The flame reflected in its golden surface, and the light it emitted seemed intoxicating, even romantic, in that flicker.
Without a doubt, such a chandelier was perfect for a ballroom.
It would create an atmosphere conducive to languid touches and audacious steps, and under its radiance, the imagination of every guest would paint captivating images.
They would look into their partners’ faces, their hands resting where they could feel the heat and softness of flesh, and their breaths would become short and ragged.
But, unfortunately, Kariel had no intention of dancing with anyone present.
And he hadn’t come here for a ball.
Rather, he had come to destroy this ball.
A step forward, a swing of the blade — and a head flies from its shoulders.
A pivot, a kick — a shattered jaw, and the body soars through the air.
Grab a leg, drive a knife into the heart, hurl it to the other end of the hall, where a woman, lifting her skirts, tries to flee in panic and falls to the floor with a scream.
“Quietly,” Kariel said softly.
“The music is still playing; your cries are disturbing it.” The woman, consumed by terror, didn’t hear his words.
But he was right.
There was indeed music playing in this ballroom.
Tender and smooth, with notes of a coquettish smirk, a female voice wordlessly hummed a melody, making the night even more seductive.
To dance to such a song would probably be a great stroke of luck.
“Hmm…” Kariel exhaled quietly and ran his hand over his face.
The unceasing slaughter had left a sea of blood.
His clothes were soaked through, even his hair was matted, which was quite annoying.
He flexed his wrist and slowly walked towards the fallen aristocrat.
At the same time, Kariel was ridiculously fastidious.
He carefully chose where to step, stepping over corpses and shreds of flesh, preferring to slowly walk through puddles of blood rather than touch them.
Although this didn’t save his boots from blood, at least he didn’t have to feel the dead bodies again.
“No, no, have mercy…” The woman on the floor burst into sobs, begging for mercy, completely forgetting her aristocratic dignity.
Kariel couldn’t help but smirk.
He had seen plenty of this tonight.
At first, every aristocrat was bewildered at the sight of him.
Then, when he drew his blades and started killing, they either promised him gold or threatened him with power.
Realizing that neither money nor power would stop the blades, they broke down into tears.
Some tried to resist, others to run, and still others to reveal so-called “family secrets” in exchange for their lives.
“How amusing,” Kariel thought.
Although he had warned them, few took it seriously.
The aristocrats seemed to have considered it a bad joke.
Well, it wasn’t a joke.
Kariel didn’t like joking.
The fallen woman, of course, didn’t know what he was thinking.
Right now, she only wanted one thing — to be far away from this monster that had suddenly appeared and killed everyone.
She crawled through a pool of blood.
The clean hem of her dress and velvet gloves were soaked in blood.
Around her lay the corpses of her comrades.
Once, the smell of blood was familiar to her, but now it was driving her mad.
She, who had personally killed many, now trembled with fear.
“Well,” Kariel nodded helplessly.
“Honestly, if you want to run, at least stand up, my lady.” He walked over and, ignoring her resistance, lifted her from the pile of bodies.
The woman flailed in panic, so he grabbed her by the shoulders, squeezed slightly, and the pain quelled her frenzy.
The Ghost didn’t care.
He just breathed calmly, his face covered in blood, and in his dark eyes there was nothing but serenity.
After a while, the woman stopped struggling and screaming.
She whimpered in terror, her sobs becoming intermittent.
Looking at this face, twisted in horror, which once fancied itself noble, the Ghost suddenly laughed.
“Always the same.
Pleading, begging for mercy.” He spoke to himself.
“Promises of money, position, everything you’re used to trading.
Within the framework of the rules of profit, you can bribe and subdue anyone, but I don’t belong to those rules.” “Frankly, my lady, if you keep knocking on the gates of hell, sooner or later the devil will come for you.” Saying this, ignoring the woman’s pleas and resistance, he raised his left hand and grabbed her by the neck.
Then he squeezed sharply, and the crying and pleading stopped.
Tonight, many things had to end.
Dropping the body, the Ghost wearily shook his head.
He walked to the open doors of the ballroom and slowly stepped out.
The majestic corridor was awash with blood and littered with corpses.
He had killed the guards one by one, and they died without understanding anything.
And this time, Kariel didn’t even look for a detour — he entered through the main gate.
His blood-soaked clothes pulled him down, the sticky weight causing an unpleasant tingling on his skin.
As if reminding him not to forget what he had done tonight.
He wouldn’t forget, of course.
However, whether he remembered or not no longer mattered.
A little more, and all of this would disappear.
That call was getting closer, clearer.
Kariel couldn’t see what lay behind the veil, but he could feel it.
His mind forced him to reject these voices again and again.
He knew they came from the darkness, belonged to the darkness…
Or rather, they were the darkness itself.
They had probably been hungrily waiting for humanity since ancient times.
The one calling him was undoubtedly one of them.
Therefore, he wouldn’t allow himself to become their puppet, wouldn’t let himself be tempted.
He would eliminate any possibility.
But this power was terrifying.
Having accepted it only four hours ago, Kariel had already reached an entirely new level.
His once lean body had become strong; bullets he once had to dodge now crumbled to dust at a single glance.
Dangerous sentry droids had turned from formidable enemies into piles of scrap metal.
He only had to think, and they stopped noticing him, then turned their weapons on each other.
“What kind of power is this…” The Ghost sighed with feeling and left this fortress.
The oncoming cold wind sobered him up a bit; unnecessary thoughts were cast aside again.
Kariel bent his knees slightly and jumped.
In the clean, almost fragrant air of the Upper Hive, he sped towards his next target.
He didn’t need to kill all the aristocrats; he wouldn’t have had time in one night anyway.
But he could light the fire, could destroy the families that held most of the power and strength one by one, and after that, the Ghost would finish the job.
While the remaining aristocrats tore each other’s throats out, the Ghost would turn them to ash in the wind.
“Only…” “Is this really what you want, Ghost?
Or is it just my own obsessions?
And furthermore, your origin…” “Yes.
Where did you even come from?” Kariel smiled bitterly.
Anger at himself began to flare in his heart.
He took a deep breath, suppressed it again, and ran on.
At the very beginning of this night’s slaughter, he had drawn up a list of families to be destroyed.
And the tower he was now rapidly approaching belonged to a family…
that wasn’t on that list.
…
The shooting didn’t stop.
Automatic weapons, shotguns, laser rifles…
makeshift hand-assembled junk, elite weapons from other hives, mass-produced factory models…
It didn’t matter where they came from; now they were all roaring.
It didn’t matter where they came from; now they were all clutched in the hands of people full of terror, venting their emotions.
And did it help?
The answer, of course, was no.
From the other end of the narrow corridor, the Ghost charged.
Like a predatory beast, he extended his claws, and just two crossed slashes turned the shooters into a pile of bodies.
No one could stop him.
Even at the cost of their lives, they couldn’t make him stop.
The Ghost leaped out of a window and, with a few bounds, was on the other side of the square.
Neon lights couldn’t illuminate him; thugs couldn’t catch his shadow.
They only knew one thing: the shooting wouldn’t stop, screams rang out, and the thick smell of blood hung in the foul air.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed in the Ghost’s existence.
But seeing him meant death was near.
Six minutes later, the Ghost, grabbing the last thug, threw him off a tall building.
His scream faded in the cold wind, and a dull thud on the ground put an end to his life.
.”..” The Ghost wiped the blood from his hands and, pursing his lips, sat on the edge of the building.
Kariel was gone — he understood that perfectly.
But where to?
The Ghost had no answer; he only felt frustration.
He had completed the task, but Kariel hadn’t appeared.
So, wait?
Go back to the Sanctuary?
In a few hours, he might return.
Would he return?
The Ghost looked up in confusion at the dim, starless sky.
Broken neon lamps couldn’t illuminate this deep darkness.
Gazing at the heavy clouds, he suddenly felt a weight settle in his heart.
“Just for a moment, he let his guard down, and that icy feeling returned.” The Ghost didn’t even have time to get angry at himself before his eyes widened and he plunged into a storm of visions.
Chaotic, rapidly shifting images layered upon one another, rushing by in indescribable turmoil.
He saw fire, fire consuming an entire planet.
Crimson like blood.
In the sky, three stars appeared from the darkness, flickering ominously.
A familiar voice from beyond the stars sighed painfully, as if in sorrow.
A golden light flashed and died out.
“I’m so sorry, Ghost…” The voice sounded on the wind and disappeared.
“Kariel?” “No, no, no!” The Ghost clenched his teeth so hard they ground.
His will unleashed immense power in this still-growing body of a superhuman.
Another future rushed in; the fire remained but changed color.
A blinding golden light seared his eyes and struck like lightning.
The Ghost jerked back and convulsed on the cold rooftop.
Only after a few minutes did he come to his senses.
He struggled to his feet.
Cramps and muscle spasms slowly subsided.
In another few dozen seconds, he would recover his strength, but he couldn’t wait any longer.
The Ghost, limping, walked to the edge of the building, clenched his fists, and jumped down.
The cold wind still blew, but he now knew what he had to do.