Kane examined the supposed boss with stern gaze who just kept on clapping and clapping.
"Cut the crap, old man" kane shouted obviously infuriated by Martin's behaviour.
"Com'on, my mom told me to always appreciate a good performance" Martins smiled cheekily "And you my friend just made a very good one at that"
"I'm just gonna go now" kane scoffed as he turned back to leave. The boy was crazy and he didn't do crazy. At least he got his Exp's from the two lackeys and for now, that was enough.
"Oh com'on, are you really gonna leave so soon?" Martin's smile had twisted into an awkward grin. It was dark and kane couldn't see his face clearly, but one thing was sure, something wasn't adding up.
In that instant, Martin's appeared in front on Kane out of thin air.
Kane moved one step back almost instantly but Martin was a lot faster than he had expected.
Kane's heart raced as he stumbled backward, barely managing to keep his balance. Martin's smirk twisted into something more menacing, and his presence seemed to swallow the dimly lit room. Kane's instincts screamed at him to move, but Martin took a slow, deliberate step forward, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity.
"Leaving so soon? We were just getting started," Martin purred, his voice unnervingly calm.
Kane clenched his fists, his mind spinning for an exit. He glanced around, the flickering light casting eerie shadows on the walls. To his right, he noticed a narrow alley between the debris-filled shelves. Without hesitation, he bolted toward it, shoving past crates and broken furniture.
"Really?" Martin's voice echoed mockingly behind him. "You think running will save you?"
Kane didn't look back. He vaulted over a rusted pipe, narrowly avoiding a jagged edge. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he forced his way through the cramped passage, the walls seeming to close in. He knew Martin was toying with him. That casual push earlier had been a warning—a reminder of how much stronger he was.
The passage opened into a larger chamber lit by the faint glow of a skylight. Kane's eyes darted upward. It was his chance. Ignoring the burning in his legs, he sprinted toward a stack of broken crates beneath the opening. Climbing them would be a gamble—they looked unstable—but he didn't have time to think.
Behind him, Martin's footsteps echoed, slow and deliberate. "You know, I love a good chase," he called out, his tone laced with amusement.
Kane didn't respond. He reached the crates and scrambled up, each step sending wood splinters flying. The topmost crate wobbled dangerously, but he didn't stop. As he reached for the skylight, Martin's laughter rang out, closer this time.
"You can't outrun me," Martin taunted, his voice suddenly right below.
With one final desperate lunge, Kane gripped the edge of the skylight and hauled himself up. The crates beneath him shattered as Martin's hand swiped at his ankle, missing by inches.
Kane pulled himself onto the roof and rolled away from the opening, his chest heaving. For a brief moment, there was silence. Then Martin's voice drifted up, soft and sinister.
"You can run all you want, Boy. But I'll always find you."
Kane didn't wait to hear more. He stumbled to his feet and disappeared into the night, the city's labyrinthine streets his only ally.
***Kane stumbled into the dimly lit corridor of the hostel, his breath ragged, and his legs barely carrying him. The fluorescent lights flickered ominously, their hum a faint background noise against the muffled chatter of other students in their rooms. He had barely made it back.
As he reached the door to his shared dorm, he paused, resting his forehead against the cool wood. The events of the evening replayed in his mind—Martin's unsettling grin, the way he had appeared out of nowhere, and those cryptic words that still sent shivers down his spine. Shaking his head, Kane pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was warm and alive with the familiar banter of his dorm mates. Leo was sprawled on his bed, his headphones on, nodding to a beat only he could hear. Liam sat cross-legged on the floor, a textbook open in front of him, though the way his eyes flicked toward the game console beside him suggested his focus was elsewhere. Alex was perched on the windowsill, his ever-present sketchpad resting on his knee, charcoal smudges marking his fingers.
"Kane!" Liam was the first to notice him. He looked up, his face breaking into a grin. "Back from your late-night adventure? Thought you'd bailed on us for good this time."
Kane forced a smirk, shutting the door behind him. "As if you guys would let me hear the end of it." He dropped his bag by the door and collapsed onto his bed, groaning as his muscles protested.
Leo pulled his headphones down to his neck, his dark eyes narrowing as he studied Kane. "You look like you've been through a war zone. What happened?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Kane muttered, waving a hand dismissively. The last thing he needed was to drag his friends into whatever madness Martin was mixed up in. "Just… a long day."
Alex glanced up from his sketchpad, tilting his head in that observant way of his. "Your shirt's torn at the sleeve," he pointed out, his tone mild but his gaze sharp.
Kane cursed under his breath. He hadn't even noticed. "Got snagged on a fence," he said quickly, hoping they wouldn't press further.
Liam snorted. "Knowing you, you probably fell off the fence."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Kane sat up, forcing himself to match their lighthearted mood. "I'm still the fastest runner in this room, and you know it."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Fast enough to outrun whatever had you sweating like that?"
Kane shot him a warning look. "Drop it, Leo."
The tension lingered for a moment before Alex cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Well, if you're done playing the mysterious hero, you might want to shower. You smell like trouble."
The others laughed, and Kane let himself relax slightly. He needed this—normalcy, even if it was fleeting. He grabbed a towel and headed to the small adjoining bathroom, letting the sound of their banter fade behind him.
When he returned, freshened up and slightly more grounded, the room had settled into a quieter rhythm. Liam had finally given in to the allure of his game console, the faint sound of explosions filling the room. Leo was back to his music, and Alex was carefully cleaning his sketchpad.
Kane sat on his bed, ruffling his damp hair with a towel. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked, keeping his tone casual.
Leo shrugged. "Same as always. Survive classes, avoid the cafeteria's mystery meat, and maybe hit the arcade after. You in?"
Kane hesitated. The thought of Martin finding him again gnawed at the edge of his mind. But he forced a nod. "Yeah. Sounds good."
Alex looked up from his drawing. "You sure you're okay, Kane?"
"I'm fine," Kane said quickly, then added, "Just tired."
The others exchanged glances but didn't push further. Instead, they settled into a more comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. One by one, they began to wind down, the room growing darker as the lights were turned off.
As Kane lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, he listened to the steady breathing of his friends. They didn't know it yet, but something had shifted tonight. He could feel it in his bones, a sense of foreboding that refused to let him rest.
He clenched his fists under the blanket. Whatever Martin was planning, whatever game he was playing, Kane would have to be ready. For now, though, he let the sounds of the night lull him into a restless sleep, surrounded by the only people he trusted.
"Before I sleep, why don't I check my status"
A/N: please guys, I've been thinking of dropping this novel fo a while back now but it seems that a fraction ofy readers are still interested.
Please if you really are, show this by engaging the story actively, tell me my mistakes, like, dislike and many more. I promise that it is of great help to me