"Radit," his voice was calm, yet sharp enough to pierce the quiet. "You can still fight, can't you?"
Radit turned slowly, his jaw tightening. "Hey, who do you think I am? Don't talk as if I'm not a fighter." His tone was curt , not out of anger alone, but because his pride had been stirred. He was the wall everyone relied on. Doubt was a wound he would never allow.
Kaivan didn't answer. He drew in a slow breath, letting the darkness of the room press in around him. The space felt smaller with every heartbeat. Tension hung heavy, until a faint tremor stirred from above, like the footfall of some unseen giant descending an invisible staircase.
Outside, Thivi and Frans waited in the van. Thivi, striking in a neon jacket and tight animal-print leggings, clutched her seatbelt with pale fingers. "They'll be okay, right?" she whispered, voice barely audible.
Frans didn't reply. His gaze stayed fixed on the mall, as if trying to predict where danger might break through. The building loomed like a gaping mouth, ready to swallow anyone who dared come close.
Suddenly, a shout tore through the night.
"HEY, YOU COWARDS! COME DOWN! THE TWO OF US ARE ENOUGH TO TEAR YOU APART!"
Kaivan's voice thundered through the mall's decaying corridors, shaking the hollow walls.
Radit looked up, momentarily stunned, then let out a short laugh. "You're insane. Completely fearless."
Kaivan lit a cigarette, the flame casting a brief glow across his face. He held it out toward Radit. "Want one?" he asked, calm as ever.
Radit arched a brow, caught off guard by Kaivan's composure, but he accepted without hesitation. "Why not," he said, taking a deep drag. Smoke curled lazily upward, ghostly shapes under the pale moonlight.
Footsteps grew louder from the floor above, men rushing down, unaware of the slick trap waiting for them. The moment the first boot hit the steps, chaos erupted. One by one they slipped, tumbling with panicked cries. Bodies slammed against iron and concrete, a cacophony of crashes and screams echoing through the empty space.
Kaivan drew on his cigarette, smoke curling lazily as he watched the scene below with calm, steady eyes. Beside him, Radit wore a satisfied grin. "You're a genius," he said. "Simple, but brutal."
Kaivan only nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "This is just the beginning."
On the second floor, Kaivan stood tall. His frame looked small amid the ruin, yet his gaze burned with quiet resolve. He placed a hand on Radit's shoulder , a clear signal: time to move.
Radit nodded. "Alright. Let's make sure they never forget this."
They began climbing the stairs, careful on the slick surface that had become their own weapon. Each step was taken in silence, broken only by their breath and the thrum of their hearts. Moonlight slipped through cracked windows, casting fractured silver across a world left behind.
At the third floor landing, they stopped. A dark hallway stretched ahead. Kaivan raised a hand, signaling to wait.
"Something's off here," he whispered.
Radit tried to lighten the tension, whispering back, "People say this old building's haunted." Yet even he couldn't hide the tautness in his voice.
Kaivan glanced at him briefly, expression unreadable. The Tome Omnicent pulsed faintly against his side, alive, its rhythm guiding his thoughts. Carefully, he opened its pages; they stirred as if touched by a breeze from nowhere.
"Two people," Kaivan murmured, voice low. "Behind that wall. They're waiting for us."
Radit squinted into the shadows, knowing he wouldn't see what Kaivan did. "That book's amazing. Can it read minds, too?"
"Not minds," Kaivan replied quietly. "Only what we need to know."
Their talk ended there. With a brief gesture, they moved. Swift, precise steps carried them forward like shadows slipping through air. Radit swept to the right, Kaivan to the left, closing in on the wall he'd indicated. The moments before the clash felt like the ticking of a clock about to strike.
Kaivan lifted his left hand in signal. In an instant, they lunged together. Radit slammed his shoulder into the wall while Kaivan darted in from the narrow side, striking with perfect aim.
A crack split the air as Radit's weight shattered the plaster. The two figures behind were caught off guard, their reflexes a heartbeat too slow. One raised a weapon, but Radit was faster , he struck the man's wrist, sending the gun clattering away.
, [Cliffhanger cut here] ,
When She Stood Beside Him
Adrenaline lit Radit's face as he lunged at the second. His right fist thudded into the man's chest, hurling him backward. "Hiding won't save you," Radit taunted, following with a sharp hook to the jaw that dropped him cold.
Meanwhile, Kaivan moved with lethal grace. He twisted past a kick, bringing a steel rod down hard across his opponent's temple. The man crumpled without a sound.
"Two down," Kaivan said evenly, glancing at Radit.
Radit raised a brow, pleased. "Just warming up. But seriously, I love that book , it's like we've got a cheat code for real life."
As they pressed on, the air around them began to shift. A faint glow flickered in the distance, cutting through the gloom of the mall's third floor. The narrow corridor seemed to guide their steps toward a single point of fate.
At the end of the hallway, a wide chamber opened before them. Four figures stood tall inside. Among them, Kaivan instantly recognized Julian. The man's face carried a familiar arrogance, echoing their last encounter. Their eyes met, sparking a silent tension that burned hotter than words. Pain and old grudges flickered between them like sparks waiting to catch.
Felicia sat on an old wooden chair beside Julian, graceful yet strangely distant. Her crimson eyes gleamed with a cold light. She felt like someone else entirely, not the girl Kaivan once knew. An icy aura wrapped around her, drawing an invisible line between them. Kaivan's gaze lingered, searching her face for any trace of the person he remembered.
"Felicia… what are you doing here?" Kaivan finally asked, his voice low, pressed with emotion.
Felicia didn't answer right away. She tilted her head slightly, studying him in silence. A faint smile curved her lips, but it carried no warmth. "I only returned to where I truly belong," she said softly. "How foolish I was to ever follow you. My choice has always been here."
Radit stepped forward, anger and confusion battling across his face. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? You're siding with them?"
Julian let out a low, rough laugh, dripping with pride. "Felicia never takes sides. She stands with the one who matters most to her. And you? You're just a pack of naive kids, thinking friendship can save the world."
But Kaivan stayed calm, his eyes fixed on Felicia. "Felicia, I just need to know… is this truly your decision?" he asked, his voice steady, reaching for the fragile thread beneath her frost.
Felicia rose from her chair, her steps slow yet resolute. Her presence pressed forward, like the wind that heralds a storm. She moved to stand beside Julian, meeting Kaivan's gaze. "Sometimes the right choice," she said, her voice tightening, "is the one we made first." Then, with quiet firmness, she added, "I won't betray my original path."
Radit couldn't hold back anymore. He lunged a step closer, eyes blazing. "Damn it! What do you mean by that?! I'll drag you out of there if I have to!"
Kaivan quickly caught his arm. "No, Radit," he said, short and firm. "She's already chosen." His expression was hard, but in his eyes flickered a thin crack, an ache buried under layers of restraint.
Meanwhile, in the mall's silent parking lot, Thivi sat nervously inside the van. Her fingers twisted the hem of her skirt, trying to hold back the tide of panic churning in her chest. Frans sat in the driver's seat, staring straight ahead , tense, but forcing calm into his breath.
"Thivi," he said gently, "I know you're worried. But we have to wait here."
Thivi shook her head, eyes gleaming with resolve. "I can't. Kaivan… he needs us."
Frans sighed, then slowly pushed the door open. "Then we go together."
A faint smile touched Thivi's lips. Side by side, they stepped out of the van, walking toward the mall's shadowed entrance. Each step along the narrow corridor felt like crossing into another world , silent, hollow, heavy with menace. Their footsteps echoed off the concrete walls, the sound slipping into their bones like a creeping chill.
"Kaivan," Felicia called, her voice soft yet edged like glass. "Did you come here to take me back?"
Silence stretched thin. The air itself seemed to wait for Kaivan's answer. His gaze sharpened, cutting through the distance between them.
"No," Kaivan replied at last, his tone flat but carrying an ember beneath. "I came to meet the one who destroyed my workplace." Each word landed like an icy spear against the charged air.
From the far corner, Julian laughed. The sound broke apart, echoing through the hollow corridor. "Hahaha… so what, Kaivan? I'm the one responsible. And I enjoyed every moment," he said, flashing a broad, mocking grin.
Beside Kaivan, Radit tilted his head and whispered, "That's Felicia's boyfriend? Pretty girl, but she picked a horse wrangler."
Kaivan glanced sideways, one brow lifting, but stayed silent.
Felicia, however, heard it. Her eyes sharpened, a cold glint flashing. "Hey!" she barked, her voice ringing through the room. "I heard that!"