Chapter 9 - Revenant

One Month Ago...

The rain fell in gentle taps against the polished wood of the casket, and the air smelled of fresh earth. A group of mourners, clothed in black, stood in a loose semicircle around the open grave. Their faces were masks of pain, and grief was held behind closed lips and lowered gazes.

Tayo's mother, supported by Tayo's father wept openly, her face buried in a white handkerchief soaked with tears. Her shoulders shook with every sob, while her arms wrapped tightly around Kemi, Tayo's younger sister. She held on as if the girl would vanish if she let go for a second. 

Kemi also stood there with reddened eyes, her face scrunched in an attempt to hold herself together. Her gaze remained fixed on the casket, refusing to look away as if to memorize every detail.

Further back, Daniel's face was a mask of stone, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles on the side of his face twitched. His eyes, however, were bloodshot, the only sign of his inner turmoil. His hands were shoved into his coat pockets, fingers digging into his palms.

But it was Tayo's father who drew the most attention. He stood like an immovable mountain, his face blank but his eyes sharp. They were not red like Daniel's. No, his eyes were clear, sharp as glass, and just as fragile. He stared straight ahead, his gaze locked on the casket as if daring it to break apart and reveal his son. But it didn't. 

The pastor's voice echoed softly, words about rest and peace falling flat against the growing hum of rain.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the pastor intoned, his voice distant but firm. 

The first shovelful of dirt hit the casket with a soft thud. The sobs grew louder, sharp cries piercing the steady rhythm of falling rain. Kemi's lips quivered, her eyes squeezing shut as more dirt was thrown in, covering the smooth wood inch by inch.

The storm moved in slowly, gray clouds darkening the sky as the grave swallowed Tayo's coffin. Each shovelful of dirt sounded heavier than the last. His father's eyes remained fixed on the grave, unblinking, unwavering. Until, finally, it was done.

…

…

Two Weeks Later…

The sun's rays filtered softly through the scattered clouds, casting long shadows over the cemetery. Kemi's footsteps crunched lightly against the gravel path as she walked toward the newly filled grave. 

Her pace was slow, and deliberate, like every step was an effort. She wore a simple gray hoodie and jeans, her bag hanging loosely off one shoulder.

She sat cross-legged beside the grave, brushing her fingers against the small stone marker that bore Tayo's name. Her fingers lingered on the letters as if tracing them might somehow bring him back.

"Hey, big brother," she muttered with a weak smile. "Hope you're doing okay." Her voice cracked slightly

She swallowed hard, blinking quickly. "School has been rough. I've been trying, though. You'd be proud. I even got a B in that statistics course you'd always laugh at me about." Her smile faltered, and she wiped at her eyes. "Yeah, I'm doing my best."

The minutes turned to hours as she sat there, talking about her classes, her friends, and even a stray cat she'd seen near her dorm. 

It was all so mundane, but she poured her heart into it, as if telling him would make the weight on her chest a little lighter.

When she finally stood to leave, she looked back at the grave her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. 

"I wish you didn't leave us," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chirping birds. 

She wiped her eyes quickly, shoulders trembling as she turned and walked away.

…

…

The Underground Laboratory…

Two guards lounged near the entrance of the containment room. The hum of machines echoed through the dimly lit space, flickering lights giving everything a sickly green hue. One of the guards, a stocky man with a crooked nose, yawned loudly, tapping his fingers against his thigh in boredom.

"Boss man's out on some 'urgent business,' huh?" the other guard said, his voice laced with sarcasm. 

He leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "Can't wait for him to come back and start barking orders."

"Yeah, well, things wouldn't be so boring," Crooked Nose replied.

He looked at the pod in the middle of the room. The rhythmic beeping that came from the machine filled the room with an echo, while the dim lights lent the atmosphere an uneasy feeling.

"Kid shouldn't have gotten caught." The other guard said with a bit of thought.

"Should've died on that tram, honestly. Would've been cleaner." Crooked nose snorted.

"Yeah, it's his bad luck that he owed the boss money."

They shared a glance before chuckling grimly.

Suddenly, a rapid series of beeps filled the air. Both men turned toward the main terminal, eyes narrowing. Tayo's vitals were erratic, his heart rate spiking and dropping rapidly.

"Uh, that's not normal," one of them muttered. The other shrugged.

"Happens sometimes," he said. "He's been through enough. Wouldn't be surprised if his heart just gave out."

Like an answer to the comment, the beeping reached a sharp, prolonged tone. The line on the monitor went flat. Dead.

"…"

"Guess he's finally gone," Crooked Nose muttered with a sigh. "Can't blame him, though. I'd rather die than live like this."

The words had barely left his mouth when lightning arced across the surface of Tayo's pod. Sparks crackled and snapped, drawing the guards' eyes wide with shock.

"What the—?"

The glass shattered outward with a deafening boom. Shards flew like shrapnel, embedding themselves in the guards. Crooked Nose's body hit the far wall, blood splattering behind him. The other guard staggered, wiping his eyes clear of dust and glass.

"Alarm," he muttered like he was reminding himself what to do.

He didn't finish. Tayo's form blurred forward, his body flickering in and out of view. One moment he was across the room, the next he was inches away, his hand plunging into the guard's chest.

Energy flowed into Tayo, hot and searing. The guard's body shriveled as if his muscles had been deflated. His scream was short and sharp before his eyes rolled back and his body collapsed like an empty sack.

Tayo's breath came in slow, steady heaves. His eyes glowed faintly with a violet hue, his hands crackling with arcs of blue lightning. He flexed his fingers, feeling raw power surging through him. His mind was a storm of instincts and impulses, as he turned to the door.

Guards armed with energy rifles rushed into the room. The explosion had drawn their attention.

The air grew tense, the faint hum of charging capacitors filling the space. There were four of them—no, five—and their eyes locked onto him with predatory focus.

"Light him up!" one of them barked.

Tayo felt the shift in the air, his instincts kicking in. His form shimmered like a glitch in a faulty broadcast, flickering out of sight just as the first volley of energy bolts tore through the air. They carved glowing streaks into the walls, leaving behind scorched trails of blackened metal.

He reappeared on the other side of the room, crouched low like a predator ready to pounce. The guards spun, their boots grinding against the metal floor as they tracked his movement.

Tayo raised his hand and flicked his fingers downward. Blue arcs of energy crackled around his palm, coalescing into a glowing, jagged disk no larger than a plate. It hummed with sharp intensity. With a grunt of effort, he hurled it like a discus.

The disk spun through the air with a shrill whirr, cutting through the space between them. One of the guards tried to sidestep it, but it nicked his shoulder. Sparks flew as his armor plate sizzled, and he stumbled, clutching the burn mark. Another guard wasn't as lucky. The disk struck his weapon, slicing it in half before it shattered into motes of blue light.

"Take him down!" another guard shouted, his voice high with panic.

The three remaining guards raised their rifles and fired in unison. Beams of searing blue energy crisscrossed the room, too many to dodge.

Tayo's body flickered. His heart thumped once, and in the space of that beat, he was gone. His image rippled like a mirage, vanishing into thin air as the bolts passed harmlessly through the space he'd occupied. He reappeared behind them, his breath calm, his eyes sharp with purpose.

He reached forward, his fingers curling around empty air. Sparks danced from his fingertips, tiny threads of glowing energy stitching together into the shape of a blunt rod. It solidified into a short staff, flickering faintly like a neon light with a loose connection.

One of the guards spun around. Too late.

Tayo's staff cracked against the side of his helmet with a resounding THWACK. The man's head snapped to the side, his legs buckling as he crumpled to the ground. Tayo didn't stop. He spun, sweeping the staff low, smashing into the ankles of the guard nearest him. The man's feet were swept from under him, and he crashed onto his back with a grunt.

The staff vanished in a flicker of blue light, dissolving back into raw energy. Tayo raised his hand, energy gathering like swirling ink in water. He pressed his palm to the downed guard's chest.

"Don't—!" the guard gasped, his eyes wide with terror.

Energy flowed into Tayo, swift and unyielding. He inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering shut as raw vitality surged into him. The guard's limbs jerked once, then fell limp. The gaunt, hollow look spread across his face as his body withered like fruit left in the sun.

"Stop him!" the last two guards yelled in unison, one rushing to the side, the other charging head-on.

Tayo's eyes snapped open, his vision crystalline, and his senses heightened. The heat of their energy rifles, the sharp tang of fear in the air—he felt it all.

His body shifted again, flickering as he phased to the side, narrowly avoiding a burst of energy that melted the wall behind him. The second guard lunged, swinging his rifle like a club. Tayo ducked low, his body weaving beneath the arc of the swing. As he rose, his fingers twitched.

Another construct formed in his hand—a short spike no bigger than a dagger, its edge sharp and jagged like broken glass. He thrust it forward, jamming it into the soft gap between the man's armor plates.

The guard choked, his body seizing up. Tayo shoved him backward and watched him crumple, gasping for breath. His heart pounded, but he felt no hesitation, no pause in his movements.

The final guard raised his rifle, eyes wild with desperation. His hands trembled as he aimed. "Stay back! Stay back!"

Tayo's gaze locked onto him. For a moment, just a moment, he saw himself in the man's face—the fear, the desperation, the will to live. But that moment passed.

The air shimmered as Tayo vanished and reappeared an instant later, right in front of him. He grabbed the rifle's barrel, twisting it with inhuman strength. The guard stumbled forward, unbalanced. Tayo shoved him hard against the wall, pressing his forearm against his neck.

The man gasped, eyes darting wildly. "Please," he croaked, his breath shallow. "Don't do this."

His hand pressed against the man's chest. Energy flowed in like a tidal wave, swift and unrelenting. The man's face twisted in agony, his limbs twitching before they fell limp. Tayo's fingers tingled with the rush of raw power, his breath shuddering as the last traces of the guard's vitality filled him.