Ren walks away from the under-construction building where the thugs now lie, barely clinging to consciousness. His footsteps echo away in the quiet building, and the darkness feels thicker than ever.
Behind him, the group of thugs takes a collective breather, thinking they've finally been spared. But relief is far from reality.
The boss, still shaken by Ren's display of power, gestures for his men to gather. The tension is palpable as they huddle close. His eyes fall on the two thugs who went after Lina—the ones who started all this mess.
The boss's lip curls in anger.
"This... this all started because of you two," he growls, his voice low but full of menace.
The group nods in silent agreement. They are still reeling from Ren's brutal assault, barely believing they're alive, but the anger in their boss's voice sparks something in them.
These two fools dragged them all into this nightmare. Without further words, they turn on the two who started it all.
Fists fly, and groans of pain fill the room again. They take out their frustrations, holding nothing back. Every punch is a reminder of the nightmarish power Ren displayed, and the fear he instilled. The boss watches, satisfied.
After a few minutes, he steps in.
"That's enough," he says sharply, and the group backs off, breathing heavily, their hands bloodied.
The boss pulls out his phone.
"I've got to pull the money together," he mutters.
"You guys, take care of these two. And remember…" He pauses, his eyes narrowing as he looks each man in the eye. "Not a word is to be leaked. If any of you even mention him—say even a word about him—I'll kill you before he does."
The threat hangs heavy in the air, and the group nods quickly, knowing full well what the boss means even without him saying.
With that, he turns and walks away, leaving them to clean up the mess.
Here, Ren arrives at his apartment, the door clicking softly shut behind him. The room is quiet, but his thoughts are loud, swirling with the event. He sits on the edge of his bed, staring down at his hands.
The power that pulsed through him only moments ago still lingers, but now that the adrenaline has faded, the weight of what he's done starts to sink in.
Alive.
The word bounces around in his head, and he struggles to grasp its significance. He used his powers openly, in front of others. He didn't hide it, didn't care about the consequences at that moment. And those thugs—they were still alive, but could've died.
"Should I have killed them?" he wonders aloud, the words feeling foreign on his tongue.
The thought unsettles him. He has the power to kill easily, but does he have the guts to actually do it? To end someone's life, to cross that line? The very idea horrifies him.
Killing... that's different. That's real.
He leans forward, elbows on his knees, hands running through his hair. He's unsure of himself at this moment. His powers make it so easy, but does he truly want to cross that line?
The thugs… they were barely alive when I finished.
He recalls their bloodied bodies, the way their screams echoed through the room. If he hadn't used healing on them afterward, they would've actually died. I could've killed them, he realizes, the weight of it pressing down on his chest.
But the strange part that truly unnerves him, is how little it bothered him.
He didn't hesitate. He didn't feel disgust or remorse. He remembers the blood splattering against the walls and their cries of pain. In the moment, it felt natural—like something he just doing.
What's happening to me?
Ren sits up straight, suddenly afraid of his own thoughts. He wasn't this person before. The Ren from weeks ago would've been horrified by the sight of that much blood, by the sound of someone's bones breaking. Now? Now it barely registers.
Is this what power does? Is it changing me?
For a brief moment, panic rises in his chest. The darkness within him feels deeper and suffocating.
I didn't feel guilty. I didn't even hesitate. If I had left those thugs to die, it would've been indirect murder, and yet, not a single part of him cared.
Ren clenches his fists, trying to push the thoughts away. It has to be the power. It's making me numb.
He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The more he thinks about it, the more scared he becomes.
But then, just as quickly it all started, his fear dissipates. What's done is done, he shrugs. I can't change it now. There's no point in obsessing over what could've happened.
"I'll just make sure not to kill anyone in the future," he tells himself, trying to regain some sense of control. Having fun is one thing, but killing someone... that's a line I'm not ready to cross.
Ren sighs, shaking off the last remnants of doubt. Now that his head is clearer, he starts thinking about what to do next.
I can't go back to the restaurant now, he realizes. Eva's definitely going to kick me out after what happened today. The whole scene with the thugs will be blown on him, no doubt. But the thought doesn't bother him like it should.
I don't need to work anymore anyway.
He smirks, knowing the money from the thugs is coming. Half a million dollars. That's more than enough. And he'll keep taking more from them too—they're basically working for him now.
The thought relaxes him. I don't have to worry about money anymore. With that solved, he has all the time in the world to practice his powers and to live however he wants.
I can just do whatever I want now. Spend time with Elisha… maybe find someone new.
The thought crosses his mind to get a new, better apartment—something luxurious. He can afford it now, but then another name pops into his head. Lina.
He frowns. If I move, what about her? He can't just leave her behind. She's one of the few constants in his life right now, and besides, she wouldn't move in with him. He can't leave her so easily.
And Eva.
A cruel smile forms on his lips at the thought of her. If I quit, how will I get my revenge? He still wants to see her crumble, but with all the money he's about to get, he could find other ways to make her suffer.
Hell, if i wants to, i could buy the restaurant and have all the time in the world with her, make her life miserable in ways she couldn't even imagine.
The thoughts dance in his head as he throws himself onto the bed, feeling the exhaustion of the day catch up to him.
He lets his eyes drift shut, but his mind is already working on what's next. Everything is falling into place.