Blinc and Zander stood in the corridor, facing the headless creature.
“Where are the others?” Zander whispered.
“Third floor.
Helping people.
The Karbu caused massive trouble downstairs while looking for Amili,” Blinc whispered back.
“This asshole is still not dead,” Zander muttered.
“But how?” Blinc’s voice was low.
“Run when I say go,” Blinc said quietly.
“Three…” Silence filled the empty floor.
Only the soft drip of blood and the both breathing could be heard.
“Two…” Both of them fixed their feet firmly on the floor.
Sweat ran down their faces.
“One…” The moment Blinc said “Go,” the creature charged.
They ran.
The creature followed close behind.
Zander yanked open a door and they both rushed inside.
The creature smashed through the door right after them.
They were in an empty operation theatre.
The creature slowly climbed onto the surgical table, searching.
Blinc and Zander hid underneath it, hands pressed tightly over their mouths.
Their breathing was shallow.
The creature dropped down and moved forward.
Then a sudden sound of metal clattering came from behind.
The creature turned.
Blinc was already standing, gripping the surgical table hard.
His eyes were narrowed.
He shoved the heavy table forward with all his strength.
It slammed into the creature and pinned it against the wall.
Zander grabbed a handful of scalpels and drove them into its body.
“Blinc, run!” Zander shouted.
They left the table and sprinted out.
The creature tore free and chased them again.
They reached the stairs.
“Keep running forward!
We can’t go down — people will get hurt!” Blinc yelled while running.
Both of them ducked into the medicine room and hid behind a curtain.
Inside the Medicine Room Blinc and Zander’s eyes widened.
Their mouths fell open as they stared at each other.
“Blinc…” Zander said quietly.
Blinc turned his head toward him.
Zander nudged a liquid nitrogen cylinder with his foot.
“Let’s freeze some ice and eat some gola,” he whispered with a tight smile.
The creature entered the room and spotted them behind the curtain.
Blinc slammed an empty cylinder into its back.
At the same time, Zander opened the liquid nitrogen tank.
They both ran out and slammed the door shut.
The room was filled with freezing gas.
The creature’s body shook violently, then collapsed and froze solid.
Outside the door, both of them slid down to the floor, exhausted.
Their chests rose and fell rapidly.
“When will all this end?” Blinc whispered, resting the back of his head against the door and looking at the ceiling.
“I don’t know… but we have to fight this,” Zander said slowly, letting out a heavy breath.
His head hung low.
“We can’t win,” Blinc said.
His eyes were heavy.
“Blinc!” Zander whispered.
“You know your biggest problem?
You don’t believe in yourself.
You think everything is happening because of you.” Zander turned his head toward him.
“But it’s not.
I don’t know why this is happening, but I know it’s not because of you.” His shoulders dropped.
“But I can’t use those powers,” Blinc said quietly.
“Because you don’t believe in yourself… or in your powers.
Believe in yourself.” Zander looked down at his feet.
“Once Tom said that powers are given to those who are capable.
And you are.
Just believe in yourself… because we all believe in you.” A soft smile appeared on Blinc’s face.
“Okay… so when are you going to tell Inose how you feel?” Blinc asked, placing a hand on Zander’s shoulder.
“What?
I… I don’t—” Zander started, but Blinc cut him off.
“Let it go.
You can’t do it,” Blinc said with a small smile, offering his hand.
Zander took it and stood up.
Both of them walked away.
“Trust me, I don’t like her,” Zander muttered.
“How long are you going to keep lying?” Blinc replied.
Ground Floor Amili and Inose sat at a table, tense and uncomfortable, glancing at the elevator again and again.
The elevator doors opened.
Blinc and Zander stepped out, covered in sweat, blood, and dust.
Amili stood up.
Blinc walked straight to her, took her hand, and led her toward the back.
Zander went to Charlie and quickly explained everything.
“Where are we going?” Amili asked while walking.
Blinc turned left and stopped near a wall.
“Listen to me.
That woman who attacked us… her name is Alena.
She’s very dangerous.
She’s trying to trap you.
She’s creating evidence to make it look like the murders in Monovi were done by you,” Blinc said, his eyes serious.
Amili’s eyes widened.
Her mouth fell slightly open.
“But… but I did nothing.
This is all a lie.
Why is she after me?” she asked, voice shaking.
“We don’t know yet.
But for now, we’ll go through the basement, get out of the hospital, and go to Charlie’s house.
His parents aren’t in Monovi.
You’ll be safe there,” Blinc said.
Amili nodded.
“Okay… let’s go.” Charlie’s House A large house stood a little away from the others.
It had a swimming pool and two floors.
The lights glowed softly against the snow.
Everyone sat silently in the living room, exhausted.
Tom and Bruce sat on the sofa, holding their heads.
Their eyes were heavy.
“Until now we only had animals and that woman to deal with.
Now the police and the task force will also be after us,” Bruce said, hand on his forehead, taking a deep breath.
“Death or not… jail is certain,” Tom whispered.
“So what do we do now?” Zander asked, sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa.
“We have to search for the C.D.,” Lomro said, sitting on a chair with one leg crossed over the other, hands folded behind his head.
“Where is Miller Jeff?” Tom muttered, rubbing his face.
“What do they want from Amili?” Cult asked, lying on the couch.
“There’s so much to do… but we don’t know how,” Charlie said, sitting near the window and looking out at the snow.
“Or maybe we already know everything… it’s just all tangled up,” Inose said quietly from her chair.
“What do you mean?” Blinc asked, his voice tired.
“Does anyone remember Alena’s words?” Inose asked.
“Yeah… that ‘humans are a mistake’ line,” Annie said, sitting near the window with Charlie.
“That line was written in a book,” Inose said.
No one reacted.
The room stayed quiet.
“We’ve seen so much that nothing strange feels strange anymore,” Zander said.
“Come on, let me tell you something to make you feel better… what?” he added with a weak smile.
“Not directly.
Everything is hidden inside words.
Everything is right in front of us… we just have to extract the real problems,” Inose said.
She stood up and slowly walked across the room.
Silence fell.
Everyone looked at each other.
“Okay… let’s connect the pieces,” Blinc said.
“The C.D.
is the main source of everything.” “And the C.D.
only works when it’s played,” Lomro added.
“That means the C.D.
is still working somewhere,” Amili said, sitting on the sofa near Blinc.
“So we have to look in random places… not just stores or dustbins,” Zander said.
“Where are the chances highest?” Charlie asked.
“Somewhere in town.
Bruce’s SRO doesn’t have it, right?” William asked, looking at Bruce.
Bruce nodded.
“Most likely it’s still in Mrs.
Milli’s house.
I feel bad for that woman,” Cult said.
“One thing is clear… we know where to look,” Inose said.
“Now… Miller Jeff.” “Miller Jeff is Bruce’s brother,” Tom said.
“A year ago a photo of him with a boy without clothes went viral,” Blinc added.
“After that he went missing.
I reported it to the police, but nothing happened,” Bruce said quietly.
“He was last seen with a man named Anthony Fox, who worked at the SRO,” Charlie said.
“And Anthony is also missing,” Cult added.
“So Bruce and I will go to Washington D.C.
to find out what happened eighteen years ago,” Tom said.
“No.
I can’t,” Bruce replied.
“Why?” Tom asked.
“Last time they shut the door in my face.
That’s why I can’t go back there,” Bruce said.
“Okay… then who is coming with me?” Tom asked.
Charlie raised his hand.
Bruce pointed at Cult.
“Take this kid.
Tell them he is Anthony Fox’s boy… through your sister and Anthony,” Bruce said.
“Why didn’t you do this before?” Tom asked.
“I didn’t have children then,” Bruce answered.
“Okay… what’s left?” Inose asked.
“The gate, the book, and Amili,” Zander said.
“And that woman,” William added.
“I’ll handle the gate and the book,” Inose said.
“Amili and Alena… we’ll take care of both,” Blinc said.
“But what about the thing I want from Amili?” Lomro asked.
“Something about that is written in the book,” Inose replied.
“First I need that book.
Zander,” she called.
Zander looked at her.
Inose fidgeted with her fingers.
“Will you come with me to get the book from my house?” Both of their cheeks turned slightly red.
They stared at each other for a second.
Everyone in the room watched them.
“They just want to go get a book… What’s there to be so shy about?
Why are they blushing?” Lomro whispered into Blinc’s ear.
“That girl Zander likes… he’s talking about Inose,” Blinc whispered back.
Silence filled the room.
To Be Continued… Author’s Note Dear Readers, Things are about to get much messier.
Not only the Karbu, Alena, and the new creature… Now humans are after them too.
Not just the police, but someone from the past who once promised to kill Inose.
And the trouble is no longer limited to Monovi.
Washington D.C.
is about to reveal the mystery of Miller Jeff… and a fighting ring.
Thank you for reading.