Carlos hurried through the halls of Titanfang Academy, his steps brisk and calculated. After leaving the boys’ dorm, he made a direct path toward the girls’ dormitory, determined to find the person ntioned in the ssage he had received.
The ssage still echoed in his mind—a clear warning veiled as a request.
’At Titanfang, there is an enemy of ours. Attached is information concerning this person, but you won’t be able to kill the target alone. Go to Lina of the Crimson Vanguard family for assistance.’
Carlos clenched his jaw as he recalled the words. He didn’t resent the mission itself—he had been assigned far worse in the past—but sothing about the kill order, right here within Titanfang, disturbed him. It was bold. Reckless. Dangerous.
He had taken many lives before. Assassinations, silencing, clean removals—Carlos was no stranger to blood. Yet the man in the attachnt... he wasn’t just another target. His na struck like thunder across Carlos’ mind.
’Ravin Elteth.’
He whispered the na again, feeling the weight behind it. According to the ssage, Ravin was no ordinary threat. He had orchestrated the massacre of an entire village for the sake of a single experint. Worse still, he had manipulated an entire fleet of Nyxaris aliens on a distant planet, forcing them into a battle against a human vessel. After the skirmish, the aliens—every single one of them—had taken their own lives.
Just so Ravin could harvest their bodies for experintation.
Carlos understood the danger. This was no mindless killer—this was a thodical monster. The file hadn’t ntioned any indication that Ravin was a summoner, or that he used a summon in combat. That in itself was strange. Either Ravin kept his cards exceptionally close to his chest... or no one who had seen them lived long enough to tell the tale.
The Crimson Vanguard family—Lina’s faction—were known as the only true allies of Carlos’ forbidden bloodline. Yet even so, Carlos couldn’t say what exactly the Vanguard gained from their relationship. Their alliance had always been cloaked in secrecy, like everything else in his life.
As Carlos continued on his path toward the dorm, his gaze suddenly locked onto a familiar figure coming from the opposite direction.
It was Darnell.
"Hey, Carlos!" Darnell called out with an almost childlike enthusiasm, running up to him as if greeting a long-lost brother.
Carlos gave him a short wave. "What’s going on with you?" he asked flatly. "Sorry, I can’t talk much right now, so I’ll be leaving."
"Okay, I’m heading back to the room then," Darnell replied with a slight shrug.
The two were not close. Without Kairos around, their relationship was nothing but hollow politeness. They never mixed, like oil and water.
But just as Darnell turned to leave, Carlos halted his steps.
"Wait. I might need you."
Darnell froze in place. A spark lit up in his eyes, curiosity and eagerness brimming. "For what exactly?"
"As a partner," Carlos said. "But you mustn’t speak a word of this mission to anyone—and you’ll need to follow my instructions precisely."
It didn’t sound like much of a partnership. If it had been Kairos, he would have scoffed, demanded fair terms, maybe even fought for control. But Darnell? Carlos already knew he would accept. All he needed was a reason.
’Since I don’t know how powerful Ravin truly is, having this fool around might be useful,’ Carlos thought coldly. ’If things go sideways, he can be the first to fall.’
"Do you agree to my terms?"
Darnell paused, then shook his head. "It doesn’t really sound like terms. But I’ll help. Just don’t treat like a slave. If we’re going to know each other better and spend ti together, we should be equals."
Carlos frowned, visibly annoyed. This was already becoming more complicated than he wanted. "Fine, have it your way," he grunted. "First thing I need from you—get Lina from the girls’ dorm. Tell her I sent you."
Carlos had no intention of showing his face near the dorm himself. Too risky. Too exposed. If anything went wrong with this mission, Darnell would be the one to bear the fallout. A disposable shield for Carlos’ secrets and legacy.
’Another reason to keep him close.’
Darnell brightened imdiately. "Really? That’s all? Anything for you, buddy!" he said, practically bouncing off to do Carlos’ bidding.
That word... "buddy."
Carlos blinked, frozen in thought. Why did he call that? We’re not friends...
The thought lingered far longer than he expected. He buried it with a quiet scoff, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stood there, silently waiting.
Within monts, Darnell returned—this ti with Lina walking closely behind him.
Her presence was sharp, her expression darker than night and filled with veiled mockery. She had likely received the sa ssage he had.
As the three gathered, Lina wasted no ti.
"The sa ssage, right?" she asked curtly.
Carlos nodded. "Ravin Elteth is here, sowhere in this school. We’re ordered to locate and kill him."
"What? Kill?!" Darnell shouted, recoiling in shock. But the mont he looked into both of their cold, unforgiving stares, the words dried up in his throat.
Lina turned to Carlos. "Why did you bring this guy with you?" she demanded, clearly unimpressed.
Carlos had been asking himself the sa thing. But he had his reasons. "Darnell, yes, this is a mission to kill soone," Carlos said slowly. "You probably haven’t killed before. So I’ll give you a choice—are you in or out?"
Darnell hesitated. The na still echoed in his head. "Ravin Elteth... is it the sa one...?" He didn’t finish the sentence, but sothing had changed in his posture. A quiet fire flickered behind his eyes. "No... I’m in. I’ll help you. I’ll do whatever it takes to catch that guy."
Lina tilted her head, confused by the sudden change in Darnell’s tone. She couldn’t see what Carlos could.
Because Carlos knew.
He recalled the final part of the ssage—the part he had kept hidden from everyone else:
’Your roommate, Darnell Graves, will be the one to kill Ravin Elteth. He has a deep score to settle with him. Manipulate him into doing so. That way, the bla will fall on him, avoiding war between us and the military.’
Carlos stared at Darnell, the naive determination on his face, the weight of past pain hidden beneath his cheerful deanor. There was a mont—just a flicker—where Carlos felt sothing.
Not guilt. Not empathy.
Regret.
But not for Darnell.
’Sorry, Kairos. But it’s family before friends.’
Reviews
All reviews (0)