The devil, the owner, or even the Supreme HOUM. When these names came to his mind, he remembered everything that had happened, everything they had said.
Panic-stricken because of everything at stake, Jaden changed his position, shifting from "lying down" to "sitting" on his hospital bed before asking his mother:
"And Richy?"
Evelyne was a bit surprised for a moment, which made Jaden even gloomier. The Supreme HOUM had said that if he died by the hand of a HOUM, five people would die in his place, and among them would be one of his loved ones. Richy was the name of his little brother, and after recalling all these things, his heart was racing.
Shortly after, Evelyne had a radiant smile; she was glad to see that her son was concerned about the boy who had been left alone at home, more or less.
"We didn't want him to see you in a strange condition, so we decided to leave him at home with Suzanne." Evelyne said before adding:
"Your sister asked us to tell you to call her as soon as you feel up to talking on the phone."
'No one in the family then.' Jaden said as he lay back, but just as his back touched the mattress, the faces of two people flashed in his mind. He immediately thought of sitting up to grab his phone and call. Suddenly, two people hurriedly entered the room.
It was Sai and Rose, his two friends. At that moment, all the weight on him disappeared for a moment because he couldn't help but wonder if the people who would die in his place would die before he woke up, or if there was a duration before these people died.
He was a bit confused, but logically, he had died before the "contract was signed" so logically, this death shouldn't count, right?
But it could also be because he was already dead that this "sacrifice" was necessary for him to come back to life. He could only hope that the first analysis was the correct one.
"Hello, Mrs. Lavender." Sai greeted as soon as he entered because she was right in front of the bed. As for Clark, well, that's a long story.
"We came as soon as we could, but the doctors told us you need rest. I thought it was very serious, but in fact... by the way, what happened? Was it right after we left you, or after, or..."
"Take it easy, Sai, he's in a hospital bed!" Rose said with a hint of irritation, interrupting Sai, as he didn't intend to stop. Then she added."Sorry, Mrs. Lavender."
Evelyne just smiled and nodded her head slightly to indicate that it was no big deal.
Sai abruptly stopped after realizing he had been a bit too enthusiastic, and his embarrassed face brought a smile to everyone's faces in the room... almost.
"I'm fine, thank you." Jaden answered his friend.
"You look fine, but are you really sure? You're not just saying that to reassure us, are you?" This time it was Rose who asked, her voice full of concern and tenderness.
"A few minutes ago, that might have been the case, but I assure you, I'm fine." Jaden replied with a sincere smile, reassuring Rose.
'Everyone is fine, and everyone cares about me...'
Right now, Jaden found that dying wasn't really a problem until the Supreme HOUM reminded him in a way that there was family and friends.
'I guess now I really have reasons to stay alive.' Jaden thought.
Of course, there were several reasons. The first was not to sadden his family and friends, and the most crucial was not to be the cause of their deaths and the suffering of their loved ones.
"Okay, we'll leave you now; the doctor says you need rest. Sai, we're leaving." There was so much authority in the last sentence that Sai could only submit and turn toward the door, but not without saying a word.
"Jaden, give us a sign as soon as you're out."
"Cool."
Once Sai and Rose were outside, Evelyne placed something on the table.
"See you tomorrow, and don't forget to eat this great dish I made for you. I'm sure you'll love it." Evelyne said, pointing to the dish she had placed on the table.
"You know I love your great dishes, Mom, you're the best, and besides, I'm pretty sure I know what it must be." He's mother just smiled at him, because her son's statement was probably true.
*
The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy, with no one to talk to, not even a gorgeous nurse. Jaden was all alone, pondering what he would do once he was out of the hospital.
"Young man." a voice said, sounding quite abrupt.
"Huh?" Jaden was surprised. He was supposed to rest for the remainder of the day, no visitors until tomorrow.
'Hey, the doctor said I need to rest—WOW, am I dreaming? I think I'm hallucinating.' his train of thought stopped when he realized who had entered his hospital room. He was usually calm, but sometimes an earthquake could move a mountain.
In front of him stood two people, two celebrities. In the world where Jaden lived, there was nothing and no one more famous than the CREDHOS, and among these people, there were those who were at the pinnacle of celebrity. Specifically, there were five such teams in their part of the continent.
And of these five teams, one of them had only two members, whereas you needed at least three members to form a CREDHOS team.
'And it's this team with only 2 members that burst into my room.' Jaden thought he was in a dream.
The one who had spoken was a man in his mid-twenties who stood at around 2 meters (78 inches) tall. He was physically imposing and exuded an intimidating aura. His sturdy and muscular build suggested extensive training and combat experience.
He had black hair tinged with blue that framed his face like an untamed mane. His eyes were entirely black, and his piercing gaze was supported by thick, bushy eyebrows, giving his face a somewhat fierce appearance.
'Aggressive and cool.' Jaden thought.
His powerful arms reflected his heritage as well as his past victories. He was wearing what appeared to be ordinary clothing at first glance but was a type of armor, one of the CREDHOS uniforms, a sophisticated combat suit made of high-tech, stretchable fabric, offering both comfort and mobility during missions.
'He looks tough and intimidating in person.' Jaden mused while admiring the man who had just called him.
The uniform was navy blue, consisting of a shirt and pants. The shirt had long sleeves, and it was roomy enough to allow easy movement. The pants, like the shirt, seemed unremarkable at first glance.
On the shirt was the CREDHOS logo. In the center of the logo was a stylized representation of a HOUM, intricately designed with clean lines and sharp contours. The creature's shape was imposing, with its menacing features capturing the danger it posed to the world. Its eyes gleamed with an otherwise unknown light, symbolizing the mysterious nature of these creatures.
'These HOUMs are really mysterious.' Jaden thought about the logo, which seemed to convey a lot about these creatures.
Emerging behind the creature were bold lines that extended outward, forming a sort of protective shield. This shape enveloped the HOUM, representing the role of CREDHOS as a shield against HOUMs. The shield sported a bright metallic color, evoking a sense of strength and resilience.
'This is the logo of the world's best organization, after all.' Jaden nodded as if he were admitting that the logo had convinced him.
In the upper corner of it, an arc of interconnected gears and circuit patterns appeared, symbolizing the technological prowess of CREDHOS members. These gears conveyed teamwork, highlighting the collective effort required to combat the HOUM threat.
'And these colors, these guys must have put a lot of effort into creating this masterpiece.'
The second member wore the same uniform, and his appearance was much calmer than the first. He exuded a calm and serene air, just by his presence, one felt soothed, inspired, and filled with admiration—a stark contrast to his colleague.
It was as if the first one represented war and the second, peace. He was also in his mid-twenties but looked a bit younger than his colleague and stood at around 178 cm (70 inches) tall.
His face was framed by his blue hair, revealing his thoughtful demeanor, and his deep eyes had pupils of an almost translucent blue—resembling a vampire.
'I'm facing one of the top teams in Lynon...' Jaden thought.
Each of his steps seemed majestic. The only time Jaden had felt extremely inferior to someone was when facing the Supreme HOUM, yet this guy gave him that impression.
'I admit it's a bit annoying.' Jaden said to himself.
How would a teenager react when encountering people, he admired, worldwide stars? The reaction is already excessive when you just happen to cross paths with them by chance, but in his case, they had come into his hospital room.
"Hi, I'm Rush, and this is..."
"Rei... Rush and Rei… Rei and Rush." Jaden replied just before the one with a somewhat 'wild' appearance introduced his colleague.
'I couldn't be the only one not interrupting people.'
"It seems like he already knows us, Rei." Rush said as if it were only natural to be known by everyone, his voice was very imposing.
"But you don't react like all the young people your age. I found them weird, but now I find you weird."
Of course, it's weird. Even young CREDHOS recruits are beside themselves and can't contain their excitement when they're in front of such figures.
But this young man managed to control himself. You could feel that he was excited, but he still managed to suppress that feeling, which was undoubtedly very difficult for someone his age.
"We've come to take care of the HOUM that's supposed to appear in a few moments." Rush said.
So far, Rei hadn't said anything. He was just standing there by the door while Rush was already seated and had even taken the juice can from the table.
"There it is." Rush said after moving his head a little.
Rei remained calm and just nodded to confirm his colleague's statement.