[April 15th, 2024]
Rey's steps faltered when he realized people were staring.
At first, he thought he was imagining it. But the whispers and snickers confirmed it — dozens of eyes lingered on him, mocking the boy who seemed to be muttering to thin air.
His face heated. Before, when he spoke with Aiden in public, nobody cared. Yet now, heads turned as if he were a walking spectacle.
Rey had no idea the relic integration had changed him. His jawline was sharper, his frame taller, and his skin carried the glow of someone sculpted for billboards. In the eyes of strangers, he wasn't an awkward teenager anymore — he looked like a model who had lost his mind.
He quickened his pace, embarrassment twisting his gut, and then broke into a run.
People turned their heads as he blurred past. His speed alone drew murmurs of awe. Athlete… track star? They guessed, then moved on with their day.
When Rey finally crossed the street and slowed, no one pursued. Oddly, he wasn't even winded. His breathing was steady, his muscles loose. Stats, huh? So this is what being enhanced feels like.
Yet the stares didn't stop.
Even when he walked normally, women turned, and men squinted with curiosity. He tugged at his collar, wishing he could disappear.
"Kid," Aiden's voice drifted in his mind, dry and sharp. "Three men have been on your tail since you bolted."
Rey's stomach dropped. "Who—?" He began to glance back, but Aiden snapped.
"Idiot. Turn around and you'll blow it. Keep walking."
Rey nodded stiffly, eyes widening in surprise. "So… what do I do?"
"Don't lead them home," Aiden instructed. "Find somewhere quiet. Cut them off there."
Rey obeyed, adjusting his path away from his neighborhood. But fate had its own sense of humor.
Because just then, he spotted his mother and little sister, Emmy, on the opposite sidewalk, grocery bags dangling from their arms.
His blood ran cold.
"Oh, sh*t." He ducked instantly behind a street post.
"What now?" Aiden demanded.
"My mom and Emmy. They'll recognize me."
Sure enough, Jasmine was bargaining at a vendor stall while Emmy fiddled with a bag of candy.
Aiden clicked his tongue. "So? Sneak past or bolt?"
Rey chewed his lip, panic racing. Then he whispered, "Zero. Come out."
His clothes rippled. From the fibers, liquid silver flowed like mercury, pooling into a small figure before his chest.
[Yes, Master. What do you need?] Text shimmered on a projected panel above the blob.
"I need a disguise. Change these clothes, make me a cap… and a mask."
[Understood.]
The living fabric crawled across his skin. His school uniform dissolved into casual streetwear — a dark jacket, slim-fit jeans. Silver threads slid up to cover his mouth and nose, forming a sleek black mask, while a cap materialized and lowered over his face.
When it was done, Rey glanced at a shop window reflection. A stranger looked back.
"How do I look?"
Aiden gave a low chuckle. "Passable. Any more and you'll scream suspicious."
[Agreed.] Zero's text blinked.
"Alright. Here goes nothing…"
Rey exhaled, stepping into the street. His heart pounded as he passed within arm's reach of his family. Jasmine didn't spare him a glance. Emmy kept humming.
They walked right past.
Rey almost collapsed in relief, biting back the urge to run. He pushed forward, faster now, until the danger was gone.
But he knew Aiden was right — sooner or later, those men would catch up.
And they did.
By the time he reached an old backstreet, silence stretched unnaturally thick. His steps slowed. Then the headlights flared.
A black car rolled in from one end of the road. Another slid in behind him, boxing him in.
Rey's pulse spiked. The deserted street was barely four meters wide, walled with shadowy buildings on either side.
"Well prepared," Aiden muttered.
Rey flexed his fists. His only fear wasn't losing — it was killing. "What if I… go too far?"
"If it happens, it happens. Jungle law, boy. But you're not helpless anymore. Don't forget that."
The car doors didn't open. For a moment, tension hung sharp enough to cut.
Then, footsteps.
Thugs filtered out of alley corners, circling him with iron rods, bats, and chains. Their smirks widened, savoring his unease.
Finally, their leader appeared, dragging on a cigarette. His leather jacket gleamed under the dim streetlight, and his grin carried the weight of practiced cruelty.
He flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it.
"Well, well. The fish swam into the net all by himself."
Rey's lips curved into a thin smile. "Funny. From where I'm standing, it looks like hunters about to become prey."
The circle erupted in laughter.
"Hahaha! This kid's cracked in the head!"
Their boss sneered. "Vito. Remember the name before you get flattened. Kid, nothing personal. You pissed off someone important, and I get paid to handle the dirty work. That's all."
Rey tilted his head. "That's it? A rich man gets offended, so you swing bats for him. If it were a poor man, he'd just suffer. Pathetic." He slid into a stance, eyes sharpening.
Aiden's voice pressed into his mind. "Wait. I've got a plan. Beat them too badly, and their boss will just send stronger hounds. Better to draw out the one pulling the strings."
'Then spit it out before they rush me.'
Aiden whispered fast, and Rey's lips curved slightly in agreement.
"Enough chatter!" Vito barked. "Get him!"
The men surged forward.
A bat whistled past his head, and a chain cracked toward his ribs. Rey twisted, dodging with precision, fists clenched but holding back. He refused to strike yet.
But then — crack!
A steel rod slammed into his temple.
Stars exploded in his vision. His legs wobbled.
The thugs roared and piled on, raining blows from every side. Clubs battered his arms, chains snapped across his back. He gritted his teeth, refusing to go down — but his body slowed, sluggish, every hit adding weight.
Minutes later, Rey collapsed to his knees, skin raw with bruises, blood trickling from his lip.
And still, Vito's men weren't finished.
-To be Continued-
What will Rey do next? What is Aiden's hidden plan?