"Just do it," Kaivan said coolly, his tone cutting off any debate.
Reluctantly, Thivi poured shampoo into the water. Radit sealed each bottle tightly, staring at the foaming liquid with curiosity. "This keeps getting weirder," he muttered.
When everything was ready, they gathered outside the ruined workshop. The night air was sharp; crickets chirped through the quiet. Frans arrived in a black SUV, slightly out of breath. "Car's ready," he announced.
One by one, they climbed in. Inside the vehicle, silence reigned. Frans gripped the steering wheel firmly; Radit glanced now and then at the bottles in his lap, trying to guess their purpose. Thivi leaned back, restless, fingers playing with a strand of her hair.
Kaivan sat in the front seat, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "We don't have much time. They might leave that place soon. If we want to strike back, we have to be fast , and precise."
Frans looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Kaivan, are we sure we're ready? What if they're stronger?"
Kaivan turned slowly, fire burning in his gaze. "They destroyed our place first. Now it's our turn to tear theirs apart."
The words lingered in the car, drawing a hush over everyone. Frans gave a small nod and pressed the accelerator harder. The SUV glided through the empty streets, heading toward a confrontation wrapped in uncertainty.
Inside the speeding vehicle, Kaivan felt a strange storm rise in his chest , not fear, but a blend of determination and simmering anger. He knew this night would change everything. Not just for him, but for everyone at his side. This wasn't only revenge; it was the beginning of something far greater.
His hand moved, gently brushing Thivi's head, fingers slipping through her hair as if to calm the tempest inside him. Thivi looked up, meeting his gaze with quiet understanding, as though she could read the turmoil he hadn't voiced. Softly, Kaivan whispered, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."
His voice trembled, heavy with an unspoken burden. He knew the fight ahead wouldn't be ordinary , it was dangerous, and he hated dragging those he cared for into its shadow.
Thivi shook her head slowly, a faint smile gracing her lips. "It's alright. I know you're angry," she said gently, her calm voice a small light in the darkness surrounding them. As always, she was Kaivan's balance.
But the moment didn't last. Kaivan reached into his jacket, pulling out the Tome Omnicent. Under the pale glow of the streetlights, he opened its worn pages one by one. Each sheet felt heavy, as if holding the answers of the world. His eyes scanned the fading ink, searching for direction. "We need to know where they are," he murmured.
Something felt off. Thivi and Radit, leaning forward from the front seat, saw only blank parchment , no writing, no drawings, just aged paper.
"I don't see anything, Kai," Radit said, baffled. "It's all blank…"
Kaivan narrowed his eyes, focusing on the tome. In the darkness enfolding them, an answer surfaced. "They're on the third floor," he said quietly, yet with certainty. "We'll draw them down , and bring everything crashing on them." A flash of strategy lit his gaze.
Radit looked bewildered. "I'm sorry, but all I see is empty pages."
Kaivan didn't reply. Instead, he noticed faint words at the corner: Point a camera at my pages.
"Try aiming your phone's camera at this," he told Radit. Though hesitant, Radit did as asked. As the screen hovered over the book, an image flickered to life: the third floor of an abandoned mall, shadows moving swiftly, alert.
"I see it, Kaivan. Exactly," Radit whispered, awe lacing his voice.
The tome's secret finally stretched beyond Kaivan alone. Its magic, through technology, revealed truths long hidden. Now, there was no room for doubt. With a new clarity, they began forming their plan.
"We'll draw them down," Kaivan said. "Then trap them on the stairs."
The SUV slowed near the looming mall, a relic from another age. The derelict building rose like a phantom, its cracked frame catching the faint glow of streetlights. Shadows clung to its surface, and the wind sighed through its wounds.
Kaivan stepped out first, Radit following close behind. In Kaivan's grip were five bottles filled with water and shampoo. Together, they moved through the silent corridor toward the main stairwell. One by one, they poured the slick mixture across each step.
The blend spread thin over the concrete, a treacherous sheen invisible to the eye , ready to topple anyone rushing down. Each drop felt like time itself, waiting to spring its trap.
That night, the world seemed swallowed by stillness, wrapping the old mall in the hush of forgotten ages. The building stood like the bones of history, worn by years, steeped in silence broken only by the breath of the wind slipping through its cracks. On the second floor, moonlight cut through dusty glass, casting Kaivan and Radit as silhouettes carved from shadow and resolve.
Kaivan stood tall, lean but unshaken. His eyes settled on Radit, as if weighing the strength of his resolve in silence.