Chapter 192: Protect him

“You do know I can hear you guys. All the way from outside.”

There was absolute silence after Fin muttered those words. He sucked in a sharp breath and stood up from the pile.

“This place has an energy source that hides it from the normal eyes.” He hopped down and landed on a pile of bones that crumbled beneath his feet. “So if you don’t mind, could you tell me how you found this place?”

“…”

No sound. Just Fin’s words echoing off the walls.

A second. Two seconds. Someone stepped out.

“We stumbled upon it by chance,” Quil replied.

“Bloody hell!” Kael cursed behind the pile of rock. Then, he stepped out too. Davon was last.

Fin’s eyes narrowed. He lowered his stance.

“Salvador students.”

“We’re not trying to fight you.” Quil held out his hand.

“Then what is he holding?” He nudged his head at Kael.

They glanced back. Kael was holding the flute.

“Did you just take that out?” Davon asked.

“No! I have been holding it since earlier…”

“I didn’t see it while we were running though.”

“I took it out before we entered the cave.”

“So you came to fight me!” Fin said.

“No!” Three of them chorused.

“Kael, put that away.” Davon said.

“I’m sorry but I’m not doing that!”

“Why?”

“Am I the only one who sees his appearance?! Whether we are hostile or not won’t matter anymore if he charges at one of us. I’m not having my head ripped out before anyone decides to fight!”

Davon slapped a hand on his forehead. He turned to Quil.

“Tell him—”

Quil had already taken a stance, the rings spinning beside him.

“Dude! Am I the only one who thinks we’ll get on Elias’ rough side if we kill his brother?!”

“I don’t think his brother is ready for a sob story,” Quil muttered.

Fin was already walking to them, the chains coming out of his fingertips.

“Kill me?” Fin muttered. His lip stretched into a grin. He gestured behind him at the pile. “Those people tried.”

“Shit, he’s a psychopath.” Kael muttered. “He’s com—”

Fin already raised his hand and gave a mean swing. It was faster, and they instinctively ducked, watching the chains go by their eyes. It sliced rocks into two perfect lines. Debris rained down as it hit the main wall. Quil was already up and moving. In a second, he got to Fin, choosing to throw a punch rather than use the rings. Fin looked up, watching the hand. Then his clothes ripped. The bones in his body carved out, covering him like an exoskeleton just before Quil’s punch hit a hard wall.

Quil was startled. “What the—”

Fin attacked back with his left hand, sharpening a bone like a blade and swinging it.

“Duck!” Kael yelled.

Quil went down, and since it was Salvador language, Fin didn’t understand. The wave from the flute Kael had swung hit him with full force, sending him crashing into the huge pile.

“I don’t feel good doing that to a child.” Kael muttered.

“Do you think that got him?” Davon asked. “I hope he doesn’t get—”

The pile was broken apart with a sudden burst of vital energy from Fin. He stood, more bones covering the visible part of his body.

“I think we made him mad.” Kael muttered, clutching the flute to his chest.

Fin took a low stance.

“Okay! So we’re fighting?!” Davon asked.

Quil narrowed his eyes. “Stay back, I’ll knock him out.”

“I’m sorry, what?!” Kael called out. “Did you just say knock him out? He’s basically a boulder!”

Quil released his vital energy and gathered quite a lot in his fist. Then he dashed at Fin.

The boy broadened the space of his attack and went on defense to take it. Just as the distance between them closed, someone suddenly dropped right at their middle and cancelled out both attacks.

The force sent both Quil and Fin skidding back.

“What was that?” Kael asked.

The dust cleared and they saw the person.

“Jordan?”

Jordan looked around. The blood-soaked cave. The pile of bodies. It was a mess. He glanced at Fin.

The boy who was actively fighting a moment ago now stood, pale and shaking. The bones retreated into his body and his eyes cleared back to its usual form.

An awkward silence descended.

The boys immediately understood one thing. Jordan wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to know this location.

Fin was slowly freaking out. He fidgeted with his finger.

“I… it’s…” He looked at the mess he had created and back at Jordan. “I wasn’t trying to kill them… I… just…”

Jordan turned and walked to him.

He retreated with several steps back. “Wait, it’s not what—”

“That you’re a ghoul?” Jordan asked. “It’s old news.”

“What?”

“What are you doing fighting people helping us?”

“You know that I’m a ghoul?” Fin found that more important.

Jordan heaved a sigh. “We all know. Who do you think set up this place?”

Fin felt the walls he had built around himself crumbling. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“You… don’t hate me?”

“Who hates their younger brother?” Jordan smacked his head. “C’mon, we have work to do.”

He wiped his face and sniffled. “What is it?”

“Rona and Brin are already at it, along with our other siblings whose names… I don’t care.” Jordan spoke.

The Salvador students exchanged glances.

“At what?” Fin asked.

“Irue.” Jordan spoke.

At the sound of Elias, the rest were suddenly interested.

“What happened to him?” Quil asked.

“We were fighting these weak people called generals.”

“Weak?” They chorused, suddenly remembering how much they struggled.

“And then Elias lost it after using a strange ability.”

“Strange? How so?” Kael asked.

“It’s dark. Erase things.” Jordan glanced at him. “Void.”

“Void?” They chorused.

“What do you mean by ‘Lost it’?” Quil asked.

“I’m saying, he’s just standing in the middle of a battlefield. Somehow conscious but unresponsive and now, all the force somehow wants to kill him after seeing him use that.” He explained. “We have to protect him till he wakes up.”