Outside the barrier (5)

"That's right," the young man said, his face breaking into a grin.

At that instant, everything clicked into place for Logan. However, he found it hard to digest that Erik had escalated to murdering Conal and Orson and was trying to kill him.

"Why are you doing this, Erik?!" Logan inquired, his voice tinged with fear.

"What do you mean, why? You know exactly why!" Erik said. "How can you have the sheer audacity to ask that question? TO ME!"

In the young man's gaze, nothing but intense hatred for Logan shimmered. The moment he killed him was going to mark his liberation from misery; his daily embarrassments would cease at last. No sweeter vengeance existed than defeating those who had caused him suffering for years.