Chapter 58
Natasha's heart raced in her chest, her pulse hammering as she instinctively took a step back, her eyes locking with the man who approached her. He had long hair that cascaded down to his shoulders, and a deep scar marred the side of his face, giving him an intimidating aura.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly but trying to maintain her defiance. She didn't sense any energy that felt familiar to a grim reaper, . This man was just a human creep, or so she thought. But that didn't stop her from feeling an undeniable sense of dread.
The man's lips curled into a grin. "Hi, Natasha. I'm Kogen."
Her mind raced as confusion gripped her. How does he know my name?
"Why do you know my name?" she asked, her voice firm as she tried to sound confident. Her instincts screamed at her to be careful. "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, it's simple really," Kogen replied casually, his grin widening. "I need your help with something."
She raised an eyebrow, her defiance growing stronger. "What in the world could you possibly need my help for?" she shot back, her tone biting.
Kogen's grin didn't fade, and he tilted his head slightly, as if he found her annoyance amusing. "Nothing complicated. I just need you to come with me for a moment. We need to use you to capture Drogen."
Natasha's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Drogen's name. The thought of someone wanting to hurt him, possibly even kill him, sent a wave of panic through her chest. She had to stay calm, think, act.
"Who are you, and how do you know Drogen?" She asked, her heart thumping as anxiety clawed at her insides. Drogen never told any humans his real name. She was the only human who knew it—how could this man know it? And why was he so confident? Was he just another human trying to bring harm to him?
Kogen seemed unfazed by her questions, his smile never faltering. "He has something we want, and until we get it, we're willing to do anything. If you want this to end peacefully, I suggest you come with us. Let's end this quickly, shall we?"
The way he spoke, like he had all the time in the world, made Natasha's skin crawl. This wasn't right.
"What could you possibly want from him? And I asked, how do you know Drogen?" she asked again, her patience wearing thin, her voice tinged with urgency. Her heart was pounding louder now, the thrum of it deafening in her ears.
"You talk too much, woman," Kogen snapped, his eyes narrowing as his grin turned into something darker. "Are you coming with me, or do we do this the hard way?"
The threat in his voice sent a chill down Natasha's spine. The hard way? She was not going to let this man intimidate her.
"Do I look like a fool to follow someone I don't know?" she shot back, her voice firm as she summoned courage. "I'm not doing this with you." Without another word, she turned and bolted toward the car, her heart racing as she yanked open the door and slid into the driver's seat.
She slammed her foot down on the accelerator, revving the engine to life and tearing out of the garage. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles went white. She needed to get away from him.It would be foolish to confront that man right now, who obviously didn't mean well.
Kogen didn't seem to care that she was escaping. He just stood there, smirking, like he already knew what was going to happen next.
As she sped down the road, her mind raced. Drogen wasn't here to protect her. She needed to protect herself. As she drove forward, her heart almost leaped into her mouth as she saw it. Kogen was standing right in front of her car.
What the hell?!
Without thinking twice, Natasha inhaled sharply, gripping the wheel with both hands, and slammed her foot harder onto the gas pedal. The car shot forward. If you want to die so badly, then be my guest!
She didn't slow down. She didn't hesitate. She drove straight at him.
Kogen didn't move. He just stood there, a cocky smirk on his face, his eyes dark with amusement.
"This is it."
The car hit him with such force that it sent a shockwave of pain up her spine. The sound of crunching bones, the sickening thud of impact, filled the air as his body slammed into the hood of the car. The force shattered his bones like fragile glass. Natasha could hear the screams of people nearby, their horrified cries echoing in her ears. She swerved the car, glancing back to see Kogen lying motionless on the ground, blood pooling around his head.
How did I just kill someone so easily?
Panic set in. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as her breath came in short gasps. She was shaking, her palms slick with sweat.
Thinking quickly, she parked the car, her body still on autopilot as she stepped out, her legs unsteady beneath her. The crowd around the scene was already gathering, pointing, shouting. She walked toward them with shaky hands, hoping to blend in, to avoid suspicion. She didn't know what to do, how to handle this.
Then, she saw it. The crowd, who had been murmuring and staring, started to retreat. She watched in disbelief as the people around her backed away in fear. A part of her wanted to turn and run, but she couldn't. She needed to know what was happening.
And then—he moved.
The man she had just hit, the man whose life she had just shattered with the force of her car, stood up slowly, brushing himself off like he hadn't just been hit by a speeding vehicle. He was fine—no broken bones, no injuries.
Her stomach turned. This wasn't right.
Kogen was walking toward her now, wiping off the blood on his face with a handkerchief, a smirk still plastered on his face. He was alive. He was completely unharmed.
Her heart dropped. This was no ordinary man.
Fear surged through her. Not human. He's not human.
She didn't hesitate. She ran back to the car, her breath ragged, and slammed the door shut behind her. Her hands were still shaking as she turned the key in the ignition. She couldn't think. She couldn't focus. She just had to go.
She pushed the accelerator to the floor, speeding down the road, her hands gripping the wheel tightly. The roar of the engine filled her ears, but it was nothing compared to the panic that clawed at her insides. She didn't bother looking back.
But then, she heard it. His voice, cold and mocking, echoed from behind her, so clear it sent a shiver down her spine.
"Playtime's over."
Her heart skipped, her breath catching in her throat. No, no, no. She slammed on the brakes, making the car jerk to a sudden stop. Her head collided with the steering wheel, a sharp pain shooting through her skull.
When she turned to look, Kogen was sitting in the passenger seat looking so nonchalant about the whole situation.
"What the hell are you?" she yelled, her frustration and panic spilling out. "You're not a grim reaper. I know that!"
Kogen shrugged, completely unfazed. "I'm human."
"No human would survive that kind of impact. You should be dead!" she spat, her voice rising with disbelief. "And since when did humans learn teleportation ?"
"Look, I don't have time for this. I need you to come with me. And I'm taking you with me, whether you like it or not."
Natasha's hands were trembling so badly she could hardly keep a grip on the wheel. The urge to flee surged again, but just then, kogen's hands stretched forward to grab her.
"Don't touch me, you psycho!" she shouted, slapping his hand away with as much force as she could muster.
Kogen just laughed, clearly enjoying this. "Oh, feisty. I like that."
"If you touch me again, I'll make you regret it," she warned, her voice low and fierce, her eyes filled with determination.
"So, should I be scared?" Kogen teased, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
Her fists clenched. If she just summoned Drogen over, this would be over in a blink, but he was away on a mission , at the same time, that was the only option.
"I can summon Drogen," she blurted out, flashing him a look that dared him to call her bluff. "If you don't leave, I'll summon him, and I'm sure you know what will happen if I do."