As soon as Killian left the Shade Diner, Will didn't waste a second.
He set himself in motion immediately.
No hesitation.
No needless deliberation.
Something was wrong.
No—
something had been triggered.
Killian's visit was no coincidence.
It wasn't gratuitous provocation.
It was a signal.
A warning.
And worse still—
An expectation.
Killian was waiting for a reaction.
Theirs.
Will grabbed his keys, left the diner without a word and got into his car. The engine roared briefly before he vanished into traffic.
---
In an adjacent alley, out of sight—
Killian was watching.
Leaning against a wall, motionless.
A slow smile stretched across his lips.
— He took the bait.
He took out a lighter, flicked up a flame, then calmly brought the fire to the cigarette wedged between his lips.
A slow inhalation.
Deep.
His eyelids closed for a moment.
Then the smoke escaped his mouth, dense, lazy.
Satisfying.
He stayed there a few seconds, savoring the moment.
Almost humming.
---
Then the air changed.
Abruptly.
The stifling heat of the day cracked.
Something else settled in.
An abnormal cold.
Subtle at first.
Then—
Oppressive.
The pressure dropped.
Or perhaps rose.
Hard to say.
But one thing was certain—
It crushed.
Invisible.
Relentless.
The sounds fell away.
Not silence.
No—
Something worse.
A smothering.
As if the world were holding its breath against its will.
---
A man stumbled.
For no reason.
His fingers clenched at empty air.
His throat constricted—
No sound came out.
---
A woman pressed her hands to her chest.
Her nails dug into her skin.
Her eyes widened.
No visible pain.
Just—
A primal panic.
---
Then she collapsed.
---
Another followed.
Then another.
Like a silent chain reaction.
Killian opened his eyes.
Slowly.
Unhurried.
— You always have to make this kind of entrance…
His voice was flat.
Almost bored.
---
The space before him folded.
Literally.
Like a surface being crumpled.
---
And it appeared: a form.
A silhouette.
A mass of black too dense to be shadow.
Too alive to be void.
It did not occupy space—
It replaced it.
---
In places—
Fragments could be made out.
Never fixed.
Never.
---
A hand.
Then nothing.
A face—
No.
Not a face.
Something trying to be one.
Hollows.
Openings.
Things that resembled eyes.
But that looked in the wrong direction.
---
And that noise.
Not a sound.
A vibration.
---
Something the body recognized before the mind.
Like a memory of fear inscribed in the flesh.
— I wouldn't have to…
if you obeyed like a good little soldier.
A rumble vibrated through the air.
Killian let out a smirk.
— Unfortunately for you…
I'm not one.
— I had noticed.
A silence stretched.
Then—
— So? Is your plan working?
Killian tilted his head slightly.
— You wound me, Eli…
A more violent rumble cut him off.
Around them—
Several passersby collapsed.
As if struck by lightning.
Their bodies hit the ground in muffled chaos.
---
Killian sighed.
Slowly.
Annoyed.
He straightened up.
— You should calm down.
A glance at the bodies on the ground.
— Unless your goal is to kill your own meals…
His eyes rose back to the misty form.
— …and to draw attention to us.
The silence vibrated.
Heavy.
— As for my plan…
He ran a hand through his hair.
— It will be completed by tomorrow.
A cold smile parted his lips.
— And you'll have your pretty little key.
A brief glance at him.
— Between your… whatever.
---
Elias's silhouette seemed to stabilize for a moment, satisfied, then wavered abruptly.
Like a flame swept by the wind.
The crushing aura vanished all at once.
As if it had never existed.
The passersby caught their breath.
Some groaned.
The bodies on the ground gasped for air.
With a start.
Like the drowned.
---
Killian observed the scene without emotion.
— Are you alright?
The tone was almost… mocking.
— Of course I am.
But Elias's voice trembled faintly.
Killian raised an eyebrow slightly.
— Doesn't sound like it.
— It must delight you to see me in this state.
A frank smile stretched across Killian's lips.
— I'd be a hypocrite if I said no.
---
A silence fell.
Dense.
Almost palpable.
---
In the distance—
Sirens.
Faint at first.
Then closer and closer.
---
— Do you want me to help you?
Killian asked without conviction.
A dry snicker split the air.
— Playing the good Samaritan now… Alexander?
Killian frowned slightly.
— If you don't want it…
He shrugged.
— Too bad.
A silence.
Then—
— It's amusing…
Elias's voice grew lower.
Closer.
— To think that you let me use your flesh willingly.
A breath.
— It almost gives me the impression… that you're still human.
Killian's gaze hardened.
— No need to go that far.
A smirk.
— Seeing you like this just makes me nauseous.
— Perfect.
A murmur from Elias.
— At least… it isn't pity.
---
And then—
Elias dissipated.
Completely.
Like smoke drawn into a vacuum.
Then He entered him.
Killian's body arched.
His fingers clenched.
His veins bulged.
A strangled sound rose in his throat—
But didn't come out.
---
His eyes turned black.
Totally.
Then—
Red.
A glowing red.
---
He stayed motionless.
One second, then two.
Then he straightened up.
Slowly.
Too slowly.
---
A smile stretched across his lips.
But there was nothing human left in it.
---
— Your body is…
A pause.
— always so pleasant to borrow…
His voice was no longer quite the same.
— Now…
A glance toward the street.
— let's go regain some strength.
He stepped out of the alley.
Directly into the sunlight.
---
The sirens screamed.
Two ambulances sped past.
Followed by a police car.
---
Unhurried—
He walked toward a car parked a little farther off.
Climbing in as if everything were normal.
As if—
Nothing that had just happened existed.
And in his eyes—
That red glow lingered.
---
And this time—
As he drove off under the sun—
---
It was the light that seemed to hesitate.
---