    Hjalmer laughs as he touches his assistant¡¯s shoulder.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Hahaha, you know, I always had the feeling she would give up on this torturing job. She¡¯s too sensitive.¡±


    Josh: ¡°Is she worth it, sir?¡±


    Hjalmer sighs and walks to the hallway


    Hjalmer: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say she¡¯s worth it or not worth it¡­ But she gave me a big obstacle to get through.¡±


    Josh: ¡°You mean¡­ Donovan Ivanel.¡±


    Hjalmer: (Smirking) ¡°Exactly¡­ I must buy time to get some things done. Plus, he¡¯s with his bullshit of wanting to ¡®help me¡¯ and blah blah blah.¡±


    Josh: ¡°He does not understand, does he?¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Him? Oh please, that¡¯s why he is getting in my way.¡±


    The boss does some stretching exercises in his place to start his day.


    Josh: ¡°Sir Drameus, where are you going?¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°I''m going to the other base; do you want to come? I plan to relax a little... Besides, you deserve some rest too."


    Josh gives a gentle smile towards his boss''s offer, accepting it.


    Josh: "Sure, sir."


    Hjalmer: ¡°What about Ko?¡±


    Josh: ¡°He¡¯s already in the base being healed.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Good, he¡¯s important to us¡­¡±


    Hjalmer: "Oh, by the way, you got here in your car?"


    Josh: "Of course, I''ll take you to the other base."


    Hjalmer: "Thank you, Josh."


    The two leave the base in its destroyed state as if it were just another piece of junk. Switching places, As usual, Donovan is a person who does things alone without distractions to achieve his goal. The boy, in addition to having the investigation of Delta (Hjalmer¡¯s Mafia) as a priority, however, decides to enrich his brain with a culture different from his native country.


    <h2>April 19th, 10:20 A.M.</h2>


    Donovan entered the famous shopping mall Porta di Roma, inhaling the soothing air to start the day peacefully. He looked at the many stores he could begin with, but, he could not decide what to do, so he visited a sports store for brand-new sneakers. 20 minutes later, Donovan bought the sneakers waving gently to the cashier, and left the store. Being his first time visiting a luxurious shopping mall, he thought of spending all his money on the many things he wished to have a long time ago. Since Donovan is in Italy, he can taste the many different existing dishes of this popular culture.


    After some minutes of wandering around the mall, the hypnotic smell coming from a popular restaurant caught his attention. When he entered, Donovan appreciated the minimalist-designed restaurant with touches of Italian culture that would feature clean, simple lines and a color palette. Just as soon as the many dishes, the aroma amplified, which is not strange for the Croatian teenager, he gets excited when tasting a new dish. He quickly sat down to take his order.


    After 16 minutes, he got his dish on his table. As he couldn¡¯t wait any longer to give the first bite, he was shocked by the stunning view he had. His dish was cheesy baked meatballs, a simple but fascinating dish to enjoy. A delicious meal relieved the teenager for a moment until he got a call from her sister. Donovan accepted the call, forgetting how Eleorona gets when she¡¯s not invited to eat something.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Donovan, how¡¯s the mission going?¡±


    Donovan: (Mumbling with a full mouth) ¡°Mmph¡­ fine¡­ I haven¡¯t started yet. Just doin¡¯ something¡­


    Eleorona??: (Suspicious) ¡°Wait¡­ Why does it sound like you¡¯re eating¡­ What are you eating?¡±


    Donovan: (Swallowing quickly) ¡°Uhhh, cheesy baked meatballs.¡±


    Eleorona??: (Grumbling) ¡°Donovan. We were supposed to taste some dishes with Aeris and Lawrence¡­ Just never mind, enjoy your food and please investigate, don¡¯t go wander in the mall like the last time.¡±


    Donovan: (Smiling slightly) ¡°Don¡¯t worry, believe in your trustful brother.¡±


    Eleorona hangs up the call in frustration, while Donovan shakes his head slightly and grins, he places his phone on the table to continue enjoying his dish. The teenager with golden eyes enjoyed it a lot he gave a €9 tip, wearing his jacket, tucked his phone into his pocket, and left gratefully for the next phase: Hjalmer¡¯s mafia investigation.


    Everything seemed to be okay for Donovan, a calm ambient with a lot of stores from different categories to spend the whole day but¡­ When he was about to leave the shopping mall, he could sense a malicious presence observing him with full attention. Donovan¡¯s step slowed as he neared the shopping mall exit. He paused, just leaving the sounds of people laughing and talking in the background, focusing on one single point. The man observing him thought about activating his j¨¦gosgalia, but unsure of what was the next move, he remained silent.


    Hitman: ¡°Why did he stop moving?¡±


    After some seconds, he resumed walking towards the exit, while the glass doors opened. The moment he leaves the fresh air, a different sound joins the shopping mall, sharp knives slicing through the air toward the hitman, barely giving him time to react. Eventually, he dodged the three knives and then got inside the wall.


    Hitman: ¡°What the hell?! The boss didn¡¯t mention he could summon knives?! Tsk, I must take a good look at him!¡±


    The hitman walks to a bathroom nearby and changes his clothes to disguise himself. His steps increased speed like he was in a hurry. Donovan ran to a narrow alleyway behind the shopping mall which gave him an excellent cover. He analyzed his surroundings making sure no one watched him. Since the alley was disordered by boxes of different sizes, Donovan crouched between the boxes, taking a deep breath, focusing on his j¨¦gosgalia¡¯s activation.


    Donovan: ¡°God¡¯s Rend.¡±


    Golden particles coil around his body, enhancing the leg¡¯s muscle fibbers with a tremendous, stored power to be released. Donovan leaps, leaving the boxes way more disordered than they were. These particles traced his path, leaving a glimmering trail behind him. Donovan¡¯s muscles made him travel fast, hovering and jumping from rooftop to rooftop successfully getting to his destination, the golden particles continued to swirl around his strong legs, indicating that his j¨¦gosgalia was still active. He knocked on the door and raised his voice.


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s me, Donovan!¡±


    Lawrence: (Opening the door) ¡°Welcome back dude, weren¡¯t you investigating?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I¡¯m about to start the mission but I need these beautiful sneakers in my room, right now.¡±


    Taking the first step forward, Donovan forgets how enhanced his legs were. Launching into the air with no effort, leaving a small crack on the ceiling. Lawrence shook his head in disappointment as Donovan awkwardly landed on the ground. The sound made Eleorona and Aeris leave the rooms and hurry in to see Donovan on the floor while the golden flecks swirled around his legs.


    Eleorona: (Pointing out his legs) ¡°Uh, Donovan, you forgot to disable your j¨¦gosgalia when coming back¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Huh? Oh, shoot, right! Right¡­ I thought it turned off by itself like last year¡­¡±


    Stretching his hand out, Donovan focused on the damaged root, which began to repair itself in some seconds. The golden particles vanished slowly as he stood, heading to his room to place his sneakers next to his bed. He called back the others, ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later!¡±


    As he left the house through his opened window, those golden particles came back to follow Donovan¡¯s trail, his investigations on Hjalmer¡¯s mafia. As a habit, Donovan rested for a few minutes every time he moved to another place, usually going to the high points of a city or place to appreciate his surroundings, although there was also a doubt hovering.


    Donovan: "Like... How am I going to collect information from the Delta mafia?"


    He went blank, looking at a fixed point in the city.


    Donovan: "Let''s see... At least the technology exists... That makes it much easier for me to collect the information."


    About to activate his j¨¦gosgalia again, another doubt appeared.


    Donovan: "Is the guy who was watching me still looking for me? And why was he watching me in the first place, why right now?"


    An intense silence took its place, while the noises of the city also appeared.


    Donovan: "Is it perhaps... Another of Hjalmer¡¯s hitmen? Well, even if so, he should have investigated no matter what. I''m not sure what Hjalmer will do, I feel like he''ll do something terrible and that''s why I have to prevent it.¡±


    He takes a deep breath, activating his phone¡¯s location to map out the nearest police station and head there. Instead of leaping from the roof to the nearest police station, Donovan decides to walk like another casual person to not draw out attention because of his j¨¦gosgalia. Arriving at his destiny, he approaches the front desk, introducing himself as a journalist who¡¯s gathering background information on mafia activity in Rome. Some officer named Hugo was polite to attend Donovan.


    Officer Hugo: ¡°Welcome, Journalist, is there any question related to the mafias?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I¡¯d like to know how mafias work in this country¡­¡±


    Officer Hugo: ¡°Do you need details or a simplified answer?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Simplified answer.¡±


    Officer Hugo: ¡°There are mafias who are recognized publicly and ones that barely appear.


    Donovan: ¡°Why?¡±


    Officer Hugo: ¡°Well, mister, all that I know is that mafias take advantage of technology to cover all their information.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And what if some mafias didn¡¯t know how to do that?¡±


    Officer Hugo: ¡°Probably silence anyone who intends to reveal the mafia.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°That makes sense¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Officer Hugo: ¡°Take care.¡±


    Both wave each other, and the journalist heads back into the streets.


    Donovan: ¡°Leaving no paper trails or witnesses¡­ Maybe Delta does the same thing, but why?¡±


    Leaving Donovan with his doubts about how to find Delta¡¯s information, we go back to Hjalmer¡¯s scenario.


    <h2>April 19th 11:42 A.M.</h2>


    In a wide-open training room, A black-haired boy with wounds and piercings gasps as he wipes sweat from his face with his arm.


    Twelve: "Boss... Ah... Why am I training in the first place?"


    Hjalmer stares at him, closing his eyes and exhaling gently.


    Hjalmer: "An old friend came to get into my goals..."


    Twelve in his mind: "An old friend? The boss mentioned having a friend... Oh, what was it like? Donovan? No... Donovan, yes, Donovan..."


    Twelve: "By any chance you don''t mean Donovan? The guy who beat you more than 8 times?"


    Hjalmer: "Yes- How...? WHO TOLD YOU THAT? I WAS THE ONE WHO BEAT HIM OFTEN!!"


    Hjalmer is annoyed by the comment that hits a sidekick without warning. Twelve blocks the kick using his j¨¦gosgalia, creating a small area compressed by the pressure caused.


    Hjalmer: (Smiling) "Perfect, you''ve mastered it."


    Twelve: "Really?! Then I can rest?"


    Hjalmer: (Sigh) "Well, okay, only 5 minutes."


    Twelve grabs his thermos and drinks water. Hjalmer goes to the center of the training room to try out a new attack.


    Twelve: "Boss, one question."


    Hjalmer: "What do you want?"


    Twelve: "Am I training to stop your old friend?"


    Hjalmer: "Well, yes..."


    Twelve: "Is he so strong?"


    Hjalmer: "Find out the answer for yourself."


    Hjalmer takes off his coat, tossing it aside to unleash his ferocious j¨¦gosgalia, Forcewave Rift.


    In the spacious training room, Hjalmer stands shirtless, preparing his stance. He closes his eyes, takes a sharp breath, and dashes forward in a blur. His j¨¦gosgalia, Forcewave Rift, activates, amplifying his kinetic energy as he launches a straight punch at the wall. With the impact, the thick wall cracks under the colossal 80,000-kilogram force threshold.


    Hjalmer gazes at his clenched fist, the memory of his last fight with Donovan flickering in his mind. Frustration ignites, and he slams his fist again, hard enough to shake the room¡¯s reinforced structure. ¡°I should¡¯ve finished him off in one move,¡± he mutters, the thought gnawing at him.


    Just then, the ring of a phone cuts through the silence.


    Twelve: ¡°Boss, someone¡¯s calling you.¡±


    Hjalmer, instantly shifting with his j¨¦gosgalia, appears beside the desk, gripping the phone with irritation barely masked.


    Hjalmer: ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Ko??: ¡°Boss, my sincerest apologies¡­ I lost the target.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°How did you lose Donovan?¡±


    Ko??: ¡°He stopped for a second and left the shopping mall, after I searched from the outside, he was already gone!¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Ugh¡­ He¡¯s like a fly, one slight movement and already gone. Listen carefully, Donovan improves his agility using his j¨¦gosgalia.¡±


    Ko??: ¡°What?! He can also do that?¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    Ko??: ¡°That kid threw me three knives, I''m glad I dodged them.¡±


    Hjalmer: (Sigh) ¡°Don¡¯t get your eyes off of him.¡±


    Ko??: ¡°Understood.¡±


    The phone call ends. Hjalmer shouts Twelve''s name, but there is no answer. He looks at his side, then fully turns his body, facing the training room and seeing no one.


    Hjalmer: (Angry tone) ¡°Tsk, again with this cheap trick¡­ TWELVE COME HERE BEFORE YOU BECOME HOMELESS!¡±


    Twelve slowly walk to the training room after being called out, resuming their training. Hjalmer got distracted by his thoughts about Donovan¡¯s interference, knowing he was a threat to his well-structured plans.


    Hjalmer in his mind: ¡°This situation is concerning me¡­ Tsk, I¡¯ll continue with Twelve¡¯s training.¡±


    Shifting scenes, Donovan leaped from building to building using God¡¯s Rend, his body telegraphed alongside the golden trail. He repeated the information Officer Hugo mentioned to him; Mafias muting people for not revealing essential information. After a deadlock, he changed strategies: Questioning anyone he crossed, which seemed an absurd method but could probably work if he tried it out. He jumped in between the buildings to a back alley and arrived, deactivating God¡¯s Rend as the golden particles vanished. Donovan looked at the sky as he covered his forehead, appreciating the gaze. Going back to the mission, he walked to the streets as he encountered an older man in his late 50s. Donovan approached with a calm but tense appearance.


    Donovan: ¡°Do you know about Delta?¡±


    The man blinked twice and shook his head.


    Mr. Lorenzo: (acting frightened) ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t¡±


    Donovan sensed the answer wasn¡¯t truthful, trying once again by grabbing the front of the man¡¯s coat and lifting him.


    Donovan: (Sinister tone) ¡°Where is Delta located?¡±


    The man lifted his hands claiming his innocence.


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°Y-young man, please! I still want to enjoy what¡¯s left of my life!¡±


    Donovan: (Demanding) ¡°Then tell me.¡±


    Sweat appeared on his neck and face, stuttering


    Mr.Lorenzo: ¡°D-Delta? There are plenty of places with that name-¡±


    Donovan: ¡°The mafia, Delta.¡±


    The man¡¯s face slightly squirmed in disgust.


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°Don¡¯t mention that word again. Mafias have destroyed lives¡­ They took my brother when I turned thirty. That massacre haunted me for years and I¡¯ve tried to avoid it since then.¡±


    For a brief moment, Donovan¡¯s expression softened, inclining his head considering the shared harshness.


    Donovan: (Lowered tone) ¡°The only friend I had unexpectedly shifted into something worse I could never imagine. He¡¯s now a mafia boss and my goal is to stop him at all costs.¡±


    Mr.Lorenzo: (Softening his expression) ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    A simple question that can be a deadly one. The protagonist had to think of a fast reply. Donovan in his mind: "Shit, What should I say? Who knows if he''s telling the truth, and why would he ask his name in the first place? Besides being a question to compliment or talk about the uniqueness of a name, I can''t trust anybody!" Within those thoughts, 5 seconds passed by. The man tilted his head slightly to the right.


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°Young man?¡±


    Donovan replied after a tense pause.


    Donovan: ¡°Hugo.¡±


    Donovan in his mind: "I''m glad the officer told me his name, there''s a bunch of people named Hugo, but Hjalmer? Pfft, not in Italy, I guess.¡±


    Mr. Lorenzo: (Nodding to the sides) ¡°I don¡¯t know this ¡®Hugo¡¯ you¡¯re talking about, but you¡¯ve got spirit in you, kiddo. Good luck finding that mafia.¡±


    Donovan: (Smiling) ¡°Thanks, sir. Stay safe¡±


    As Donovan turned and walked away, the older man watched his departure, a smirk appeared on his wrinkled face taking out his smartphone.


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°Heh, what are they feeding kids these days?¡±


    The man went to the contacts app, tapping a labelled contact as MAFIA BOSS HJALMER DRAMEUS


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°Boss, we found Donovan Ivanel.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 3 ends...

 Chapter 4: Challenges

    Continuing Chapter 3...


    <hr>


    It is a great thing that intuition exist. Just after getting away from the old man, Donovan boosted his hearing to listen the call between Mr. Lorenzo and Hjalmer.


    Hjalmer ??: ¡°No way, for real? How the hell did you found him?¡±


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°He appeared out of nowhere asking for the mafia¡¯s location. He even lifted me up like he was about to knock me down.¡±


    Hjalmer ??: (Laughing) ¡°Pfft. He¡¯s desperate. I know what to do with him. Hear me out carefully.¡±


    6 meters away. 7 meters away. 7.25 meters. 8 meters away. The footsteps got slower as Donovan got far from Mr. Lorenzo. From loud and fast steps to slow and gentle steps. The same pattern god¡¯s rend user used before leaving the mall, indicating a fancy move will appear.


    Hjalmer??: ¡°Ko told me Donovan left Porta Di Roma Mall an hour ago. I plan to buy time.¡±


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°How do you plan to buy time?¡±


    Hjalmer??: ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later.¡±


    Hjalmer hangs up the call to buy time.


    Mr. Lorenzo puts his phone in his pocket and in a blink, Donovan disappeared from his sight like a light bulb¡¯s turning off.


    Mr. Lorenzo: ¡°?! Where? Where is he?!¡±


    The old man turned his head in all directions quickly as he tried to find Donovan. Mr. Lorenzo seemed confused and terrified, he never encountered someone like Donovan. The golden particles tracking him did not appear this time, instead, they vanished as soon as Donovan left. Donovan jumps from structural modern buildings and levitating plants with the help of futuristic devices. The cityscape seems to be painted in a bright clean light of a noon where light maximizes the beauty of its surroundings. Some of his golden particles vanished away with the soothing wind. He cared so little for the people watching him leap, his main goal was stopping his ex-best-friend at all costs.


    Donovan: ¡°Buy time, buy time, buy time. What does this stupid low temper guy plans to do? Jesus Christ, I¡¯m starting to get pissed off.¡±


    More golden particles appear swirl quicker around his legs; He is Running out of time. Some people gazed in confusion and were terrified thinking ¡°those boosters¡± seek chaos. Some children reacted surprised, their eyes brighten up and their smiles were as the sunshine. Children grabbed their parents¡¯ wrists tightly and pulled them in gently, as they pointed to them a guy with a blue jacket who has golden particles swirling his legs as he travels in the air.


    Donovan: ¡°Maybe I should go back to the base that got destroyed, there might be some useful information.¡±


    Leaping from building to building until he lands abruptly on an abandoned and dirty incomplete hospital to take out his phone and search the location where the base in ruins is at. Donovan exhales like he¡¯s tired from a 9-5-hour shift. His eyebrow muscles tense as a response to the long path he has to recover to arrive at Hjalmer¡¯s destroyed base. He leaned forward gently, reaching his toes with outstretched arms. God¡¯s rend user slowly closed his eyes, focusing on every sensation of each muscle loosening at his rhythm. He stood up and stretched once again for the relieving sensation. He slowly lifted his hands up to relax his entire back. A deep inhale enhanced his blood flow gradually to resume his mission. He puts his phone in his pocket, preparing the athletic legs for another jumping session. A deep to pitch stuttering sound increases its volume as glimmering particles appear around his body. Donovan jumps with the enough force, creating a shockwave which cause the once-durable carbon-fiber concrete material to succumb. From traveling in car, his destinated location could take an hour, however, since his alternative is traveling in mid-air, things are quicker.


    At a tall high, Donovan¡¯s eyes scan the natural terrain. The dense and big forest took his impression, as he never saw this forest before and maybe due to being focused on the last mission he had. Healthy, thick pure green leaves with a dark brown trunks highlighted from a far view.


    Donovan: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen trees like these before¡­ Are they applying new technology or it¡¯s my surprise Italy became one of the cleanest countries?¡±


    Following his surprised reaction, he searches for other natural resources in a good state, like the rivers. A river¡¯s clean water and greenish tint followed the healthy state of a river, fishes swim with no concern. In fact, it was a translucid view from far away.


    Donovan: (low tone) ¡°This is getting me more concerned.¡±


    He continued scanning the place until his gaze settled a familiar structure in the distance, being the base. The base is now in ruins which stood there with no human interaction. Light could only pass through 3 big spots as the evidence of how much destruction Eleorona and Ko caused. Donovan entered through one of the three big spots. As he explored the blue-themed base, he found out they broke camouflaged windows and doors. Donovan wandered around, catching a metal filling cabinet half-buried under the concrete slabs. He clears the debris and opens it. Inside, weathered folders held Hjalmer¡¯s hitmen personal files. Each of these documents mentioned criminal contexts, combat specialties, aliases and hints of their roles within the mafia. The first file Donovan grabs is an old, dirty file with some ripped documents. Though, Donovan could not understand the Italian language, he grabbed his phone with anticipation of finding something interesting from Hjalmer¡¯s hitmen. His phone translated the file successfully. As he read the case, he shouted an enormous ¡®huh¡¯ which depicted his surprise with no efforts.


    Donovan: ¡°A skinny man with ripped burgundy clothes killed and tortured USA¡¯S prime minister before his discourse about the legal and illegal rights of so called ¡®Boosters¡¯.¡±


    Donovan sighs with his last exhale, giving up from trash-talking by the ridiculous action. He puts the page as the last one and moves to the next one. An unclear image of who¡¯s supposed to be the skinny man, covering his face with a dagger, showing an exposed chest and smudged scars on his collarbone. The assassins¡¯ name was in english, known as Kael Keen


    Donovan: ¡°Kael Keen? This is the guy who killed the prime minister of United States?¡±


    Something was off with the image, even though Donovan could understand what he saw, an uncanny feeling was potrayed from the picture.


    Donovan: ¡°Kael Keen¡­ Kael Keen¡­¡±


    He clenched his fist while gently closing his eyes, as he attempts to remember anything related to this person but failed. His curiousness was enough for him to take a picture and save it for extra information. Moving on, Donovan grabbed a crimson folder slightly wrinkled, showing a paper exposed from the file that caught his attention. He read a personal text from a woman named Vera. A strategist who seemingly mastermind many of Delta¡¯s operations.


    Donovan: ¡°21 Years Old¡­ Vera likes cranberry cake, sharks and filipino men¡­? Okay, but why even put her taste in men? Hjalmer is getting weirder now.¡±


    As Donovan¡¯s interest died, he took the pictures of all the files in the crimson folder in case an advanced plan gets executed. The information he found did not seem enough to him, inquiring for more answers to his thousands of questions, going through the three remaining drawers of the cabinet, without running into anything interesting, only blank papers. Donovan checked the place where he stood, seeing some metal debris, destroyed self-defense gadgets, and dust being reflected by the light from the large hole. At first glance, the materials were not striking, nor with any strong shape or color. Donovan, with his mindset of trying things out of curiosity, searched the rubble of the concrete. From the ground, a golden line becomes wide, reaching 4 meters wide and becoming a material that displaces the concrete waste sideways, allowing Donovan to find efficiently. Dislodging the concrete waste, the only thing he finds is an open half-letter. Donovan bends down and picks up the letter to read the contents. He realized that the writing is by Hjalmer. Ivanel was surprised that they continue to use papers even to send letters, at the time in which they live, technology has advanced enough for scarce resources to be recovered. Returning to the topic that Donoan can''t read Italian, he uses his cell phone once again, using the translator, he realizes what Hjalmer is planning to make dirty plays with a prosecutor. In addition to the letter, find some notes from Hjalmer. As he scanned the text, each word gradually weighed, as if it were the weight of a bottle filling with water. Donovan''s pulse was slowly racing, searching for more information in the rubble to clear up more doubts.


    <h2>April 19th 12:19 P.M.</h2>


    The house, with its soft, ambient lighting and familiar smells, settled around them like a protective shell, coaxing Eleorona, Aeris, and Lawrence into a rare moment of ease. Donovan moved through the rooms with quiet purpose, his presence commanding yet familiar, and the others trusted him without question. Lawrence sat next to his window, holding his coffee cup with anticipation. The world for him seemed distant, even though it was right there, a familiar world Lawrence never fit into. Technology with its stimulating and flashing screens left him derelict. For him, it consumed precious time, pulling friends and people away from simple joys like taking a walk or hanging out with no phones. That made him feel uneasy. Today, though, Lawrence looks at the sprawling vineyards as the sun comes up with it¡¯s delightful beauty. As a man living all his life on the Italian countryside, he longed for walks among the tall & thick trees, where silence and simplicity calmed his mind. At last we got Aeris, curled up on her bed while scrolling inattentive through social media. However, her typical distraction didn¡¯t placid the way it usually did. This time, she put the phone down and stood up slowly to leave her room. As she went downstairs, her steps were almost silent to prove she is not forcefully rushed to do something. She could take all her time and so she did. Aeris opened the sliding glass door to exit and stay at the glamorous backyard. Her body moved with ease as she breath deeply and exhaled the air to start her new habit. Aeris began to form a peculiar fighting stance, which seemed to be her own style. AT noon, the light streamed gently through the windows. Eleorona filled the quiet room with her powerful and controlled humming as she rehearsed her next song called ¡°In a splendid way¡±. She did gestures with her hands as she hums, her hands go up and down as guidance of her tone. At the end of her song, she stops for some seconds, looking at her door. Eleorona sighs, unsure if something is missing in the song. Her facial gesture shows the boredom she is in, so instead, she decides to go out and find an alternative of fun. Eleorona leaves her room as she scans the inside of the home, planning out what to do.


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    Eleorona: ¡°Sigh, what are they doing right now?¡±


    The silence in the hallway pressed down on her. Deciding to go to the backyard to appreciate the noon with the breeze. Aeris was already out there with metallic small pieces around her hands and thick long metal rods on each side that jutted from the ground, as they rise and infuse with each other, forming a sphere. Aeris had a focused and serious expression, her eyebrows and eyes were tensed making her look ¡®mad¡¯. Aeris¡¯ breathing was slow, just like her movements, but rather precise. The metal sphere started rotating as it shine in the sunlight, slowly gaining speed as the seconds pass by. Her memories of that day appeared again. Her fingers touched the metal out of the sudden, causing the metallic sphere to form bulges that vanished and appeared rapidly. Her face hardened more and more. Her teeth clashed into each other with such pressure she couldn¡¯t control it anymore so her sphere melted and bursts away. Aeris sighs and growled in frustration, holding her fists while putting them close to her face, covering her angered face. Her body curls into a loose ball as she lay on the grass. Her eyes were closed, avoiding any type of image, her breath, calm but her posture, was stiff just like a shell cracked many times which never fully healed.


    Eleorona leaned against the doorway, watching how Aeris explodes. She stepped forward as her voice breaks the silence.


    Eleorona: ¡°Aeris? Are you okay?¡±


    Aeris: (Muttered & muffled) ¡°Just¡­ The usual.¡±


    Eleorona scowled without saying a word. The discomfort appeared in her chest. Eleorona has seen Aeris having that behaviour before.


    Eleorona glanced down at her hands, looking at some small wounds she had when practicing with many instruments


    Eleorona: ¡°I-I just- I¡¯m not feeling it today, kay? It¡¯s like, yesterday things were flowing and now, It¡¯s all stuck, somehow.¡±


    Aeris: (Uncovering one eye) ¡°Don¡¯t expect it to be daily.¡±


    She says, as she shows a soft grin even though her eyes didn¡¯t reach Eleorona¡¯s gaze.


    Aeris: ¡°Even good singers need their rest, y¡¯know?¡±


    Eleorona rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t help a small gentle chuckle. The ambient changed, making it as a comfortable silence, as the breeze agitate the leaves of the backyard¡¯s big tree. After a moment of silence, Eleorona broke it again.


    Eleorona: ¡°So, what about that basketball match you¡¯ve been talking about?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Hah, now basketball? You¡¯re asking about sports now? I can barely keep up with my own shadow.¡±


    Eleorona: (Shrugging) ¡°Maybe we can try something else. Or.¡±


    She turned as if she¡¯d had an idea.


    Eleorona: ¡°What about sparring?¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, Lawrence appeared in the doorway with a relaxed posture but his eyes remained active.


    Lawrence: ¡°Sparring? Did I hear that right?¡±


    Aeris sat up slowly, the tiredness and frustration vanished away, her facial expression suggested the motivated version of Aeris, her lips curl into a grin


    Aeris: ¡°Wanna spar?¡±


    Lawrence: (Exchanging with a smile) ¡°Sure, why not, I¡¯m curious on how you fight.¡±


    Aeris: (laughing) ¡°Alright, bring it on, old man!¡±


    Eleorona chuckled before stepping back, letting them have their moment.


    Eleorona: ¡°Wait! Before you spar, hold on!¡±


    Aeris and Lawrence were already in their own fighting stance, but looked at Eleorona with a concerned face. Eleorona sprints with excitement to her room to grab her phone. She comes back with her phone horizontally.


    Lawrence: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Oh, just going to record you guys.¡±


    Aeris: (Tilting her head) ¡°Why?¡±


    Eleorona: (Rolling her eyes while smilling) ¡°Just, spar, please.¡±


    Aeris & Lawrence shrugged their shoulders without thinking what Eleorona had in mind, going back to their fighting stance and starting the spar.


    Coming back to Donovan¡¯s scenario, his heartbeat gradually increased as he read the many plans cryptic plans Hjalmer had in mind for Italy. The idea of silently shaping the country¡¯s economy sounded dangerous, but also lethal for many grotesque consequences. Even his pulse kept its beat, his expression showed off a brooding one.


    Donovan: ¡°Hjalmer¡­ Why are you planning all of this in the first place¡­?¡±


    A key question that made Donovan be concerned about Hjalmer¡¯s health behind all of these ongoing events. He walked sprinted away from the destroyed place, but as soon as he was nearby the door, his foot struck a box lying in his path. He stumbled, falling and knelt to inspect it. The box was nondescript, however, inside it lay a collection of destroyed gadgets and a QR code printed on a glossy card. As he narrowed his eyes to the card, he pulled out his phone and scanned the QR code. The screen lit up in a white themed-screen, directing him to a secure website.


    Donovan: (reading out loud) ¡°SerpentX would like to access your location. Mhm, nah, I¡¯m good.¡±


    He rejects the allowance and relies solely on the glowing pin. He zoomed in, which turned to be Hjalmer¡¯s other base.


    Donovan: (whispering) ¡°I got you, dumbass.¡±


    He stood up and slip the card into his pocket, glancing the place in ruins, knowing Ko isn¡¯t there. Donovan bounds, leaving the place in ruins intact to now stop Hjalmer from his plans. While he¡¯s in the air, he glances modern shops far away. Deciding to rest a bit from all the leaps he has done. Eventually landing on ground and walking to the streets like nothing happened. Ko leaned against a shaded wall at a nearby caf¨¦, sipping his favorite boba smoothie. The gratifying sugary drink released some stress away from Ko for a moment of calm. Nevertheless, Ko remained attentive despite the soothing & amicable ambient. Finishing his drink, he walked to a trash can to throw away his finished smoothie. Resuming his job, Ko began his search for Donovan again. With the many people passing by, Donovan slipped away around the thousands of people who were walking and Ko rubbed his eyes, unable to believe he was seeing a tall guy with an iconic blue jacket. Despite many people walking, there was a single person¡¯s presence he could feel. A mischievous presence he felt some hours ago.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡° Might that be¡­? The only evidence I¡¯ve got is his presence. I¡¯ve felt this before, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s him. I want to make sure that¡¯s him by turning my head but, I can¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Ivanel walks calmly in disguise, ignoring Ko. But this was not enough, Ko began to walk while looking at Donovan, unable to believe that he met him again. Every second that passed, Ko headed to his left as he walked, the tension gradually increasing that Donovan didn''t think twice and fled desperately, pushing people out of the way. Ko matches Donovan''s speed, causing him to turn his head and narrow his eyes for the credibility. The golden particles cover Donovan''s developed calves, propelling themselves abruptly as the wind moved people and signs out of range of his jump. Ko¡¯s lips curled into a smirk as he reaches his KRISS Vector, pointing at Donovan¡¯s legs. Horrified screams were coming from the many people walking at their own pace, teenagers, families, foreign. Mothers grabbed their children wrists tightly and encouraged them to run away from the violent action. In fact, people who bought their meals & deserts, left them exposed forgetting about it and prioritizing their life instead. A bullet tore through Donovan¡¯s calf in the middle of the air. The agonizing pain shoot up his leg as blood streamed into the air like crimson ribbons. He could not bear with the pain, descending with his arm handling his bodyweight for the coming impact. Ko was already closing the gap, like the cheetah he is. He moved fast & forward as his boots heavily stomp the asphalt, Donovan grunts as he slowly breathes from the 16 meter fall. The heavy stomps were loud enough to make Donovan slowly turn his head to the right and ¡®pop¡¯ out his eyes of surprise due to Ko¡¯s speed.


    Despite his right leg is wounded, he sweep it to the front for a pistol squad. He held his own bodyweight onto his left leg to launch himself, thus, Ivanel didn¡¯t dare stop to heal, not with Ko pressuring him. Eventually launching himself into the air successfully. However, as soon as Donovan reaches 2 meters from the ground, Ko grabs his injured leg mid-air with a sharp lunge, wrenching him downwards. Ko¡¯s grip force sent them both towards a nearby bridge. All that twisting pain exploded in Donovan¡¯s calf, grunting and aggressively insulting Ko. Donovan swung his uninjured leg with raw power, like a horse kicking someone from annoyance. The kick connected on Ko¡¯s chest, sending him to the ground and colliding his body in a resounding crash. The impact was enough to make Ko spit blood. Donovan managed to steady his descent, shifting his weight to his right arm once again for damage absorption. Ko groans, moving his arms to stand up, but his arms were shaking, hardly bearing with the damaged taken. While the protagonist avoids further injuries, he heals his leg and stands up easily.


    Donovan: (whimpering) ¡°Tsk, Just as crazy as Hjalmer. I don¡¯t care what happens to him, I¡¯m leav-¡±


    A cracking sound coming from the ground. Ko has his left hand slowly gripping the surface with ease. Donovan steps back, showing off the danger Ko holds inside him. Ko gets up with no injuries or bruises, sliding his hand into his pocket and calling his boss.


    Ko: ¡°Boss Hjalmer. It¡¯s me, Ko.¡±


    Hjalmer ??: ¡°What¡¯s up? You found glimmering kid?¡±


    Ko: (slightly grinning): ¡°He¡¯s heading for the location.¡±


    Donovan: (Shouting) ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, bald-head!¡±


    That shout was not enough to make him ¡®pay attention¡¯ even though Ko clearly heard him. Donovan amplified his hearing just in time to listen to Hjalmer¡¯s words.


    Hjalmer??: (Sigh) ¡°I¡¯ll send my top five. They¡¯ll leave for Croatia in the skyrocket.¡±


    Donovan opens more his eyes for the sudden comment, unable to say anything for a moment.


    Ko chuckled, taking out the holstered gun at his side pointing Donovan as he hangs the call and slides his phone back into his pocket. Ko began to move close to the protagonist but he steps back. They were just getting closer to the half of the bridge.


    Ko: ¡°Come on, Dov. Hjalmer¡¯s already three steps ahead.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°You¡¯ve got an annoying voice it makes my ears bleed.¡±


    Ko fires two bullets abruptly, penetrating the air with it¡¯s sharp point. However, in a swift motion, God¡¯s rend reflects the bullets redirecting them back at Ko. The counterattack forced Ko to dive but still get the shot graze his arm.


    Ko: ¡°Piece of-¡±


    Ko groans as the blood erupts making him grab his arm. Donovan took advantage of the situation, zapping to Ko¡¯s location for an uppercut.


    Donovan: (Low & cold voice tone) ¡°Stay down.¡±


    With no further responses, he pivots & runs to the edge of the bridge. He takes out his phone out of his pocket to make a call.


    Donovan: ¡°Eleorona!¡±


    Eleorona??:¡±What¡¯s up?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Hjalmer¡¯s sending his five strongest hitmen to Croatia! They¡¯re using something called skyrocket. This is urgent!¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Y-Yeah I see- Wait WHAT? CROATIA?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°I¡¯ll send you the information in the meantime, I have to go back to Croatia!¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Wait, Donovan hold on!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°And please, don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Eleorona rolls her eyes while Aeris and Lawrence listen to her and replies with a ¡°Don¡¯t understimate me.¡±


    Donovan grins, closing the call and sliding his phone back to his pocket. The protagonist looks at the sun with little hope of things to outcome well, but his anger is what drives him motivated to keep moving on.


    He takes out a modified aviator goggles from his rear pockets, putting them on.


    Donovan: ¡°Danko gave me these goggles¡­ Thing is, he never told me how to use them. Lame. But¡­ It is now time for this new path to form on its own.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 4 ends.

 Chapter 5: New Obstacles

    Continuing chapter 4...


    <hr>


    A striking force is released from Donovan¡¯s legs with such effort, able to make near leaves fall from the tree¡¯s branches in a spiral form. He did not required God¡¯s Rend. He leapt from the dusty bridge to a near shopping market, approximately 15 meters high with his athleticism. Donovan¡¯s mood changed gradually, like a chamaleon¡¯s skin color changing according to it¡¯s current environment. He knew the situation could get worse if he didn¡¯t hurry up. He remained silent, focusing in his thoughts before doing any action. Those thoughts kept getting creepier, Donovan could not hold it any longer but to imagine his family get killed due to his ¡®useless thinking¡¯. It just kept going and going¡­ His eyes went blank as a computer shutting down after a long work, this meant, God¡¯s Rend user entered in a overthinking state which made him suffer in his mind more than in reality. The pain of losing his family, being the only people he loves until now. Far away, in the skies a helicopter could be heard making Donovan¡¯s thoughts break down from the noise. He instantly looked at the glimmering sky with a tensed face while clenching both fists.


    Donovan: ¡°Damn, I have to hurry as soon as possible.¡±


    He took out his phone away from his pocket to activate his AI, Golden.


    Donovan: ¡°Golden, sent to my sister Eleorona Ivanel the files from the folder called First Step.¡±


    Golden opened the application called ¡®ConvoWithYou¡¯ in Donovan¡¯s phone and sent all files. A calm deep-voiced woman confirmed the message delivery, being Golden.


    Golden: ¡°Mister, all files have been delivered to Eleorona¡¯s phone, including recorded audios.¡±


    The tall teenager of golden eyes and messy black hair tapped on the Call Icon to say something important to her sister.


    Eleorona was changing her clothes and almost finishing putting on her long-sleeved shirt, her brother calls. She answers even though her right arm is raised.


    Donovan: "Eleorona, are you ready yet?"


    Eleorona continues to struggle to put on her long-sleeved shirt, which was a bit tight. He circled around in an effort to put on the rest of her shirt. The sounds that Eleorona made were uncomfortable.


    Donovan: (Curious and worried tone) "Ummm... Is something wrong?"


    Eleorona??: "Nngh! It''s nothing, it''s the shirt that''s running short of sleeves."


    Donovan: (Slight smile) "Pff. Don''t tell me you''re getting fat."


    Eleorona??: (Raising her threatening tone) "EH? WHEN WE ENCOUNTER EACH OTHER AGAIN I¡¯LL BREAK YOU INTO PIECES, DON''T SAY THAT!! I''M JUST WORKING OUT, OK?"


    Eleorona''s raised screams annoy Donovan as he removes his face from the cell phone.


    Donovan: (Raising his voice in annoyance) "God, Eleorona, stop yelling, I''m just kidding. Anyway, and the other two?"


    Eleorona??: (Calm tone) "I don''t know if they finished changing, let me call them.¡±


    Eleorona screams again without knowing that Donovan has the volume moderately high, annoying him again by the noise.


    Eleorona??: "LAWRENCE, AERIS, HAVE YOU CHANGED YET?!"


    Donovan sighs as he closes his eyes as if he loses faith. Lawrence raises his voice and answers with a "more or less!¡±


    She kept her voice high, replying back with a big & surprised ¡®huh¡¯.


    Lawrence ??: (Raised voice) ¡°I don¡¯t know what to wear!¡±


    Eleorona??: (Raised Voice) ¡°Ugh, just get a casual shirt and pants, you¡¯re not going to a fancy date, come on hurry up!¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Eleorona, don¡¯t hang up, there¡¯s someting important you three have to listen.¡±


    Eleorona directs her attention to her cell phone after raising her voice with her wooden door closed. Eleorona??: "Hm? Does it have to do with the mission?"


    Donovan: "Yes, but I''ll wait for you guys to change, don''t take too long, please."


    Eleorona??: "Oh, thank you for being patient. Just give us a few minutes."


    Donovan listens and lowers his hand next to his phone slowly, to appreciate the sky and lose himself once again in his thoughts. His heartbeat decelerates as thinking on random, but significant memories throughout his youthful meaningless life. He let¡¯s his own mind move thoughts to the center of attention without expecting suitable memories. Donovan let out his accumulated exhaustion through a long but gentle breeze from his nose.


    Donovan: (Sarcastic tone) ¡°Good, I started this journey and now I want to take a break¡­ A long one, no, a break for all eternity.¡±


    His gaze could not handle all the sky¡¯s simple beauty, making him look down while he tensed his eyelids of preoccupation and self-deprecation. After a minute of pure silence, Eleorona unmutes herself to get ready for any incoming obstacles.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Hey! shy furball, you there?¡±


    He quickly left his zone out, raising his hand to his face for a reply. Donovan cleared his throat in effort to sound chill as the guy he is.


    Donovan: ¡°Yea, here I am.¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Okay, Aeris and Lawrence are ready, we hear you.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    He tried to remember what was he going to say after all that overthinking. It seemed weird for Eleorona to hear his own little brother struggle to form a word. She knows that Donovan says thing straightforward despite criticism.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Hello?? Are you doing good?¡±


    Donovan: (Slow talk) ¡°Yeah¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Okay¡­ Talk. Then.¡±


    Donovan: (mumbling) ¡°Mhm what was I gonna say¡­¡±


    Eleorona presses the volume button to hear Donovan¡¯s announcement.


    Donovan: ¡°You guys will have a determined role which might suit your j¨¦gosgalia. Lawrence¡¯s j¨¦gosgalia can copy people¡¯s appearances which is logically useful for disguise & combat. This means Lawrence has to make sure no one finds out any suspicious actions inside the base. Eleorona, you¡¯re going to defend Lawrence from attacks, it would be better if you mainly focus on ice offense to stun the enemies down, we don¡¯t wanna harm them. And Aeris¡­ You¡¯re going to guide inside the base since you already know it.¡±


    Lawrence??: ¡°So you are saying I should disguise Eleorona and Aeris?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Basically.¡±


    Lawrence glances the phone to think on what to say.


    Lawrence??: ¡°I can do it but¡­ Not for so long.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°How long are we talking?¡±


    Lawrence sighs in a way of unsure capabilities, trying to remember the last time he accomplished such feat.


    Lawrence??: ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­ 6 minutes?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°At least my sister and Aeris got your back, so it should be fine.¡±


    Aeris??: ¡°After investigating, what else do we do?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Escape, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The blue-haired girl stayed silent with a frowned face, showing off the unexpected response she did not wanted to hear. She releases the air of eagerness to demonstrate how a former member of Delta should finish off a raid.


    Aeris??: ¡°I recall this once. We are not only escaping, we are kicking their asses off and escape.¡±


    She coaxed the two young adult with such simplicity that Eleorona gave Aeris a smile as she nods her head.


    Eleorona??: ¡°You heard her Donovan, we are hanging up now.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°All right, and remember that I sent you the files.¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°On it!¡±


    The calls ends, showing 5 emojis from a downcast emoji to a cheerful one. A title stated ¡®Did you enjoyed the call?¡¯ Donovan stares at the emojis, swapping his thumb finger from right to left, stopping for a brief second to choose the happiest emoji. He smiles at the emoji, putting his phone in his pocket to move on.


    <h2>April 19th, 1:58 P.M.</h2>


    Far away from the regular urban places, a minimalist European styled mansion is found in the hidden countryside, near the Apennine Mountains. The mansion offers a flawless security, possibly safer than one of the most secured houses from ministers. Besides it¡¯s transparent field, the mansion is surrounded by rock cliffs & vineyards, leading to the sea indicating a beautiful view. A five-person group is at the mansion¡¯s backyard. Having a casual conversation in a semi-circle before their master arrives. These people had unique bracelet designs way different than the other. In fact, the symbolism of a bracelet in the organization meant being one of the strongest five hitmen of Delta. A sinister presence was heading towards the backyard, the doors opening on their own to introduce a dark blue-haired teenager in a formal suit. Although his face was neutral, that only masked the evil he carried inside. Only four members of the group placed their glasses on the table and turned around. There was one who turned around but didn''t put it on the table, which triggered the laws of the mansion. The hitman was too late to register his mistake¡ªCRACK


    A precise punch collided with the hitman¡¯s iron jaw. Sending him backwards, making the impact rang through the still heavy air. Blood splattered onto the healthy clean grass and yet, Hjalmer did not spare the hitman another glance. With a resolute composture, he adjusted his sleeve as he brushed off some dust. His icy voice broke the abundant silence.


    Hjalmer: ¡°You have a mission to complete. Go to croatia to liquidate Donovan¡¯s family¡­ and Aeris Juno¡¯s family.¡±


    A brief silence followed. One of the hitmen glanced the other members of uncomfortable sensation before she dared to speak.


    Top 3: ¡°Their¡­ families¡­? Why?¡±


    Hjalmer let the silence speak for itself, turning towards the mansion¡¯s helipad, where his personal skyrocket stood ready. With no further announcements, Top 4 helped Top 5 get up from Hjalmer¡¯s bloody reminder. The group climbed into the skyrocket without saying goodbye to their leader, going along with the silence they must respect.


    On the other hand, we find Donovan, typically leaping from building to building with his glimmering particles, however, something was off to him. His expression remained intrigued by the skyrocket''s capabilities. Heading to his family gradually worsened his fear. His body moved on its own, but his focus was on imaginary scenarios. The golden particles of his j¨¦gosgalia began to turn negative for a couple of seconds and as a result, the last thing that was in his head was the circle with an X with it although this time, it became more abstract. He regained consciousness, his eyes were exalted, his mouth somewhat open and his eyebrows tense and reaches his phone in a desperate moment to clear his doubts.


    Donovan: ¡°Golden, tell me what¡¯s the skyrocket about, please!¡±


    Golden: ¡°Searching skyrocket¡­ Search completed. The skyrocket, also known as Prototype SK is an advanced aerial vehicle after the traditional helicopters, engineered with optimized aerodynamics. For example, reduced drag and an improved airflow control, allowing significant faster travel. Skyrockets are not available for public purchases as for now, only few individuals have acquired this prototype. Would you like to know more about this topic?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°What capabilities does the skyrocket have in its arsenal?¡±


    Golden: ¡°Analyzing Skyrocket¡¯s capabilities¡­ Analysis complete. The Skyrocket, or Prototype SK, is equipped with sharp-edge propulsion systems, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 750km/h or 466 mph. Nearly 3x an ordinary helicopter¡¯s velocity. Forbye, it provides an adaptive stealth technology, reducing radar detectability. Anything else you want to know?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Nah, I¡¯m satisfied with that information, thank you.¡±


    Golden¡¯s Icon vanishes from the screen. He gritted his teets, his clenched fist shakes like if struggling for control and his powerful leap loses velocity. However, this wasn¡¯t enough to stop him, his inner voice kept demanding forward progress, knowing he has to settle things with Hjalmer.


    Swapping scenarios, the skyrocket¡¯s engine roared in rage as it cut through the sky, moving at an unnatural speed towards its destination, Croatia. Unalike traditional aircrafts that followed specific routes, the skyrocket can simply ignore such limits and travel in a direct line to Zagreb. Inside the skyrocket, Delta¡¯s strongest hitmen occupied themselves with ordinary hobbies and distractions, regardless the objective. Top 4 and Top 3 sat across from each other with a small makeshift table between them, playing poker for the time being. They were focused in an intense moment, their facial expressions barely shifted into any other sensation except for grunts of satisfaction and disappointment. Top 5 leaned against the side, eyes closed, seeming to rest. Thought, she wasn¡¯t asleep, just storing energy to be prepared for the coming challenge. The last two sat together, arms wrapped around each other, interlocking fingers suggesting an embraced intimacy. Top 3 groaned due to her loss, shifting topics.


    Top 5: (Irritated tone) ¡°God damn. How much longer do we have to wait?!¡±


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    Top 4: (Not looking up from his hand) ¡°Dude, relax, we¡¯re in an small aircraft close to an airplane¡¯s speed. It¡¯s barely been twenty minutes.¡±


    Top 4 smirks, placing all his cards down as he said ¡°Call.¡±


    Top 5: (Clicking his tongue in frustration.) ¡°I swear to God, If I have to listen to one more freaking round of you two gambling or doing your lame games, I¡¯m jumping out and running there, all by myself.¡±


    Top 3: (Chuckling) ¡°Be my guest. We¡¯ll see how you turn into a human pancake on impact.¡±


    The couple seemed silent until Top 3 said it, chuckling softly together. As laugher followed, far from the skyrocket, at the edge of a enormous cliff, Donovan stood alone, overlooking at the adriatic ocean.


    The windy atmosphere howled its sharpness, tugging at his clothes, but he remained still, responding with a strong focus. And again, Donovan felt a pressure in his chest. He knew it was fear but not only for his family, but also for himself. He exhaled long enough to get all that stress out.


    Donovan: (Muttering under his breath) ¡°Skyrocket¡­ An aerial vehicle capable that reaches 720km/h¡­ I need to match the speed, no¡ª, I should surpass that speed. Can I even-¡±


    He cut himself off, shaking his head. Donovan would just waste time if he continued on hesitating. His foot slid back, lowering his body into a position designed for a powerful propulsion. As he prepared himself, wind mimics his golden particles of swirling around his limbs. Thus, his heartbeat thundered in his ears. Donovan slightly bends his foot forwards indicating his leap execution, however¡­ The weight in his chest suddenly got heavier, stopping him from a reckless jump. His instinct told him to go back to his original position to think thrice. He began to scan the surroundings, slowly getting flashbacks from a physics class about classical mechanics. Donovan finds his way to calm down and review his creativity. A soothing moment, taking a calm deep breathe to help his blood flow efficiently.


    Donovan: ¡°Momentum¡­ The outcome of combining a mass and a velocity. I need an initial burst before I run out of stamina. Freefall would help¡­ Gravity gives me 9.8 m/s2 of acceleration, however that¡¯s nowhere near enough. I can¡¯t drop straight down, I¡¯ll just waste time, which means¡­ I need an angle, something that transitions into forward motion as fast as possible¡­ First concept reviewed.¡±


    The golden-eyed teenager stayed silence before elaborating, gazing nearby grass move due to the strong wind. And so, he remembered the next concept, being air resistance.


    Donovan: ¡°Drag increases with velocity. So, the faster I go, the more air pushes back against me. God damn, I¡¯d be cutting through the air like a bullet at 500 km/h¡­ Maybe I shape myself like one. Second concept reviewed¡±


    He exhaled slowly while he adjusted his posture. Leaning forward, tightening his core with arms tucked in, legs ready to push off with full force. Performing a streamlined position able to reduce resistance.


    Donovan: ¡°Then, there¡¯s ground effect, an aerodynamic concept happening when an aircraft is close to the surface¡­ If I stay low enough after takeoff, probably I¡¯ll be able to reduce air drag, just like how planes experience less resistance near ground. That¡¯ll buy me a few more seconds of speed before hellish fatigue kicks in. Third concept reviewed¡±


    Once again, he glanced the windy ambient to make sure he¡¯s in the right direction.


    Donovan: ¡°And last but not least, force application. This is when a force is applied on an object to cause motion if I¡¯m correct. If I use too much energy at once, I¡¯ll simply burn out before reaching halfway. But if I don¡¯t go all in, I¡¯ll never make it intime, so, this means I have to control it huh. Impulse. Yup, that¡¯s what I was looking for.¡±


    In addition, the iconic radiant glints appeared in the breeze, transforming into a special aerodynamic mask. After recapping, God¡¯s Rend lost some light referring to a low intensity enhancement. As particles slowly swirl around his body, a deep, low-frequency rumble sound appears. This sound follows the speed of God¡¯s Rend, like it was an engine initiating. As the particles swirl faster overtime, the deep rumble had its own heart. The rhythm mimics a heartbeat tempo. The sound got sharper, letting out a high-pitched whine alongside a buzzing effect.


    Donovan: (Muttering) ¡°Okay okay¡­ Focus, Donovan Ivanel, you know you can do this.¡±


    ¡°One.¡± His pupils dilated signaling the incoming adrenaline. ¡°Two.¡± The j¨¦gosgalia¡¯s radiant sparks circulate at a incredible speed, surprisingly glimmering more. ¡°Three!!¡± He launched himself off the cliff, every muscle tightened as he cut through the air like a bullet. The high-pitched whine transitioned into a rippling shattering sound, leaving golden flickers behind. Initial rush got him exhilarating. Gravity pulled him down, and God¡¯s Rend acted like an afterburner, propelling Donovan forward with explosive force. But then¡­ HEAT!


    Donovan: ¡°Shit¡ª!¡±


    A scorching sensation crawled up his arms and legs. His blue jacket flapped aggressively, friction alerts him, building up faster than he had anticipated. Donovan¡¯s skin prickled and sweat formed almost instantly. The second concept he recapped, only got worse, drag generated heat at a wild rate.


    Donovan: ¡°I didn¡¯t account for this, I definitely should have! Jesus Christ, at this speed I¡¯m creating my own resistance. The faster I go, the more heat builds up. At this rate, I¡¯ll start burning myself alive.¡±


    His arms trembled for some moments, his grip tightening and muscles locking up. It was panic. A critical mistake. Velocity quivers, and for a second, Donovan felt a terrifying imbalance of traveling at such risky speeds without control.


    Donovan: ¡°Sigh, cut the crap and think!¡±


    He forced himself to analyze despite the burning sensation.


    Donovan: ¡°Heat is energy. It¡¯s excess kinetic force wasted. If I can control God¡¯s Rend, I don¡¯t have to let it build up..! In fact, I can redistribute it.¡±


    Shifting currents of gold redirected to Donovan¡¯s insides as a way to balance the heat. As glimmering sparks go inwards, reversed whooshing wind sounds got louder overtime¡ª His body temperature began to stabilize.


    Donovan: ¡°Think of it like a cooling system. Planes use heat-resistant materials to continue the traveling. I don¡¯t have heat-resistant however, I have my own way to channel energy freely. Dispersing excess force through my limbs evenly, instead of letting it concentrate on one point, I can spread all the heat without it frying me.¡±


    Focused, mentally directing God¡¯s Rend through his skin like a thermal regulator, channeling the heat away from his vulnerable areas. The burning sensation in his limbs eased and friction was no longer an uncontrollable force against him. Speed stabilized so Donovan could finally travel without fear.


    <h2>Outskirts, Monterotondo.</h2>


    A distant hum of Rome¡¯s nightlife vanish as the taxi rumbled through the streets of Monte Sacro. Lawrence leaned against the car door, at the driver¡¯s side watching blurry streetlights past. Aeris sat besides Eleorona, arms crossed, eyes locked on the road ahead. Eleorona kept a casual expression, though her fingers lazily tapped the car¡¯s window. The driver, an older man with gray hair glanced at them through the rearview mirror.


    Taxi Driver: ¡°You three heading to Monterotondo at this hour? Bit unusual, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The driver, an older man with graying hair, glanced at them through the rearview mirror. ¡°You three heading to Monterotondo at this hour? Bit unusual, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°(Smirking & tilting his head) Yeah, we¡¯re checking out an old warehouse for some business reasons.¡±


    Aeris & Eleorona did not add anything else, letting the conversation flow naturally.


    The axi took Via Nomentana, passing residential buildings and commercial areas that gradually reduced to zero. After some minutes, the car blend onto A1 Highway. As the taxi drove further, the road stretched, entering more to the outskirts.


    Aeris: (Whispering) ¡°We should get off a little before the drop-off. If we walk, we will attract less attention.¡±


    Eleorona nods through the rearview mirror, meeting Lawrence¡¯s gaze. He gave a short confirming nod.


    Lawrence: ¡°Pull over the near old industrial zone in Palombara Sabina, please. We¡¯ll walk the rest.¡±


    Taxi driver: (Chuckling) ¡°As you say so. Not a lot of people like wandering out there.¡±


    The taxi near an abandoned warehouse, illuminated by the car¡¯s headlights. The warehouse had rusted metal doors, shattered windows and a dusty wooden door. Lawrence paid the fare, the three waved gently the taxi, thanking him for the service. As the taxi drove off, they stood in silent


    Aeris: (Exhaling) ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Eleorona and Lawrence followed Aeris behind her since she acknowledges the entrance. Thick air with damp earth, a mix of rust and moss could be sensed in the narrow dirt staircase beyond the warehouse. A few steps ahead, a decayed fence stood somewhat collapsed, providing them an easy way through. After several minutes of walking, Aeris halted.


    Aeris: ¡°We¡¯re close.¡±


    The towering, black-haired guy with red highlights let his curiousness kick in, gazing around the narrow space like he was looking for something. Aeris relocates herself to an old metal panel embedded into the base of a stone wall. Wiping off all the dust, she pressed her hand against it. The steel was cold, unresponsive at first until Aeris called out her j¨¦gosgalia ¡°Steelheart Fury¡±. She moved her hand in a 180¡ã angle as she clenches her fist¡ªThen a mechanical beep was heard. In the hexagonal steel, a small screen flickered displaying an unfamiliar pattern of shifting metal plates.


    Aeris: (Exhaling) ¡°I think I remember this puzzle.¡±


    She rolled her shoulders and cracked her knuckles, focusing on the pattern. The pieces weren¡¯t aleatory, puzzles require precise positioning. Aeris felt weak magnetisms with some plates, allowing her to easily solve the puzzle.


    Click.


    The wall groaned as hidden gears rotated, revealing a descending stairway shrouded in a gloomy light.


    Eleorona: (Whistling) ¡°What other tricks can you do, Aeris?¡±


    Aeris: (Turning her head to Eleorona) ¡°Quite few. ¡±


    Lawrence did not hesitate, moving swiftly. His footsteps were silent as a cat¡¯s paw against the cold floor. His target, a lone guard who stood near the entrance, unaware of the incoming danger. A precise strike to the neck made the guard collapse almost instantly. As the guard was about to hit the floor with his bodyweight, Lawrence grabbed his back with his own hands calling out the j¨¦gosgalia.


    Lawrence: (Muttering) ¡°Quantum Shift.¡±


    His body slowly morphed as his features mimics the unconscious guard. His voice matched the guard¡¯s tone pitch. He carried the guard to their starting point, making Eleorona¡¯s insticts flare. She snapped into a defensive stance ready to fight, but in the other hand, Aeris didn¡¯t even blink.


    Aeris: (Mutered) ¡°Relax. It¡¯s just Lawrence.¡±


    Eleorona lowered her guard. Aeris took four step forward as she makes up her mind.


    Aeris: ¡°As you see Hjalmer¡¯s base is underground. Guards are stationed in rotations. Two at every entrance, four patrolling the inner corridors and a main security deeper inside the installations.¡±


    Since she came back to the base, she traced invisible paths through the air with her fingers, creating a mental map.


    Aeris: ¡°If we¡¯re fast, we can avoid most of them. However if we get caught¡­ We¡¯ll have no other choice but to face them.¡±


    <h2>Zagreb, Croatia</h2>


    Donovan collapsed on the outskirts near his neighborhood. His body trembled from exhaustion, his lungs burned, his muscles felt sore, but his mind refused to quit. Inhaling and exhaling sharply, he forced himself up, one step, then another. It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t walk correctly, God¡¯s Rend was still active, responding to Donovan¡¯s desire. His clothing flapped gently, soreness vanished in some seconds¡ªIt was a salvation of God¡¯s Rend.


    Donovan: (Looking happily at the ground) ¡°I¡¯m grateful that this is my ability.¡±


    His positive expression switched. He could feel it, home was close. The tall teenager sprinted and jumped, causing a heavy wind nearby the natural resources. The trees¡¯ leaves blow off and the grass moved violently in response. Some minutes later, he arrived at his destination but as soon as he touched the ground, something felt off.


    Five figures with different body complexities loomed in the streets, prowling like hungry wolves searching for prey. Their posture were tense, with a predatory manner. Donovan narrowed his eyes.


    Donovan: ¡°They¡¯re looking for someone¡­ Wait. Those are¡­?¡±


    One of the hitmen stepped forward. He was broad-shouldered, having a fighter¡¯s physique. Without hesitation, he formed an orthodox boxing stance and threw a sharp jab.


    But¡­


    Donovan¡¯s hand clamped around the fist mid-air, stopping it with no effort. The hitman¡¯s eyes widened, but not of fear, it was surprising he encountered the one and only, Donovan Ivanel.


    Top 5: ¡°Oh well, well, well, you must be Donovan Ivanel huh?¡± The hitman scanned Donovan from toe to head, amazed by his athletic build.


    Top 5: ¡°Damn, you¡¯re pretty tall¡­ What do you eat?¡±


    The question wasn¡¯t interesting at all, Donovan remained silent, his stare drilled into the man¡¯s soul. A cold, ferocious gaze.


    Donovan: ¡°Find that out. Visit Croatia.¡±


    His grip tightened like he was crushing the hitman¡¯s knuckles.


    Donovan: ¡°That is, if I allow it.¡±


    A solid punch connected into the hitman¡¯s stomach. The sheer force sent him skidding backwards, his feet scraping against the ground as he stayed firm in his blocking stance. The impact resounded through the street.


    Donovan: (Laced with bitter & fury) ¡°Stay away from my family.¡±


    The words were clear. The five hitmen felt an underwhelming sensation after he added. A deep resonating hum followed, the Dvasinis Nexus. Considering a gap, before the battle, a voice reverberated in his mind, forming a unique connection.


    Donovan via DN: ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me. Donovan. Answer!¡±


    <s>Quick Reminder! DN stands for Dvasinis Nexus.</s>


    Somewhere else, a tall man with dark chocolate hair, trimmed and well-groomed, opened his eyes. Tracing his fingers against a scar from his past life.


    Jakov via DN: (Steady tone) ¡°I hear you. What¡¯s wrong? Where are you?¡±


    Donovan via DN: ¡°The real question is, where are you and the rest of the family? I¡¯m outside the house. There are hitmen sent by Hjalmer?¡±


    Jakov via DN: (Astonished) ¡°W-what?! Hjalmer?! How did he¡ªSigh, I¡¯m not home right now, I¡¯ll tell your mother about leaving the house. By the way, you sure you¡¯re going to be good?¡±


    Donovan via DN: (Confident Tone) ¡°Pfft. Don¡¯t make me burst into laugh, Dad. Remember why the government has been looking for me..¡±


    Jakov via DN: ¡°Hmph. Yeah, after all, you are¡­


    An unbounded booster.


    The group just stared, showing their interest for encountering a unique individual. Three of them; Top 3, 4 and 5 buzzed with excitement¡ªTheir eagerness was out of their dominance, finally able to face the one their boss had spoken a million times.


    Top 5: (Enthusiastic Tone) ¡°How long can you last in a fight? What¡¯s your j¨¦gosgalia really about? Hjalmer never gave us details.


    Donovan frowned as he avoided eye-contact. Before they could¡¯ve start fighting, a long-haired hitman¡ªTop 4, grabbed the prying Top 5 by the face, slamming him into the ground.


    Top 4: (Muttering) ¡°You¡¯re being rude to our opponent.¡±


    His tone carried a firm warning while looking at Top 5 into his eyes.


    A tall, brown short-haired girl grinned with her sleepy eyes. She stretched her shoulders as she stepped forward.


    Top 3: ¡°Pulse predator. Enough play y¡¯all. We triple our usual pay if we bring this cutie down, so don¡¯t hold back~¡±


    The mention of money was the right answer; Top 5 lunged at Donovan without hesitation, his body hardened like a metal, while Top 4 followed, his energy tethers connected to extreme points to propel himself forward. Top 3 gave herself a brief moment to spectate before joining in; She was just charging her electromagnetic crackles. Top 5 tanked Donovan¡¯s blows; Flicker Jab-Flicker Jab-Right Hook-Uppercut to side kick. Donovan has not used God¡¯s Rend yet, the cost was expensive he had to temporary turn it off. Top 5 shrugged off the pain with his Ironbound Nerves, while Top 4¡¯s tethers pulled at Donovan¡¯s arm, limiting his mobility. Just then, Top 3 moved like lighting, aiming precise strikes to numb Donovan¡¯s nerves.


    After a harsh battle, Donovan finally overcame them, panting from the exhausting effort they had put up. Top 5 groaned on the ground despite his body was still hardened. Top 4 lay nearby, his energy ropes deteriorated. Top 3 tried with all her efforts to stand up, but she failed to do so; Her muscles twitched from overuse of her j¨¦gosgalia.


    Top 2 yawned of boredom, going to her boyfriend¡¯s chest, feeling nothing else but a secure, warming sensation. Top 1 takes his gaze off of his phone¡¯s screen to attend her girlfriend.


    Top 1: ¡°What¡¯s up? Is your attention span dead?¡±


    Top 2: (Looking at him innocently) ¡°I wanna go to Aeris¡¯ houseeee.¡±


    Top 1: (Exhaling) ¡°I almost forgot that part, let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Top 1, his dark brown hair tied loosely in a ponytail, scanned Donovan with his piercing green eyes. The unbounded booster felt his feral stare, turning is head as he screams in frustration.


    Donovan: ¡°What the fuck are you looking at?!¡±


    His reaction caused that underwhelming sensation again, but worse. Top 2, a medium long black haired woman in a sleek combat suit got shocked by a snapped Donovan. His golden eyes started glowing intensely, like a campfire in the cold night.


    Top 1 remained still before responding, his voice kept calm. Top 1: ¡°Hjalmer was right. You¡¯re an interesting opponent¡­¡±


    Donovan mocks him as he brushes the sweat from his brow


    Donovan: ¡°Me? Interesting? Haha, in what sense?¡± Top 1: (Slight head tilt) ¡°In many senses. Don¡¯t you know yourself?¡±


    Donovan fell silent, then after a few seconds he gazed at Top 2.


    Donovan: ¡°And this girl?¡± Why doesn¡¯t she say anything?¡±


    Top 1: (Glancing at Top 2) ¡°Should she really talk? Do you think words are necessary to intimidate?¡±


    Donovan: (Frowning) ¡°Hey, I was just asking¡­¡±


    Top 1: ¡°You don¡¯t need words to provoke a tense sensation¡­ Presence is everything here.¡±


    Just before Donovan could reply, the woman disappeared in just a blink. The golden-eyed teenager immediately activated his j¨¦gosgalia, the real fight was just getting started. Top 1 manipulated his own presence; The atmosphere felt heavier overtime. Everything went silent. The others could only watch as Top 2¡¯s phantom blitz made her vanish, her afterimages flickered around Donovan in a circle, making an unpredictable pattern. As Top 2 performed her patterns, Donovan saw with his peripheral vision Top 1 casually looking at his smart phone, unbothered; He trusted his girlfriend¡¯s ability.


    Top 1 in his mind: ¡°This is strange. He¡¯s more focused on me than on Mai. Tch, I¡¯m starting to understand why Boss sent us here.¡±


    On the other side¡­


    Three strong-willed figures arrived at their destination; Hjalmer¡¯s base.


    Aeris¡¯ fists clenched. Her head pointed down. It was clear, despite taking some steps forward she could not bear with the imposing fear. Eleorona looks at Aeris, concerned.


    Eleorona: ¡°Donovan¡¯s doing everything to prevent all of this.¡±


    She extends her arm to reach Aeris¡¯ shoulder as a sign of support. Aeris stayed still; She knew the effort Donovan has been doing. However¡­ Hjalmer¡¯s voice whispered in her mind in a threating tone.


    ¡°If you betray me¡­¡±


    Her feet moved on their own. Aeris stepped back twice. Eleorona hesitated, ambivalent between supporting Aeris or follow Lawrence, who had already started moving towards the base to end things at all cost. Aeris¡¯ thoughts formed a tornado of chaos and after some seconds, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    Aeris in her mind: ¡°If I miss this chance, my life is done.¡±


    Together, they walked carefully. Finally moving to the last step.


    Extract all kind of information and defeat the user of Forcewave Rift, Hjalmer Drameus.


    <hr>


    Chapter 5 ends.

 Chapter 6: Sight

    Continuing chapter 5...


    <hr>


    <h2>April 19th, 2:42 P.M.</h2>


    Lawrence stopped his movement to ask Aeris an important thing. He projects a whispered but firm voice.


    Lawrence: ¡°How exactly should I act?¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl changes her body language; She tried to remember how that guy acts like.


    Aeris: ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m trying to remember his name again. Eh, I completely forgot. Anyway, he¡¯s arrogant. Likes to joke around and he¡¯s a massive hypocrite. If you play along, no one¡¯s going to suspect a thing.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°But, joke about who or what?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°He is all big talk, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Lawrence nods his head; That was all he needed. Lawrence clears his throat to start his acting, he walks firmly fully confident about himself. His j¨¦gosgalia remained active as he encounters two nearby guards, slowly storing their appearances for Aeris and Eleorona to disguise with.


    The trio moved through the underground base, Eleorona projected a questioning look to Aeris


    Eleorona: ¡°Why can¡¯t you just walk arou- Hold on, yeah I forgot, sorry.¡±


    She interrupts herself remembering the reason.


    Aeris: (Harsh smirk) ¡°Everyone knows I¡¯m a traitor, I can¡¯t risk myself.¡±


    Lawrence knocked off the two guards who luckily did no sharp sounds for someone to notice. Their appearances were absorbed, yet they remained the same. Lawrence went back to Aeris & Eleorona¡¯s location; The base¡¯s entrance.


    Aeris gained a new body complexion, the same as Eleorona. Their voice changed, thus, Lawrence had to consume the triple of stamina until they could find a safe place. Passing through checkpoints easily, their disguise had a convincing look to keep them unnoticed. Most guards seemed to care little about them moving through. But, there was one elite guard feeling such intriguing sensation from the moving guards; He glanced, letting them go. As set forth, Aeris gave a frown at the security patterns.


    Aeris: (Muttering) ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­¡±


    She exhaled, closing her eyes like she¡¯s about to announce something.


    Aeris: ¡°Listen, I was recruited 11 months ago by Hjalmer to guard him. I only took the job because I needed that money¡­ so bad. Back then, this base followed a strict schedule. But now¡­?¡±


    She glanced at the guards passing by.


    Aeris: ¡°This is different now.¡±


    The trio found themselves alone in a secured room, Lawrence deactivated his j¨¦gosgalia, softly panting due to the draining usage. Eleorona takes a look on him, placing her hands on her back.


    Eleorona: ¡°Are you okay? Did you surpass the limit?¡±


    Lawrence: (Panting) ¡°Luckily no.¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl stares at her own hands. She felt odd during her disguise.


    Aeris: ¡°Lawrence, despite I changed my appearance to a man, how could I feel my own body?¡±


    The italian felt pressured. His head, from looking to the ground to stare at her, finding a way to answer it. It was an uncomfortable but interesting question, even Eleorona stares at her with no comments.


    Lawrence: ¡°I rather explain that when we¡¯re done with all of this disaster¡­¡±


    Aeris nods at him, smirking. They had no time to wonder around to talk about their j¨¦gosgalia. Then, she activates Steelheart Fury, sending waves of magnetic force through the air. She could feel light vibrations of low-conductivity fibers; Her speculation was right on track. The sensation attracted Aeris¡¯ curiosity, stepping towards a seemingly empty corridor.


    They followed her, proceeding towards a harden gray wall, a painting of the ocean with rolling waves hung there. Below it, a phrase was stamp into the frame. A riddle.


    Eleorona: (Raising her right brow) ¡°Why is there a riddle?¡±


    Aeris tilted her head, thinking back.


    Aeris: ¡°Hmmm¡­ Hjalmer likes riddles, or at least, that¡¯s what he says.¡±


    Eleorona: (Frowning) ¡°That¡¯s not right. He hates riddles. He couldn¡¯t even solve a simple one back then.¡±


    A loud and brief silence. If Hjalmer had been lying about this, then what else had he been pretending to be? Aeris lowered her gaze, exhaling slowly once again.


    Aeris: ¡°That bastard¡¯s been putting on an act since the beginning. How surprising.¡±


    She added, with a sarcastic tone. Meanwhile, Lawrence analyzed the painting as he read out loud.


    Lawrence: ¡°I¡¯m blue as the soothing sky. I kiss the shores of many prestigious lands. A path once ruled by merchants bold. Where golden lions dominated. A divide between the land that steps upon the sea, with hidden depths still yet unknown.¡±


    He took a long pause, expressing his thoughtful face.


    Lawrence: ¡°This sea¡­ it¡¯s in Italy.¡±


    Aeris¡¯ eyes widened slightly as she realizes what it meant.


    Aeris: ¡°The Adriatic Sea. But what does it have to do with-¡±


    Her words cut off as Lawrence instinctively turned the painting over. Another phrase was recorded into the back. This one talked about something else; Something tied to a hitman.


    ¡°Therefore, I accompany the rough waves of my united sea. The unseen blades wait for the arrival of him, who proclaims himself as ¡®The One¡¯.¡±


    Aeris: (Whispering) ¡°The real base¡­ Is in the Adriatic Sea.¡±


    Before they could act on this investigation, a sharp voice resonates through the base.


    ???: ¡°Oi, three guards are down near the main hall.¡±


    At that point, fighting was their only choice. Aeris, Lawrence and Eleorona barely had time to react before a group of Hjalmer¡¯s personal guards arrived, cornering them.


    While Lawrence and Eleorona adapted their usual combat stances, Aeris cracked her knuckles as she smirks proudly.


    Aeris: ¡°Heh, we¡¯re done sneaking around.¡±


    They fought their way through, dodging and countering as the alarms honk throughout the base. The three moved rapidly, evading capture until they emerged onto the surface.


    Lawrence: (Glancing & Panting) ¡°We¡¯re out. Now what?¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl wiped a smudge of blood from her lip.


    Aeris: ¡°We head for the Adriatic Sea. If the real base is there, we need a way to get across.¡±


    Lawrence: (Nodding) ¡°A boat. A yacht. Whatever we can find to travel there.¡±


    Swapping scenes, Donovan stood over the knocked out Top 2, her breath coming in broken gasps. The fight pushed him to his limits but had found the weakness and exploited it despite fighting for 28 minutes with all the fallen Tops. Now, there was only one left. Top 1.


    Top 1: (Chuckle) ¡°Hm, not bad Ivanel.¡±


    The last oponent rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles to get ready.


    Top 1: (Wide grin) ¡°Guess it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    Even if the teenager won against the other tops, he knew the huge disadvantage he is experimenting. Donovan was exhausted, worn from battle, but Top 1? He had barely lifted a finger until now. The man claimed they were evenly matched, that the Top ranks were supposed to be on par with Donovan, but the teenager could tell the real even match was about to begin. They stared at each other locking their gaze. Donovan took the first step closing the distance in a instant. His fists connected with a flawless combination; Left jab, right jab, uppercut, body hook and a roundhouse kick. Top 1 didn¡¯t follow, maintaining his defensive skills by reading him. Then, the teenager paused.


    Donovan: ¡°How about we fight without our j¨¦gosgalia? Just hand to hand


    Top 1: (Raising a brow) ¡°And now you want to negotiate?¡±


    He exhaled a short laugh thinking how absurd the negotiating is.


    Top 1: ¡°Why would I even agree to that?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°To test our abilities, no tricks. Just combat.¡±


    Top 1: ¡°Hesitated and smirked) ¡°Alright.¡±


    Now, Top 1 did the first step executiing an axe kick but eventually getting blocked from Donovan who raised both arms in a cross block, countering with a low kick. But¡­ Top 1 barely reacted. Something felt off. His intincts told him he was about to be hit but nothing came. A feint that never existed. A split second and


    A punch connected, snapping his head to the side.


    Another attack, another miss, another impact. Rhythm was miscalculated when his body moved when it shouldn¡¯t. Top 1 wasn¡¯t just predicting him, he was controlling him like a puppet.


    Donovan: (Growl) ¡°Tch, playing dirty just like Hjalmer.¡±


    Top 1: (Laughing) ¡°Dirty? Are you sure I¡¯m doing that?¡±


    Once again, another attack, another feint. Donovan blocked the wrong angle, having a blow connected to his stomach. His vision went blur for a second as saliva flew from is lips. He staggered, three septs back. It wasn¡¯t being a fair fight but, fair fights don¡¯t exist in this world. Donovan had to think on a plan to win against this man. Being aware that he used his 4 remaining thoughts to counter the 4 hitmen, he relied on his penultimate thought which he used against Top 2 being a future sight ability. To test out his chances, he throws some clean punches as he picks up the rhythm. But Top 1 quickly adjusted his pressure, being in the offensive. He feints but this time, Donovan realized something. Instead of reacting to what he sees, sensing was his only option. Top 1 sees how Donovan flinches unnaturally thinking he finally succumbed to the distorted timing.


    Top 1 in his mind: ¡°Good, he¡¯s set in my trap now.¡±


    The hitman smirks confidently, but¡­ Was this Donovan¡¯s idea?


    Sure, it was. The moment Top 1 commits a charged uppercut in an orthodox stance, Donovan was already countering it with a slip-body shot. Instead of reacting, pre-emptively repositions himself where the attack will end, not where it begins. He connects the attack making the hitman grunt out loud noticing the damage on his liver. Top 1 pressed forward, but the teenager had seen enough. Donovan could see in Top 1¡¯s radiant hazel eyes the victory.


    And then, at the crucial moment¡­


    He used his last thought, Delayed Execution. Granting him the ability to delay his attacks and complete the motion in a perfect timing. A knee shot forward and Top 1 hesitated. The attack looked like an illusion, and a fraction of a second, Top 1 ignored it, but it was real. Turning tables, Donovan grabbed Top 1¡¯s hit and smashed his knee into his ribs with full force. And again, Top 1 grunts of pain. But, the hitman retaliated instantly, however Donovan blocked it, stopping his attack mid-motion. Their eyes met again, and for once, Top 1¡¯s reaction gradually lost control. Donovan¡¯s fist struck clean to the iron chin. Then, Top 1 stepped back, rubbing his jaw. A small laugh escaped him.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Top 1: ¡°Pff, haha not bad, not bad. We¡¯ll meet again if fate decides.¡±


    A low rumble vibrated through the air as a skyrocket descended onto the battlefield. Soldiers moved quickly, gathering the knocked Top members. Donovan stood there on one knee, bloodied and exhausted, watching them leave. With all his efforts, he barely stood up, extending his right arm in a diagonal position where glimmering particles form a sloped cutting line which travels towards the skyrocket but slowly, indicating Donovan¡¯s exhaustion. He did nothing else other than watch the enemies leave. His family, still sheltered nearby, appeared as the ship left the battlefield. Their faces were a mix of relief and amazement. His little cocusins yelled his name in excitement, two of his aunts hurried towards him asking if he was alright. His uncles laughed, proudly. And then his mother stood before him. She didn¡¯t need to say much. Her golden eyes softened.


    Irene: (Whispering) ¡°You¡¯re growing slowly, but strong just as a Ivanel, my son.¡±


    He exhaled sharply. His body wobbled and his family quickly helped stabilize him.


    Donovan: (Asked as he rubbed his sore jaw.) ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡±


    Irene: ¡°On his way. He wants to talk to you.¡±


    Donovan: (Blinking twice) ¡°Am I failing a subject?¡±


    Irene: (Laughing & patting his back.) ¡°No, no, you¡¯re doing fine in school. Just wait, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    But then, her expression turned serious.


    Irene: ¡°How¡¯s your sister?¡±


    Her son hesitated, pulling out his phone


    Donovan: ¡°Oh- uh, I was just about to call her.¡±


    After waiting 10 seconds, no one responded.


    Donovan: ¡°A lot has happened in three days¡­ I¡¯ll tell you when the right time comes.¡±


    One of his uncles announced they were heading to the home, leaving Donovan alone with his mother. She glanced him, signaling her concern in her eyes.


    Irene: ¡°What about your j¨¦gosgalia, is everything fine with it?¡±


    Donovan: (Frown) ¡°Why are you asking me that in the first place?¡±


    The mother sighs, remembering how his son does not like to talk about his j¨¦gosgalia.


    Irene: ¡°You still don¡¯t realize what capacity you can achieve, do you?¡±


    The boy lowers his head exhaling a little.


    Donovan: (Sigh) ¡°I¡¯ve used all my thoughts.¡±


    Irene: (Eyes widened) ¡°What? Why?¡±


    When he was about to respond, a car with a simplistic style, a red coupe pulls up to the parking lot. A tall man with a defined physique stepped out, a recognizable man through his scar over is face. He carried a shopping bag in one hand, being Jakov Ivanel.


    Jakov: ¡°Hello there!¡±


    The man greeted her wife and his son enthutiastically, showing a gentle smirk.


    Jakov: ¡°Here, honey.¡±


    He handed the bag to his wife, peeking inside and gasped.


    Irene: ¡°You got my favorite chocolate and that comic book I always talked about! Thank you!¡±


    Donovan slightly groaned, looking away as his parents hugged. Then, his father turned to him, expressing his remarkable serious expression.


    Jakov: ¡°We need to talk. But first, let me put these away. Wait here.¡±


    As his father and mother walked inside, Donovan¡¯s mind raced. Fights, exhaustion, horrible scenarios, there was a lot of things going on in his head if he did not take responsibilities. And his next decision was¡­ Going back to Italy. His iconic particles began forming around him. Just as he was about to take off, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder.


    Jakov: ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Donovan: (Clenched jaw) ¡°I don¡¯t have time. They¡¯re still fighting.¡±


    Jakov: ¡°And what exactly will you do? You¡¯re exhausted. Your mother told me you used all your thoughts. You have nothing left. Only your basic cuts and your fists.¡±


    No answer, only silence. Donovan knew he was right. But despite this, he positioned himself in his leap position.


    Jakov: ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re winning a fight with what you have left?¡±


    Donovan responded through the intensity of the particles concentrating; He thought to himself that could be his only way to finish this criminal activity. The sound began to become somewhat high-pitched, Donovan was about to leave.


    Donovan: ¡°I can¡¯t just sit around while they fight..¡±


    Jakov: ¡°Of course not. But, what will happen if you collapse in the middle of a fight?¡±


    His father crouched slightly, squeezing his son¡¯s shoulder to hear him once again.


    Jakov: ¡°I know that feeling. That urgency. The fear of waiting another second until the most miserable scenarios occur. You are not invincible, If you don¡¯t rest, you¡¯ll end up dead in that fight.¡±


    Donovan asked to himself, what could go wrong despite having his own fighting style and his base usage of God¡¯s Rend? The teenager tried to convince himself he could be fine by having enhanced flexibility, but no. His father continued to be realistic.


    Jakov: ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what to do, son. But ask yourself, do you want to help them or be another body they have to carry?¡±


    A solid question. Its dazzling particles lower the intensity to the point of fading, he made up his mind. His father gets up before his son, who decided to stay at home to recharge his batties and go with at least a few thoughts available. Jakov gave a relieved smile approaching his son by passing his arm over the end of his shoulder, assimilating a side hug.


    Jakov: ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat while you tell us what happened during this days.¡±


    Eleorona, Lawrence and Aeris stood by the curb, waiting for their taxi. Car past by ocassionally like a daily day. Lawrence tapped idly on his phone, while Eleorona scrolled through messages from her singing studio. Aeris, however, stared blankly at the scenery, lost in her thoughts. Her fingers twiddle against the strap of her bag as something tugged at the back of her mind, thinking she forgot something.


    Aeris: (Furrowed brows) ¡°Wait¡­ how will Donovan be?¡±


    She asked suddenly, turning to Eleorona with concern. The woman of golden eyes looked at her, blinking out of her messages.


    Eleorona: ¡°Now that you say it¡­ He never told us what he was doing.¡±


    She sighed closing the chat and pulling up her brother¡¯s number.


    Eleorona: ¡°I¡¯m going to call him.¡±


    The phone rang once before Donovan answered immediately.


    Eleorona: ¡°Donovan! Are you ok- W-What are you doing at home?! You never told us anyting.¡±


    She raised her voice in amazement. She knew her brother well, he was probably tangled up in another fight. As for the background noise, the family was eating their lunch while chatting and laughing from their anecdotes.


    Donovan ??: ¡°Yeah, but first, say hello to Dad.¡±


    He replied with a calm but firm voice.


    Donovan??: ¡°He just got back from his conference.¡±


    Eleorona: (Widened eyes) ¡°Dad¡¯s back?¡±


    She leaned closer to the phone, as her curiosity piqued.


    Eleorona: ¡°Oh hi Dad, how was the meeting? I¡¯m here with Lawrence and Aeris waiting for a taxi.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone came through the phone as a sharp and intrigued tone.


    Jakov??: ¡°A taxi? Didn¡¯t Lawrence buy a car a few months ago?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Well, yes but we were-¡±


    Her connection was unstable, Jakov quickly tappinig on the videocall icon while Eleorona¡¯s connection tried to go back on track.


    Jakov??: ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    After some seconds, her signal went stable. She heard his father despite the delayed video.


    Eleorona: ¡°We were¡­ Uhhh¡­¡±


    On Donovan¡¯s video, it only showed some portraits of the entire Ivanel family. She felt confused, asking if anyone was there. No one answered but after some seconds, her father slides back to the video jumpscaring her daughter. Eleorona jolted back despite being 26 years old and one of the strongest members of the Ivanel family.


    Jakov??: (Laughing) ¡°Hahaha! Still so jumpy, Eleorona! I thought you left those scares in the past. Haha.¡±


    Lawrence listened, and couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle as he moved his head to his left, avoiding Eleorona¡¯s face. She rotates her head towards him, glaring.


    Elerona: ¡°What did heard?!¡±


    She hissed, ready to punch him on the guts. Ignoring that, Eleorona announces what was going on.


    Eleorona: ¡°Anyway, we went to one of Hjalmer¡¯s base which was the original one in the past but now¡­ It¡¯s just a decoy base. Turns out the real one is in the Adriatic Sea.¡±


    Jakov¡¯s expression changed, tensing his facial muscles.


    Jakov??: ¡°The Adriatic Sea. Are you telling me the real base is built under the water?¡±


    Eleorona hadn¡¯t thought of that. She turned to Aeris.


    Eleorona: ¡°Aeris, where exactly did we track them?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Svetac Island. It¡¯s isolated.¡±


    Jakov??: ¡°Svetac? That island is deserted. There must be a reason it was chosen.¡±


    Who could say, this conversation was getting more and more interesting to the point the others stopped chatting, listening the conversation through Donovan¡¯s phone calmly.


    Eleorona: ¡°Yeah¡­ Also, when you were in Italy, Donovan, didn¡¯t you find a document about¡­ agh, what was his name?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Kael Keene. The assasin of the U.S. prime minister.¡±


    A loud silence. Jakov and Irene exchanged a glance. Donovan was no longer just a teenager with a difficult past, he was uncovering something bigger than they had anticipted. Through the dvasinis nexus, the psychic connection shared between them. Jakov spoke privately to his wife.


    Jakov via DN: ¡°Honey, do you think I should interfere?¡±


    That idea¡­ Irene glanced towards the dining table, careful not to draw attention.


    Irene via DN: ¡°Things are getting complicated¡­ but I wouldn¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t do anything as for now, Donovan can match that friend of his¡­¡±


    Jakov via DN: ¡°We don¡¯t know how dangerous Hjalmer is. It has been 4 years since he left¡­ I wonder how Donovan feels about the current situation.¡±


    Irene via DN: ¡°Let¡¯s ask him when he¡¯s free. I¡¯m quite concerned.¡±


    Jakov via DN: ¡°I say the same, still, we need to be cautious. If Donovan keeps using his j¨¦gosgalia¡­¡±


    Irene: ¡°The same thing will happen as before¡­¡±


    She finished her husband¡¯s thought with a soft but serious tone. Jakov exhaled through his nose


    Jakov: ¡°I think we can leave it at this for now.¡±


    They disconnected from their nexus just as Eleorona spoke up again.


    Eleorona: ¡°Well, that¡¯s- Ah! The taxi¡¯s here. I¡¯ll call you later, Donovan! Bye!!!


    Jakov appeared on screen and waved, the others also said goodbye despite not appearing on-screen.


    Donovan: ¡°Alright. Stay safe.¡±


    The call ended and everyone went back to their own business.


    <hr>


    dvasinis nexus, the psychic connection shared between them, Jakov spoke privately to his wife. Irene, do you think I need to interfere?


    Irene glanced toward their dining table, careful not to draw attention. Things are getting complicated... but I wouldn¡¯t worry if Donovan were upfront about the fights he¡¯s had with Hjalmer. He¡¯s our son, but he can take care of himself.


    Jakov nodded slightly. Still, we need to be cautious. If Donovan keeps using his j¨¦gosgalia...


    Irene finished his thought, her voice soft but serious. The same thing will happen as before...


    Jakov exhaled through his nose. Let¡¯s leave it at this for now. We need to keep listening.


    They disconnected from their nexus just as Eleorona spoke up again. "Well, that¡¯s that. Ah! The taxi¡¯s here! I¡¯ll call you later, Donovan!"


    "Alright. Stay safe," Donovan replied before the call ended.


    Later, in the Ivanel Household.


    The living room was quiet. Donovan sat on the couch lost in his thoughts. With his peripherical view, blurry familiar figures appeared. It was his parents, who stood before him. Their expression seemed concerned, he knew this wasn¡¯t a casual talk.


    Donovan in his mind: ¡°Ah, now what? What do they want to talk about this time? About some stupid advice of who knows what.¡±


    His father sat across for him with a direct tone.


    Jakov: ¡°How strong is Hjalmer?¡±


    Donovan blinked repeatedly as his response.


    Jakov: ¡°How strong is he?¡±


    Donovan: (Frowning) ¡°Why are you asking me that in the first place?


    Neither of his parents answered right away. The silence pressured him. He exhaled and leaned back, slowly crossing his arms.


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Difficult to determine how strong he is as for now. Last time I fought he showed me things I¡¯ve never seen from him before. Like¡­


    He goes blank again, trying to find an appropiate word to describe his former friend.


    Donovan: ¡°Sigh, I can¡¯t get the word.¡±


    Jakov: ¡°It¡¯s okay, how about this. If you fought him again, could you win?¡±


    Donovan: (Pauses, considering his quiet confidence.) ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel like I¡¯m¡­ Changing in some way. I don¡¯t know what way but I am changing. Honestly, I¡¯ve never got this feeling before.¡±


    Irene¡¯s lips part slightly, as if about to say something, but she decides to not talk. her fingers tigthen around the hem of her sleeve.


    Donovan: (Noticing her hesitation) ¡°Mom?¡±


    Irene: (Forcing a small smile.) ¡°It¡¯s better if I explain it another time.¡±


    Donovan: (Widening his eyes) ¡°Hm? Why not now?¡±


    Irene: (Steps back, still smilling) ¡°You will understand it soon, explaining it right now will just be nonsense.¡±


    Jakov and Irene get up almost at the same time, ending their brief talk with his son, who was slowly figuring it the truth about the J¨¦gosgalia.


    Jakov: ¡°We¡¯re going shopping. And don¡¯t stay up late.¡±


    He announced firmly, turning his head to Donovan as soon as he was about to leave the living room.


    The teenager closed his eyes, deeply exhaling. He stretched himself for some relaxation and once again, he went blank in his thought looking at the ceiling. But then, his phone buzzed. It was Eleorona.


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°We¡¯re leaving for Svetac in a few minutes.¡±


    He quickly positioned himself sit, slightly leaned forward amazed.


    Donovan: ¡°What? Already? Are you still at home?¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Yup! But the trip takes around eleven hours. Might as well get it over with.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°But¡­ Aren¡¯t you guys arriving at 2 a.m. or something?¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°Around 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Oh and quick question.¡±


    Her brother hummed, ready to answer.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Is Hjalmer a heavy sleeper? Look¡ª I¡¯m just asking because we want to infiltrate at those hours.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah he is, but I don¡¯ know if he still is. Just give it a shot.¡±


    Eleorona??: (Firm tone) ¡°Okay then, cya-¡±


    Before hanging, Donovan tells her to wait.


    Donovan: ¡°How is¡­ Ummm¡­¡±


    He went silent, embarassed of asking such question which he rarely does.


    Donovan: (Slightly stuttering.) ¡°How is¡­ A-Aeris doing?¡±


    His sister did not opened her mouth. She hold her laugh through the call. Donovan did not say anything, because it only displayed audio. His concern increased.


    Donovan: ¡°Is she okay or¡­?¡±


    He decided to not talk anymore as he let Eleorona say something, but out of nowhere, she burst into a laugh, surprised by how concerned he sounded like. Donovan¡¯s expression changes into dissapointment, regretting his choice.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Pffft, hahaha! Well, well, look who is falling in love, haha.¡±


    Donovan: (Quick sigh.) ¡°What? Now I can¡¯t be worried about a friend?¡±


    Eleorona??: (Slowly fading her laugh.) ¡°Hahaha, she¡¯s fineee, Dov.¡±


    No response. Once again, a moment of silence enough to make Eleorona do the real talk.


    Eleorona??: (Switching a smile to a concerned gaze.) ¡°Or that¡¯s what I believe¡­ I¡¯m trying to cheer her up but she¡¯s so quiet. This thing is getting her stressed.¡±


    Donovan: (Soft & concerned tone.) ¡°We shoud¡­ I don¡¯t know, spend more time with her and play basketball?¡±


    Eleorona??: (Exhaling through her nose.) ¡°I hope we can end this¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah¡­ Well, good luck on your way there, I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°A nap? That¡¯s odd. You don¡¯t do that often.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°It¡¯s-¡±


    Eleorona??: (Quickly replying.) ¡°It¡¯s your j¨¦gosgalia, right?¡±


    Donovan exhales, answering with a hum while nodding.


    Eleorona??: ¡°Hmph. Remember a nap takes about twenty to thirty minutes.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Yeah, take care.¡±


    Eleorona??: ¡°You too.¡±


    The siblings hang up. Donovan took a nap as he promised, while Eleorona falls in complete silent, glaring at an icey collar, glimmering as it caught her attention, standing up from her bed and walking towards it to grab it. She goes to her mirror, putting it slowly on. All ready to begin their risky journey.


    Since Lawrence knew Italy¡¯s security has gotten a bit worse, he decides to travel first by taxi, then a train. Leaving from Monte Sacro to Port of Ancona estimating to be 3-4 hours.


    <h2>April 19th, 6:17 P.M.</h2>


    The trio stood at the port, carrying bags over their shoulders. The sound of the waves warned them¡­ Silence filled between them. Eleorona adjusted her scarf against the breeze, while Lawrence checked their tickets and Aeris, remained still gazing at the horizon.


    Their journey to Svetac had begun.


    <hr>


    Chapter 6 ends.

 Chapter 7: Sight Part 2

    Continuing chapter 6...


    <hr>


    <h2>Ancona Port, 7:37 P.M.</h2>


    The atmosphere was calm despite the heavy waves crashing against the docks. Eleorona yawned, stretching slightly after arriving with no delays.


    Eleorona: (Rubbing her eyes) ¡°When does the ferry get here thought?¡±


    Lawrence: (Glancing his phone) ¡°In about thirty minutes. We¡¯ve got some time to kill.¡±


    The three found a warm bench near the boarding area and sat down, discussing casual topics to pass the time. Midway their conversation, Eleorona¡¯s phone rang. It was Donovan¡¯s name on the screen displaying, answering immediately.


    Eleorona: ¡°Hey, how are you?¡±


    The silence followed by, waiting for a response. Donovan hesitated unsure of what to say, feeling relief yet a strange unexplainable unease going around in his mind. Instead of answering her question, he changed the subject.


    Donovan ??: ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    Eleorona leaned back, exhaling through her nose to began her explanation in detail.


    Eleorona: ¡°In about thirty minutes the ferry will arrive, which will take us to Split on a journey of 8 to 9 hours. So we would be arriving at... 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.? Well, we''ll wait for the next boat to take us to Vis Island."


    Eleorona is enthusiastic about just saying Vis Island, feeling happy to see the sky, expressing the appreciation she has for the place. She lingers in his thoughts for a few seconds and Donovan interrupts her. "Agh, what?!" Eleorona answers in a plaintive way, and sees how Lawrence and Aeris stare at her, moving their heads slightly to the side that her phone was pointing.


    Eleorona: "Oh yes excuse me. Well, when we get to Vis Island, we''ll get another boat to take us to Svetac.¡±


    Donovan??: "Okay... And then?"


    Eleorona: "We''ll get to the base, Lawrence will get information and that''s it, we''ll go!"


    Donovan??: "Leave? Is it that easy?¡±


    Eleorona: "Well, I know, we''ll fight but that''s not the most important thing."


    Donovan??: "If you say so... Then can I come?"


    The boy was excited to wait for a yes. Lawrence and Eleorona exhaled through their noses simultaneously. Knowing the weight of his words. Donovan had done more than enough, he needed to rest. Aeris, who had been listening, extended her hand toward Eleorona, wordlessly asking for her phone. Eleorona handed it over, curious about what she would say.


    Aeris: (Concerned & Firm tone) ¡°You can help us if you stay resting, Please.¡±


    Donovan??: ¡°I will.¡±


    Eleorona and Lawrence exchanged a glance before looking at Aeris, who had an unreadable expression. In a lighthearted moment, they both distanced themselves from her, chuckling together. They whispered and Aeris raised an eyebrow curious of what they were talking about


    Aeris: ¡°What?¡±


    Eleorona: (Playfully expressing) ¡°No, nothing. It¡¯s just, you and Donovan re starting to trust each other more. Could be something else too.¡±


    Lawrence and Eleorona glanced at each other and laughed while Aeris slightly blushes but brushes it off.


    Aeris: ¡°Shut up.¡±


    As a way to cut off the embarassment, Donovan did an effort to keep the conversation going.


    Donovan??: ¡°So, how are you doing?¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl stutters trying to form a word and the others continued to chuckle loudly. Aeris keeps her cool because she could not talk to Donovan during all this time.


    Aeris: ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, just going to kiss Hjalmer¡¯s ass! Haha¡­¡±


    She fakes her laugh to have a ¡®happy mood¡¯.


    Donovan??: ¡°Aim for the nuts and you¡¯ll gain some points.¡±


    Aeris laughs softly, taking his advice for the possible upcoming battle. But then, an enormous ship arrives, taunting a loud but deep honk indicating departure.


    Aeris: ¡°Oh! We have to go now, take care Donovan.¡±


    Donovan??: ¡°You too, Aeris.¡±


    She gave the phone to Eleorona, quickly getting her bag and entering to the ferry. Same goes for Lawrence and Eleorona, who entered there as soon as possible.


    Now seated inside the ferry, they settled in, letting the quiet hum of engine be the background noise. Aeris paused her phone¡¯s videogame to look at the others


    Aeris: ¡°We need to go over the plan again. How exactly are we getting into the base?¡±


    Lawrence cleared his throat to began his explanation.


    Lawrence: ¡°Same format as the decoy base plan. We knock down guards, take their appearance, get into the operation room and extract crucial data and leave.¡±


    Eleorona: (Raising an eyebrow) ¡°Are you sure? Same format, same outcome.¡±


    Lawrence: (Sigh) ¡°Well, what else should we do? Come on, tell me.¡±


    The italian frowns at her, pressuring with words. She covers her blank answers with ¡°uhhh¡± ¡°ummm¡± unsure what to say.


    Eleorona: ¡°Maybe defend you while you¡¯re hacking¡­?¡±


    He stares at her emotionless, silent. Eventually agreeing after thinking about it twice. After a brief argument about possible events, Aeris interrupted them.


    Aeris: ¡°Well, that¡¯s it, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    Of course, the mission required stamina, and rest was essential. They went to sleep with no worries¡­


    <h2>Port of Split, 5:41 A.M.</h2>


    Lawrence¡¯s alarm rang, instantly waking up. He looked at his companions. Eleorona slept peacefully while Aeris moved slightly, appearing restless. Hjalmer still haunted her mind.


    He gently shook their shoulders, waking them both.


    Lawrence: ¡°Good morning, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Eleorona: (Stretching lazily) ¡°Ugh, I need five more hours¡±


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Five more hours? 8 hours of sleep is enough.¡±


    On the other hand, Aeris muttered something similar, but they both got up, rubbing their eyes, yawning and shouldering their bags. They decided to grab breakfast at Nolan¡¯s House, a new small restaurant near the port. While eating, the conversation took a serious turn. It was expected, after all, they¡¯re on their way to a mafioso¡¯s base.


    Lawrence: (Curiously asking) ¡°What if Hjalmer is at the base?¡±


    Aeris: (Tightening her grip on her fork) ¡°You got two options. Attack or die.¡±


    Eleorona: (Blinking) ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    Aeris: (Exhaling) ¡°You take your attention off him for a second, and you¡¯re already in danger. No, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    No eye contact, she just stared at her plate after expressing.


    Aeris: ¡°Hjalmer was the one who taught me how to fight. My father only taught me self-defense. It helped me¡­ throughout this years.¡±


    The conversation continued in depth before they finished eating and rested for a few minutes. At 6:08 a.m., the port began to fill with boats, ferries, cruise ships, yachts and tugboats. Some were newly updated, wile others looked worn from the 2020s. After reviewing their plan once more and creating alternative strategies, Eleorona went to purchase three tickets. Their next departure was at 7 a.m., with an estimated arrival at Vis Island at 8 a.m.


    Stepping off the high-speed catamaran, the trio took a deep breath. One final trip remained before reaching their last destination. They required a speedboat. Approaching a driver, they greeted him. A fit caucasian man wearing waterproof hat, a life jacket with short breathable pants.


    Speedboat driver, Clay: ¡°Oh hello, my name is Clay, what¡¯s your destiny?¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Can you take us to Svetac Island?


    Clay: (Furrowed his brows) ¡°Me? Take you there? Not a chance.¡±


    The trio exchanged glances before Lawrence attempted to reason with him, explaining that they were on an urgent mission.


    Lawrence: ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain but¡­ We¡¯re on an urgent mission related to that person, I promise we are just going there, that¡¯s all we need, you can forget about us after that.¡±


    Not convincing enough. Aeris took her turn.


    Aeris: ¡°Looks like you know what¡¯s up with that island, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Clay: ¡°No? I¡¯ve heard rumours about the person, being some kind of psycho who wants the island all by himself. He says he doesn¡¯t want any visitors.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°That psycho is a mafioso. There¡¯s a reason why he wants the island. He¡¯s planning something destructive so please, take us there.¡±


    Clay looks at the girl, her serious blue eyes could tell her sincerity. She was not joking. The driver remained silent without changing his opinion, this only made Clay arrogant, bragging about his boat¡¯s importance


    Then, Eleorona stepped in.


    Eleorona: (With a kind & sweet tone.) ¡°We are boosters sent to deal with this mafia figure my comrade is talking about. So please, can you take us there, please?¡±


    This only made Clay arrogant, bragging about his boat¡¯s importance. Eleorona smirked, getting close grabbing his sweater.


    Eleorona: (Whispering in a dangerous tone.) ¡°Oh? Is that so? How about I humiliate you in front of everyone? Just you with your pants down begging for mercy while everyone records you and upload it on social media, what do you say?¡±


    Her golden eyes glowed, showing him her fingertips infused with crackling sparks. With the mention of ¡®Boosters¡¯ and the threat, he was now forced to obey them.


    Eleorona grinned joyfully thanking the driver. Lawrence and Aeris watched, stunned.


    Arriving at Svetac Island¡¯s coast, Clay watched them step off.


    Clay: ¡°You need a ride back?¡±


    Eleorona: (Nodding vertically.) ¡°Stay in Brusnik Square. We¡¯ll contact you later.¡±


    <h2>Svetac Island, 9:19 A.M.</h2>


    Clay & the Trio waved, parting their ways. The trio began exploring the island. After some time, they discovered the base. Hjalmer¡¯s base is no simple hideout. It¡¯s an enormous black fortress, painted in pitch black on the outsides, standing out as a mysterious and curious structure. A portion of the island was destroyed to carve out enough space for the extended facility, the depth extended further than its surface, allowing more exploration than just the simple operation control rooms. On the entrance they peek through a dry. Doing the same format, they knocked down guards when they turned on their back to check up some reports from a hitman. Lawrence activated his j¨¦gosgalia, disguising the three of them as guards. Since no one was on the hallways, they could freely shift between the rooms, searching for the technical room. The luck kicked in, one of the rooms was nearby the entrance. Lawrence glanced at a room different from the others; This one had holographic screens displaying.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Lawrence: ¡°That might be the one we¡¯re looking for!¡±


    Quickly moving there, they locked the door and Lawrence began his attempt. He used his usb to crack the password. Doing so, he searched in the file folders any kind of data related to Hjalmer¡¯s plans & his connection with the mysterious being ¡°The One¡±. Lawrence¡¯s demeanor changed, investing all his focus on being efficient and quick to get out as soon as possible but¡­


    They skipped one step. A crucial step. Disable the cameras inside the room.


    The alarm blared. Reinforcements came crashing in.


    Aeris grits her teeth, calling out Lawrence¡¯s name.


    Aeris: ¡°Lawrence, Lawrence! Deactivate your j¨¦gosgalia. We have to fight!¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Only you two, I¡¯ll keep searching for more files.¡±


    As Aeris and Eleorona fought, the Italian kept doing his assigned role. Minutes pass by, the girls panted lightly, a mess of knocked bodies on the room was done.


    Eleorona: ¡°Lawrence, we have to dig deeper.¡±


    Lawrence: ¡°Hold on¡­¡±


    97%¡­ 98%¡­ The USB scanned the files rapidly. 99%¡­ 100%.


    Lawrence slowly took the USB off the USB port, putting it inside his pants¡¯ to finally leave. However¡­ Aeris suddenly froze. A familiar presence she felt, someone she knew since she worked for Hjalmer. She gasped, her eyes darted. She slowly walked to the destroyed door, shifting her head to her left peeking the presence. Lawrence and Eleorona did the same thing, they had to stay together no matter what¡­


    Aeris: (Mutter) ¡°CX.¡±


    A sinister chuckle echoed in the hallway.


    CX: ¡°Oh my, oh my. Look who¡¯s here. Do you want breakfast? I made your favorite. In fact, I was waiting for my special person to arrive.¡±


    The caucasian man, wearing a purple overcoat glanced at two new faces. His happy expression vanished away, closing his fists tightly.


    CX: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you betrayed Delta. Looks like¡­¡±


    As he pronounced every ounce of word, he slowly grabbed his guns. One, by one.


    CX: ¡°Looks like the boss was right. You was going to betray us anytime.¡±


    The hitman reloaded his guns aggressively, ready to blow heads.


    Aeris: (Clenching her fists) ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Her bluish eyes glimmer heavily. Aeris¡¯ flame was slowly taking it¡¯s color, her resolve; Ready to be formed. CX grinned, interested. Eleorona activated her j¨¦gosgalia and moved deeper into the base with Lawrence shielding him just in case. While they ran, a white slash tore through her ice defense.


    A second opponent appeared.


    Nate, Top 6 strongest hitman.


    Eleorona stared effortlessly at him, exchanging a grin on their faces. ¡®Fight¡¯ their eyes said. Lawrence looked at her, nodding vertically. Lawrence ran deeper, reaching another operation control room where the rest of files are. Extracting files, everything was normal for him despite all those background noises were Aeris and Eleorona fighting those hitmen; Grunting, clashing, destroying.


    But then¡­ He felt a chill. A shadow stood behind him.


    Yet, another obstacle, Vlad.


    Three fights. Three enemies.


    The battle for a new beginning had begun.


    Aeris moved swiftly, her boots skidding across the metal floor as she observes her opponent. CX stood in front of her, a relaxed stance yet calculated, his fingers twitched making contact with the gun¡¯s trigger. She knew what that meant. His j¨¦gosgalia activated.


    CX: ¡°Betraying Delta, for what? Some naive sense of justice? You were one of our best, Aeris.¡±


    Aeris: (Exhaling sharply) ¡°I was never one of you. You just controlled me, forced me to do your dirty work for months. I¡¯m taking back my life. My freedom.¡±


    CX: (Tilting his head & chuckling.) ¡°Hah, your life? You mean the one I made you give up when I ordered you to erase those students? Or are you trying to erase your guilt now?¡±


    Those words carried weight which pressed on her. She didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she lunged forward, performing an astonishing back kick toward CX¡¯s head. He sidestepped smoothly, the kick¡¯s impact created a blast of wind, slightly shaking the metal roof. But, she was already following up with a rear jab and a spinning elbow strike, forcing him on the defensive. Yet, CX dodged, moving fluidly. Suddenly he stopped, locking his eyes onto hers. A strange sensation crawled into her stomach. Aeris gritted her teeth, her muscles stiffened and her vision went slightly blur. Her own limbs resisted her commands. Recognizing that feeling. She had been under this control before. It was how she unwillingly obeyed his orders in the past. CX activated his mind-control, thinking Aeris would lose the fight quickly. But¡­ She growled. With a vast surge of power, she channeled her j¨¦gosgalia into the metal floor beneath her, sending a shockwave that disrupted the magnetic field around her, eventually breaking his mind control. Her knees buckled, but she her will kept her strong, forcing to stand up.


    CX: (Clicking his tongue in frustration) ¡°Tch. This is absurd. You could¡¯ve done this before.


    Aeris wasted no time. sliding her hands through her thigh pocket reaching her thin metal needles. The needles floated to her sides as she thrusted her hands forward, aiming for CX¡¯s torso. He twisted away, but the needles redirected midair with a flick of her fingers, using magnetism to send them curving toward his back.


    A louud gunshot echoed through the never-ending hallway.


    Lawrence and Eleorona freezed for a moment, thinking Aeris got shoot. Despite thinking this, they continued on their current task.


    CX had drawn his pistol in an instant, firing the incoming needles, deflecing some, while others grazed his shoulder. Aeris dashed in, performing a hook to his jaw. The impact sent him stumbling, but it didn¡¯t knocked him. He quickly recovered, aiming his gun to her head.


    CX: (Sneering, wiping blood from his lip.) ¡°You really think you can win this fight, don¡¯t you? Your j¨¦gosgalia is a piece of junk.¡±


    Aeris smirked, flicking her wrist making the gun tremble in his hand. Before he could react, the weapon flew from his grip, thanks to her magnetism.


    Aeris: ¡°Of course I think that, punkass.¡±


    The gun landed in her palm, crushing it with a metallic crunch.


    Aeris: ¡°Try fighting without your cheap guns.¡±


    CX¡¯s expression darkened, that cocky smile faded. his j¨¦gosgalia quickly shifted. The ambient turned windy as he switched to his second mode, able to counter her abilities. CX¡¯s second mode supressed Steelheart fury by interfering with bioelectricity.


    CX: ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve got. Without that j¨¦gosgalia of yours.¡±


    Aeris barely managed to block his first strike, his movements changed. Just like the difference between an amateur and a professional level; Sharper and unpredictable. CX uses her brief moment of vulnerability against her. Feeling the pain spread through her forearm as he struck, then another hit to her ribs. In exchange, she broke his momentum in a judo-like move. Outthinking him was her idea. If she couldn¡¯t rely on Steelheart Fury, she¡¯d use everything else she had. CX moved again, but this time, she feinted, letting him commit to his strike. As he swung, she sidestepped and countered with a spinning elbow to his sternum, a large bone found in the chest. CX gasped so Aeris took that timing for a sweeping leg kick, knocking him off balance. He hit the metal ground hard, coughing loudly. The hitman scowled, trying to push himself up, but Aeris raised her hand. The moment he had lost focus, his j¨¦gosgalia deactivated. Then, Aeris felt Steelheart Fury¡¯s magnetism come back. A metallic platform, curved upwards floated, taking it¡¯s time to mold into thick needles


    Aeris: ¡°Surrender.¡±


    CX¡¯s jaw tightened, knowing he lost this round.


    CX: (Low chuckle) ¡°This won¡¯t change anything. You¡¯re still a traitor to Delta. Don¡¯t think the boss will let you walk away like nothing happened.¡±


    Aeris: (Narrowed eyes) ¡°Then he can come and try.¡±


    With one final glance, she turned away, leaving CX with the needles to stab his clothes. She had won. But deep down, she knew the real fight was still ahead.


    Blue crackling sparks reacted to the metal floor. Eleorona locked eyes with Nate, knowing he was trouble. The hitman carried himself with the ease of a predator that had never been outsmart as for now. Apart from the other hitmen, Nate was the only person who used dual katanas. These katanas, were not ordinary; Forged with an essential mineral, able to concentrate huge amounts of linked energy. Nate expressed a smug grin with a relaxed stance, yet coiled like a spring


    Nate: ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Eleorona Ivanel? Donovan¡¯s little sister?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Correction. I¡¯m her older sister.¡±


    Nate: (Playful tone) ¡°Oh, I see. How old are you?¡±


    The hitman expressed a light chuckle, knowing he risked himself, but not caring at all about her response. She got a little annoyed, clenching her fist but forgetting that unnecessary comment.


    Nate: (As he traces his fingers on his blade.) ¡°I was really hoping to fight him instead, but hey, I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Taking what you can get? How about I tell you that my little brother knocked down those 4 hitmen and left the strongest to retire.¡±


    Nate smirked, but soon realized what she meant, switching to an astonished expression.


    Eleorona: ¡°That¡¯s right, there¡¯s a big chance you wouldn¡¯t won.¡±


    Nate: ¡°Winning¡­ Meh, I don¡¯t care. I just want some fun.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°And that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting.¡±


    Before he could blink, Eleorona thrusted herself forward, infusing her fist with a chop hand infused with Ice and lighting. Then throwing a rear elbow strike to his jaw, but Nate dodged by tiwsting his body at the last second as he brough one of his katanas upward in a counter-slice.


    CLANG!


    A solid clash. Eleorona reinforced her forearm with a layer of hardened ice, blocking the katana just in time. Counterattacking with a low sweeping kick, forcing Nate to leap back to avoid it. But she was faster. Eleorona twisted mid-air, performing a roundhouse kick infused with lighting, aiming straight to his ribs. Nate managed to cross his blades in front of him to absorb the impact, but the electricity surged through the metal, jolting his arms. He hissed shaking off the stinging pain.


    Nate: ¡°Okay, okay. You hit hard.¡±


    He admitted, stretching his necks. Nate slowly inhale and exhaled ready to begin his offensive stance. Nate vanished and Eleorona¡¯s instincts kicked in. She ducked as a katana sliced through the air where her head had been. Probably, Nate was faster than Eleorona, nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t hold herself back. She spun on her heel, covering her fists with ice spikes, punching forward. Nate dodged, but just barely. One of the spikes grazed his shoulder, letting out a bleeding cut.


    Nate: (Grin) ¡°Nice one! You actually got me!¡±


    But. Eleorona felt a sudden pressure against her ice, which began to crack.


    Eleorona: ¡°What in the.¡±


    Nate lunged, cutting through her defenses and forcing her to retreat as he pressed forward. His j¨¦gosgalia was disrupting her elemental control, making her ice more brittle than usual.


    Eleorona: ¡°Ugh, now what? Your j¨¦gosgalia can mess with a elemental infusion?¡±


    Nate: (Twilting his head) ¡°Kinda.¡±


    Eleorona¡¯s patience could easily be broken, just like throwing glass. She threw herself at him, unleashing a relentless barrage of elbows, knees and fists infused with bursts of lighting. Nate kept reaching Eleorona¡¯s speed, but she was constant. And for every counter he tried, she adapted, pushing him further back. Comitting a feint, she threw a definitive spinning back-kick, launching a burst of Ice-infused lighting straight to his chest, sending him flying across the room. He hit the wall with a grunt, dropping to one knee.


    Eleorona: (Exhaled sharply & cracking her knuckles) ¡°Hmph. Where¡¯s that smile?¡±


    Nate: (Wiping blood from his mouth, chuckling) ¡°Damn¡­ You¡¯re stronger than I expected. This just got fun.¡±


    His grip tightened on his katanas, standing up with them.


    Eleorona: ¡°Hm, I¡¯m taking a like to you.¡±


    Then, Lawrence, who kept running deeper in the hallway finally finding the operation room as indicated by a file he found. ¡°Sala di Controllo-104.¡± he muttered in Italian, refreshing his memory. After a minute, he found the control room 104 which somehow did not have a door. Seeming strange but Lawrence couldn¡¯t care less. His priority was to collect crucial information. He began injecting his program, bypassing passwords and admin access, being enough. Lawrence first checked cameras; seeing the knocked guards still unconscious, Aeris finished CX and Eleorona still fighting Nate.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Tch, What am I gonna do with this information later on? Sigh, I¡¯ll talk about it later with the others.¡±


    The italian directly went to the files section, revising the data he is looking for. He skimmed through documents, opening & closing document one by one. While doing so, a chill pass through his entire body.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°What¡¯s this feeling? This feels a little bit odd.¡±


    Despite the sensation, Lawrence downloaded important files peacefully. That oddness came into reality as soon as he checked Control Room 104¡¯s camera. A shadowy figure stood there, behind him. No, not just a shadowy figure, but a tall one. A mountain of muscle. He spoke in a neutral tone.


    Vlad: ¡°My name is Vlad, nice to meet you.¡±


    That was all. No threats, no insults or cocky comments. Just that uncanny sentence before he launched forward, his fist swinging like a wrecking ball. Lawrence barely dodged. The air whistled past his face, as Vlad¡¯s punch cracked the ground where Lawrence stood a second ago.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Shit, he¡¯s fast for his size!¡±


    Lawrence countered, shifting into a stance he masked for a long time. The Wing Chun. Lawrence strikes at Vlad¡¯s rib with rapid controlled blows. But¡­


    His fists barely made an impact. Vlad gave a gentle smile, hiding his raw and fearful strength. He grabbed Lawrence¡¯s wrist mid-strike, dragging him forward and slamming a knee straight to his stomach.


    Lawrence choked on air, staggering back as the pain bloomed in his ribs. His vision blurred for a second.


    Vlad: (Tilting his head) ¡°Weak.¡±


    Wiping blood from his lips, adrenaline kept him alive, alert.


    Lawrence: ¡°I can¡¯t owerpower him. But, maybe I can outthink him.¡±


    He activated his j¨¦gosgalia, shifting his appearance to match Vlad¡¯s physique. Equalizing. His body bulked up, mirroring Vlad¡¯s form.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Okay this body is¡­ Not suitable for Wing Chun. I¡¯ll try to experiment with this body while fighting this guy.¡±


    Vlad¡¯s eye narrowed. Lawrence rushed this time, matching Vlad¡¯s raw power with his own, clashing their blows with an earth-shaking force. The fight became a brutal exchange of punches, elbows and counterattacks. Neither gaining the upper hand. It looked like one was gaining advantage and the other was losing, but they still paired power.


    Then, something ocurred. Lawrence felt a disorder, his j¨¦gosgalia supressed. Making his transformation unstable. Vlad took his opportunity throwing a devastating uppercut, sending Lawrence flyingbackwards and crashing into the sides of the computer he was hacking. Lawrence coughed, his j¨¦gosgalia deactivates. His form shrank back to normal. Complaining about the body¡¯s pain with grunts. He turned his head to his left, seeing how the files progressed. 48%¡­ The bar felt more like a timer. An unpredictable timer.


    Vlad: ¡°You copy. But you don¡¯t keep your form.¡±


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Somehow, his j¨¦gosgalia counteracts mine. It¡¯s forcing my transformation to break apart. Well, it¡¯s time to cope.¡±


    Lawrence: (Gritted teeth) ¡°Fine. No copying then.¡±


    He pushed himself up slowly, brushing the dust off his shoulders & pants adopting is Wing Chun stance once more. If brute strength wouldn¡¯t work, then precision would.


    Vlad charged.


    Lawrence moved soothly, flowing around Vlad¡¯s attack, countering with rapid pinpoint strikes to joints and nerves. Overpowering Vlad is an absurd idea, breaking him down was his best option according to Lawrence¡¯s style.


    Vlad swung again, but Lawrence dodged, delivering palm strikes to his throat. The hitman stumbled for the first time.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°I was wrong about this martial art. It comes beneficial with the suitable opponent. For a normal person this would seem stupid. A Human¡¯s strength can be considered in many ways but¡­ Just like any other booster, the more we train, the more we evolve, not just in skill, but in understanding ourselves. Strength isn¡¯t give. It¡¯s revealed, one moment at a time. ¡±


    Vlad¡¯s eyes gleamed, he felt amusement. Exhaling and rolling his shoulders, he picked more interest in the Italian. Lawrence quickly turned to his back, checking the percentage. 68%¡­


    He then locked eyes with Vlad, knowing the fight was far from over.


    Lawrence: ¡°Hey Vlad, I guess you will have more fun.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 7 ends.

 Chapter 8: A new journey begins

    Continuing chapter 7...


    <hr>


    After a demanding battle, Aeris walked off from CX¡¯s body, absorbed by mixed thoughts. Her thoughts arose in a disorderly manner, Childhood, traumas and eventually, her abnormal encounters with Hjalmer. Despite she suffered throughout her years, her memory kept giving her positive memories though she was slowly reaching the truth.


    Aeris: (Worried) ¡°I wonder, how¡¯s Eleorona doing¡­?¡±


    Nate wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, his eyes glimmered intensely.


    Nate: ¡°Hm, looks like you¡¯re still holding back.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, feeling her j¨¦gosgalia shifting, her infused strikes seemed slower; Eleorona slowly approached her limit, but she wasn¡¯t done. Not yet.


    The hitman vanished again.


    Eleorona braced herself, mainly focusing on the switch in the air. She felt it. Her lighting crackles appeared faintly from her back. Nate was going to that direction.


    She pivoted just as a katana slashed from her back. Her armoured ice bracer caught the blade, making the sparkles strongly react to the sword.


    Nate: (Muttering) ¡°Nice read.¡±


    Then, he brought his second katana down in a lethal curve. Eleorona dodged low, but Nate expected it. His knee shot up, throwing a strike with a muay thai style to her face. She reacted instinctively. A pulse of ice-lighting surged through her arms as she caught his knee mid-air, freezing it in place.


    Nate: ¡°What-¡±


    His chances were over. With an explosive burst of force, Eleorona swung him over her shoulder, slamming him spine-first into the metallic floor. Powerful enough to send a shockwave rippling through the room. Lawrence, Aeris & Vlad turned their heads from the coming sound for a brief moment, then continuing with it had to be done. Before Nate could recover, Eleorona had enough time to raise a lighting fist being directly connected to the chest. A pained escape from Nate¡¯s mouth, as his body seized from the jolt, his vision momentarily blurred. Even Eleorona heard the crack clearly, surprised bby her own strength. Nate¡¯s katana slipped from his grip.


    Eleorona panted, stepping back as the electricity vanished from her fingertips.


    Eleorona: (Cold, warning voice.) ¡°Stay down.¡±


    Nate: (Groan and chuckling) ¡°Damn¡­ You are¡­ You¡¯re a piece. A piece of work.¡±


    The hitman tried to keep his eyes alive, however the pain exceeded his body¡¯s limit, collapsing in the moment.


    Eleorona exhaled sharply as she leaves victorious. But all that fight costed her a huge quantity of stamina. She heads towards a wall to lean toward it and slowly drop her weight in relief. While panting she thinks of Lawrence.


    Eleorona in her mind: ¡°Lawrence¡­ I hope you are doing okay.¡±


    Then, last but not least, Lawrence Peacefury.


    Vald charged like a bullet train, making all his weight make the air feel thick. Lawrence saw it, the momentary shift in Vlad¡¯s stance, slight-over commitment to his right side.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Here it is! An opening!¡±


    Vlad swung a haymaker aiming for Lawrence¡¯s skull, and yet again, he ducked it. Lawrence pivoted on his foot, countering with a brutal liver punch. A crack was heard. It was vlad¡¯s ribs. The not-so-talkative hitman grunted, however he wasn¡¯t done. His massive hand catches Lawrence by the throat.


    Lawrence in his mind: ¡°Oh shit-¡±


    The hitman lifted him off the ground, squeezing as hard as he could. Lawrence choked, making his legs kick as oxygen left his lungs.


    Vlad: ¡°Not enough.¡±


    Lawrence gritted his teeth, eventually having a blurry vision but¡­


    He could not accept this humiliating moment, as he considers. His fingers stroke at specific arm nerve points, then Vlad¡¯s grip faltered letting him go.


    Lawrence performed a quick roundhouse kick into Vlad¡¯s jaw, feeling like slamming wood unequipped. The Italian landed on his shaky feet, gasping for air as he coughed. He shifted back into his Wing Chun stance. Once again, his best weapon resides on precision. Vlad growled, recovering fast as he tried to charge another attack¡­


    Then, Lawrence rushed in.


    Weighted punch to the throat, sharp elbow to the solar plexus, low sweep kick for Vlad¡¯s balance and then, Lawrence lunged forward, connecting a strike to the side of his neck hitting a nerve. Vlad moves to his back, his legs unbalanced. And just to make sure he¡¯s completely nocked, Lawrence sprinted to perform an axe kick into a ruthless left uppercut. The hitman¡¯s eyes rolled back as his massive body collapsed, being finally knocked down.


    100%¡­ A manly robotic voice¡¯s echoed, files finally downloaded and ready to be investigated. Lawrence gasped in relief, going to the screen and disconnecting the USB. Since his fight was over, he exhaled and let himself fall into the ground looking at the ceiling.


    <h2>Delta Base, Svetac Island. 9:51 A.M.</h2>


    Aeris jogged down the gloomy hallway, breathing controllably but heavily. Bruises all over her arms with a dull pain, not bothered on complaining but prioritizing to regroup with the others two. She felt the vibrations of Eleorona and Lawrence¡¯s fight from afar, and now that she was close, she glanced her. Eleorona, who leaned against the cold metal wall, arms crossed over her ribs. A thin streak of blood slowly ran from her head, disappearing into the black stands of her hair. Eleorona¡¯s breath followed a slow tempo suggesting her calmness. Lawrence was also nearby, wiping a trail of blood from his nose with his wrist, letting his other hand rest on his knee as he caught his breath. His dark green coat was torn, in multiple zones, even ripped apart. This revealed bruises slowly forming.


    Aeris: (Weak smirk) ¡°Hah, looks like you two had some fun.¡±


    Lawrence: (Shrugging) ¡°If fun means getting thrown around by a brute, then sure. Loads of fun.¡±


    Eleorona: (Scoffed as she leans against the wall) ¡°Tch. That guy wouldn¡¯t shut up. I thought he could get inside my head and provoke me but¡­ I¡¯m not the patient type, so I finished him. Too bad for that hitman.¡±


    Aeris: (Raised eyebrow) ¡°So like¡­ He¡¯s dead?¡±


    The glacial voltage user scanned the metallic floor covered in ice a few meters away, where Nate lay motionless near a room. Nate¡¯s dual katanas were implanted next to him, frozen.


    Eleorona: ¡°Let¡¯s just say he¡¯s gonna need some time before he wakes up. Only if he does.¡±


    Lawrence: (Stretching arms) ¡°Vlad wasn¡¯t much of a talker. He threw me around like crazy if I was some jelly-like toy. Somehow, I still took him down and I wouldn¡¯t wanna go for another round.¡±


    Aeris: (Sigh, glancing back down the hallway. ¡°Well, we need to move. I don¡¯t think we took these guys out¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off. A sound echoed through the corridor¡­ It seemed intriguing. A slow rhythm coming from some shoes clicks. The sound of something heavy being pulled across the metallic floor sent a shiver through the hallway. Then, someone spoke smoothly, measured and infested with amusement.


    ???: ¡°I must say¡­ I expected a bit more from my men.¡±


    As the seconds pass by, it got closer. That shadowy figure seemed familiar, the hair, the voice, the way of walking¡­


    Aeris: ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?!¡±


    She was right. It was him.


    Presenting himself with a black suit, blood at the left side, having his sleeve rolled up exposing a horrendous image. His left arm, A bloody one dragged something beneath him. A guard, or rather, a dead one.


    Hjalmer dragged the man behind him effortlessly, painting the metal floor with the dark red blood. The guard¡¯s face was twisted in horror. Hjalmer tilted his head, watching their reactions. Then, he let the body dropped the body like it was trash.


    Hjalmer: ¡°This one. Had one job. One.¡±


    Gazing back up to them, smirking as he saw Aeris, horrified.


    Hjalmer: ¡°To warn my soldiers that we had¡­ Intruders.¡±


    He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head while covering his forehead in disappointment.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Imagine my reaction when I found him cowering in a corner instead.¡±


    No one said anything after that. Straight up silence. Then, Hjalmer spread his arms, his expression turned something between surprise and challenge.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Well? You¡¯ve made quite the mess. You guys met my expectations, I¡¯m flattered. And, I¡¯d say it¡¯s only fair that I return the favor.


    Aeris: (Clenched fists, firm but angered tone.) ¡°Return¡­ The favor¡­? The only favor you can do is die with my own hands. You were only being friendly to then torment me for almost a year. For what? For what reason? For what perspective? For what thought? For what achievement?¡±


    A solitary tear rolled down Aeris¡¯ dust-covered cheek, trying her bests to not break down emotionally, wiping her tear quickly.


    Hjalmer: ¡°It¡¯s a lot to talk about. You wouldn¡¯t understand the whole idea at the first attempt.¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Why are you even doing this in the first place? You¡¯re only 17. What has gone wrong in your life?¡±


    The young boss stares, exhaling through his nose and rolling eyes.


    SLAM!


    It was the dragged guard. Hjalmer threw him at the metallic wall like he was indicating something.


    Hjalmer: ¡°How shameful of you, Aeris. My respect has vanished the day you turned your back on me.¡±


    Eleorona suggested in a low tone to Aeris about the three of them fighting Hjalmer. It was a good idea but¡­


    Aeris: ¡°No, this is the answer I¡¯ve been looking for. It¡¯s in front of me I have to do it by myself.¡±


    Lawrence slightly opened his mouth about, but then closing it quickly; He knew what response Aeris would say if he said it, letting her be.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°How shameful of you, Aeris. My respect vanished the day you turned your back on me¡­ So, how about this? You leave Eleorona and Lawrence, even that guy, and come with me.¡±


    Aeris¡¯ breath cuts, slowly changing her attitude.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Ah, come on, Aeris. I''ll cover your brother''s expenses, okay?"


    One more provocation. Patience crumbles; The small metallic designs of Aeris'' clothing shake, and the ground shakes slightly. To the second, Aeris extends her left hand horizontally bringing back the needles, pulling them towards Hjalmer. And it was to be expected that the Delta boss could easily dodge them thanks to his j¨¦gosgalia. The girl with platinum blue hair chases after him, luring herself towards the zigzag-shaped metal walls. Eleorona steps forward, using her electricity to join the conductive walls while Lawrence runs in the usual way.


    Aeris: "Don''t even try to escape, you fucking ugly bastard."


    Anger ran through his body, easily noticing the change in Aeris'' voice.


    Hjalmer: ¡°No, no, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    It was a simple plan. Take Aeris to an specialized boat where they could fight. Then, they arrived. An enormous boat with a plain hardened floor. Hjalmer easily lured her, Aeris¡¯ patience completely shattered, glad she could finally stand up for herself. The boat swayed side by sides slightly and somehow it began to sound suspicious for Aeris. Why would Hjalmer lure her to a boat like that?


    Aeris: ¡°You think I¡¯d betray them just to crawl back to Delta? Back to you? Hmph. I¡¯d rather die.¡±


    Hjalmer: ¡°Come on, Aeris, you¡¯re nothing without me.¡±


    The young boss took a step forward with a relaxed posture yet his presence remained sufferable.


    Aeris: (Firm and relaxed voice.) ¡°Justification achieved.¡±


    She flashed forward like a leopard, forming metal around her fists like gauntlets. Hjalmer stayed in place, colliding his forearm with her metal-covered fist. The impact sent a roaring clang echoing through the boat. Did he stumbled back? No. He stayed there like a magnet being attracted by the opposite polar.


    Hjalmer: ¡°There we go. Show me the real you.¡±


    The boat kept swaying, messing their balance. But, Aeris didn¡¯t care no more. She lunged again, spinning low into a devastating kick aimed at his ribs. Hjalmer blocked, his body absorbing the shock before countering with a knee strike. Aeris quickly changed, avoiding a direct hit, but his palm struck her right in the jaw, attempting more balance. Hjalmer wasn¡¯t done. He performed a brutal uppercut, a low sweep and Aeris barely dodged in time, skidding across the metallic deck. She extended her hand summoning shards of sharpened iron, tossing them like daggers. Hjalmer dodged the first, the second and the third but the fourth¡­ The fourth homing from his feet to chin, barely dodging it, drawing a blood cut.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Hjalmer: ¡°See? One of your strengths is kinesthethic intelligence. Too bad you wasted all of it¡¯s potential. I¡¯m quite annoyed you gave up on becoming a hitman, you could¡¯ve become one of the most fearful ones in all Italy.¡±


    She loudly groaned, trying to keep her cool while fighting the one she betrayed for good. The boat lurched making hjalmer¡¯s balance break, giving Aeris an opportunity to strke. Sending a metal spike through the floor, erupting like a geyser. The boss, confident enough, reacted quickly. His forcewave rift broke apart the metal spike easily. Aeris¡¯ eyes widened, she couldn¡¯t believe it. In a blink, Hjalmer was already in front of her.


    An aggressive punch connected into her gut, stealing immense breath from her lungs. Aeris gagged, curling up, but Hjalmer didn¡¯t stop. His elbow smashed her back, forcing her to her knees. She gritted her teeth and her vision blurred. Her hands trembled as she attempted to summon more metal but, she was getting to her limit use. Hjalmer who remained intact, chuckled in a psycopath way.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Truly disappointing. You¡¯re so easy to read.¡±


    Aeris¡¯ body refused to move. She kept trying but all her strength left her with Hjalmer.


    Aeris in her mind: ¡°Nngh¡­ Damn it¡­ I can¡¯t even¡­¡±


    Hjalmer walked slowly, firmly. Exposing his right arm in a chop hand position, releasing a gloomy blue aura. Ready to kill her. Hjalmer raised his chop to cut her through, ready to end it all.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Goodbye, Aeris Juno.¡±


    Crack.


    A blinding arc of ice-lighting sliced through the air, striking him before landing the final blow. Hjalmer¡¯s eyes widened as spiky ice tore through his shoulder, which later stroke a lighting as a bonus. Eleorona stood at the edge of the boat; She dropped her icey left hand which trembled after the attack. Her golden eyes were vivid as ever, burned with rage.


    Eleorona: ¡°Back. The hell. Off.¡±


    Hjalmer groaned in pain, struggling to remain upright, clutching his wounded shoulder. Looking up at Eleorona.


    Hjalmer: ¡°Hah, she¡¯s lucky you arrived.¡±


    Before continuing, a horn resounded in the distance. A familiar sound¡­ It was Clay who came back!


    Lawrence and Eleorona rushed to Aeris¡¯ side, lifting her carefully. Blood covered their hands, but Aeris was still breathing. Barely¡­


    As they carried her toward the exit, Hjalmer stood there, watching them as he smirks


    Hjalmer: (Raspy but sharp voice.) ¡°Run all you want. You¡¯ll never escape Delta.¡±


    Aeris¡¯ vision faded, feeling how the world around her vanished to complete darkness. Last thing she heard was Donovan¡¯s name.


    Eleorona: (Whispered) ¡°We have to call him.¡±


    Clay: ¡°How is Aeris doing?¡±


    Eleorona: (Concerned tone) ¡°5 cuts on her right arm, 4 on her neck and a¡­¡±


    Clay who drove the boat calmly waited for Eleorona to finish her sentence, as well as Lawrence, watching how they left the Island. But a doubt surged. Did they actually gathered the data required? It was a matter of attempts.


    Lawrence: (Glancing at Eleorona.) ¡°Eleorona, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    She remained silent with widened eyes, hands covering her mouth, surprisingly scared.


    Lawrence: ¡°Eleorona?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Lawrence, do you remember what Donovan told us about an X inside a circle?¡±


    Lawrence remembered, frowning in concern. He quickly checked on Aeris, witnessing what Eleorona said. An injury with the form of an X and a circle down her neck. Slowly bleeding out, as the injury wasn¡¯t fatal. However, there¡¯s a reason behind this.


    Eleorona: ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t notice the move Hjalmer did, he¡¯s fast¡­ Too fast for my eyes¡­ But why¡­?¡±


    Lawrence: (Gripping kindly her shoulder.) ¡°Most likely a message.¡±


    The golden-eyed woman kept silence, remembering what her younger brother said about it¡­


    Eleorona: ¡°Wait. You know that day when Donovan mentioned something about an X with a circle?¡±


    Lawrence nodded, worried as he looked down to Aeris.


    Eleorona: ¡°This is bad. This is bad.¡±


    Lawrence: (Comforting Eleorona.) ¡°Hey, hey. Take it easy, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s this symbol really about.¡±


    As she tried to panick, she easily followed what Lawrence told her. Calming down for now won¡¯t make her worry a lot about Aeris.


    <h2>Zagreb, Croatia. 10:09 A.M.</h2>


    Donovan stood in his backyard, rolling his shoulders, stretching his arms and legs in his position. Recovering his stiffed muscles from previous battles. He exhaled slowly, ready to begin his training after resting for a day; He couldn¡¯t wait any longer to come back. As he adapted his own style; Left arm extended slightly, exposing his palm to deflect incoming strikes. Out of a traditional guard. His right hand remained high close to his face, forming a cross with his arms. This wasn¡¯t a practical style but for Donovan, it clearly is, able to switch a defense into offense in an instant. Though, his knee remained just a little raised, signaling a possible but ready kick to be performed. Just as he was about to start¡­ His phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly grabbed his phone checking who it was.


    ¡°Sister Eleorona Ivanel.¡±


    His thumb tapped on the green icon without expecting a thing.


    Eleorona: ¡°Aeris is unconscious.¡±


    Her voice expressed a fast-paced tone, expressing all what happened. The infiltration, their fight with the hitmen, their injuries, and how Aeris was nearly executed by Hjalmer.


    Eleorona: ¡°And- And!-¡±


    Her younger brother remained calm. Way too calm. Interrupting her with a reply.


    Donovan: ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    The call ended. Then, he sprints to the door, slamming it to then get his blue jacket, putting it on as he sprints to the main door. His mother barely got time to see her son, blurring past. By the time the front door flung open, Donovan was already gone. He took out his goggles. He performed a move he called ¡°The Leap of Midas.¡± making a loud boom, echoing through the neighborhood. This leap caused a golden shockwave, cracking the pavement as his body shot forward like a bullet. The wind whined past his ears, putting on an aerodynamic mask which covered his mouth & ears thanks to God¡¯s Rend. Far across home, Jakov looked up through his office¡¯s window. A golden curved line, piercing through the sky, frowning as he realized who that is.


    Jakov: ¡°Hmph. Donovan¡­ You remind me of myself when I was your age.¡±


    That¡¯s right, Donovan was going to Vis Island to meet them there.


    <h2>Vis Island, 11:15 A.M.</h2>


    Aeris rested on a comfortable hospital bed, slowly blinking to gain consciousness. She tilts her head, seeing Donovan sit nearby, arms crossed with a figure four lock sitting position. Aeris traces her fingers through her hair and forehead, adjusting slowly.


    Aeris: ¡°Ahh¡­ Where, where am I?¡±


    Donovan: ¡°You are in a hospital, we¡¯re at Vis Island.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°Huh. I was hoping to wake up with my mother besides me, not your¡­¡±


    She muttered ¡®attractive face¡¯. The mutter¡¯s volume was so low Donovan asked what she said.


    Aeris: ¡°Oh, no, nothing.¡±


    Donovan: (Exhaling and shaking his head.) ¡°Yeah, well, I was hoping you¡¯d wake up sooner so I wouldn¡¯t have to sit here like a complete idiot. I guess neither of us got what we wanted.


    Aeris smirks weakly, but winces feeling the pain from her injuries. Exhaling as she closes her eyes.


    Aeris: ¡°Hjalmer¡­¡±


    Donovan: (Leaning slightly forward.) ¡°Hm? You¡­ Wanna talk about it?¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl stays quiet for a brief moment, staring at the ceiling.


    Aeris: ¡°That dude wasn¡¯t¡­ Holding back. Even knowing I turned against him, he still fought like was some obstacle, not¡­ a person.¡±


    Donovan: (nods slowly.) ¡°He made his choice. You made yours.¡±


    Aeris: (scoffing slightly.) ¡°Yeah? And what choice was that?¡±


    Donovan: (Glance with sincerity.) ¡°To not be his pawn. Fight for something real.¡±


    Aeris: (Exhaling.) ¡°I, I don¡¯t know if I won. Sure, I landed hits, kept the rhythm at some point but¡­ He¡¯s still standing, running Delta and¡­ He recorded us, Donovan. He¡¯s not done with us.¡±


    Donovan: (Slightly widened eyes.) ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡±


    Aeris: ¡°CX, a hitman I confronted in the Svetac Island, told me they were recording us¡­¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Oh.. I see. And that base¡­ Lawrence found more than we expected. This isn¡¯t just about the hitmen, the trafficking¡­ There¡¯s something bigger going on, something atrocious. Files on people we don¡¯t even recognize, names that don¡¯t show up in any public records or data collection¡­ And someone calling themselves ¡®The One¡¯. That name is just. Frightening. Somehow I get chills just by pronouncing it.¡±


    Aeris: (frowning.) ¡°Hjalmer is taking orders?


    Donovan: (Grim tone.) ¡°Looks like it. Lawrence couldn¡¯t decrypt the whole message, but it¡¯s clear Delta is just a piece of something larger.¡±


    A long pause of silence. Aeris sclenches her fists lightly against the soothing sheets.


    Aeris: ¡°I thought beating him would bring me closure. That it¡¯d be enough.¡±


    Donovan: (Soft tone.) ¡°No, it never is.¡±


    Aeris glances at him, quickly understanding his expression. Worry. The kind of look someone gives when they¡¯ve experimented it before.


    Aeris: ¡°That thing¡­ is bigger than Delta, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Donovan: (Nods.) ¡°Yup, bigger than we thought. Bigger than a regular mafia. The files Lawrence found contained information about Boosters. Our kind. People who have a j¨¦gosgalia. This world sees us as tools, weapons or cursed ones. But in those files? Hah, it contained something more than just that.¡±


    Aeris: (Narrowing her eyes.) ¡°More, you say?¡±


    Donovan: (rubbing his forehead.) ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet. But those files weren¡¯t just about criminals or fighters. There were names related to government, corporations and even industries. Some of them were¡­ gone. Like they¡¯d been erased.¡±


    Aeris: (Exhales, staring at the ceiling again.) ¡°They¡¯re tracking us. Like we¡¯re chess pieces on the board.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°Or like they¡¯re planning something. And we don¡¯t even know what game we¡¯re playing.¡±


    Another silence kicked in.


    Aeris: (weak smirk.) ¡°And here I thought I¡¯d just have to deal with one bastard.¡±


    Donovan: (snorts, looking away.) ¡°You wish, Aeris.¡±


    Aeris: (small grin.) ¡°You were worried, huh?¡±


    Donovan: (Rolled eyes. ) ¡°Maybe a little¡­ Don¡¯t let it go to your head.¡±


    Aeris: (soft chuckle, then a quick sigh.) ¡°Thanks, Donovan.¡±


    Donovan: (Standing up as he nods.) ¡°No problem, get some rest.¡±


    She smiles at him while he closes the door, having her own moment and privacy to let herself be. She sighed, inhaling deeply before leaning back against the pillows.


    Meanwhile, outside, Donovan, Eleorona and Lawrence saunter through the vivid plaza. They had been caught up in the chaos of their journey. Almost four days had gone by.


    Lawrence: (Muttering while having his arms behind his head.) ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been like¡­ Three? Four days?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°Feels like we¡¯re already in May.¡±


    While Donovan remained silent, still thinking on what comes next. There was something about that name, ¡°The One¡± that unsettled him, a horrendous feeling. However, he knew he had to relax.


    An hour passed, and the trio went back to the hospital. Donovan reached for the door handle, and it opened before he could touch it. Aerirs stood there.


    Aeris: (Soft voice tone.) ¡°Hi.¡±


    The three of them stared at her for a moment before softening their expressions.


    Eleorona: (Worried tone.) ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Aeris: (Slight smile.) ¡°I¡¯m feeling god, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lawrence: (Exhale.) ¡°Y¡¯all want to relax?¡±


    Aeris nodded, Before she could react, Eleorona grabbed Lawrence by his shoulders and shook him excitdedly. ¡°Yepp Yepp yepp please!!.¡± and Donovan gave a small chuckle.


    <h2>April 21th, 12:26 P.M.</h2>


    The afternoon was filled with laughter and fun conversations. They wandered through the island, taking photos and goofing around. Then, they encountered an arcade. Aeris and Eleorona teamed up against Donovan and Lawrence in a variety of games, leading to an intense yet hilarious competitions, even recording loses and wins. After playing on the arcade, Aeris leaned back in her seat and asked.


    Aeris: ¡°So uh¡­ What are we gonna do now?¡±


    That question maded Eleorona and Lawrence glance at each other, ready to tell them what they have planned out.


    Eleorona: ¡°Lawrence and I decided to stay in Italy. I want to help him investigate more.¡±


    Aeris and Dononvan¡¯s positive expressions faded, about to jump into conclusions.


    Eleorona: (Quickly wavering her hands.) ¡°No, no! Not like that! I mean, we¡¯re just going to analyze the files, nothing dangerous. No fighting or anything crazy, okay?¡±


    Aeris and Donovan exhaled, reverting their tired expressions to a neutral one.


    Eleorona: ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡±


    Eleorona: (Turning to Aeris.) ¡°What about you?¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, she stared at the melting ice in her drink.


    Aeris: ¡°I don¡¯t know. Now that I¡¯m no longer with Hjalmer, I¡¯d have to work as a barista again.¡±


    Donovan: (Frown.) ¡°Nah, nah, nah, no that. Forget about working as barista. Remember what I promised?¡±


    Aeris moved her gaze to him with slightly widened eyes. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly without thinking twice. Donovan was unsure whether to lift his arms or not. Eleorona smirked and quickly made a hand gesture. ¡®Hug her back.¡¯


    Donovan sighed and obeyed, wrapping his arms around her. For once, his older sister didn¡¯t tease him. Instead, she crossed her arms, looking at them with a quiet pride. Lawrence smiled beside her, happy for them to bond.


    Eleorona: ¡°So, what was that promise?¡±


    Donovan: (Glanced before answering.) ¡°The financial state of Aeris¡¯ family is¡­ bad. I promised to help her with taxes, food, safety and comfort.¡±


    As she took logic and instinct, it told her that Donovan was taking too much responsibility. But then, she thought about their past. They were experimenting a critical state too. So she nodded.


    Eleorona: ¡°I completely understand. We used to be in a tough spot when Donovan was born. Lawrence and I will support you, Aeris.¡±


    The silver-blue haired girl looks at them, her eyes bright up. She hugged them both. Meanwhile, Donovan was forgetting something. A crucial element that if he forgot, his parents would¡¯ve punish him.


    Donovan: ¡°Oh shoot. I forgot my backpack, and my, my¡­ MY SNEAKERS. Eleorona we have to go back!¡±


    She frowns at him in silence.


    Donovan: ¡°What?¡±


    Eleorona: ¡°It¡¯s the first time you react like this over some sneakers.¡±


    Donovan: ¡°These are not some simple sneakers, these are limited edition, I saved all I could to buy them.¡±


    She rolls her eyes, sighing as she walks away from them.


    Eleorona: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    <h2>Departure to Italy.</h2>


    With their plans set, the group made their way to the dock, preparing to leave Vis Island. As the ferry started moving, Donovan grinned, stepping back.


    Eleorona: (Muttered, knowing what was coming.) ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Donovan crouched slightly before launching himself into the air with Leap of Midas. He soars forward, keeping a incredible rhythm with the ferry¡¯s speed. People on board gasped astonished. One man near Eleorona mumbled, ¡°Was that a booster?¡±


    Eleorona: (Smirk.) ¡°Yep. That¡¯s my little brother. He¡¯s just having fun after a long journey.¡±


    The man chuckled and started a casual conversation with her. Meanwhile, Donovan noticed Aeris standing near the railing, appreciating the ocean. He stopped his j¨¦gosgalia and landed on the boat before walking over to her.


    Donovan: ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Aeris: (Nods.) ¡°Yeah. It really is.¡±


    They stood in silence for a while, watching the water glint under the afternoon sun.


    <h2>Monterotondo, 11:31 P.M.</h2>


    Arriving in Italy, they took a train and a taxi back to Monterotondo. The neighborhood seemed quiet, minding their own business while the group had an active mood. As they approached Lawrence¡¯s house, Eleorona sprinted towards the door, and so Donovan did. By the time they reached the door, they both lunged at the same time to get the door handle, falling on each other in the process while laughing.


    Lawrence sighed as he shook his head, reaching his keys to open the door. That night, the squad rested well, ready for the next day.


    At morning, they witness a relaxed breakfast filled with laughter and interesting topics. As for the rest of their time before midday, Donovan and Aeris packed their bags to return to Croatia. At Palermo Airport, the four stood together one last time before parting ways.


    Eleorona: (Crossed arms.) ¡°Take care, you two.¡±


    Lawrence: (Nodding.) ¡°Yeah, and keep in touch.¡±


    Aeris: (Smile.) ¡°Of course.¡±


    Donovan: (Glance at Eleorona.) ¡°Don¡¯t get into too much trouble, alright?¡±


    Eleorona: (Scoffed.) ¡°You should be telling yourself that.¡±


    <h2>April 21st, 1:08 A.M.</h2>


    They exchanged one last hug before Aeris and Donovan boarded their flight to Croatia. After landing in Croatia, Donovan¡¯s parents were already waiting at the airport. They greeted the two warmly before driving them to Aeris¡¯ home first. As they were close to her house, Aeris¡¯ mother opened the door, immediately hugging her daughter tightly.


    Clara: (Murmur.) ¡°I was so, so, so worried.¡±


    Aeris: ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom, here I am.¡±


    Clara: (Turning to Donovan and his parents.) ¡°Thank you for taking care of her.¡±


    Irene: (Exchanging a smile.) ¡°Of course. She¡¯s family now.¡±


    Aeris¡¯ mother looked at Donovan, showing her honesty and gratitude.


    Clara: ¡°And you, Donovan. Thank you for protecting her.¡±


    Donovan: (Scratching his head.) ¡°Haha, It¡¯s nothing. I just kept my promise.¡±


    After a brief convesation, they went back to the car and see how Aeris waved them, honking as a way of saying goodbye. As they drove off, she stood on the porch, she exhaled back home with her family.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Lawrence leaned back in his chair with strained eyes from hours of decrypting files from Hjalmer¡¯s base. He just stared and slowly blinked at the computer¡¯s screen. Hovering his fingers over the keyboard trying to remember what he wanted to search. The data he had pulled from Delta¡¯s server had been extensive; Illegal transactions, booster trafficking, blackmailing, and some riddles found in some documents. However, something was incomplete. There was one file he hadn¡¯t cracked yet. A single, locked document labeled as ¡°Project Ether¡±.


    Lawrence blinked, and at some point, he was falling asleep; He then refused. That name caught his interest. He quickly rubbed his eyes in a circular motion to keep up his work. He attempted to go through all the layers of encryption. Whoever had protected this file had used advanced security was sure someone could have access. This did give Lawrence a job, striving 100%. Then, he pressed enter. The screen flickered. A line of morse code appeared.


    -.-. --- -. - .-. --- .-.. --- ..-. - .... . -. . .-- . -- . .-. --. . -. -.-. .


    He cleared his throat, opening a new tab for a morse code translator. Pasting it on the box.


    ¡°CONTROL THE NEW EMERGENCE.¡±


    After a second, the screen glitched violently. Lines of unreadable codes appeared, then the screen went black. The file shut itself down. Lawrence sensed the heat, noticing how file the big was for being a morse code. When he tried to reopen the document, it was completely wiped.


    Lawrence: (Clenching his fists.) ¡°Control the new emergence. What does this even mean?¡±


    He stood up from his chair, about to write down the phrase then¡ª


    Using his peripheral vision, a program opens being the firewall notification.


    ¡°THE FIREWALL HAS BEEN BREACHED BY AN UNKNOWN USER.¡±


    A single message popped up on his screen before opening his security program.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have looked.¡±


    The computer shut down entirely.


    Lawrence stood there, staring expressionless. Whatever Project Ether was, time was the only resource they have left.


    A New Journey begins¡­


    To be continued¡­


    <hr>


    Human''s Strength Arc has ended.


    Discover the new route of this world.