20

Sebastian called Caron over, his face expressionless, eyes dark and deep like an abyss.

"You're hiding something from me!"

Caron forced a smile, trying to appear calm,"Boss, me? Never!"

Sebastian looked down at the arena, where the two boys were locked in a fierce battle, blood splattering the sand, and said slowly,"What's going on down there?"

Caron was momentarily stunned but then whispered honestly,"Just a little side interest, boss. On this planet, there once existed a great being—they called him 'Buddha.' When he departed, he left behind two sacred relics, waiting thousands of years for the next awakened ones to start a new era."

He paused, a cruel smile curling his lips,"I got one of them—Nyx. The other relic is inside that boy."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, voice low,"You mean the relics merged with people?"

"Exactly!" Caron chuckled,"Imagine, two brothers, unknowingly fighting each other to the death, only to find out they're connected... quite the drama, right?"

Sebastian stroked his chin, a meaningful smile spreading,"Hmm... indeed, interesting."

Caron's eyes lit up, licking his lips,"Boss, if you need more excitement, I can add fuel to the fire! Once they're both near death, I'll reveal the truth. How about that?"

Sebastian laughed heartily, rare praise in his voice,"Good! That's a fine idea!"

Excited, Caron donned his battle robe and swiftly landed in the center of the arena. He coldly eyed Nyx,"How much longer are you going to make the audience wait, loser?"

Infuriated, Nyx roared and charged like a storm, the two boys clashing again, painting the arena with blood.

Sebastian now watched with interest,"How touching, like a family reunion... in a rather dysfunctional family, of course."

Caron stood coldly in the arena's center, enjoying the impending brutality.

Seeing Nyx struggle to speak, Caron sneered,"Want to know why I lied to you? Because you're an idiot! You believe anything I say."

He stepped closer, voice dripping with cruel amusement,"If you weren't stupid, how could I use you to get the relics? Want to know how to get them? Easy—merge into one and then destroy yourselves. I'll extract the relics from your spirits."

He sighed softly,"Oh, and you haven't noticed, have you? Your spirits are the true relics!"

A mad gleam in his eyes, Caron smirked,"But Nyx, I agree with something you said—I don't believe in gods either. But with these relics, I can live for thousands of years. I'll witness whether gods exist."

Raising his fist, his tone turned icy,"Before that, though, I'll destroy people's faith, trample their hope, shatter their illusions... because I despise everyone's stupidity and short-sightedness!"

Caron's gaze returned to Nyx, a contemptuous smile on his lips,"As for you? Just a stupid monk… no, not even that! Dreaming of marriage and kids? You don't even know who you are! You're just a vessel for the relic. If you start a family, the relic will find a new host, and you'll end up a fool."

Tapping his temple smugly, he added,"Want to know how I know all this? Don't forget, your intelligence can't comprehend our smart machines. When data reaches 90%, I know your every brainwave."

Caron laughed victoriously,"If I were you, I'd kneel and beg for mercy now. If you're lucky, I might show some pity… actually, no, I'm a cruel man."

His laugh echoed in the arena but was cut short by a cold voice,"What are you laughing at?"

Alex narrowed his eyes, coldly staring at the fool laughing in the center.

Caron's face froze—the battle wasn't over, but he'd already lost himself in victory fantasies. He'd laughed too early; it had all been in his head.

In that split second of Caron's distraction, Alex struck without warning! His spear shot out like lightning, but not at Nyx—at Caron's chest!

Caron barely had time to process what was happening before his alien battle suit kicked into extreme defence mode. In a mere 0.1 seconds, it had already analysed ten possible countermeasures and, true to Caron's charmingly sadistic nature, selected the most ruthless option—his armour clamped down on the incoming spear, heating up in an instant until the tip melted into a useless puddle of molten metal. The poor spear never stood a chance.

At the same time, a web of searing-hot laser beams flickered to life around Alex, forming a blazing sphere of doom. It pulsed menacingly, tightening ever so slowly, as if savouring the moment.

Caron's laughter rang through the arena, loud, sharp, and unbearably smug—the unmistakable sound of a man who truly believed he had won.

"Ha! You think you can sneak up on me? My suit gave me ten strategies in 0.1 seconds, and I chose the most painful one! Soon, you'll be a puddle, just like this spear!"

-----------------

Thirty minutes ago.

Brooke's heart pounded violently against her ribs, as if trying to break free. Her eyes darted across the familiar faces before finally landing on Alex and Jordan. They looked battered, exhausted—but alive.

And in that moment, it hit her.

Everything she had seen before was a lie.

A fabricated illusion. A trap. Someone had pulled her into a twisted nightmare, and she hadn't even realised it.

Cold fear crawled down her spine. She took a shaky breath, ready to rush forward—

A firm hand landed on her shoulder, holding her in place.

"Not yet."

The voice didn't come from behind her. It came from inside her head. Deep, steady, and utterly inescapable, like a ripple spreading through her consciousness.

"I need your help," the voice continued."To save Alex. But—it amy put you in serious danger."

Brooke froze.

She turned sharply to face the man behind her—the one who always carried himself with eerie elegance, cold and controlled, like a nobleman watching from a high tower.

And yet… now he was speaking directly into her mind?

Her throat tightened, but before she could respond, his voice echoed again.

"You understand who Alex really is now, don't you?"

His golden eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, studying her with unnerving precision.

"If you're brave enough," he said,"there's a micro-robot hidden under my palm. If you accept it, it will enter your nervous system and unlock your latent psychic abilities."

Brooke's breath hitched.

She could feel it now—the faintest shift in the weight of his palm, as if something small and very much alive was stirring beneath his skin.

Her first instinct was to run. She tried her best to control her body again.

"You have no idea how powerful you are," he continued, voice as calm as ever.

"But power comes with risk." He paused, his golden gaze piercing through her."I need you to open a locked door inside their mind."

The air between them grew heavy, thick with unspoken tension.

Brooke's fingers curled into fists. Her heartbeat was still erratic, but something in her chest had settled—a decision had been made.

She glanced down at the hand resting on her shoulder.

And then, without a word—she nodded.

The man raised an eyebrow, as if surprised by her resolve, but he quickly gave a satisfied nod and withdrew his hand.

"Good."

He turned away, gazing into the shadows, waiting for the right moment.

And then—

A searing heat surged into Brooke's brain, like lightning streaking through her nerves. Her body jolted violently. It felt like thousands of tiny needles piercing straight through her skull.

She opened her mouth to scream—

But no sound came out.

The world around her twisted and blurred, and then—

Darkness swallowed her whole.

-----------------