Chapter 32 That's what you get

Lena clung to his arms tightly before finally letting go, her brows knitted in concern.

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Kai offered a small smile. "It was just a few scratches. I'm okay."

"She's quite a beauty, don't you think?" the voice murmured.

Kai's expression darkened. "Shut up," he muttered under his breath.

Lena flinched, her grip loosening as she took a step back. "I didn't even say anything."

Kai exhaled, realizing his mistake. He quickly reached for her hand. "No, I wasn't talking to you."

Her confusion deepened, but before she could ask, Kai gently pulled her inside. "Please, come in."

As soon as she stepped in, he shut the door.

Lena's eyes searched his face. "Are you sure you're okay? You were seriously injured last night."

Kai hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Like I said, just a scratch."

But the way his fingers trembled slightly at his side told a different story.

Lena took slow steps further towards him, her eyes locked deep in his, she slowly placed her palm at the side of his face "I owe you my life Kai" She whispered.

"Hey" Kai gave a gentle smile warming his face "You don't owe me anything" Kai said stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I couldn't even help out," Lena whispered, her voice trembling. A tiny bead of tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes glistened with unshed emotions.

Kai immediately pulled her close, wrapping her in a warm embrace. Her head rested gently against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear.

****

Crimson Vanguard - The Recovery Room

"He swallowed it!" Aiden yelled, his voice sharp with disbelief.

He lay on a hospital bed, bandages wrapped tightly around his hands, gut, and the top of his head.

Beside him, Ryder sat on his own bed, his body similarly covered in bandages. Bruises and exhaustion painted both of them.

"Yeah, that's the last thing I remember." Ryder's voice was low. "Then… a shockwave exploded out of his body."

Aiden's curiosity piqued. "And then?"

Ryder exhaled through his nose, staring at the ceiling. "I woke up here… right next to you." He sighed. "Unfortunately."

Before Aiden could respond, the door swung open.

Mr. Zane strolled in, his presence effortlessly commanding the room. He wore a black shirt, neatly tucked into matching black trousers. His sleeves were folded to his elbows, and his green, shimmering eyes reflected off his glasses.

"Hey there!" Mr. Zane greeted, raising a hand casually.

"Mr. Zane!" Aiden called out, his voice almost excited.

"That's me." Zane's tone remained light. "So, from what I've been hearing, the seal is currently in possession of a sixteen-year-old kid."

"Yeah, that's right," Ryder confirmed instantly.

Mr. Zane adjusted his glasses. 

Aiden immediately began complaining "Ashford's a big city. Finding him will take—"

"We've already located him." Mr. Zane cut in, his voice calm but certain.

Both Aiden and Ryder exchanged glances.

"I was actually on my way to retrieve him," Zane continued, "but I wanted to check on you two first. I've already checked on the others, they're all doing quite well"

Ryder cracked a grin, "I don't know about him, but I'm all good." His voice carried its usual bravado.

A small chuckle escaped from Mr. Zane. "That's good to hear."

His gaze shifted to Aiden. "And you?"

Aiden hesitated. "I'm fine." The words barely left his lips, contradicting the weariness on his face.

A silence settled in. Heavy, unspoken things lingered between them.

Zane exhaled. "Alright then, I'll be on my way."

He turned, walking toward the door. The room felt colder as he reached for the handle.

Then—he stopped.

His head tilted slightly to the left, his voice dropping to something far more serious.

"For what it's worth…" His fingers clenched into a fist, veins visibly tensing beneath his skin. "This whole mess happened because I wasn't around."

The weight of his words hung thick in the air. Aiden and Ryder couldn't see his face from that angle, but they felt the intensity of his fury.

For a moment, he just stood there.

Then, without another word—he left.

****

Kai's door was slightly opened as Lena walked out, she slowly turned around and rose onto her toes, pecking him on the cheek.

"Bye" Lena whispered.

"Bye" Kai replied.

Kai shut the door close, his forehead banging the door slightly in relief.

His room was engulfed in silence until–

"You leave the city for one night and everything turns to chaos" Mr Zane mused shaking his head in amusement.

Kai's head was still on the door, his eyes widened in shock his heart pounding at intense speed as he hastily turned around.

His eyes met with Mr Zane.

He leans casually against the wall close to his window, arms folded as if sealing off the world's noise. His posture speaks of unruffled confidence—cool, detached, and undeniably in control. 

"You're the kid that swallowed the seal right ?" Mr Zane inquired his voice grave.

Silence engulfed the entire room the air thick with tension, Mr Zane's gaze pierced deep into Kai as he waited for an answer, Kai felt an uneasy churn in his stomach, his fingers trembling in pure fear.

"I'm guessing that's a yes" Mr Zane answered.

"Listen kid I'm gonna need you to follow me to..."

"Okay" Kai cut in, his voice almost calm trying to hide the panic within him. "Let me just grab my jacket".

The sound of Kai's footsteps filled the room as he walked towards a table with a black jacket laid gently on it, next to it an empty glass jar.

On reaching the table Kai placed his fingers on the jacket for a few seconds.

Immediately He swiped the empty jar, clutching it around his fingers tightly, with an insane turn he launched the jar towards Mr Zane, the jar tore through the air at an incredible speed, spinning around as it moved.

Thup!

The jar landed straight in Mr Zane's grip, he gently placed it on a table behind him.

"Let's not draw much attention to ourselves shall we" Mr Zane begged.

Kai's eyes widened in shock, his last minute plan turned into dust before his very eyes.

Kai hesitantly raised both his arms up ready to attack.

"Really ?" Mr Zane mocked.

Kai surged forward but in an instant.

He was upside down. "Huh" Kai muttered trying to understand what just happened.

The ground was so close to his face both his arms hung in the air and he felt someone's palm wrapped tightly around his ankles.

Mr Zane.

"I really don't have time for this kid, I'd have knocked you out but I have no interest in carrying you all the way back, so be a good little boy and follow me"

His voice was calm yet authoritative. The way he spoke didn't seem to give Kai chills, his tensed muscles calmed as he hung upside down.

"Okay, I'll come with you" Kai agreed.

Thud! 

He released his grip, Kai's head struck the ground with intense force.

Owwww! Kai yelled.

"That's what you get fo

r throwing an empty peanut butter jar at me" Mr Zane said walking towards the door.

"It wasn't peanut butter" Kai muttered rubbing his palm against his head.