Chapter 41: The monster boy

Chapter Forty-One: The Monster Boy

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The roads of Kley's District were more crowded than ever. Officers swarmed the streets, investigating the massacre that had unfolded the night before. Across all of Geotequar, the news spread like wildfire—videos of the monster boy who had killed over fifty civilians dominated every screen, every conversation, every headline.

Some citizens gathered in protest, arguing amongst themselves, their voices rising with fury.

"Let the Valdrex Empire come to an end!" one citizen screamed, cameras capturing his rage.

"I was a witness!" another shouted. "Yesterday, they killed innocent people. Blew their heads off. Killed a girl and her brother right in front of us—no remorse. And then they sent a monster to make it worse. They are heartless. They even killed their own officers!"

The crowd chanted, their voices swelling.

"We want war! We're tired of being oppressed! We will fight!"

"Overthrow the Valdrex!"

"Overthrow the Valdrex!"

The chant echoed through the streets.

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Kael sat on a couch in his apartment, watching the news on a high-tech smart TV. The images flickered across the screen—bodies, blood, chaos.

He sighed.

Thank goodness the cameras didn't capture me or those two.

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He turned off the TV and stared at the black metal floor, his reflection staring back.

Now since I have—

"Hey! You are super cool. Are you just gonna keep sitting all day doing nothing? You're pretty much matured for a twelve-year-old kid!"

Crucify's voice was loud from the other room, where it was poking Keith, laughing.

Kael closed his eyes.

Damn. Can't you just shut up?

"Huh?"

Crucify appeared before him instantly, its head tilted.

Kael glared at it.

Crucify vanished—only to reappear beside Keith, ranting louder than before.

Kael stood up, walked to the door, and closed it. He took a deep breath and exhaled. His eyes found the walls—metal and clean, modernly decorated.

Moving on to the next, he muttered. The tournament.

He paced around the parlor, his mind racing.

I haven't used much of my shadow abilities. But that doesn't mean I should underestimate those hunters.

He sat back on the couch.

As for Gina, she would be of great help—and bring lots of trouble too. But the help is worth it.

He paused.

What's more important is protecting myself. I don't know what Percy is planning right now. And I bet many deadly elites might be after Keith.

He tapped his chip. A picture of Keith appeared on the screen, taken from a CCTV camera the night before.

To make it worse, they caught half of his body on TV.

Kael studied the image for a moment.

If I let the cosmic beast kill him, it won't be fair to Calvin.

He stood up and walked slowly toward the door.

What I must do now is convince him to be loyal to me.

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Kael entered Keith's room.

Keith sat on the bed, silent and still. Crucify was hovering beside him, poking him.

"Hey, Kael!" Crucify waved.

Kael froze.

His eyes widened as he gazed at Keith. He had grown taller—older—almost to Kael's own height.

Strange. Really strange.

He spoke, fascinated.

"Crucify—can you do me a favor?"

Crucify turned to him. Silent.

Kael calculated.

Shit. What if it says it's only triggered by the word 'smile'? But still. Let me try.

He raised his head.

"I want you to destroy the consciousness of the Blood Moon entity entirely. Let Keith absorb its powers. I want him alive and well. At least you'll have a playmate."

Crucify stared at him for a long while. Silent. Motionless.

It turned to Keith. Then back to Kael. Then back to Keith.

"If you say so..." It smiled.

"Then—yay!"

Crucify jumped on the bed, bouncing like an overexcited child.

"Come on, you can't just celebrate when you haven't done what I asked."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot."

Crucify stopped. Flicked its fingers.

Snap.

"Done."

It smiled.

Kael stared at him. Then at Keith.

He blinked. "I don't see anything. Aren't you supposed to perform some ritual that requires an enormous amount of energy?"

"What? I can't do that." Crucify tilted its head. "I just deleted his consciousness from existence. No need for all that."

"You deleted what?"

Keith's eyes blinked open. They were brown now—normal, human. His hair was the same color. He fell back onto the bed and slept off.

Kael stood silent. Stunned.

You just erased a cosmic entity that could threaten planets in less than a second.

"Absolutely correct," Crucify said, its voice playful, oblivious to Kael's shock.

"So..." It scratched its head, confused. "I think all we have to do is simply wait for him to regain his strength."

Its voice dropped, bored, as it folded its arms.

"Urrhh, this is gonna take forever."

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End of Chapter Forty-One.