The air inside the Haven was heavy and stagnant. Koma remained leaned against the stone pillar. His gaze was fixed on Kaola with a look that promised nothing but ruin. He did not move, but his presence alone seemed to shrink the room.
He was waiting for a reason to stop being patient. The shadows in the corners of the room stretched toward him. Every breath Kaola took felt like it was being stolen by the silence Koma commanded. He was a predator savoring the moments before the end.
"You look worried, sister," Koma said. His voice was smooth and dangerous. "Is the seat uncomfortable? Or is it the realization that your options have finally withered away and you are trapped in this room with me?"
Kaola sat perfectly still. She kept her chin high, but her pulse was visible in her neck. She knew what Koma was capable of when he grew bored with talking. The cold radiating from the stone matched the chill in his eyes. There was no logic that could sway him once his mind was set on destruction.
Kova stood nearby. His eyes were distant as he felt the jagged vibrations of malice screaming from the south. The signature was unmistakable. It was the sound of a seal being shredded. The air itself vibrated with a frequency only those of their blood could perceive. A violent, erratic rhythm.
"Sorry," Kova interrupted. His voice cut the tension like a blade. "But I will be right back. Something has come up that requires my attention.
"Without waiting, Kova vanished. He did not walk away. He simply ceased to exist, leaving only a faint ripple in the air. Kaola felt a surge of genuine panic. She had relied on him to stay Koma's hand. Now she was alone with the one person who wanted her dead the most. The silence returned. It was heavier than before. Koma did not even blink. He simply narrowed his eyes and took a single step forward.
The world was falling apart, but Kota remained on the ground. His breathing came in ragged, desperate gasps. He was immensely tired. His body was weak. Every muscle felt like it was being pulled apart by invisible hooks. The dust settled over him like a burial shroud. The copper taste of blood filled his mouth. He tried to push himself up, but his arms buckled. He was defenseless.
Hykee was unleashing something sinister.
Kana saw the bandages ripping away and remembered the warning. She began to back away, her eyes wide with fear as she scrambled to put distance between herself and the street. The ground felt unstable. The wind had turned into a low, mournful howl.
Juno remained frozen. She stood like a statue, eyes locked on the boy in the dirt.
"Why are you not stopping him?" Juno asked. Her voice trembled. "Aren't we supposed to bring the boy back alive?"
Lokee didn't look at her. She felt the presence closing in. The weight of the air was becoming unbearable.
"I am not strong enough to stop him," she replied. "Get away if you can."
Hykee raised his hand toward the sky. The sewed eye on the back of his hand was wide now, weeping black tears. It pulsed. Black lightning coiled around his arm. He was about to unleash a catastrophe. The sky darkened as if a curtain had been pulled across the sun. The lightning was a void that consumed everything it touched. The sound was like the grinding of tectonic plates.
The air rippled behind Hykee.
Kova appeared out of thin air. He struck Hykee in the neck with a precision that turned the world silent. The lightning vanished. The pressure evaporated instantly. Hykee's body went limp. Kova caught him by the collar before he could hit the ground. The transition was so jarring that Juno and Kana both staggered back.
Kota stared at the newcomer through blurred vision.
"Who is that?" he whispered to himself. "Why did he do that to him?"
Kova looked toward Lokee with a gaze of cold authority.
"Take your brother home and heal him," he commanded. The authority in his voice was absolute. He turned his eyes toward Juno and Kana. "You two. Come with me. We're leaving together.
"Finally, Kova looked at Kota.
His expression remained a mask of neutrality as he observed the wreckage. He looked at Kota with a strange, detached curiosity.
"You are lucky," Kova stated. His voice echoed in the sudden quiet. "He has no self control. He would've killed everyone here."
Kota watched them leave, but the world was beginning to tilt. The massive Yen expense finally took its toll. His vision went black. The exhaustion was a weight that finally crushed his consciousness. He allowed himself to sink into the dark.
As the darkness took him, he heard the voice of a woman. It was soft. Familiar.
"Boy," she whispered. The sound anchored him even as the world dissolved.
"Boy, it is time."Is this where the dream ends? Kota asked her.
"It is time for you to wake up."