Chapter 210: Reason
Legan felt his blood run cold from fear, then hot. Searing hot.
His blood began to bubble, and for a mont, it felt like his insides were cooking.
Then the pain hit him, overwhelming pain. He didn’t even realize when the scream tore from his throat.
His body jerked back and hit the ground, writhing uncontrollably as he struggled against the agony.
‘M-my blood…’
He felt it the instant it happened. His blood had been seized. Controlled.
‘A-a S-sanguine Bloom.’
His terror cut through the pain. Now that it had been confird that the street rat really was Malakai, everything made sense. His guards freezing, falling unconscious… it all added up.
He had done his research. The mont he heard of Malakai being taken in by Captain Rhett, soone he had intended to manipulate, Legan dug into his background. And he knew exactly who guarded him.
‘R-Red Eclipse…!’
It felt like an explosion went off in his skull. The Red Eclipse was here. He was fucked. Completely…
His voice vanished. The piercing scream that had echoed seconds ago fell into utter silence. He tried to scream again, but no sound ca out. Just dead quiet.
His gaze turned toward the boy watching him with cold, crimson eyes. He tried to beg, but only his lips moved, trembling. No words ca.
And in that silence, Legan saw the truth; Malakai’s expression remained unchanged. There was not even a flicker of pity.
‘H-he won’t let go,’ Legan realized, just as the pain overtook him completely and darkness swallowed him whole.
…
Legan woke up to his body aching like it had been smashed by a truck.
‘W-where am I?’ His mind was foggy. His mories, even more so. Everything from the Red Maw was a blur.
‘Am I on the floor?’ He could feel the hard ground beneath him. ‘And… this pain… what is it?’
He blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurry at first. Then, as it slowly cleared, his gaze landed on a small, empty vial lying just inches from his face.
“You’re awake.”
The voice struck him like a slap. A chill crawled down his spine. He looked up, and froze.
A child with crimson hair and matching eyes stood before him, expression impassive.
The mories crashed down in his mind. His stupid mistake. The torture. Everything.
‘T-the N-ninth Vein…’
“Look at the vial,” Malakai said.
Legan turned to it, fear already spiking in his chest.
“It held a vermyleaf parasite,” Malakai continued calmly. “And I’ve just fed it to you.”
Legan felt as though his world was collapsing. He clutched his chest and stared at the vial, horrified.
“If I don’t feed you my blood regularly, it will eat you from the inside out.”
Each word dragged him deeper into despair. But the next made his heart tremble.
“An hour has already passed. You should start feeling its hunger.”
His eyes widened… then the pain hit.
“ARRRRGGGH!”
He scread, clutching his stomach, thrashing as though sothing was tearing through his insides. The agony returned, sharper than before. He barely heard Malakai’s voice through the haze.
“Give him a drop.”
Sothing tallic slid into his mouth. He swallowed it instinctively, and the pain vanished almost instantly.
Gasping and drenched in sweat, Legan panted hard.
‘Shit, shit, shit!’ The word thundered in Legan’s head.
Regret. That was the only thing he could feel. If only he hadn’t made that bet with Rhett. If only he’d accepted his loss and hadn’t let his anger overtake his reason, he wouldn’t be in this fucked up position!
Legan took in a shuddering breath, his eyes hardening.
‘There’s no other choice.’ He couldn’t see a way out. The Red Eclipse was here and the monster child in front of him couldn’t be manipulated.
Malakai seed to see his resignation. He spoke then.
“I’ll ask again. Tell about the Red Maw.”
There was a pause before Legan responded.
“It’s a gambler’s den I created to earn money—”
BAM!
Malakai’s foot slamd into the side of his face, sending his head crashing against the wooden wall. Legan’s vision went blurry, and blood trickled from his scalp, dripping onto the floor.
After a second, his eyes cleared, just in ti to hear Malakai speak.
“If you lie to one more ti, I’ll make sure pain is the only thing you feel until daybreak. Now. Tell about the Red Maw.”
Legan sat up straight, breathing heavily.
“I-It’s real purpose is to serve as an information den,” Legan said.
“How does it operate?”
“P-People from all over the city co to the Red Maw to gamble. The rich and the poor. We made it easier for the poor to get in. And while they gamble, we sell valuable information from all over the city.”
Legan clenched his fists. He could feel Malakai’s silent gaze, and it made his heart pound with every second that passed.
Just as the silence was starting to drive him mad, Malakai spoke.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “I know it’s not for the money. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be collecting information without selling any of it.”
Legan gritted his teeth. ‘He noticed.’
He had no idea how Malakai figured out he wasn’t selling the information, but he knew better than to lie now.
He bit his lip before speaking.
“Because… because I’m trying to get the attention of so people.”
“Who?” Malakai asked.
Legan hesitated, then spoke through gritted teeth.
“The Maugrim.”
From the corner of his eye, Legan could’ve sworn Malakai’s pupils constricted.
“Why are you trying to get their attention?”
A chill washed over Legan. Malakai’s voice had gone colder. He could feel the flicker of rage that ca at the ntion of that na, and he had no intention of having it turned on him.
“I-It’s because… they’re the only ones who would tell what happened to my mother.”
A silence followed. Malakai didn’t say anything for a long mont.
“Is he lying?” Malakai asked.
A female voice responded imdiately. “No, Ninthvein.”
Malakai nodded. “Alright,” he said. “This is how things are going to be now…”
…
A few monts later, Malakai moved through the wilderness, heading straight back to their base.
Luckily, the path, being one of the main roads, had already been cleared, leaving a straight route forward.
Malakai walked in silence, using the mont to reflect on everything that had just happened.
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