Chapter 13: The Execution Day

  Ray

  I grew up believing I was different. Not in the naive way children often feel special, but in a deeper, uling sense. From a young age, I saw truths others couldn’t, and I dared to voice them. At five, I asked my mother, “Mom, hoeople made?” Her face reddened. “You’re too young to know about that,” she said, flustered.

  “I’m not asking about sex,” I replied. “I already know about that. I mean, how did the first huma?”

  My parents didn’t uahey always dismissed my questions, brushing them off as the ramblings of a strange, precocious child. At school, I found so others. While other kids pyed and joked, I sat in the back, watg, analyzing. People were like puzzles, and I enjoyed pieg together their lives based on their as and quirks.

  ‘That boy,’ I thought, noting his perpetually messy hair and tardy arrivals. ‘He’ll drift through life, always scraping by. A mediocre job, stant chaos at home, probably a divoreday.’ My predis became a game. I saw patterns in their behavior and drew clusions about their futures.

  Sometimes, I couldn’t resist the urge to test my theories. One day, I approached that boy and told him exactly what I thought of him—his carelessness, his iable failures. My words hit hard. We fought, and I won, physically and verbally. It didn’t stop there. Other kids started treating him differently, eg my ents. His life took the very path I predicted, spiraling downward.

  Back then, I felt no guilt. To me, it roof of my superiority, my ability to see and shape the truth. It was just something I did—an experiment, an exercise of power. But now, in this new world, I questioned myself. ‘Would I use these people as stepping stones if it meant survival? Would I betray them as I had others?’

  I g my group. Lucky was telling one of his ridiculous jokes, and to my surprise, Selia was ughing. Their smiles were genuine, unguarded. It felt… different.

  Akira’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Ray, what’s the pn?”

  After a pause, I answered, “If the attack happens, we’ll use it to our advaheir target will be the royal family. We o find them first. The problem is, we have no leads.”

  Theodore’s phone buzzed, and he answered quickly. “Yes… uood. I’ll be there.”

  When he hung up, I asked, “You have phones here?”

  “It’s a device for soldiers to receive orders,” he expined.

  “Do the king and his sohese too?”

  He nodded, handing it over to Selia. “ you hack it?” I asked her.

  Selia nodded and started tinkering. “I’ll see if I trace their locations through the work,” she said, her voice steady with focus.

  Meanwhile, Theodore informed us that the execution was scheduled in two days, following the kingdom’s anniversary celebration. The king po make a statement but wouldn’t appear in person—just another proje.

  After hours of pnning, we divided tasks. Selia, Taki, and Lucky would stay behind to analyze the hacked data, pinpointing the king and prince’s locations. Theodore would follow his orders, with Akira and Maki nearby to assist. Their job was to dey the attackers. Benjiro and I would head straight for the king.

  Lucky grinned. “Everything’s set. Why don’t we rex tomorrow? It’s the king’s anniversary. We could enjoy the festivities.” His suggestion was aimed at Selia, his tone overly friendly.

  Selia g him and then turo me with a soft smile. “What do you think, Ray? A bit of rexation could do us some good.”

  I met her gaze, unyielding. “You don’t seem to grasp the seriousness of our situation. And Lucky,” I added, my tone sharpening, “I don’t trust you yet. That’s why you’re staying with Selia and Taki—so they keep an eye on you.”

  Lucky’s grin faltered briefly before he recovered. “Soon enough, I’ll prove I’m on your side. You’ll see.” He turned back to Selia, his voice softening. “At least we watch the fireworks from here. It’d be a shame to miss them, don’t you think?”

  Selia hesitated, her cheeks faintly pink. “I… suppose that would be nice.” Her gnce flicked toward me, but I didn’t respond.

  I shook my head and turned away. “Do whatever you want.” Without another word, I left the room, leaving Lucky’s attempts at charm unanswered.

  The day passed ufully. We watched the fireworks from Theodore’s home, preparing for what y ahead. The celebratio hollorelude to the storm.

  Execution day dawned gray and cold. Theodore’s team went ahead to their assigned positions. Benjiro and I joihe crowd. The accused stood paralyzed before us—the muscur man who had been bmed for the city’s destru. His trembling form bore the weight of fabricated sins, a calcuted sacrifice orchestrated by the king and his son. They likely khe muscur man was i but needed a scapegoat to maintain order and silence dissent among their people.

  High above, the king appeared, his image projected for all to see. Bald, with a devil’s fork beard, he exuded authority despite his frailty. His voice, both brittle and anding, echoed through the square. “Greetings, citizens. I am Albert Elthias, sixth king of the great Elthias family. Today, we seek justice for those we’ve lost. Before us stands the traitor responsible for these atrocities. Yet, in our democracy, even he has the right to speak.”

  The guard activated the man’s voice. “I’m i,” he cried, his voice crag. “The real culprit is dangerous. He killed my family too. I just want justiy sister…”

  The king cut him off. “Lies! Today, you pay for your sins.” His tone softened as he tinued. “But their attacks have only made us stronger. My son and I stand united.”

  Marshall Elthias appeared beside him, fury etched across his face. “Whoever destroyed my city will die,” he decred, his voice venomous.

  The king pced a hand on his son’s shoulder, sileng him mid-outburst. The tensioween them alpable, their strained retionship evident in the king’s measured tone and Marshall’s barely tained fury. Yet, despite their differehey stood united in their determination to front a shared threat: me. Perhaps they khe muscur man wasn’t the true culprit, but casting bme on him served a purpose—to quell u among the people and maintain trol. I realized, with bitter irony, that my as had achieved what years of straiies had not: they had brought father and son together.

  Suddenly, the sky darkened, an unnatural eclipse. Panic rippled through the crowd. I signaled Benjiro, and we began moving. “You’re too slow,” I muttered. “Grim Reaper: Takeover.” Entering his body in ghost form, I pushed his limits, f us toward Theodore’s house.

  Inside, Selia was still w on the device. She looked up as we entered. “Benjiro, you’re back. Where’s Ray?”

  “Leave now,” I barked, fetting whose body I occupied. “The attack is bigger than expected!”

  Selia frowned but handed me a map. “I traced the devices. These locations are heavily guarded. They’re likely where the king and prince are.”

  I nodded. “Good. Now go.”

  Selia, Taki, and Lucky left as I turned my attention to the map. The sunlight vanished entirely, revealing the true cause: a meteor, massive and terrifying, desding toward the city. On it stood a green-haired man, grinning with malevolent glee.

  “The king and prince aren’t here,” I realized. “Their projes were a ruse.” Guided by the map, I made my way to a heavily guarded vil. Using Benjiro’s blessing, I avoided dete and traps, reag the king’s chambers.

  Inside, Albert, Marshall, and the proje caster turo face me. The king’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?” he demanded. Raising his hand, he unleashed a scorg gust of wind. “Wind Element: Timeless Vapor Eruption!”

  I emerged from Benjiro’s body, phasing through the attack. Surprised, they dropped their guard, giving me a fleeting ce. I luoward the king, aiming to possess him.

  But as my hand touched him, a surge of electricity coursed through me, bsting me babsp;

  Albert’s gaze was unyielding. “So, my son was right,” he said. “An outsider dares to challehe Elthias family.”

  The room filled with guards, their presence suffog. Above, the meteor neared, casting a shadow of impending doom.