Chapter 18: Peter's Frustration and Fallout

Peter clenched his fists as he stared out the window of the car speeding down the hill toward Eli's house. This was supposed to be a simple job. All he had to do was get rid of the boy's mother and make it look like a robbery gone wrong. The plan was to eliminate her first, and then, when the time was right, deal with the boy's father.

But now? An explosion. One powerful enough that Peter had heard it all the way from the other side of Beacon Hills. What the hell was that? Eli had used far more power than Peter had ever seen from him before.

Peter had been watching the boy for months, monitoring his progress, waiting for the right moment to step in and control him. But this? This was something new. An explosion that blew the roof off the house? There was nothing in Eli's book of poisons or formulas that could explain that level of destruction. Was he hiding something?

As the car approached the scene, Peter's eyes widened. The news reports hadn't done it justice. The entire area was swarming with people—cameras flashing, police sirens wailing, and the once-quiet street filled with the chaos of a night torn apart.

Peter cursed under his breath. The mafia was useless.

Back at the hospital, Lorraine's heart raced as she sat next to Eli's bed. She had been monitoring his condition, grateful that he was stable. But the explosion—what was that? When Eli tested his creations at home, the biggest explosions could barely cause damage to a tree, let alone something on this scale.

Had Eli made something new? Something far more dangerous than she'd realized?

Lorraine sighed, her fingers trembling slightly as she thought back to what the nurse had told her. He's safe now, she reminded herself, but her mind raced with questions. Who was that man? The figure that had fired at her before Eli had thrown her out of the way. She had barely seen him, but the memory haunted her.

Was he after Neil's research? Her husband had abandoned that project years ago, once it became clear that certain people were interested in it for all the wrong reasons. Did they think he was still working in secret? Was that why her files had been messed with, why someone had rifled through their home?

She shook her head, pushing the thought aside for now. Eli was her priority.

On the radio, the local station buzzed with breaking news. "We now have new information about the explosion that rocked Beacon Hills tonight. A group of teenagers captured footage of the blast on their phones. If you want to see the video, head to the website at xxxx.com. For those tuning in via radio, here's what we know so far..."

In a darkened car on the outskirts of the town, a figure watched the video on a phone screen, replaying it over and over. The scene panned out as the explosion ripped through the house, a blinding blue-white light disintegrating the roof and walls. The person paused the video at the moment the house erupted, zooming in on the glowing core of energy.

"Interesting," they muttered.

Eli stirred, his vision still hazy as he slowly regained consciousness. His head pounded, but the dizziness was nothing compared to the exhaustion he felt when he used his powers at full capacity.

He blinked, taking in his surroundings. His father was asleep beside him, while across the room, Sheriff Stilinski and Miss Macall were talking in hushed voices. Eli could barely make out their conversation, but he caught snippets—words like "explosion," "safety," and "protection."

Miss Macall noticed he was awake first, her eyes widening with concern. She rushed over, pulling out a stethoscope and waking Eli's father on the way.

"Sheriff, Mr. Neal, out," she ordered briskly, ushering them out of the room. "He's just regained consciousness, and he's still recovering. I need everyone out."

Both men nodded, though Eli caught a flicker of emotion in his father's essence before they left the room—relief mixed with anger.

Eli had barely settled back into the bed when Sheriff Stilinski returned, his father close behind. Miss Macall had allowed them back in, but Eli could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't happy about it.

Sheriff Stilinski wasted no time. "How are you feeling, Eli?"

"Fine," Eli muttered, his voice raspy. "I've felt worse."

Miss Macall choked back a small laugh, but the sheriff wasn't smiling. He had come for answers.

"We need to get your side of the story," Stilinski began, glancing at Eli's father. "Mr. Neal, I know this is hard, but we need details. There's been an attack."

Eli's father, Neil, clenched his jaw. "Why do you want a testimony from my son? He's been diagnosed with schizophrenia and synesthesia. You're questioning a mental patient."

Both the sheriff and Miss Macall knew Neil's harsh words were coming from a place of stress, not malice. His family had just been attacked, after all.

"Mr. Neal, your son is sharp," Sheriff Stilinski replied. "You know as well as I do that Eli will pass his psychiatric evaluation. But we need his account. It might help us understand what happened tonight."

Neil's frustration simmered, but he backed down, nodding in agreement. "Fine. But my son will say what he wants to say. Don't push him."

Eli shifted in the bed, still groggy. All he wanted was to go home, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

"I made the explosive," Eli admitted. The sheriff cut him off before he could finish.

"You let your son make explosives?" Stilinski's voice rose, and Eli could feel the tension in the room spike.

"They weren't strong explosives," Neil interjected. "Weak ones. Ones that couldn't hurt more than a dog."

The sheriff raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Your mother said someone else was there, with a gun. Is that true?"

Eli nodded. "Yes. They shot at her but missed."

"We already heard that from your mother. I just needed to confirm the details about the explosive."

The sheriff looked at Neil, his expression hardening. "You need to stop letting your son make dangerous things like that. I'll be assigning officers to keep an eye on you both for your protection. Do you have somewhere else to stay?"

Neil let out a slow breath, the frustration still evident in his essence. "We'll stay here tonight, but I'll rent somewhere new tomorrow."

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "Good. We'll be watching. Stay safe." He gave Eli one last glance before stepping out of the room.