Chapter 13: The Hunt"

  But first, you have to take care of those rats following you."

  I frowned. "What? Why so suddenly?"

  "It’s happening early."

  My pulse quickened. "What’s happening early?"

  "The limit. It’s going to break sooner than expected."

  I went still. My mind raced, trying to process the weight of that statement.

  "The limit… breaking early?"

  "Yes."

  I exhaled sharply. "Great. Because I definitely wasn’t under enough pressure already. How much time do I have?"

  "At most? Three days."

  I clenched my fists. "Three days? That’s way too soon! Wasn’t this supposed to take months?"

  "It’s happening early because creatures across the universe have already started awakening. The balance is shifting faster than expected."

  My thoughts flashed back to the flying chain kill i encountered—the strange, unnatural power in the keychain, the unnatural coordination, the sheer intelligence that normal people shouldn’t have.

  I muttered under my breath, "You mean like those rats that have been following me?"

  "Exactly. They’re just the beginning. More will come. And they won’t be as easy to deal with."

  "So what you’re saying is…" I let out a sigh, rubbing my eyes. "Before I get the answers you so desperately want to give me, I have to clean up this mess first?"

  "Correct. Take care of them, and then we’ll talk."

  I shook my head, exhaling through my nose. "Then we better get to work fast."

  John’s Trading Agency

  If there was one place to start, it was there.

  After all, it was the only lead I had.

  I pulled out my phone, searching for its location. Within seconds, I had my answer—around four to five hours away from my home.

  I turned to Sebastian, who had been silently standing by, as always.

  "Sebastian, it’s time to go hunting."

  He raised an eyebrow but didn’t question me. "Shall I prepare the car?"

  I nodded. "Pick up Raven first. I’ll get the car out in the meantime."

  Sebastian bowed slightly before leaving to fetch the oversized bird that had become my pet—or rather, my unintentional sidekick.

  Meanwhile, I made my way to the garage.

  The second I stepped inside, my eyes fell upon the sleek, polished machine parked within.

  Damn.

  No matter how many times I saw it, it never stopped looking cool.

  A smirk tugged at my lips as I ran a hand over the hood.

  I wasn’t much of a car guy, but even I could appreciate this.

  Moments later, Sebastian arrived, Raven perched on his arm.

  Without another word, we got in and left.

  Four Hours Later…

  The building loomed ahead, tall and corporate—an office space disguised as something less shady than it actually was.

  I parked a short distance away, taking a moment to assess the situation.

  Guards.

  Two at the entrance.

  They weren’t just for show, either—the way they stood, the way their eyes scanned the area, the subtle tension in their posture... Yeah. These weren’t rent-a-cops.

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  I adjusted my clothes, straightening my formal attire.

  Butler? Check.

  Pet? Check.

  Expensive-looking suit? Check.

  I looked every bit the young master of some powerful family.

  Which meant… I could lie my way through this.

  I stepped out, walking toward the entrance with the same confidence I had when I actually belonged somewhere.

  As expected, the guards stopped me.

  "State your business."

  I tilted my head slightly, giving them an unimpressed look. "Do I look like someone who announces his business at the door?"

  The guard hesitated. His eyes flickered to Sebastian, who stood quietly behind me. Then to Raven, who stared at him with an eerie level of intelligence.

  I sighed dramatically, tapping my fingers against my arm.

  "Let me guess. You’re new here?"

  That threw them off. One of them stiffened slightly, suddenly uncertain.

  Good.

  Time to press harder.

  "I assume your boss wouldn’t appreciate it if he found out you kept someone like me waiting outside," I continued, my tone laced with just enough arrogance to sell the act. "Or should I call him myself?"

  The hesitation lasted only a few seconds—but it was enough.

  One of them stepped aside. "Go in."

  I didn’t even spare them a glance as I walked past.

  Sebastian followed behind me without a word, Raven still perched on his arm like some kind of gothic accessory.

  We entered the lobby.

  Modern. Clean. Efficient.

  A woman sat behind the reception desk, typing away.

  I walked up to her, resting a hand on the counter.

  She glanced up, offering a professional smile. "How can I help you, sir?"

  I returned the smile, but my next words were anything but friendly.

  "Since when do you use it?"

  Her brow furrowed slightly. "I’m sorry?"

  I tilted my head. "The system. The one you use to keep track of who gets targeted and when."

  The confusion in her expression was genuine.

  She had no idea what I was talking about.

  Which meant she wasn’t part of it.

  I let out a soft chuckle. "My mistake."

  Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

  "Where’s your boss’s office?" I asked casually.

  She hesitated.

  I smiled.

  And then, just a little too softly, I said, "Point."

  Something in my voice must have unsettled her, because she quickly gestured toward a hallway. "Straight down, last door on the left."

  "Thank you."

  I turned and walked toward it without another word.

  A Familiar Face

  The second I opened the door, I knew.

  The man sitting behind the desk stiffened the moment he saw me.

  His eyes widened, just slightly.

  Recognition.

  He knew who I was.

  Which meant he was one of the people who had sent men after me.

  I smiled.

  He didn’t.

  "Arthur Cain," he said, voice carefully neutral.

  "John," I greeted, taking a slow step inside. "You look surprised to see me."

  His expression smoothed out almost immediately, slipping into something unreadable. "I have no reason to be."

  "Really? Because your face says otherwise."

  I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms.

  "Let’s not waste time," I said. "We both know why I’m here."

  John exhaled through his nose, clasping his hands together on the desk. "I assume you’re here because of the… incident."

  I smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "Let’s call it what it is. You sent people after me. They died. And now, I’m here."

  Silence.

  A flicker of something passed through his eyes.

  Regret? No.

  Annoyance.

  He didn’t care about their deaths—only that his plans had been disrupted.

  "I assume you want answers," he said at last.

  "That, and a few other things."

  He sighed. "Fine. Sit down. Let’s talk."

  I tilted my head slightly. "Oh, we’ll talk."

  A slow grin spread across my lips.

  "But you’re not going to like what I have to say."

  Chapter 13, Part 2 – A Knife’s Edge

  I stepped closer, placing a hand on his desk and leaning forward just slightly. Enough to loom over him, but not enough to seem too eager.

  "Decide one thing," I said, voice low and casual. "Either you tell me everything you know, or you get tortured to death. Your choice."

  John stiffened. His fingers twitched slightly, betraying the tension he was trying to suppress.

  "You—you can't just—"

  I smiled.

  He said "You know, right? You can’t just show your powers in front of the public. And yet…"

  I straightened, pacing slowly around the room, letting my words sink in.

  "Let’s consider two possible scenarios." I held up a hand, raising one finger. "One: An adult claims a poor, helpless child is using supernatural abilities and threatening him."

  Then, I raised another finger. "Two: An innocent, crying boy says you killed his parents and are now trying to kill him."

  I turned to face him again, tilting my head. "Now tell me, John. Which one do you think people will believe?"

  His face twisted into something between frustration and realization. His breathing grew heavier. He knew I had him cornered.

  Finally, his shoulders slumped.

  "Alright," he muttered. "Alright. I’ll do as you say."

  Good.

  For about two seconds, I thought he actually meant it.

  Then his hand darted under the desk.

  My mind barely had time to register the movement before I saw the gleam of metal.

  A gun.

  Nice.

  I now had a much bigger problem.

  If that gun went off, it wouldn’t just mean I was in danger—it would mean every single person in this building would know something was happening. And as much as I enjoyed chaos, I wasn’t in the mood to get gunned down by security.

  My body reacted faster than my brain.

  I kicked the desk—hard.

  The entire thing flipped over, crashing into him with a thud.

  John let out a muffled yell as the weight of the heavy wooden desk pinned him to the ground. His grip on the gun loosened for just a second. That was all I needed.

  I snatched the weapon from his hands and pointed it at him.

  "That," I muttered, "was really stupid."

  He let out a pained groan, struggling beneath the desk. "P-please, let me go. I—I'll tell you everything. Just don't shoot!"

  My finger hovered over the trigger for a moment. Not because I was planning to pull it—just to see how much fear I could wring out of him.

  "Then start talking," I said. "Who sent those people after me?"

  His mouth opened and closed, his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly.

  Finally, he stammered, "The people… they call themselves the Black Moon."

  The air in the room seemed to shift.

  I exchanged a glance with Sebastian, who had remained eerily silent this entire time. His face betrayed no reaction, but I knew he knew something about them.

  John continued, his voice shaking. "They—they noticed you using it. They saw you."

  My jaw tightened.

  Compatibility.

  They knew.

  I exhaled through my nose, stepping back slightly. "Sebastian," I said, my voice calm despite the storm in my head. "Do you have a spare knife?"

  Sebastian nodded. "Yes."

  "Hand it over."

  He reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek, polished blade. He tossed it to me without hesitation.

  John's eyes widened in panic. "Wait—wait, no—"

  I caught the knife mid-air.

  And without letting him finish his sentence, I drove the blade straight into his hand.

  His scream echoed through the office, raw and full of agony.

  I twisted the knife slightly. Not enough to kill him. Just enough to hurt.

  He thrashed beneath the desk, gasping in pain.

  "Shhh," I murmured, pressing a finger to my lips. "You'll make a scene."

  His body trembled, sweat beading down his forehead.

  "You know," I said, watching him carefully, "it's a little weird, isn’t it? Even if I did use Compatibility, why would a whole organization come after a kid?"

  John's breath hitched.

  I narrowed my eyes. "You're hiding something."

  His lips parted, but no words came out.

  I gave the knife another little twist.

  He screamed again, his entire body arching as pain shot through him.

  Sebastian watched silently. Raven let out a quiet croak from his perch.

  John gasped out, "I don’t know everything!"

  I stilled.

  "But you know something," I muttered.

  He whimpered.

  I let the silence stretch.

  Then, finally, I pulled the knife out.

  John collapsed against the floor, clutching his bleeding hand. He was shaking violently, his face pale.

  "Cover the wound," I ordered. "Use your jacket. We’re leaving."

  He hesitated.

  I met his eyes.

  And whatever he saw there made him obey without question.

  He shakily pulled off his suit jacket, wrapping it around his injured hand. The dark stain of blood slowly spread across the fabric.

  I grabbed the overturned desk and set it back in place.

  Then, nodding toward the door, I said, "Act normal. Follow me."

  His legs wobbled as he stood, but he forced himself to walk.

  As we stepped into the hallway, all eyes turned to us.

  Employees. Secretaries. Workers.

  They all stared.

  John kept his head down, his body rigid with pain.

  I smiled pleasantly at the onlookers. "Busy day, huh?"

  No one responded.

  We reached the lobby. The guards at the entrance straightened when they saw us.

  One of them frowned. "Boss, is something wrong?"

  I barely suppressed my smirk.

  Before John could react, I whispered to him, "Scold them."

  He turned to me, eyes wide with confusion. "What?"

  I raised an eyebrow.

  "Yell at them," I said softly. "Make a scene."

  He swallowed hard.

  Then, hesitantly, he turned to the guards and snapped, "What the hell are you two standing around for? Do I pay you to stare at people?"

  The guards instantly stiffened, looking almost guilty.

  "N-No, sir!"

  "Then get back to work!" John barked.

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

  The guards fumbled, nodding rapidly. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"

  The moment we stepped outside, I let myself smirk.

  Sebastian, as always, remained composed.

  We walked to the car. John hesitated for a split second before getting in with us.

  I slid into the seat, stretching slightly. "Sebastian, let’s go home."

  The butler nodded and started the engine.

  John sat stiffly beside me, his body tense.

  I turned my head slightly, watching him out of the corner of my eye.

  "You made the right choice," I murmured.

  His hands clenched into fists.

  I smiled.

  To be continued…