Standing between two towering shelves, I stared down three men. The two on the sides were the same policemen who greeted me warmly at the entrance, but now they had their rifles pointed at me. At the center of this group was a towering figure over 6'5''. His hulking frame was hidden beneath red robes and an oversized hood.
The tension was heavy, yet the room was silent like a cemetery. No one spoke or moved—we just stared each other down for over a minute.
"Lord Blackwater…" A deep voice overlapped with several voices, resonating from the robed figure. "Do you plan to stand in the way of the Eternal Veil?"
My brows knitted at his words, but the robed figure didn't even give me the chance to respond.
"Do you even know what the Eternal Veil is?" He scoffed.
Thud! Thud!
Taking two long strides, he moved ahead of the policemen with both hands cupped beneath his sleeves.
"We are an order that has existed long before your family ventured into Hollow City and became its protectors. Many of your ancestors have stood against us, but they all failed. You will be no different."
Saying this, he threw his hands apart dramatically, and for some reason, I could tell this man was grinning beneath that hood.
"So we offer you a chance to avoid such a tragic fate and look the other way," the man said. "What do you say?"
As soon as he said the final part, the two policemen stepped forward with their guns aimed at me. They put their fingers on the triggers, causing the energy circuits to glow and release a humming sound.
This felt like a rehearsed script being played out in front of me.
Am I a joke to them?
Because they killed Ralph, they must think I'm an easy target too?
"God, I'm stupid." I facepalmed hard as my eyes revealed a fierce violet glow while my skin beneath the armor began darkening.
All this while, I was playing investigator even when I was suspicious of the police. Why did I continue the investigation with the police, even though I suspected they were in cohorts with the kidnappers?
Why did I pick a method that doesn't suit me?
If I had grabbed the constable and forced him to tell me everything he knew last night, none of this would have happened.
Ralph would still be alive.
"I abandoned my strength and relied on his mind," I muttered while the violet glow in my eyes burned brighter and my voice deepened. "He's dead because of me," I admitted.
"But it's not over yet. I can still win this test for both of us. All I need is to do things my way."
Underneath my steel armor, a cold grin spread across my lips as I clenched my fists.
"Did you not hea—"
"Where are the girls?" I cut the robed man off. "Remember, I won't ask a second time."
Xiu! Xiu!
Without warning, the policemen pulled the triggers, releasing two fast energy beams. I tried to move, but I was too slow to dodge the attack.
Pfft!
"Aaaah!" A pained cry escaped my lips as I felt the scorching beam pierce through the left side of my chest and tear out of my back, while the second beam tore into my left shoulder, shattering my defense as well.
It felt like all the liquid in my body had dried up, and breathing became nearly impossible. Gasping desperately for air, I reached out to them while staggering back and forth.
Bam!
My knees failed me, and I collapsed on the shelf next to me before sliding down to the ground and going numb.
This pain… I have never experienced something so painful before. Is this what Dad and Mom went through when they were shot dead? I whispered in my head.
My body was literally refusing to respond to my commands. I felt warm blood flowing out of my wounds, but the quantity was dwindling with each passing second.
My wounds were healing…
"Foolish… Now the Blackwater lineage ends with him."
I could hear the robed man speak, his voice filled with amusement.
What's funny?
"Constable John should be done with the butler too. Congratulations, Red Priest. There is no one that can get in the way of the ceremony!" one of the officers said.
What is this ceremony?
What is the Eternal Veil?
So many questions ran through my mind as my fingers began twitching after so long. My wounds had completely healed, and the numbness was slowly fading.
They will regret not finishing me off!
Buzz!
The fierce violet light in my eyes shone bright with renewed vigor as I shifted my gaze to the trio—only to see they were walking away with their backs turned on me. The red-robed man was moving ahead of the pack while the policemen lagged behind.
DIE!
BAM!
I sprang to my feet and shot forward like a rocket, closing the gap between us in mere seconds. The policemen caught on too late and tried to turn, but it was a tad bit late.
Pa!
A deafening sound rocked the library as their heads spun 360 degrees, twisting in ways no man's head should bend. But I didn't stop there—the Red Priest was my target.
"DIE!" I growled at the top of my voice when I was just inches away from the priest, but then I felt something wrong.
BOOM!
My vision blurred as my body hurled to the left, ramming through several bookshelves before hitting the ground and rolling on the floor.
Ah!
Groaning loudly, I reached for my chest, only to realize it had slightly caved in. The strike was heavy and powerful—a bit much, even for me.
There is no proper tool to absorb here. If I had real steel, I would be able to tank his blows better, I concluded while slowly rising to my feet.
My gaze was pinned on the airborne Red Priest, but I could tell he wasn't flying. There were vague outlines of monstrous arms of unusual length coming all the way from his back. These mysterious arms were dark, and with them came the stench of a corpse left unchecked for over a week.
"Six of them?" I muttered in disbelief.
"You should have stayed dead!" The Red Priest sneered.