The overlapping voices failed to register in Ren's mind as he staggered towards the bathroom at the end of the corridor. The sweat ran down his cheek, making his body uncomfortable and heavy. His gaze lingered on the dark spots gathering in his eyesight.
His legs felt like jelly as he helplessly watched his body leaning forward without control. He used all his strength to grab the cold handle to stabilize himself, yet he felt the darkness increasing in his sight.
The sudden blurriness made Ren's heart thump with panic. He didn't want to lose his eyesight so soon.
"Hel..." His desperate call for help finally woke the still-sleeping cub up.
When the Good Operating Web Domain system returned from its passive rest zone, all it saw was its newly registered host clinging to the arm of Kade Death. The system panicked and sent an emergency signal to higher-ups, only to receive a reply to hold on and report the situation.
System watched with bated breath as Ren succumbed to oblivion, and Kade picked up the fainted person like he weighed nothing.
----------------------
In the principal's office, a mellow voice requested the person sitting on the head chair, "Shut the school for a few days."
It was a request only in name, her authority didn't leave room for any further negotiation.
The voice, sweet enough to make others swoon, yet Tori's aura was strong enough to keep others at bay.
"I understand, Officer Krink, however, we cannot simply shut the school down for so long without giving the parents a proper explanation," Principal Satori explained helplessly.
"Keep it open and what? Get a few more killed?" Tori's voice dropped a few degrees, challenging the stubborn old man while scaring the dozing Colton into alertness.
With it being the third murder and all leads pointing toward the academy, Satori reluctantly agreed, "Fine, but I am not disclosing the last victim to the students," he leaned on his chair, "It will only increase the panic and alert the killer."
"Fair enough," Tori's coldness finally eased.
As they left the office, Colton sighed with relief, eager to leave the overbearing lady's presence. However, his exhaustion vanished when he saw Kade holding an unconscious child in his arms.
"Boss, Kade is kidnapping children!" Colton exclaimed; his words met with a twitch of Tori's lips. It wasn't the first time Colton had spoken nonsense in front of her, nor would it be the last.
Ignoring him, she approached the new member of their team. "What happened?"
This person had been forced to join their team because no one else was willing to take the risk of angering a Dure. Yet, there had never been a loss in the number of people who threw themselves into his arms. All those people had been overwhelmed by Kade's resistance and fainted on the spot. Hence, seeing him holding someone again didn't surprise them.
In a hushed tone barely louder than a breath, the speaker, cautious not to disturb the figure cradled in his arms, murmured, "Angel... fell."
Forget Colton; even Torii was startled.
Angel? That's new!
Colton lifted the hoodie and gasped in admiration, "Oh, wow! Angel, huh?"
Ignoring Colton's comment, Tori motioned them to take the pale kid to the school clinic. The kid looked too weak.
Ress, the last member of the team, approached frowning Tori as she watched Kade and Colton walking away.
"What happened? Did someone try to approach Kade again?" a smile evident in Ress' tone.
"No," the coldness in the team leader's voice shattered the joking atmosphere in an instant, "Investigate that kid's condition and meet me at headquarters."
All three corpses appeared to be exhausted beyond human tolerance. This kid might or might not be linked to the incident. Sure enough, Ress got his next assignment as soon as he met the team leader.
"Damn, this work!" He muttered under his breath before leaving for the school office to get the required data.
Meanwhile, Ren was cautiously settled inside the transparent glowing blue Life-Cabin placed near the wall, his vital signs signaling an alarming state of exhaustion and malnourishment.
As the doctor swiftly attended to Ren's needs, Kade and Colton positioned themselves near the entrance, keeping an eye on the doctor to get the complete picture of the situation.
Ignoring the warmth, still lingering on his fingertips, Kade put his hands inside his pocket; his red eyes seemed dull, as if bored.
A few strands of jet-black hair creased his forehead as his head leaned against the wall. The sight of his sharp jawbone coupled with his full lips left the passing students swooning at his handsomeness.
The vague phrases irritated Colton, and in the next instant, he forcefully slammed the door of the clinic shut.
The fleeting silence was abruptly shattered as Colton and Kade were jolted out of their reverie.
The sudden alarm alerted everyone in the medical room. A blaring sign showed that the patient lying in the cabin had successfully evolved into a higher level.
Anyone upgrading to this level would need special training and aftercare. The evolution usually leaves the individual exhausted for days.
The moment the alarm rang, Ren's power burst open, covering everything in the room. The doctor ended up coughing blood due to the sudden intense pressure.
Colton wasn't any better, but his training kept him from kneeling on the floor like the doctor. All this happened in a mere 5 seconds.
Kade immediately released his spiritual force, slowly engulfing the waves radiating from the child to console him. His fingers shook as he came in contact with those flicks of spiritual force. Those previous dull eyes suddenly gleamed with such intensity that they might put even the sun to shame.
Some vague memories floated in his mind, too slow to ignore, yet too fast to understand. The more entangled he became, the more his heart throbbed.
Is this why people isolate those on the verge of evolving? The pressure proved too overwhelming, even for Kade's robust S physique to bear, let alone Colton, who found himself panting in the corner.
They can't afford to take any risks at this moment. One wrong move can endanger the child, or worse, everyone in the vicinity.
Colton shielded the now unconscious doctor and huddled in the farthest corner to protect themselves.
However, after the initial explosion, Ren's powers started engulfing everything in a soothing embrace, including Kade himself.
Kade's breathing hitched as those wisps full of life danced with his spiritual force, bathing his being in a radiant warmth. His spine tensed as they effortlessly infiltrated his subconscious mind, and the dull grey ocean suddenly lit up with a blue hue.
If Ren were awake, he would have noticed that the ocean was very similar to the one he used to dream about as a kid.
The sub-space is directly linked to someone's level. Even the A-level people have sub-spaces only big enough to hold at most a city, unlike Kade's entire planet-like ocean.
Kade's blood roared in his veins, his heart filled with such intense thrill that he couldn't comprehend what was going on. His lips raised in a grin, his red eyes flashing with fascination.
From his childhood till now, Kade has been under constant training. Initially, he believed that everyone's efforts were aimed at bolstering his strength. However, a sad realization shattered his faith, extinguishing his interest in both his comrades and his surroundings.
The stronger he became, the more Kade witnessed a mounting sense of unease among his superiors. They even placed a certain bracelet around his neck to monitor his situation under the guise of protection. Its presence serves as a constant reminder of their vigilance over his every move.
Since then, he has been shuffling back and forth from one team to another, engaging in countless battles, yet none had ignited this kind of thrill within him.
His heart clenched painfully due to the sudden invasion of his sub-space, yet it paradoxically morphed into an exhilarating rush. His heavy gasps rang inside the now silent room, sending shivers of panic down Colton's spine.
The pandora of emotions opened and he ran after those small wisps gently shaking all around him. His spiritual force encircled that warmth as if to cage it within himself. He even forgot that other people were suffering from such intense force.
The furniture broke apart, and so did the upper layer of walls surrounding them. If one ignored those few deep cuts in the wall where light seemed to seep in, things weren't that bad.
With each passing minute, his grin widened as he finally took his steps toward the still-sleeping boy. His face, flushed with excitement, might have scared his teammates, yet nothing could compare to those deep bloody eyes.
Ren's forehead creased, evidence of his discomfort, and in an instant, Kade retracted his overpowering energy from the gentle one. Only now did Kade notice the excessive magnitude of his power release.
The room was in havoc, but he couldn't care less. He knelt behind the delicate boy, his elongated fingers tenderly reaching out to soothe his furrowed brows. His spiritual essence still lingered around Ren, albeit with significantly reduced intensity this time.
"What are you, little angel?" A voice barely above whisper lingered around Ren's ears, but it never reached its destination.
Kade had long been accustomed to solitude, afraid of hurting his loved ones, he joined the military, where he was appreciated solely as a weapon.
He had witnessed both fear and desire directed towards him, yet never before had he been stirred by anyone's presence or reacted as he did now.
Kade finally noticed the long-forgotten Colton and poor doctor huddled in the corner, hiding from debris.
"Get out!" A sharp voice stung Colton's ears, yet he was glad to hear it.
As, if he had received amnesty, Colton instantly dragged the poor doctor away. It ain't easy to be under S-level pressure!
Colton dragged his now-drenched body and made a call. That kid needs urgent treatment.
Suppressing the raging emotions, Kade picked up the tissues from the fallen box and started wiping the sweat dripping from the milky white skin of the still unconscious boy.