"Remember me?"
Zane gulped.
Please. Not now.
[ 10 Seconds Remaining! ]
The man had a smile on his face and Zane had sweat.
He remembers the man.
He was the one who threw a pebble at that Halocrat girl.
Zane was definitely curious about him but he wanted nothing to do with such a reckless man.
Most of all, he didn't even have time for this man.
"Yes. I remember you. Have a nice day." Zane said and removed the man's hand from his elbow.
But the Commoner held him again.
"What's the hurry? You don't want to know why I did that? I could have died for that."
[ 6 Seconds Remaining! ]
Zane clenched his jaw.
"Look, I will come here tomorrow. I will be sleeping here. Tell me everything you want then!"
Zane jerked his hand.
The man frowned.
He didn't let go of Zane this time and held him tighter at that.
Zane used his other free hand to remove the grip of the man but Zane couldn't even move a finger.
How is he so strong? Does he eat daily?
"You will come here tomorrow. But I might not. My luck is not as good as yours."
"I will find you, alright? Now let me go. I am in a hurry."
[ 4 Seconds Remaining! ]
"How will you find me? Your nose is broken."
"I am not an animal. I don't use my nose to find people!"
"You don't even know my name!"
"Why do you even want me?"
"Because we both are alike."
[ 2 Seconds Remaining! ]
Screw this.
Zane stared at the man.
"I am not annoying like you!"
Zane jerked his right hand with all his strength and used his left hand to remove the hand of the man from him.
The man's frown deepened.
"You don't like me?"
His grip tightened and Zane saw something familiar in the man's face.
Anger.
The man stared daggers at Zane and now he wanted to go away for good.
But not before ensuring his safety.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to anger you. Thank you for your help."
Zane said all that in one breath and the man…
He broke into a smile.
His anger vanished like it was never there.
Zane's heart skipped a beat.
He is a nutcase.
[ 1 Second Remaining! ]
Shit.
Zane's lips trembled as he looked at the man's hand.
"I have nothing against you. But…"
Zane brought his mouth closer to the man's hand and…
"I have to do this."
He opened his mouth and bit right on the wrist of the man, teeth deep into his skin.
"Aaanghh!"
The man screamed, winced in pain but finally let go of Zane.
[ Time Is Up! ]
[ Host Override will start in 3… ]
No. No. No.
[ 2… ]
Zane bent his knees and…
[ 1! ]
Launched himself forward.
[ Penalty Inflicted! ]
THUD!
He fell on the ground, face first.
Zane was out of the Citadel.
The onlookers stared at him and some of them got worried.
Zane wasn't moving.
He was still. Like a statue that fell.
The position he came out of the Citadel, he stayed like that.
He got the attention of some Enforcers and one of them walked towards him.
Everyone averted their eyes as looking would put them at risk.
The Enforcer stood near Zane's feet.
"Hey, rat!"
He kicked Zane's thigh.
"This is not a place to sleep. Get moving."
No reaction.
Zane remained frozen.
The Enforcer clicked his tongue.
"Don't tell me you are dead. Move before I get angry."
The Enforcer waited for a few seconds.
But nothing waited for Zane patiently other than misery.
So in just seconds, the Enforcer ran out of patience.
He gritted his teeth and raised his whip.
"Get up, little shit!"
THUCK!
The whip came down.
But instead of a sadistic smile, the Enforcer's eyes widened.
The whip hit nothing but ground.
Zane wasn't there anymore.
Before the whip could hit, Zane had gotten up and now he was in front of the guard, looking deep in his eyes.
The people around weren't looking but the sound of the whip turned some heads.
And once they turned their heads, they couldn't turn back.
They saw the Enforcer wide eyes looking at Zane.
"Wh- what are you looking at? Did you forget your place!" The Enforcer spoke, gripping his whip.
And the people were now more invested because they felt it.
The Enforcer was scared. They don't remember when was the last time they saw that.
What they did remember though, was the boy in front of the Enforcer.
He was the same one who spoke too loud for a gutterborn and suffered.
They all watched the scene and the Enforcer became conscious of the eyes on him.
But before their eyes, the Enforcer was conscious of Zane's eyes.
Just after he stood up from the ground, Zane's eyes were completely white.
They were not human.
His pupils drowned in milk-white, as if the world inside him shut off.
The Enforcer hadn't seen anything like that but since everyone was watching him, he called back his composure.
He stood straight and snapped the whip at the ground.
Then he rolled it on his hand and swung it in circles in the air.
"Kairon went soft on you. I will show you your place for good."
He took a step towards Zane and snapped that whip at the boy.
The thick black leather whip tore the air and went towards Zane's neck.
But before it could touch him…
Zane held the whip.
GASP!
Gasps erupted as a Gutterborn held the whip of the Enforcer.
The Enforcer's jaw locked and to not humiliate himself, he pulled the whip.
But Zane, with his white eyes, jumped at the Enforcer.
The Enforcer's pupils widened as he watched Zane coming at him from above with a closed fist.
Each Gutterborn had a sparkle in their eyes as Zane's fist reached closer to the Enforcer's face.
Their breaths turned heavy and bated, and for the love of everything holy, they would give up everything to see Zane pulling it through.
Do it.
Do it.
Do it.
Their minds screamed and the next second…
THUP!
Zane landed just in front of the Enforcer's face.
But, his fist, inches away from the guard's mouth.
The Enforcer watched the white eyes of Zane with a thumping heart and in front of his eyes…
Zane's eyes started returning to normal.
[ Synchronization Too Low! ]
[ Aborting Host Overriding Protocol! ]
Sounds entered Zane's mind and his eyes completely came back to normal.
And as soon as that happened, he couldn't believe it.
A golden window blinked at him.
A pair of frightened eyes watched him.
Many pairs of sparkling and regretful eyes watched him.
He had the whip of an Enforcer around his left hand and his fist a hair's breadth away from shattering the man's teeth.
Is this still the same world?
Zane stayed silent and slowly, let go of the whip.
He brought back his right hand and took a few steps back.
His bones and joints felt rusty as if he was feeling them after a long time.
Nevertheless, he tried and joined his knees side by side and bowed.
"I have to go. I will come tomorrow."
He spoke whatever came to his mind and turned around.
Before anything else could come up, he made a run.
He bolted out of everyone's sight.
After a few minutes, he slowed down.
He panted heavily, catching his breath.
He sat under a tree and rested his head.
"What the hell happened there? I remember biting that guy and jumping out to leave. The next thing I know, I was about to break the dog's teeth. And why did I have to leave anyway?"
Zane waited for an answer.
"So you only come when you want, huh. What a pain."
Zane shook his head.
He stopped talking and took a breather.
———
Inside the Citadel.
A man standing behind a Halocrat, kicked the floor.
"Tch. Forgive me, my lord."
"You didn't do it?" The young Halocrat asked his personal attendant.
"I had already started it as soon as the third pillar arose. But.."
"What?"
The attendant bowed. "If he had just stayed inside here for just one more second… I would have fulfilled your wish."
"You are useless."
"I almost had him, my lord. But he was in a hurry. As if something was forcing him to leave."
The Halocrat shook his head.
"Fine. He is coming here tomorrow anyway. Your failure made one thing clear though."
"What is that?"
The Halocrat smiled.
"He wasn't fated for an easy death."