Chapter 41: The Blue Vision
Ren knelt beside Mina, his breath hitching as he noticed the emblem on her blazer. It was the same as Hana's. She goes to the same school as my sister? he thought, a sense of dread washing over him.
He quickly tossed the stolen pistol aside and looked at Mina. "Listen to me, don't make a sound. Stay absolutely still."
Suddenly, Ren's vision shifted. His pupils contracted, and a faint, ethereal blue glow ignited in his irises. As he looked at Mina's bleeding leg, the skin and muscle seemed to become translucent in his mind's eye. He could see the white of the bone underneath—there was a jagged, hairline fracture near the shin.
He blinked, and the blue light vanished. His eyes returned to their normal dark shade. "You have a fracture, girl. You can't walk on this."
Mina looked at him through the haze of pain, her voice trembling. "Who... who are you?
"I'm a Vaner," Ren replied shortly, his instincts suddenly screaming at him to move.
Behind him, the first thug—the one Ren had hit with the pipe earlier—staggered to his feet. He was dazed, blood masking half his face, but he managed to lift the heavy metal pipe. He swung it with a guttural roar, aiming straight for the back of Ren's skull.
"Watch out!" Mina cried. She grabbed Ren by his tactical collar and yanked him toward her with surprising strength.
CLANG!
The pipe missed Ren's head by an inch, smashing into the brick wall and sending sparks flying. The loud metallic echo rang through the alley, attracting the attention of people on the main road.
"What was that?" "Over there! In the alley!"
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Ren knew he couldn't be seen. He grabbed the remaining conscious thug, dragging him behind a massive, overflowing dumpster. He clamped his hand over the man's mouth, pinning him against the metal. The thug struggled, but in his weakened state, he couldn't get enough oxygen. Within seconds, his body went limp as he suffocated.
Outside the dumpster, a crowd gathered around Mina. "Oh my god, look at this girl!" an elderly man shouted. "Call an ambulance! Someone attacked her!"
As the crowd helped Mina out of the alley, Ren stayed hidden in the shadows of the trash. He let out a ragged breath and looked at the man he had just killed. "That was too close," he whispered.
He picked up the dropped pistol, eyeing it for a second before stuffing it into his inner coat pocket. He touched the side of his head—the pipe had grazed him after all. His fingers came away red. "Just a scratch. I can make it to the lab."
Ren slipped out of the back of the alley, moving stealthily through the side streets until he saw the familiar, rusted sign of Liraver's Lab in the distance.
But as he walked, he didn't notice the figure standing on a nearby rooftop. A man in a sharp black suit and polished boots, his face hidden behind a dark mask and tactical glasses. A shock of dark green hair peeked out from under his hood. In his gloved hand, he held a sleek pistol fitted with a long suppressor.
The man watched Ren's every move through his scope, his finger resting lightly on the trigger. He didn't fire. He was just waiting.