Michael stared at the approaching crowd, a twisted smile slowly curling across his lips.
Life had been monotonous. Dull. Unbearably predictable. Then that girl, that stupid girl, had decided to expose him to the world, revealing his vulnerabilities to the masses.
And, naturally, this pathetic human race had relished every second of it. That was what they always did. They fed on the weaknesses of others, finding pleasure in watching someone fall. The fact that nobody had questioned the girl's actions only reinforced his opinion of society. They were always so eager to believe whatever came from the mouths of others, whether it was the truth or a carefully constructed lie.
And now, look at them.
A crowd of men chasing him like a pack of hungry dogs.
Pathetic.
Michael adjusted his grip on the knife, watching as the boys gradually closed in. He wasn't particularly interested in running. Besides, where would he go? These people had already made their intentions clear.
If they wanted a fight, he would give them one.
One of the boys suddenly surged ahead of the others. His breathing grew erratic, and his expression twisted with fear.
"I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save her. I need to run."
Blue veins bulged beneath his skin, spreading across his arms and neck. Electricity crackled around his body, illuminating his terrified face. His eyes widened as his speed increased, and within moments, he vanished from sight.
A faint voice lingered in the air.
"Don't run faster than your shadow."
Michael tilted his head.
Interesting.
But not particularly impressive.
He knew people. They were predictable, stupid even. Give someone extraordinary abilities, and they would inevitably begin to believe they were extraordinary themselves. They would rely on whatever advantage they possessed until it became the only thing they knew how to use.
With all that speed, the boy wouldn't dare to be creative.
Michael remained still, watching the space around him rather than desperately trying to follow the boy's movements.
Then he noticed it.
A disturbance in the air.
His body shifted sideways.
The boy appeared where Michael had stood a fraction of a second earlier, his attack cutting through empty space. But Michael had already positioned his knife along the path of the boy's movement.
There was a sharp metallic hiss.
Then came the sound.
A slicing gush of blood, accompanied by the satisfying crackle of air being torn apart.
Michael continued moving, allowing the boy's momentum to carry him past.
For a moment, nobody understood what had happened.
The crowd halted.
The boy stood several metres behind Michael, apparently unharmed. His expression changed as he realised his first attack had missed.
Michael slowly straightened, his knife gleaming in his hand.
"Ha! So you dodged the first strike..." the boy began, laughing as though he had already secured his victory.
"Shut up, fool."
Michael's voice was cold.
"If you move, you die."
The boy ignored him.
Perhaps he believed Michael was bluffing. Perhaps he couldn't accept that someone without an ability could threaten him.
Either way, he took another step.
His world turned upside down.
A thin line appeared across his neck. For a brief moment, his head remained suspended above his shoulders before separating completely. Blood erupted from the wound, spraying across the ground like water bursting from a ruptured pipe.
His body collapsed.
Michael stared at the result.
Beautiful.
A laugh escaped his lips, growing louder until it became an unsettling bout of manic laughter.
So beautiful.
The crowd stood frozen. Some trembled, their faces drained of colour, while others remained remarkably composed. Talents, no doubt. People accustomed to seeing extraordinary things.
But even they seemed unable to understand what they had witnessed.
How could an ordinary man, someone without an ability, kill a person they couldn't even track with their eyes?
The tension thickened.
Nobody dared move.
Then, suddenly, a voice interrupted the silence.
The surroundings shifted.
In an instant, the entire scene changed, and everyone found themselves standing in their original positions, as though the preceding events had never happened.
"So, we have 149 left. Wonderful!"
The familiar voice rang out, carrying an almost irritating sense of amusement.
"We shall proceed. You've made it to EMOX, all thanks to that boy. Otherwise, I might have reduced your numbers out of sheer boredom."
The man overseeing the event continued rambling, apparently pleased with the outcome.
Michael paid him no attention.
He didn't care about Emox. He didn't care about the remaining candidates, the tests, or whatever grand purpose this institution claimed to serve.
His attention was elsewhere.
The girl.
The one who had betrayed him.
His eyes travelled across the crowd until they finally settled on her.
Short. Dark-skinned. Not particularly remarkable in appearance, and certainly not someone he would have given a second glance under ordinary circumstances.
But that didn't matter.
She was his target.
Michael began walking towards her, slipping through the crowd without drawing attention. His footsteps were quiet, his expression almost indifferent. The knife remained firmly in his grasp.
A few more steps.
Then a little closer.
Eventually, he stood just centimetres behind her.
The girl turned.
Her face immediately brightened.
"Oh my God, Michael! I've been stalking you. I want you so bad!"
Before he could respond, her hands began wandering across his body.
"Wow, you have abs."
Michael stared at her.
Was she serious?
His fingers tightened around the knife. He had absolutely no patience for this nonsense. She was a traitor, just like the rest of them. Whatever affection she thought she could offer meant nothing to him.
The only person who mattered was his Beloved.
Not this insignificant girl.
Still, he hesitated.
Perhaps curiosity got the better of him. Perhaps he wanted to hear what she had to say before ending her life.
Did she have an explanation?
An apology?
Anything worth hearing?
He watched her for another moment, his expression growing increasingly empty.
Then his hand moved.
The blade rose towards her throat.
But before it could reach her skin, an enormous hand clamped around his arm.
Michael stopped.
A towering figure stood beside him, easily dwarfing his six-foot frame. The man was nearly seven feet tall, his enormous build casting a shadow over them both.
"I said, you're all in Emox now," the giant rumbled.
Michael slowly raised his eyes.
Their gazes met.
"I don't care," he spat.
He attempted to force his arm forward, but the giant's grip remained firm.
Of course.
Another interruption.
Michael's expression darkened.
He had anticipated something like this. The moment the man grabbed his arm, Michael released his knife, flinging it towards the girl.
He expected the giant to react, perhaps reaching out to intercept the blade or shifting his attention away from him.
But the man barely moved.
"Shift."
The word was spoken casually.
Then an invisible force struck Michael.
His body was hurled backwards with tremendous speed, his surroundings becoming a blur as he hurtled towards the ground. The impact would have been devastating.
But Michael had prepared for something like this.
At the last possible moment, he threw two plates behind himself.
They appeared in the path of the incoming force, absorbing the impact and redirecting his momentum. Instead of crashing into the ground, Michael was propelled back towards the giant and the girl.
His body twisted through the air.
There!
The giant was still standing between them.
Michael tightened both hands around his knife, adjusting his grip as he accelerated towards his target.
He wasn't aiming for the giant.
He was aiming for the girl.
"Shift."
The giant spoke again.
This time, the force was considerably stronger.
Michael felt it slam into him, crushing his body from every direction. His bones began to fracture beneath the pressure. Pain tore through his limbs, and for a moment, his entire body threatened to collapse.
But his trajectory barely changed.
He pushed forward.
A sickening series of cracks echoed through his body as he forced himself through the invisible pressure. His arms trembled, his bones shattered, and blood trickled from his mouth.
Still, he refused to stop.
The blade continued forward.
And then it struck.
His knife pierced the girl's skull.
For a brief moment, everything seemed to stand still.
Michael's expression twisted into a cruel smile. Blood splattered across his face as he stared at the result of his efforts.
He had done it.
Even with his body breaking apart, even with someone vastly stronger standing in his way, he had managed to reach her.
"Stupid monkey..."
His gaze shifted towards the towering man.
"...protecting a stupid girl."
Michael sneered, blood dripping from his face.
And for the first time since the giant had appeared, he seemed almost satisfied.