Chapter 30 Bloody Halloween XVII

Damien, Ryder, Freya and Dax didn't know what to make of Kai, their eyes twitched with confusion.

They obviously knew he wasn't with Dante and Kagetsu judging from his frightened reaction, but it still didn't mean he couldn't be a threat too and from the way things were looking now they could strike at any moment if hew wasn't willing to cooperate 

Kagetsu and Dante on the other hand didn't seem to care about who he was or his intentions.

They were ready to kill him as long as it meant taking back the seal.

Kai was still in deep panic, all eyes locked onto him. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with the weight of unspoken violence. No one wanted to make the first move, but Kai could feel the pressure closing in.

"Hand it over, kid," Ryder growled, his fingers igniting in molten fire. His crimson eyes burned with impatience.

Dante stood across from him, his grip tightening on his blade. "You don't understand what you're holding. If you want to live, you'll give it up now."

Kai turned slightly, his gaze darting to Freya, her swords at the ready, poised to strike the second he hesitated. Dax, silent but tense, his fingers twitching, eager to end this, smoke like frost slowly flew off Damien's body his eyes sharp with precision.

His eyes scanned the entire area for Aiden the one person he knew, but he didn't see him, a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

There was no escape. No gaps. No way out.

His pulse pounded in his ears. They were all after the seal, but there was only one of him.

"I—I can't," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ryder sneered. "Wrong answer."

Without warning, he struck.

A pillar of fire exploded from his palm, roaring toward Kai. Instinct took over—Kai barely twisted away in time, feeling the heat lick at his side. He staggered, heart pounding, but before he could recover—

Dax was already there.

A crushing kick slammed into Kai's ribs. His body folded inward as he was launched across the circle, crashing onto the stone floor. Pain flared through his side, but he had no time to react—Dante was upon him next, his sword flashing downward.

Kai rolled—just barely escaping the blade slicing where his head had been.

Too fast. They were too fast.

Freya lunged—her swords arcing through the air—

Kai's mind screamed. No way out. No way out.

His fingers clenched around the crystal, its glow intensifying. He knew the crystal was something important as all of them were after it, but a person who had saved him twice now told him to run with the seal, he knew he was useless but if he could at least carry out one simple task he was given then at least he'll be contended.

But things weren't looking good for him, he had been completely surrounded and he had no idea of who was who, so he couldn't give it to anyone.

He didn't want to lose the seal there was only one way to make sure that didn't happen.

He raised it to his mouth and shoved it inside.

For a split second—time froze.

Then—

"No!" Dante shouted, surging forward.

Too late.

Kai swallowed.

The seal burned the whole way down, an unnatural heat spreading through his chest, curling into his stomach like liquid fire. His body seized, his breath hitching as if something inside him was clawing to escape. The intense pain sent Kai to his knees his hands clutched tightly on his chest.

The silence shattered.

Ryder let out an enraged snarl, fire erupting from his entire arm as he launched himself at Kai. "You little—!"

A blue shockwave exploded from Kai's body.

His iris glew in a bright blue color, his hair lightened up turning a brighter blue, slowly yanking upwards as if sucked by a vacuum, little cracks of electricity exploded around him. 

The air cracked, and the ground trembled. A pulse of blue energy erupted outward, shattering the earth in a widening circle. Concrete fragments burst from the ground, propelled by the sweeping shockwave as it surged forward.

The force of the shockwave sent every single one of them flying at a dangerous speed, the walls around them met their backs in a violent collision.

A deep silence followed immediately after the explosion, Kai's body went back to normal.

The claw marks across his body slowly faded into unblemished flesh. His hands remained pressed against his chest, his breath coming in slow, ragged bursts, fingers clenched tightly as if bracing against the pain.

He hesitantly stood up from the ground, supporting his body with his hand against the wall as he slowly ran away from the scene. His chest still burning with an unnatural heat.

****

Inside Kai's room

Kai's resting his weight on a sink, his gaze fixed deeply in the mirror as he observed himself, his breathing pattern had breaks in it.

He was completely afraid.

"It's alright... I mean... It's not a big deal is it ?" Kai said trying to calm himself.

"Oh yes it is" A mysterious voice answered.

Kai turned around with full speed, his eyes widening in shock. "Who said that ?"

"Me" The voice answered.

Kai turned around again with full speed, his arms slowly rising up in defense.

"Am I going crazy ?" 

"Not yet but you will soon" The voice answered.

"Show yourself" Kai urged.

"Look in a mirror" The voice answered.

"Look in a..." Kai said turning around slowly to look at the mirror.

"That's me" Kai said.

"Well not anymore, kid."

"God, I can't believe I'm talking to myself" Kai said his voice filling the panic.

"You're not, you're talking to me" The voice said casually.

"Well how did you get inside of me ?"

"Um, I don't know... Did you perhaps swallow any blue shiny crystal by accident ?" 

"Yeah" His voice rising with curiosity.

"Well, there you have your answer"

"I swallowed a crystal not a person"

"Well sorry to break it to you but I'm that crystal you just swallowed"

"What made you swallow the crystal kid ?"

"I was in the middle of..."

"People who wanted to take the seal... But you didn't want to let a certain somebody down so you ate it in order to keep it safe and later return it to him... Somehow" The voice completed.

"How did you know all that ?"

"I just looked through your memories now" The voice answered.

"What ? Could you quit looking through my memories" Kai urged.

"Why ? There are so many things in here I don't even know where to begin" 

Kai's face twisted in anger "How the hell did I get into this mess ?"

"You swallowed a seal, the last one to be precise" The voice answered.

"I wasn't asking you"

"It's okay... It's okay I just have to find that guy he'll probably know what to do" Kai said trying to calm himself down.

"You mean the brown haired guy with iron braces running down his arms ?"

"Yeah" Kai answered his voice rising with shock. "Wait, how did you..." His face twisted with anger on realizing.

"Yep, I went through your memories

again" The voice answered.

"Okay kid, play time's over, I think it's time you realized the 'MESS' you're in." He said his voice grave with seriousness.