[LOCATION: BULGARIA, VARNA'S BEST HOTEL, THE BIDDING HALL]
[DATE: 16.10.2024]
[TIME: 01:26 PM]
Daniel was prepared in a suit, adjusting his tie while getting commands from Officer Michael.
"Try to sell your stuff first and once you're done, go to the hotel's lobby. There must be a personal staff room only. By that time it must be empty so that's going to be your chance to find anything you can to expose Evgeni."
"All clear."
Responded Daniel while taking a seat and turning his attention to the massive stage in front of the entire public. It was full of all kinds of people. There were even guests from America.
Everyone seemed so well-dressed and wealthy. Daniel surely wouldn't have fit inside if it wasn't for the suit from Michael.
Then Evgeni walked onto the stage and everyone started applauding. As it quieted down Evgeni spoke, charming everyone in the room.
"Welcome to our third bidding year! Last year sure was fun, more than I expected myself! Anyway, I can see a lot of new faces. So I'll explain the rules for our newcomers. Now as you can see the chairs are split into 2 sections
The first section is the sellers, sitting on the right side of the room. They'll offer their tools while on the left side, the buyers will try to give the best price for it. Afterward, this night we'll have a massive party all over the hotel. For one day I'll make sure your stay is like heaven!"
Evgeni then walked off the stage and it all began. People were laughing, and engaging in conversations while most of them were selling and betting money on items. Daniel tried to find someone to sell to but they were all busy focusing on richer people with better stuff.
Suddenly Evgeni wrapped his arm around Daniel in a friendly manner and questioned Daniel, genuinely.
"You look like a lost child, you okay Daniel?"
Daniel nodded, while suddenly he started to lose suspicion of Evgeni and then everything turned black. Nathaniel was standing in front of Daniel, speaking while seeming quite nervous himself.
"Do not fall for that trick."
"Trick? What do you mean?"
Daniel was confused before feeling a hand on his shoulder which made him flinch. Nathaniel's eyes widened while looking at whatever was behind Daniel and then the black void disappeared, leaving Daniel out of the dimension again.
He looked around confused but Evgeni was nowhere to be seen. After getting shot back into reality he quickly got back to trying to find a buyer. The richer ones didn't have interest so he worked to sell his stuff to someone who couldn't get many sellers.
He walked out of the room with only half the price Evgeni told him about and then got to work. He had stolen a key from one of the guards earlier with the help of his new powers.
He walked towards the staff-only door. He turned his head to the left and right a couple of times checking if anyone was watching and then unlocked the door.
While slowly opening the door he noticed the pale and seemingly dead bodies of Evgeni's underlings. He wanted to scream but lost his voice.
And then kaboom! Evgeni was behind Daniel, pushing the door closed slowly. Daniel turned around and Evgeni was giving him a cold gaze. The aura around Evgeni felt like it was killing him and reviving him over and over just to kill him again.
It was as if thousands of blades just pierced Daniel's body.
"This is staff only, if you want to enter you shall start working for me."
And then Evgeni locked the door, taking the key away.
Daniel stood there in shock. He took the communication device that Michael gave him out of his pocket and saw that it was turned into pieces from Evgeni's aura.
Michael rushed in through the door of the lobby, running towards Daniel.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
Daniel nodded and spoke up, still trembling.
"I couldn't find anything, he is innocent."
"What?"
Michael asked and Daniel shouted.
"YES, I AM!"
Michael sighed and turned his back, looking at Daniel through his shoulder.
"Alright then, I trust you kiddo. Because of you, at least now we know that the people around us are safe. We'll send you the money to the orphanage in 3 work days."
He said before getting out. Daniel understood right then and there that he let the fear control you. He stood there for a bit of time before walking to the elevator and pressing the button so it could go up.
He leaned against the elevator wall, looking at the mirror. What he saw was Nathaniel. The mirror reflection was just darkness and there Nathaniel at the same position Daniel was in. When he moved Nathaniel followed.
Daniel pressed his hand against the mirror, forming a bit of light at the mirror which confused him. Was Nathaniel messing with his mind? When he touched the mirror again it all just went dark and it started breaking.
It confused him even more but in his current lethargic state, he just walked out of the elevator. Going through the hallway he looked at the world outside. The beautiful view he saw just a day ago now was ruined.
Black steam flying out of cars and machines in this era was like black paint, spilling on a pretty painting. He opened his hotel room's door and walked inside. When he closed the door he dropped down, sitting on the ground while leaning on the door.
The image of the dead-looking people in the room was fixated in his brain. If what Michael is suspecting is true then even worse is happening to other people because of Evgeni.
But the fear of going against someone so strong. Gabriel was just a human with limits, the figures from the apartment defeated him but weren't even that scary considering he had Nathaniel on his side.
The key thief wasn't as scary when he knew he had superpowers. But now that he saw his limits against the thief he realized he wasn't as strong. He thought he could fight back against Evgeni but all it took was a single glare and Daniel ran away to lick his wounds.
He got up, going to the mirror to wash his face. As he turned on the water, he put his head low. Water spread from his hair down to his face. He lifted his head up and saw Nathaniel in the mirror again.
He had that mocking grin again, laughing at Daniel and his misery. Daniel lifted his punch, ready to destroy the mirror together with the wall but realized. He's just being the same as Evgeni.
He felt like trash. The worst, utter trash. He walked to the bed and dropped on it. He stared at the ceiling before drifting to sleep in seconds.
Ring ring ring!
Daniel's alarm rang, waking him up 30 minutes before his ride back to Sofia was here. He got up, prepared his bag, put his old scarf on, and fixed the bed. Barely dragging himself out of the room he locked the door and got down with the elevator.
While walking past the reception he put the room key down and got out. He sat on the stairs in front of the hotel waiting. Two men from yesterday's bidding went past him and he heard something that froze his blood.
"I am betting on slave #421"
He turned his head towards the two men who entered the hotel while laughing. It wasn't his business so he didn't barge in. The car to pick him up arrived and he walked inside. He saw the same pale driver.
They began driving and he wondered what they meant by "slaves" but then he remembered something. Once while passing the street he saw a young girl getting attacked by a street dog.
Daniel's first instinct was to protect. Both his parents and Miss Elizabeth have told him to protect them. The scarf around his neck was the protection he received from his saviors. Daniel was too far away from the hotel now tho.
He was back out of his memories looking at the city in the distance and then mumbled "Nathaniel" for which the black void opened up and Nathaniel spoke up.
"You gonna take my hand now and go kill that bastard?"
Daniel shook his head which surprised Nathaniel.
"I refuse your hand..I'll go kill that bastard and save everyone by myself. I only wanted to tell you something. The moment I go there, I'd rather kill myself than accept your help. So don't take over my body even if I lose."
Nathaniel rethought Daniel's words and then smirked, snapping his fingers, sending Daniel out of the black dimension. The driver looked back at Daniel and saw nothing except Daniel's backpack.
[LOCATION: BULGARIA, VARNA'S BEST HOTEL, STAFF ONLY ROOM]
[DATE: 17.10.2024]
[TIME: 08:21 AM]
Daniel kicked the door open and walked inside, getting welcomed by the barrage of lasers being shot by Evgeni's workers. They had high technological weapons in their hands, but Daniel just went through the projectiles and punched a hole in the wall.
"I can feel your aura from the distance, criminal fuck."
Daniel mumbled to himself and went through the hole. The workers suddenly stopped shooting. Daniel walked inside a long corridor protected with titanium where he met Dennis glaring at him.
"You shall not touch Evgeni."
He said as he took out a knife from his pocket and rushed at Daniel. However, he just slapped Dennis unconscious into the wall, making a hole in it. Where Dennis was standing was a massive white door which Daniel grabbed.
He used his shared strength to rip it open but what he saw, shocked him. There was entire city inside of blue-painted walls and windows in the sky. From the windows were hundreds of rich people shouting excitingly down at the city.
---TO BE CONTINUE--