"I should have known this would have happened. He's part of the second generation."
The killer was filled with shock and astonishment from the azure glow that radiated from Lam's eyes. "I have to kill him now before he uses his ability."
Without any hesitation, the killer's eyes deepened into a darker shade of red and his well-built body enlarged. His muscles tore through his blood-stained clothes and the sound of bones creaking could be heard. His mound of muscles throbbed with blue veins that looked like it could explode at any moment.
He propelled his large body across the corridor and launched another attack at Lam. The strange thing was, however, the young man before him didn't move an inch to try and escape. What was he planning to do?
Standing motionless even before the impending attack, a cold breeze blew against Lam's face and he heavily exhaled into the night air, his breath condensed into a cloudy mist
His azure eyes radiated an intense but luminous white glow reminiscent of the Northern lights as everything within his surroundings was frozen in place.
It was as if the flowing river of time was suspended by an unparalleled freezing winter. The incoming strike halted abruptly defying the laws of inertia and never budged from its spot again.
From the moment the torturous pain and screams subsided, a sense of relief enveloped Lam and a fleeting yet unknown source of energy flowed throughout his whole body.
Like a calm stream, the energy pervaded through his veins and limbs as he could feel indescribable changes transforming his anatomy. He didn't know why but he felt a strange sense of comfort from this energy.
However, the pleasant feeling only lasted for a brief moment before it quickly faded away. Lam's consciousness returned back to reality and his eyes lit up with delight. The pain from his arm subsided to a large degree and his body wasn't as exhausted as before. But a predicament appeared before him. Having been in a trance for that short amount of time, the killer was still frozen in front of him.
[Why is he just standing there like a fool? And what the hell happened to his body! He looks so ridiculous!]
Lam felt repulsed from seeing such a ridiculous sight so he tried to back away from him, but his body didn't move as expected. Just like before, a mysterious force weighed down on his whole body hindering his movements.
[Looks like I can't move either. Does that mean I have to keep staring at him in this position?]
...
On the empty streets of Evermore, several shadows could be seen leaping from one tree to another. The leaves rustled with each light step they took as if tiny water droplets rippled across the still surface of the water.
The one in the lead was a man whose facial features were obscured with a gas mask. The only feature that could be seen occasionally would be a logo of a black coyote on his cloak.
Suddenly, the gas-masked man turned around to gaze at the faint fluctuations of energy in a certain direction. The others behind him, also dressed in a similar fashion, looked in the same direction.
"Let's go."
At his command, the group began leaping towards the energy fluctuations and soon vanished silently into the night
...
177 ...
178 ...
179 ...
180 ...
Lam counted the dull seconds in his bored mind. From the previous times that this happened, he came to a conclusion that there would a point in time where time will recommence. However, he didn't know how long it would take so he kept track of time in his head. Lam continued on for what felt like an eternity when in reality it had only been a few seconds.
228 ...
229 ...
230 ...
Huh?
The little mounds of muscles slightly quivered and like an engine that came back to life, roared back to life and charged towards him.
Caught off guard by surprise, Lam hurriedly sidestepped to dodge the impending strike. His body woke up from its deep slumber and all of his muscles was filled with energy. A burst of energy exploded from his legs and he swiftly dodged to the right.
The strike missed him by a hairsbreadth and a gust of wind containing a massive force blasted forth from the fist.
A bead of sweat slid down Lam's face and he immediately thought of one thing.
Run.
Without any hesitation, Lam turned his back towards the killer and sprinted down the stairs, skipping a few floorboards on the way.
[Where do I escape to though? The ruckus that the killer made should have alerted the other neighbours that something is wrong. So the police should be coming soon if that is the case.]
Lam analysed the situation and came to the decision that he should delay the killer until the police arrive to solve this problem. With a plan in mind, he reached the end the stairs and ran across the pavement decorated with greenery.
Watching from a distance away, the killer gazed at Lam running away. His mounds of muscles enlarged by another degree and his chest pumped out a huge puff of air.
The killer bellowed with laughter, "Are you trying to escape from me! Dream on!"
The floor planks beneath his feet cracked from the immense weight and he leapt off the double-storey apartment building, crushing the earth pavement heavily with his landing. His entire body then sprang back up and began to run after Lam.
...
From the shadows in an alleyway, several figures appeared from the darkness dressed strangely in black capes and masks.
"So what do you think of the kid? Should we save him?" a lady who stood at average height and build asked.
With a throaty voice that was transmitted through the voicemitters of the gas mask, a man replied, "... If he can survive this ordeal then we can potentially recruit him. Let's follow the kid and see how he handles the situation."
The several figures then silently disappeared back into the shadows and left to follow the fleeing young man.