Friend?!
This was a word Fai never believed he would ever use—at least not in this life, not in this world.
A world where trust and loyalty were bought, either with money or with power, and whoever had more of the two would have more people by their side.
Fai had stopped believing in things like friendship long ago. He was certain everything in the world ran on give and take; no one did anything for someone without expecting something in return, and it worked both ways.
Thanks to Keal and his group, Fai had learned that lesson well. He'd decided to make his name known worldwide—to be strong enough to protect and provide for himself so he wouldn't need anyone walking by his side.
People who stayed loyal for money or power—Fai didn't need people like that. Of what use would they be the moment he stumbled? They weren't there when he started his climb to power, so why would they be there after he fell?
He had given trust and friendship many chances; it always ended the same. He had been tricked, betrayed, and often used.
So he'd vowed to himself that he would never have a friend again—no, scratch that—he would never give friendship a chance. He would never trust.
He'd been sticking to that rule—until Johnson.
At first, Fai didn't know what to make of him: enemy? ally? a ladder to climb to his objective? Anything, but never a friend.
Johnson, though, had a knack for reading people. Even after less than twenty-four hours, he could tell a lot by watching reactions, the way someone handled a situation, how they spoke. One could learn so much about a person just like that.
So Johnson knew Fai wouldn't trust easily. Still, he felt there was something special about him—even if he couldn't name it yet. His instincts rarely lied. (Well, except this morning—everyone makes mistakes, right?)
Knowing how Fai was, Johnson wanted to stick close, to be his friend. He promised to help Fai pass the assessment. It wasn't easy to convince him, but he did.
But Fai still didn't trust him fully. He expected a knife in the back when the time came.
That was until he watched Johnson refuse Keal's tempting offer, and then stand and fight a battle that wasn't his.
Now Fai could see it—he'd been wrong from the start. Johnson was genuine. Sincere. Fai had failed to see it because the wall he'd built around himself blinded him, blocking every entry, even for allies.
Knowing the truth now—that Johnson meant what he said—Fai wouldn't let Keal harm him anymore. Not when this wasn't Johnson's fight.
Fai kept running full speed. When he was close enough, he skidded to a stop and slid between Keal and Johnson, arms spread like wings of defiance.
"Step away from him," Fai said coldly, voice low but steady. "Now." It was Fai's turn to protect. To protect Johnson.
Keal blinked, surprised for the first time. He hadn't expected Fai to appear. If anything, he'd given up on torturing him—he'd left that fun to his friends so he could focus on Johnson, Fai's new partner, his supposed new friend.
And Keal knew his friends. He knew they wouldn't let Fai walk away unscathed. After they were done, Fai would be unable to even move for some time from the pain.
But right now he looked at Fai—and Fai looked fine. That could only mean one thing. Instinctively, Keal glanced toward the direction Fai had come from—and he saw them. His friends.
All three of them lay motionless on the ground. Not dead, but knocked out.
Did he do that—all alone? But how? Is it even possible for a normal human to take down three strong mutated humans? No, that's impossible, Keal thought.
He turned back to Fai, eyes flicking to his watch, searching for the telltale sign—though Fai's raised hand blocked the other side of the watch. He must be a mutant now. Yes—that explained how he'd taken them down so easily and why he had the nerve to stand before him.
Keal settled on that conclusion: Fai must be a mutant. It was the simplest explanation. For now, he would set everything else aside and focus on the fight ahead.
"Don't worry, guys," Keal told himself. "I'll teach him a lesson. He won't go unpunished."
Looking Fai over, he scoffed. "You really think you can protect him like this? Look at you—you barely made it against them, and you think you can stand a chance against me?"
"I don't think," Fai said, eyes narrowing. "I know."
"Tsk. And they call me arrogant. Seems you've forgotten your place, orphan. Worry not—it'll be a pleasure to remind you." Keal sneered.
"Remind you of your place: beneath my foot."
********
Thanks a lot for the vote
sheikh ,
Anna Grace .
And thanks for reading so far
I appreciate all the support you guys have been giving the novel .
Trust me , It's all the motivation I need