Chapter 22 - chapter 21

Ren walked down the dimly lit street to his apartment and heard soft sounds from the alley beside his apartment building. His mind was still swimming with thoughts of power and control. The air was thick with the oppressive silence of the night, but it was broken by a faint, muffled sound — something that made his skin prickle. His steps were slow as he turned the corner, and what he saw made the world around him vanish.

Lina.

Two men surrounded her, their hands gripping her body in ways that made his blood freeze. Her back was pressed against the cold, rough wall, her legs trembling beneath her. One thug, a greasy man with a twisted smirk, had his hands clamped over her mouth and the other trailing down her body. The second one's hand roamed freely over her thighs, which made her cheeks flushed — not with desire, but with shame and helplessness.

And Now. ^_^

"Don't struggle, babe," one thug whispers, leaning close to her ear. "No one's gonna hear you out here. So just relax, we'll make it worth your while."

Lina squirms, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her voice barely coming out. "P-please… let me go."

The other thug laughs, the sound cruel and heartless. "Oh babe, tonight will be the best night of your life. No need to fight it. The more you struggle, the more fun we'll have anyway. So just shut up and enjoy it."

Her voice shakes as she begs again. "Please... stop."

At that moment, something snaps inside Ren. His breath hitches in his throat as rage courses through his veins like fire, burning away any reason or restraint. His vision tunnels and all he can see is the scene before him — Lina's trembling body, her pleading eyes, and those filthy hands defiling her.

His eyes darken, then turn bloodshot red. The muscles in his arms and legs tense as his fists clench, knuckles white with fury. He can barely breathe, barely think. His entire being is consumed by one thought:

Kill them, kill them, kill them.

And without a second's hesitation, Ren rushes forward yelling. "Get away from herrrrr!" His voice is hoarse, filled with every ounce of rage he has in him.

The thugs spin around. But before they can react, Ren is already before them. His fist shoots squarely on the jaw of the man holding Lina and the force of it sends the thug stumbling backward into the alley. The second thug barely reacts before Ren's fist connects with his stomach, the impact doubling him over in pain.

For a moment, Ren stands beside her. His hands are trembling, breathing ragged and shallow as he glares down at them, his eyes filled with ferocity.

"You… dare touch… her…" His voice cracks as he looks at Lina, her tear-streaked face, her trembling hands trying to cover herself.

Lina looks up, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Tears continue to pool in the corners of her eyes, but now there's also something else. Confusion. Surprise. And hope.

Seeing her tears, something deep inside him twists again. His fists clench tighter, nails digging into his palms until they bleed. His voice shakes, but his words are clear. "You… made her cry…" His voice drops lower, softer, but filled with so much pain it's unbearable. "My love... The only one..."

Lina's lips part, her breath catching in her throat as Ren's confession sinks in. He loves me? Her tears fall faster, but this time they're not just from fear.

One of the thugs groans, pushing himself up and clutching his jaw. He sneers at Ren, trying to mask his pain. "You scared me there for a second, kid. Thought some cop came. Are you her boyfriend or something? Huh?"

The second thug, still clutching his stomach, chuckles weakly. "You got some strength there for someone so scrawny."

But Ren doesn't respond. He can't hear them anymore. His entire mind is lost in the rage boiling inside him. His body is shaking uncontrollably, power vibrating just beneath his skin, barely contained.

It's not just telekinesis— No, this is something else, something darker, and far more dangerous.

"You…" Ren whispers under his breath, eyes staring blankly at the ground. "Touched her… Made her cry... You... low-life being."

The thugs exchange uneasy glances, but they're not truly afraid. Not yet at least.

Ren's hands are trembling, his knuckles white. Tears slip down his cheeks, mixing with the pure fury twisting inside him. The dim light reflects off his tear-streaked face, making him look almost ghostly.

Lina is trying to cover her body, pressing herself against the wall, but her sobs are only make Ren's rage grow. Every tear she sheds feels like a knife stabbing Ren's chest.

"You dared touch… my only love…" His voice is barely audible, but every word is dripping with malice.

And then, a single tear slips down Lina's face. And at that exact moment, Ren breaks.

His head silences, his eyes turn darker and his expression empty.

"You are dead."

Again, before the thugs can even react, Ren is on them. His fist collide with the stomach of the first thug, but this time there's more strength. His powers flare uncontrollably, the telekinesis amplifying his punch with a force that knocks the man out cold in one blow.

The second thug, eyes wide with terror, pulls out a knife in a desperate attempt to defend himself. But Ren is beyond reason now. The thug lunges, but Ren's mindless rage drives him forward. Ren shoots his fist while the thug swings his knife forward.

The knife gets stabed deep into his fist— but that doesn't stop Ren.

Ren's first connects with the thug's face with the knife stabbed in Ren's fist.

The blade bites deep into his flesh and blood spurts out from his fist. But Ren doesn't even flinch.

The only sound echoing in the alley is the sickening crack as his fist connects with the thug's skull, knocking him to the ground.

Lina gasps, horror filling her eyes as she watches the knife embedded in Ren's hand. But Ren isn't stopping. His eyes are dead, his face emotionless as he pulls the blade from his palm and tosses it aside.

He gets on the thug and His fists, now bloodied, slam into the thug's face.

Over and over again.

The sound of bones creaking echoes in the alley. And after few moments, the thug beneath him is barely recognizable, his face a bloody pulp, but Ren still doesn't stop.

His fist rises, falls, rises, falls, splattering both of them with blood. The other thug watches in horror, too afraid to move, too stunned to even breathe.

When Ren finally stops, his chest heaves with ragged breaths. His hands, covered in blood, hang limply at his sides. He slowly turns to the other thug. His face, covered in blood, is shaped a mask of death.

"P-please... forgive me..." the thug stammers, eyes wide with terror.

But Ren doesn't respond. His face remains blank as he walks over, fists trembling. Without a word, he begins pounding the other thug's face, over and over again, each punch filled with the same mindless rage.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Ren's fist stops mid-air. His eyes, dull and emotionless, shift to Lina. She's still standing there, clutching her torn clothes, but her sobs have quieted down. Her face is streaked with tears, but she's calmed down, staring at Ren with a mixture of fear and relief.

Ren's face softens, and for the briefest of moments, a warm, tearful smile spreads across his blood-splattered face. Then, as quickly as it appeared, his strength leaves him. He collapses to the ground, unconscious, leaving Lina standing there, her heart racing as she watches over him.

The alley falls into silence, the two thugs lying motionless in the shadows, their faces broken and bloodied. And in the center of it all, Ren lies still, his body finally at peace, even if only for a moment.