The room was quiet.
Dim. Cramped. The electronic bulbs had been dimmed to their lowest setting, casting long shadows across the walls. Machines beeped softly in the corner—monitors tracking heartbeats, breathing, life.
Calvin's finger twitched.
Then his hand.
Then his whole body stirred.
"Ah..." He moaned faintly, turning his head to the left.
Tracy raised her head. She had been sitting next to him, arms crossed, eyes half-closed. Now they were open. Watching.
"You're awake," she said.
Calvin blinked. His vision was blurry. The ceiling was white. The walls were white. Everything was white.
"Uh... how did I get here?" His voice was hoarse. Cracked. Like he hadn't used it in days.
"I found you at the Orbital Station." Tracy's voice was flat. Measured. "You should be lucky. The hunter who saved your life got you out of there."
She paused. Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you even stupid?"
Calvin flinched.
"You aren't stronger. You aren't sensible. And you still threw yourself into a war you had no business being in." Her voice rose. "You could have gotten yourself KILLED."
Calvin looked away. His jaw tightened.
"I have no choice."
Tracy stared at him.
"I only wanted to fight so I could get a large portion of the meat." His voice was quiet. Defeated. "Do you know what Sacred meat is?"
He lowered his head.
"Guess I'm always unlucky. Maybe hunting isn't my calling."
His expression shifted—bitter, twisted, frustrated. He bit his lip.
Tracy watched him in silence for a long moment.
Then she chuckled.
"By the way," Calvin said, "who was it? Who saved me?"
"Anonymous." Tracy's voice was clipped. "I only received a call. You don't need to know."
She leaned forward. Her eyes scanned his face—his high cheekbones, his full lips, the tension in his jaw.
"Besides, that isn't the point."
She paused.
"I think what's locking your bloodline powers is your stupid personality."
Calvin rose up. Confused. He sat upright.
"What do you mean?"
Tracy stood from her chair. She walked to the window, staring out at the rain-slicked streets below.
"Hm." She snorted. "Why do you think Boss Percy pays so much attention to you? Why do you think she helped you in the first place?"
She turned to face him.
"Do you think she did it for free?"
Calvin was silent.
"Do you think quitting would solve any problem?"
She walked closer.
"Unlock it, and you're ten times stronger than a normal hunter. Ten times, Calvin."
Calvin stared at her. His eyes were wide. Confused. Uncomprehending.
"I don't understand what you're saying." His voice was strained. "I'm just a normal human. No special abilities. Nothing."
Tracy walked to the door.
"Has your blood ever boiled before?"
Calvin's breath caught.
"Not every one of our bloodline unlocks it." She paused, her hand on the doorframe. "Steam rising from your body. Your eyes taking a different glow."
She glanced back at him.
"Don't worry. When the anger comes... it will show."
She opened the door.
Walked out.
Closed it behind her.
Calvin stared at the door for a long time.
His throat was dry.
His heart was pounding.
What does she mean?
What bloodline?
What power?
He swallowed.
The Lake — Mystical Eraland
Kael lay flat on the ground, panting.
His lungs burned. His muscles screamed. He had swum a long distance—passing through an underground tunnel from the pond to a massive lake he'd never seen before.
His armor had held. Not a single dent. Only a few tiny scratches on the surface.
He sat up slowly. Staggered. His legs nearly gave out.
If not for my biogenes, I don't think I would have survived that long in the water.
He breathed heavily. The air was cold. The sky was dark.
"Wow."
Crucify's voice stirred in his skull. Soft. Pleased.
"Shadow is coming."
Kael froze.
He looked around. Trees. Water. Mist.
"Who is Shadow?" he muttered.
"Ah ah." Crucify's voice was playful. Teasing. "I can't spoil the game for you. Bye-bye."
"Hey, wait!"
Silence.
Kael's eyes widened. He stared at the ground for a long moment, thinking.
Someone might have followed me. Someone might be watching.
But no... if that person was here, Crucify wouldn't have left.
Crucify only leaves when there's no threat.
He exhaled.
"I better get going."
He scanned the area one more time. Nothing. No one.
Then he walked.
The Mid-Spires — Calvin's Neighborhood
Rain fell in sheets.
It was a clean rain—filtered, chemical, artificial. It smelled like metal and ozone. The digital roses lining the streets were drenched, their petals sparkling with trapped light.
Calvin walked slowly.
His hands were in his pockets. His head was down. His neighborhood was unusually quiet today—no cars, no voices, no music.
He had left the hospital an hour ago. Keith wasn't home. He'd decided to take a walk.
Now he regretted it.
A strange feeling settled in his gut. Heavy. Cold.
He heard faint noises from a side road. Whispers. Murmurs. A crowd gathered.
He turned.
Walked toward it.
"Huh? What's going on?"
He looked up.
People were gathered in a loose circle, their faces pale, their eyes wide. At the center stood a group of officers. Fully armored. Stern-faced.
One of them held a remote.
Calvin's blood went cold.
His eyes shook.
His fingers trembled.
Sweat filled his whole face.
"H-here too...?" His voice was barely a whisper. "T-they detonate people's heads here too...?"
A woman knelt in the mud.
Her hands were raised. Her face was wet with tears. Her voice was raw.
"Please, please, I'll do anything. Just give me one week. I'll clear up my debts. Please."
The officers stared at her with tired eyes. Expressionless faces.
"Violation of the laws by owing borrowed money is more than a major punishment." The officer's voice was flat. Mechanical. "Due to this, you are sentenced to death."
The woman bit her lip. "No, no, you should understand! Please, pity me! I have a son! He's still young! Who will take care of him?"
"We fully understand," the officer said. "And that is why he will die too."
He glanced at the eight-year-old boy standing nearby. Eyes wide. Trembling.
"A son of a dead borrower is just another liability."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. People looked away. Couldn't watch.
Calvin's fists clenched.
Don't tell me...
"Wait, wait, wait!" the woman cried. "I will—I will do any—"
BOOM!
Her head flew up before she could finish.
Blood and flesh danced in the air. Spinning. Splattering.
The boy's eyes widened.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't believe what he had just seen.
The body crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled around it.
Silence.
The boy stared at his mother's body. Then his mouth opened.
A scream tore through the sky.
End of Chapter Twenty-Three.