As their conversation drew to a close, Gabriel scanned the room.
"Is everything clear?" he asked, his voice carrying the expectation of compliance.
The others nodded in agreent, affirming their understanding of Gabriel's orders.
One by one, the gang leaders left the room in silence, a dance of shadows retreating into the night.
The echoes of their steps faded as they disappeared beyond the door, leaving Gabriel alone inside the room.
He had a phone call to make, a last piece of business, before he could consider their eting concluded, and head ho.
Reaching for his phone, Gabriel found, to his surprise, that it refused to work. An oddity, given the ticulous care he took to ensure his lines of communication were always operational. The screen remained dark, unresponsive to his touch.
In truth, it didn't work because Erik asked to the biological supercomputer to take care of it.
It was in this mont of confusion that Erik, June, Camille, Rebecca, and Ramon erged from the shadows surrounding Gabriel.
The sudden appearance of these masked strangers caught him off guard, his shock clear in the brief widening of his eyes.
"Who are you? How did you enter?" For a second, his usual composure slipped under the weight of his surprise. This place should have been an inner sanctum within an inner sanctum. How were they able to find it, and how were they able to enter?
Camille stepped forward, her smile sharp. "We're the ones asking the questions. For your sake, it's better if you comply." Her tone left no room for argunt.
Gabriel, though initially taken aback, quickly regained his poise. He quickly estimated the situation. He could fight his way out of whatever all of this was, but there was a problem.
They were five, while he was alone. Even if he made enough noise to attract the guards, it was unlikely they arrived before those guys killed him.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked, a challenge underlying his question. The only way he had to get out of this predicant was to make them unwilling to kill him.
It was then that Ramon stepped forward, removing his mask to reveal his identity. "Gabriel Leone," he said, his voice steady.
Recognition flickered in Gabriel's eyes. "Ramon, it's been a long ti."
There was a hint of surprise coloring in his tone. Ramon was a strong fighter many years ago, and his exploits with the Band of Giants were known to many, including him, of course. He couldn't even comprehend how strong he beca after so many years, while he mostly focused on work. If Ramon was among the fighters, escaping through fights was going to be even harder.
"Not enough," Ramon said.
He glanced on Ramon's left. There was a woman with him, one he recognized from her build, but only because she was with his old friend.
"I bet your lovely friend here must be Camille."
"It's none of your business," the woman said.
Gabriel couldn't understand. Why was he here? Was there a bounty on his head? But how was it possible? He controlled the information inside Etrium.
No one never found out about him, so how was that situation possible? Well, of course, if soone betrayed him.
He asked them that question.
"Why did you co here?"
Ramon didn't hesitate. "We ca to ask about Shade," he said plainly, cutting straight to the heart of their visit.
"Shade?" Gabriel laughed. "For a second, I thought you ca here for so important reason. Yet I see you ca here to ask about fairy tales.
"Stop wasting our ti," Camille said. "We know you work for him." Gabriel looked at the woman with a contemplative look.
"Do you really believe in his existence?" he said, his question laced with skepticism. Of course, Erik was already reading his mind, and he knew he was faking ignorance.
Ramon's answer ca shortly after. "To fake ignorance won't help you."
The man pressed on. "Do you know who Shade is?" His voice was firm, an obvious challenge to Gabriel's evasiveness.
Gabriel laughed off the question, his amusent thinly veiling his disdain. "You're chasing shadows, Ramon. Believing in myths now, are we?"
He mocked Ramon's earnestness, feigning ignorance with a flair that suggested he considered the topic beneath him.
Inside, Gabriel was cautious, aware of Shade's reality but outwardly dismissive to protect his knowledge.
Erik, monitoring the exchange, delved into Gabriel's mind. Though the man's words painted a picture of disbelief, his thoughts confird he knew exactly who Shade was, not that he knew his real identity, but he knew the figure, the legend. Erik, however, remained silent, not revealing his insight.
"Then, who are those that can lead us to Shade?"
Gabriel's laughter continued, treating Ramon's persistence as a joke.
"You're lost in a fantasy, Ramon. There's no breadcrumb trail to follow."
Yet, as he said this, Erik's uncovered valuable leads within Gabriel's mind.
…
…
…
"What do we do about him?" Camille asked.
"We can't keep him alive. He knows who we are, among the many things. Besides, I don't want to," Erik said.
"Did you really have to take your mask off?" Camille looked at Ramon with a murdering stare. The man said nothing.
Upon hearing those words, though, a visible shift occurred in Gabriel. His confident deanor, once unshakeable, faltered as the seeds of fear took root.
His eyes darted around the room, seeking an escape or advantage where none existed.
The laughter and mockery that had so easily flowed from him monts before dried up, replaced by a tightness around his mouth and a slight pallor that crept over his face.
His hands, previously relaxed at his sides, now clenched and unclenched involuntarily, betraying his growing anxiety.
To wrest back so semblance of control, Gabriel resorted to making threats.
Since he exhausted all his options to dissuade them from taking his life, this was his last stand.
Despite his efforts to sway them with reason and bargaining, his situation had spiraled beyond his control.
Now cornered and with dwindling options, threats were the only weapon left in his arsenal.
"You do not know what forces you're ddling with." His voice was laced with venom. "I have allies that could make you disappear without a trace. Not even the Fierce Lioness could help you!"
"Who, Shade?" Camille asked. She grinned while Gabriel scoffed.
Gabriel's words fell on deaf ears. Ramon, Erik, and the others regarded him with a calm indifference that only deepened his fear.
They stood unmoved, their collective resolve clear in their steady gazes and firm stances.
Gabriel's threats, ant to intimidate and scatter, only highlighted his sudden vulnerability.
"I will take care of this," Erik said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. He may escape if it's one of you," he said.
"No offense, of course."
Gabriel, at that point, was starting to panic. He wasn't a fighter, and trying to escape five people was impossible for him.
"We will wait for you then." The group left the room, much to Gabriel's pleasure. Maybe he had a chance now.
"If you really think it will be easy, the — "
With a predator's grace and a chilling calm, Erik assessed the situation, the weight of his Flyssa balanced in his hand.
The blade, a gleaming arc of death, reflected the faint light, hinting at the impending doom it was about to deliver.
In a heartbeat, the tension broke. Erik lunged forward, the Flyssa moving with him as an extension of his will, a swift, almost invisible flick of his wrist directing its lethal dance.
The blade sliced through the air with a whisper, its sharp edge eting the neck of his foe with precision and finality.
The cut was clean, almost surgical, a testant to Erik's skill and the Flyssa's deadly craftsmanship.
For a mont, everything seed to pause, the world holding its breath.
Then, the head detached from the body, beginning its descent to the ground.
Ti resud its march, and the head landed with a sonorous thud that echoed in the silent room.
Blood started staining the plush carpet with the color of Gabriel's crimson blood.
[HOSTILE HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]
[0%...1%....5%...30%...70%...100%]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED, STARTING CONVERTING PROCEDURE.]
[3...2...1...0]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. 6000 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
"Well, at least this will be a problem for Shade."
Erik had many thoughts crossing his mind. What Gabriel unwillingly revealed was a lot.
The information hinted at a tangible possibility of locating Shade soon. However, he recognized several tasks remained before that goal could be achieved.
After leaving the room, Erik rejoined his companions, ready to share the news.
"So?" Camille asked, her eyebrows raised in anticipation as she turned to face Erik.
The curiosity in her eyes was visible. "Did you find sothing?"
The group's collective breath seed to hang on Erik's response, each mber leaning in slightly, not wanting to miss a word.
Erik t her gaze, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "I found a lot, actually," he said.
Reviews
All reviews (0)