"What the hell..." Riley cursed under his breath, clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound. He pressed his back against the cold stone wall of the alley, blending into the shadows.
His heart pounded in his chest as he watched the three figures walk past his hiding spot. He held his breath, eyes fixed on the ground to avoid making eye contact. The night was eerily silent, the kind of silence that made his every thought seem like a shout.
But then, one of them stopped. The man—Shane's teacher—paused mid-stride, tilting his head slightly in Riley's direction. His eyes scanned the darkness, lingering just a moment too long where Riley stood concealed. A cold sweat ran down Riley's back, the hairs on his neck standing on end.
'No, no, no. Not now. Don't see me,' Riley pleaded silently, his pulse hammering in his ears. He could feel the blood drain from his face.
The man's gaze sharpened, almost as if he sensed something. His handsome face twisted into a thoughtful expression, and for a brief moment, Riley was certain the man had spotted him.
He clenched his fists, preparing to bolt. Fighting this man wasn't an option—he would be signing his own death warrant. Escape was the only plan if it came to that.
But, after what felt like an eternity, Shane's teacher smirked—an almost knowing, eerie smile—and turned away, resuming his pace with the others.
The tension left Riley's body in a rush, but he didn't dare move until their footsteps faded completely. 'That was too close.' He let out a shaky breath, his chest heaving. Every muscle in his body felt taut, like a bowstring pulled to its limit.
He waited several long minutes before slipping out of his hiding spot, casting one last glance down the alley to ensure they hadn't doubled back. Satisfied, he darted away from the building, heading straight for the Blackout Company headquarters.
The streets were quieter than usual, the darkness oppressive, making every shadow seem more sinister than the last.
Riley kept to the edges, where the faint lamplight didn't quite reach, moving quickly but carefully. The encounter replayed in his mind on a loop, and his nerves were still on edge from the close call.
That man... there was something deeply unsettling about him, something more than just his power.
'Reporting that I found the children should earn me a little trust from the blackouts, and I should be able to access more information.
And if the mission is successful, and I gain more trust, then u should be able to leave this city, under the guise that I'm investigating.' Riley quickly came up with a plan.
When the Blackout Company's fortress-like headquarters finally loomed in the distance, Riley breathed a small sigh of relief. His boots clicked softly against the cobblestone as he approached the large, iron-reinforced doors. The guards stationed outside gave him a cursory glance but said nothing, used to seeing him come and go.
Inside, the headquarters was its usual hive of activity. Blackouts moved between desks, reports were exchanged, and a few were gearing up for missions. The room buzzed with a quiet energy, the kind that preceded something big.
Riley's eyes immediately found Donovan, his captain, already at the far end of the room, seemingly preparing to leave on another assignment. His tall, broad figure cut an imposing silhouette against the low light of the room. Without hesitating, Riley crossed the room toward him.
"Captain... I found the missing kids," Riley said, his voice coming out sharper than intended. He was breathless, still buzzing from the adrenaline of his earlier escape.
Instantly, the room went quiet. Blackouts who had been busy preparing for their shifts or reviewing case files stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward Riley.
Their expressions ranged from surprise to disbelief. He could almost feel the skepticism hanging in the air; many of them didn't respect him, whether because of his young age or because he was a magician—something the more battle-hardened Blackouts viewed with disdain.
Donovan's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Are you sure?" His voice carried weight, both a question and a challenge.
"Yes, Captain," Riley said, a little more firmly this time. "They're being held underground, in Shane's teacher's house. There are Ascenders guarding the place, and something's 'off' about the teacher himself... also the supposedly dead mr. markham was with him, trying to buy some kids." He didn't let his voice waver, though his skin crawled just thinking about that man's unsettling gaze.
For a moment, Donovan just stared, his expression unreadable. Then, with a nod, he turned and addressed the others in the room. "Gear up. We're moving." One of the Blackouts immediately left to retrieve an artifact. It didn't take long before he returned, his face pale and his movements sluggish. In his hands, he carried a small, ornate box. He handed it to Donovan, who opened it carefully. Inside was a pendant—small, unassuming, but dangerous.
Sealed Artifact 3-23, 'Eternal Slumber'. Even the name sent a chill through him.
It was an artifact designed to put enemies to sleep, but the effect was so powerful that it could easily turn on its user. Prolonged exposure meant the wearer could fall into a sleep they would never wake up from.
"Smith, you'll wield it," Donovan said, handing the pendant to the man beside him. Smith blinked slowly, looking as though he was already half-asleep just being near it.
Riley felt a sudden wave of unease. This was a dangerous mission, far more dangerous than he had initially realized. His earlier excitement at the prospect of action was quickly being replaced by dread.
"Let's move out," Donovan ordered.
The team filed out of the headquarters and boarded a carriage, heading toward No. 2 Teal Street. The carriage rumbled through the narrow streets, the city's stillness amplifying every creak of the wheels.
Riley sat tensely, his mind racing. Shane's teacher's face haunted him, and the realization that they were walking into a situation far more dangerous than he'd anticipated gnawed at his insides.
When they finally arrived, the house loomed ahead, its shadow stretching across the empty street like a predator waiting to pounce. Riley swallowed hard, nerves prickling. They exited the carriage, moving silently around to the back of the house, where they planned to infiltrate.
Smith, already visibly affected by the artifact, activated it. A cool, almost soothing energy spread through the air, but Riley immediately felt the effects. His eyelids grew heavy, and it was like his entire body was begging him to sleep. His steps faltered, and for a moment, everything seemed to blur.
A sharp slap across the face brought him back. Riley blinked, startled, as Donovan shoved a small silver coin into his hand. The moment it touched his skin, the fog of sleep lifted, and he felt sharp again, awake.
"Don't lose it," Donovan muttered. Riley nodded, gripping the coin like a lifeline.
'What? I am falling asleep and I didn't know it? If not for captain I would have fallen into eternal slumber, and then I'd lose everything... I will disappoint my sister, my mother and myself.' Riley thought.
The small team moved into the building, stepping over the guards already fast asleep on the ground. Their chests rose and fell peacefully, as though they hadn't a care in the world. Riley shuddered. It was too quiet. Too easy.
They descended into the underground passageway, the same one Riley had snuck through earlier. As they moved deeper, the air grew colder, thicker, as though the very walls were closing in around them.
Riley's breathing quickened, the hot metal of the coin a constant reminder of how close he was to falling under the artifact's spell.
When they reached the chamber where the children were being held, Donovan motioned for silence. He scanned the room carefully, checking for any signs of movement. All the guards were asleep, just as expected.
For a brief moment, Riley allowed himself to feel relieved. They could get the kids out of here without a fight.
But that relief was shattered by a voice, low and dripping with malice, that echoed through the chamber.
"I knew something was wrong. You think you can just waltz in here and take what's mine?"
Riley's blood ran cold. Out of the shadows stepped Shane's teacher, his expression twisted into something far more monstrous than human.
His eyes glowed with an unnatural red light, and the way he looked at Riley sent a shiver down his spine.
"You think I wouldn't notice? I've been waiting for you," he said with a cruel smirk.
His gaze flicked to Donovan and the others, but then lingered on Riley. "You... you caused this."
Before Donovan could react, the teacher's body began to change, twisting and contorting in ways no human body should.
His skin rippled, bubbled, and then split open, revealing something monstrous beneath—a blood-red worm, massive and grotesque, its gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes, still glowing gold, fixed on Riley with an intense hatred.
"Captain, we need to get out of here!" Riley shouted, panic rising in his throat. Fighting in such a confined space was suicide.
Donovan didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing Riley, he sprinted toward the exit, the grotesque creature hot on their heels. Its body scraped against the walls, leaving a trail of foul-smelling slime in its wake.
The moment they burst into the open air, Donovan blew his whistle—a signal. Two more Blackouts appeared from the shadows, weapons drawn, and attacked the bloodworm from either side.
Their blades slashed through the air, but the creature moved with terrifying speed, dodging their strikes with ease.
It let out a screech, its crimson eyes locking onto Riley once more. "You!" it shrieked. "You caused this!"
Before Riley could react, the bloodworm lung, the bloodworm surged forward, its body undulating with terrifying speed.
Riley's heart plummeted. There was no way to avoid the creature's attack. He had nowhere to run...
He only had a way out and that was to freeze time, doing this will make the blackouts know he's truly an awakened, after all to them, it will feel like teleportation.
This would greatly ruin most of the plans he had for the future, well except he made sure none of the blackouts survived, but he couldn't kill them, after all most of them were stronger than him.
"Damn it! It wasn't even me who hurt you!"