Chapter 12: The Witch
The park had returned to its quiet state.
The chaos had subsided, leaving behind aftermaths; the collapsed meta, the broken merry-go-round and dangerous exposure.
Kayne's hands still trembled.
The blue hue that had wrapped around his arms now flickered faintly before fading. His expression dazed and worried.
Jenny came to face him, worry and fear evident on her face.
"Kayne… what just happened to you?"
He looked down, clenching both his fist and jaw.
"Kayne…..I think you're a meta."
She paused waiting for an expression or reaction, but none came.
"Jenny I think we have—---"
Thuff!
A noise interrupted their conversation, it was the sound of a footstep.
Kayne's head snapped toward the sound.
A woman stepped from the shadows, her presence swallowing the dim light around her. She wore a black hooded leather jacket, the word WITCH painted across the back in bold white strokes. The hood concealed most of her face, her chilly smile still evident
"You made quite the mess," she said, her voice calm and velvety, with a strange undercurrent of amusement. "The Guards will be here soon. Their sensors already caught your little show."
Jenny stiffened. "Guards?"
"Yes," the woman replied simply. "And they don't come to talk. They come to collect."
Kayne instinctively moved in front of Jenny. "Who are you?"
The woman tilted her head slightly. "Someone who doesn't want to see you both torn apart tonight. Send the girl home."
Jenny grabbed his arm. "I'm not leaving you, Kayne!"
Kayne sighed
"Jenny, please—"
"No! You don't even know who she is! What if she's a bad person?"
The woman's smirk deepened, though she said nothing. Kayne turned to Jenny, his voice low but firm.
"Listen to me. If they show up and you're here, you'll get dragged into this. I can't let that happen."
Her eyes trembled. "You're scaring me. What are you hiding?"
"I'll explain everything later," he said softly. "Jenny, you have to leave now."
Jenny shook her head, tears forming. "You'll get yourself killed."
Kayne forced a smile. "I will survive….I promise."
Her lip quivered. "Kayne, I love you."
He hesitated for a second, then whispered, "I love you too."
Jenny lingered, then turned and ran, her silhouette disappearing gradually.
When she disappeared, the park remained silent.
Kayne took a deep breath and turned to the hooded woman. "Now that she's gone," he said quietly, "you can tell me who you really are."
She chuckled, her voice now familiar, not distant."You're sharper than I thought."
Her hand lifted to her hood, and in one smooth motion, she pulled it back. Silver hair spilled over her shoulders, glowing in the evening light, her eyes were purple in color.
"Elina…" Kayne's voice barely escaped his lips.
Her smile widened. "what?.... Aren't you happy to see me?"
Kayne frowned.
"How many appearances do you have?"
"Many, but this is my real appearance"
Kayne nodded as he watched her dress carefully "Is 'Witch' your real name also?"
"That's what they call me," she said with a teasing shrug. "But I prefer Elina. Sounds a little less terrifying, doesn't it?"
He ignored her playfulness gazing at her wilt. "Why were you watching me?"
"Because you're special," she replied, stepping closer, her tone softening.
"Your power magnitude and potential is limitless. Every time you lose control, you send a signal across half the city. The Guards can't ignore that."
He swallowed hard. "What do you want from me?"
Elina's smirk returned, colder now. "To keep you alive. For now."
Just as she was talking, the sound of engines roared in the park, disturbing its tranquility.
Elina turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "They're faster than I expected."
Then, without warning, the air around them shimmered. Streetlamps along the path burst one by one, plunging the park into shadow.
"Follow me and put this on," she said as she handed a hoodie to him, with a sarcastic smile.
"You wouldn't want Ryan to arrest his lovely little brother."
He didn't reply, he just put on the hood and followed her silently.
The first streak of red light hissed past Kayne's ear.
Two Guards landed hard on the cracked pavement, their nano-suits shimmering with pulsing red lines. At their center stood Captain Mira, her laser rifle humming like a caged storm.
"Mira," Elina tilted her head, with a lazy smirk. "Still leading the fireworks team, I see."
Mira's jaw tightened. "You should've stayed dead, Witch."
Elina's eyes glimmered with amusement. "You've been saying that for 2 months. Still can't make it happen?"
"Not yet," Mira snapped, raising her rifle. "There's tonight."
The shot tore through the air. Kayne yanked Elina aside just in time, the energy bullet grazing his sleeve.
His pulse surged, blue veins popping out of his hands.
No. Not again.
He exhaled sharply and dashed forward, relying only on speed.
Two Guards lunged at him. He dodged one and gripped one punching the Guard in the stomach, before throwing a kick at the approaching partner….
Meanwhile, Mira rushed at Elina with her laser knives.
"Still angry that you can't beat me?" Elina teased, stepping aside effortlessly as Mira's blade cut air.
"Shut up!" Mira snarled, spinning into a kick that Elina casually flew back with a laugh.
"You think this is a game?"
"Nah… at least I get excited by a game," Elina said lightly, flicking her wrist. A steel rod flung Mira backward, cracking the pavement.
Mira pushed herself up, eyes burning. "Its not over yet, we've just started."
Elina tilted her head, mock pity on her face. "You've been saying that since our first dance."
Before Mira could charge again, the air shimmered. A cloaked figure appeared behind Elina, touching her shoulder. "Extraction ready," the voice buzzed.
Elina's gaze lingered on Mira, smile soft and cruel. "Next time, bring better choreography."
Violet and blue light exploded, and both Elina and Kayne vanished.
When silence returned, Mira's knuckles whitened around her blade. "You'll slip someday, Witch," she muttered. "And when you do…I'll be waiting."
At the control room Ryan sat down watching everything that unfolded
on the screen.
Who is this other Meta, that the organization risked sending the 'Teleporter'.
Ethan who was also beside Ryan sighed painfully.
"Don't worry, my plan was to see how important the new meta is to the organization,"Ryan said as he stood up and left the monitoring room.