The next few days passed in a blur for Tom. His conversations with Chris and the voice lingered in his mind, stirring feelings of guilt and doubt. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the darkness settling within him. The elder knight's voice had become more persistent, a constant whisper in the back of his mind, urging him to continue his path of vengeance.
At work, Tom remained careful, keeping a low profile. He couldn't afford to raise suspicions, not when he was so close to bringing the knights down from within. The knights were growing more paranoid, and whispers of the mysterious killer spread like wildfire. The faction leaders issued stricter patrols, and more knights were being called in from other cities.
But none of it mattered. Tom could feel the power pulsing through him, stronger every day. The more knights he manipulated, the more chaos he sowed, the more in control he became.
He walked the halls of the knights' headquarters, pretending to be just another face in the background. But deep down, he was calculating his next move.
---
That evening, after his shift ended, Tom returned to the small, dingy apartment he now called home. The walls were thin, and the sounds of the city echoed around him, the distant hum of traffic, the occasional shout or laughter from the streets below. It all felt so far away, as if he was watching the world from behind a pane of glass.
He sat at the small, battered table in the corner of the room, his thoughts drifting. The elder knight's voice was louder than ever, a constant, gnawing presence in his mind.
"You've done well, Tom. But there's still more to do. The knights are weak, divided. You must strike now, while they are vulnerable."
Tom closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He could feel the power thrumming beneath his skin, urging him to act, to take control. But a part of him hesitated.
"I can't…" he muttered under his breath. "Not yet. Don't give me instructions of what to do, I am no pet of yours... I am capable of making decisions for my self. I am not going to let the innocents get cut up in my doings."
"Innocent?" The elder knight's voice dripped with contempt. "As for that kid brother He is part of the bloodline, just like you. He will awaken, and when he does, you know the first thing he would do is to join them, and then he will be just as dangerous as the rest of them. You cannot afford to show weakness, not now."
Tom's heart clenched at the thought of Chris becoming another pawn in the knights' twisted system. His younger brother had always been different, kinder, more compassionate. But the elder knight was right, if Chris awakened his power, he would become part of the same system that had destroyed everything Tom loved.
No, he couldn't let that happen.
But what could he do?
As much as he don't want Chris to fall into the hands of his enemy, there are still things he is limited to do, his brother as his own life to leave, and Tom never lived a good life, so he has no right of choosing a future for someone for someone who have what it takes to be successful in life.
---
Later that night, Tom found himself wandering the streets once again, lost in thought. The city felt different now, colder, darker. Everywhere he looked, he saw the corruption, the greed, the lies. The knights had built their world on the backs of people like him, people who were nothing more than pawns in their games of power.
And yet, here he was, pretending to be one of them. It made him sick.
He passed by a group of knights standing on a street corner, laughing and joking as if they had no care in the world. They didn't even notice him as he walked by, too caught up in their own self-importance to realize the threat standing right in front of them.
Tom clenched his fists, the elder knight's power surging through him. He could end it all right now. He could strike them down, one by one, and no one would be the wiser.
But that wasn't the plan. He had to be smart, careful. He couldn't afford to act on impulse, not when the stakes were this high.
Instead, he continued walking, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge. He knew what he had to do. He just didn't know if he had the strength to do it.
---
When Tom returned to his apartment that night, he was met with an unexpected visitor. Chris was sitting on the doorstep, his small frame huddled against the cold. His face lit up when he saw Tom, but there was a sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"Chris? What are you doing here?" Tom asked, crouching down in front of him.
Chris shrugged, looking away. "I just… I wanted to see you. Things at home have been… bad."
Tom's heart ached at the sight of his younger brother, so vulnerable and lost. "What's been going on?"
Chris hesitated, his fingers twisting in the hem of his cloak. "Father's been getting worse. He keeps saying it was your fault mother died, and he kept asking if any signs of my awakening as come because he wants me to join the knights."
Tom's chest tightened with a mix of anger and guilt. His father's words had always been cruel, but hearing that Chris was bearing the brunt of it now made his blood boil.
"Don't listen to him," Tom said, his voice firm. "You're stronger than that."
Chris looked up at him, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "But what if he's right? What if… what if we're all just destined to be like this? What if I'm destined to become like them? There is no escaping it, eventually I will also be a knight one day"
Tom's heart sank. He could see the fear in Chris's eyes, the fear that he would awaken his powers and become just another cog in the machine. And the worst part was, Tom didn't know how to protect him from that.
"Listen to me," Tom said, gripping Chris's shoulders tightly. "You are not like them. You don't have to follow their path. You can choose your own way."
Chris looked away, his expression conflicted. "But what if I don't have a choice? What if… what if I'm already becoming like them?"
Tom's stomach twisted at the thought. He could feel the elder knight's presence stirring within him, urging him to act, to do whatever it took to keep Chris from falling into the same trap.
"You know what you have to do, Tom," the elder knight's voice whispered in his mind. "You must sever the ties. The boy is part of the bloodline. He will awaken, and when he does, he will stand against you. It is inevitable."
Tom's hands trembled as he pulled Chris into a tight embrace, his heart pounding in his chest. "I won't let that happen," he whispered, more to himself than to his brother.
But deep down, he wasn't sure if he could keep that promise.
---
As the night wore on, Tom found himself lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, his heart heavy with the weight of the choices he would have to make.
He wanted to protect Chris, to keep him safe from the darkness that was slowly consuming their family. But the elder knight's voice was always there, reminding him of the cold, hard truth: Chris was part of the bloodline. Sooner or later, he would awaken his power. And when he did, he would become just another pawn in the knights' system.
Tom closed his eyes, trying to block out the voice, trying to hold on to the last shred of humanity he had left. But it was slipping away, bit by bit.
He his still holding on to hope and human he he still has have, if those two attributes where to be taken away, time would become a walking nightmare. And that is something he his still avoiding till date.
He knew what he had to do.
But that didn't make it any easier.
* * *
There is no way he's going to kill the only brother who loves him, not in this life time. Even if that would be the end of him, he would rather die than to see Chris die.
Since Tom got his powers, he has kind of lost some of his humanity, but any time he comes across Chris, his humanity always kind of return no matter the circumstances.
And this might bring is demise one day.
Although he saw a possible future of him standing above his enemy, but there is no telling of what happen after his triumph. A Mistry he have to find out himself.