Chapter 145
Chase (4)
IAM weaved in between the surprised pestradians, their faces turning sharply as his blurred figure cut through the street like a streak of wind. Clothes fluttered in his wake, some bags nearly slipped from their owners hands, and more than a few people stumbled as they tried to process what had just happened.
The pedestrians' heads snapped back and forth, following his trajectory—but before they could even take a proper breath, three more figures tore past—their quick rhythmic thuds of their boots striking the cobblestone blending into the background noise of the busy street.
Just as the crowd began to murmur. A wave of shouting and the thunder of many heavy footsteps erupted from behind. A mass of furious faces surged forward, mouths open mid-yell. Their arms pumped violently, and their bodies leaned into the run as though pure hatred was the only thing propelling them.
The crowd froze in confusion with their brows furrowed. People exchanged brief startled glances. The scene had happened so quickly it almost didn't feel real.
...
"Wait up! IAM!" Reuel's voice cracked slightly as he yelled at the top of his lungs, forcing himself to keep pace. "What should we do? Even if they're injured, we can't take on fifteen people at once!"
IAM flicked a glance over his shoulder, his expression plain as though the answer was so obvious. "Can you not see the answer in front of you?!" he said, his voice carrying over the chaos before he whipped his head back around and pushed harder.
Reuel's face tightened in confusion — but then it clicked. "We can't run forever! We've gotta shake them off somehow!" he shouted.
IAM's voice came back. "Split up! Stop following me then!"
Reuel's mouth opened for a retort, but before he could speak, Henry cut in between breaths. "That's actually a great idea. Let's meet back up at the academy!" His words left no room for discussion — the moment they were out of his mouth, Henry veered sharply to the right, vanishing into the dense throng of pedestrians.
Reuel blinked, before turning to say something to Yohan — only to find that Yohan was already gone, swallowed by the crowd as if the air had simply erased him. "Well… fuck," Reuel muttered under his breath, his frustration twisting into a half-grimace, half-smirk before he forced himself into a sharp turn down another path.
"Shit! Did they just split up?!" one of the bullies yelled mid-run, his voice cracking with disbelief. "What do we do? Who do we chase?!"
The guy whose groin IAM had been hit earlier didn't even seem to hear him. His face was still a mask of pain and fury, his jaw was clenched so tightly it seemed like it might crack. His red-rimmed eyes burned with an obsession that bordered on feral, and without a moment's hesitation, he kept barreling in the exact direction IAM had gone — limping, but somehow maintaining an inhuman pace.
The leader of the group blinked rapidly, his expression changing to frustration. "Split up too! Get all of them!"
One of the others hesitated, his voice cracking nervously. "Won't that make it easier for them to take us down?"
The leader snarled back. "That was because they took us by surprise! They're definitely tired after all that. And even if not, this is still the best option… We cannot let those guys escape after what they did!"
His voice was the final word. The group fragmented instantly — three others broke away to join the chase for IAM, following behind the limping but unstoppable front-runner. The leader himself, flanked by two more, pivoted toward Reuel's route. Four split off toward Yohan, and another four in Henry's direction.
...
Henry ducked behind the side of a shop, his chest rising and falling in deep, ragged heaves. The burn of fatigue was spreading through him like poison, each swallow tasting like iron than the last. He bent forward slightly, one hand gripping his knee, the other pressed flat against the shop wall for support.
It was then that he realized exactly where he was leaning. His eyes tracked upward — bright pastel-colored signage with elegant script, posters of lace and silk in the windows. His stomach dropped. He was standing at the entrance to a lingerie shop...
His back straightened instantly, like a man touched by an electric current. He stepped away, almost tripping over himself, his face heating under the subtle, knowing glances from a pair of women nearby. One of them raised a brow in quiet amusement; the other smirked faintly.
"Hey! There he is!"
Henry's heart sank as the shout cut through the street. He didn't even get the chance to feel embarrassed anymore. Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and broke into a sprint, his earlier exhaustion momentarily shoved aside.
...
Yohan had been running on instinct until he noticed the trees and open grass ahead. The noise of the streets softened behind him, replaced by the gentler ambience of nature. He slowed his pace, sucking in deep breaths, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction as he took in the park.
Families dotted the green expanse — children chasing each other in fits of laughter, couples walking hand-in-hand near the calm, glimmering lake. The air was fresher here, laced with the faint scent of flowers. Yohan allowed himself a deep inhale, trying to let the fatigue slide from his muscles.
That moment of calm didn't last.
Something made him turn his head — and there they were. The group that had been chasing him, just far enough that they hadn't noticed him yet.
He shifted into motion without a sound, feet pressing softly against the grass as he cut toward the denser cluster of trees.
"Wait! Look at that guy running — that has to be him!"
"Get him!"
The shouts snapped across the park, sending birds scattering from the treetops.
...
Reuel dashed through a crowded street, the chaotic sound of his own breathing mixing with the blare of car horns and the whoosh of passing vehicles. The city traffic roared around him, each crossing a dance with danger.
Behind him, the leader's voice cut through the noise. "There's that motherfucker! Make sure you get his phone off him!" His rage had twisted his features into something ugly, and every word was stained with fury.
Reuel glanced over his shoulder briefly, lips curling into a challenging grin. "You'll never catch me!"
It was a taunt more than a statement — but already, the seed of a plan had sprouted in his mind.
...
IAM plunged forward through the crowds, the world around him reduced to a rapid blur of shop signs, moving bodies, and shifting colors. His focus was narrowed to the thin line of space ahead of him, his legs pounding against the ground in relentless rhythm.
Even without hearing their shouts, he could feel them — a crawling sensation on the back of his neck, the unmistakable feeling of hostile intent aimed squarely at him.
He risked a glance behind him. There he was — the man he had one tapped on the groin. His face was a mess of pain and mania, yet those bloodshot eyes were locked on IAM with terrifying precision. Limp or no limp, nothing in his posture suggested he intended to stop.
IAM snapped his head forward again. Maybe — just maybe — he should stop hitting guys in the balls.