[14th April 2024]
As our audacious thief Rey, possibly, entered the main building of the factory to retrieve something called 'Zero', alongside his so-called trusted ally Aiden, the scene shifts.
Sometime later, Evan began to stir, gradually waking from the effects of the medicine.
His eyes now open, albeit half-lidded and struggling to focus, his mind raced at full speed. The surroundings were unfamiliar, not the park he recalled being in while watching a video. Then it hit him – a man had thrown something at his face, and he had fallen into a forced sleep.
The possibility of abduction dawned on him, recalling recent news of numerous missing people reports with no subsequent contact from the kidnappers to the victims' families.
It appeared that this could be the workings of a high-profile criminal mastermind or the actions of a psychopath.
He was now frightened, realizing that if this was true, he was heading into a dire situation. However, he noticed that the place seemed familiar, as if he had been here before, but not in this lifetime, perhaps in a past one.
After racking his brain, he remembered that it was the same factory he needed to visit and felt a surge of relief, thinking the kidnapper might have inadvertently made his task easier. He was about to activate his hidden device when a tapping sound began to echo nearby, growing louder with each passing second, signaling someone's approach.
He chose to feign unconsciousness.
/TAP/ /TAP/ /TAP/ ~~~~~~
The tapping ceased as a large shadow loomed over Evan, who longed to see who it was but dared not, fearing the kidnapper would notice.
His pretense was short-lived when the figure spoke, startling him.
"Are you going to open your eyes on your own, or do you need me to do it for you?" the figure taunted. Evan, shocked, remained still, wondering if he had been detected.
"Oh, a tough one, huh? Let's see how long you can keep this up after I break a few of your fingers," the figure threatened. Just as he was about to bend Evan's finger, Evan's eyes flew open in a panic, not wanting to endure any pain just as he was about to escape.
"Oh, so Mr. Actor has finally finished his act, huh? Good, good, that makes my work easier," he said, intertwining his fingers.
"Who are you, and why have you kidnapped me?" Evan asked, feigning fear, yet he was not the same Evan as before; with memories of a past life, he was now braver and more mature.
"Ah, my bad. My name is Jacob, the leader of this gang. Sorry, kid, I didn't want to kidnap you, but one of your friends stole something from me. Now, both of you will pay the price as I'll use you to lure him here," said Jacob, the boss.
His build was impressive; he stood at five feet eleven with muscles perfectly defined, and a self-inflicted scar on one side of his forehead made him the epitome of a villain.
He looked exactly like a third-rate boss from a novel.
"Huh, which friend? Oh, sorry sir, perhaps you've kidnapped the wrong person. I only have two friends, and neither is a thief. Even if one hid this from me, we would have known something," Evan replied casually, thinking there might have been a misunderstanding.
"Oh, so maybe my people kidnapped the wrong person, huh?" Jacob said with a deadly smile. Evan was just nodding when a punch hit his chest, sending his chair tumbling backward.
"Ahhhhh~~~~~~~~~~," he screamed in pain. His memories might be adapted to pain, but his body was too weak to endure it.
Now trembling, Evan felt the pain ripple through him from Jacob's single punch.
"So, you still deny it? Huh, why don't I just show you, his picture?" Jacob said as he took out a photo and instructed his goons to stand Evan's chair back up, which was on the ground.
"See and tell me if that's your friend or not," Jacob said as he showed him the picture of Rey, but the picture was half-bent, making it difficult to see in full.
'Huhhh~~~ I shouldn't tell them he's, my friend; if I do, they might try to find him and James. I'll make up a lie and find my own way out of here,' he thought, deciding to deceive them.
"Sir, his name is Bator, and he is not my friend; I've never met him in my life," Evan lied, hoping to protect both himself and Rey.
"Oh, so you mean you don't know him, huh? Well, if my memory serves me correctly, this boy's name is Rey. Didn't you see the whole picture? Look, he could be your twin," Jacob said as he revealed the hidden photo showing both him and James, causing Evan's eyes to widen in shock.
"Trying to play both sides, huh? Trying to be a hero, huh?" he said as he slapped his palm on Evan's head, causing him to fall back with his chair and hit the ground.
'Hahhhh, sorry Rey, I wasn't able... to... help... you...' he thought as he lost consciousness again.
"Hey, check if he's dead or alive, and notify me if he is because I still have something to ask him," Jacob ordered upon seeing some blood coming from Evan's ear as he passed out again.
"Okay, boss," the men replied as Jacob walked away, leaving Evan's unconscious body behind.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Evan began to regain consciousness, feeling a throbbing pain in his head.
His eyes snapped open, and he found himself still seated in the chair. However, this time, the surroundings were far from silent; objects were strewn across the floor, and two men were engaged in a fight. One was Jacob, as he recalled, but the other was shrouded in a mask and other coverings, with a long coat trailing down to his knees.
He resembled a concealed hero, akin to Ba#m&n. {We all know who that is.}
Instead of a gun, he wielded a small blade, reminiscent of a dagger from a game.
Uncertain of what had transpired, he knew that escaping the chaos would be advantageous.
He was about to draw his blade when the hero-like figure came hurtling towards him, crashing into him and sending both Evan and him tumbling to the ground.
The masked man stood up, wincing in pain, while Evan remained trapped in the chair, unable to rise, the tugging sensation growing unbearably intense as the stranger drew nearer.
It felt as though something was beckoning him, urging him to come forth and claim it, yet it wasn't one of the men.
He sensed it was ensnared within something, longing for him to release it. Despite this, Evan had no desire to discover it and began using his blade to sever the ropes binding his hands.
{A couple of eons earlier~~~~~~~~}
As Evan lay knocked out for round two, a secret spectator was witnessing the drama—Rey. He watched his buddy take a beating but was stuck on the sidelines, thanks to Aiden's grip keeping him from jumping into the fray.
Rey witnessed the moment Evan pretended not to recognize him to protect him, yet he was still discovered and assaulted.
Aiden restrained Rey, suggesting they find Zero before returning, but Rey chose to help Evan instead.
He found what he believed to be Zero and proceeded to aid his friend.
Rey was just freeing his hands from the chair when Jacob appeared, and a fierce battle ensued.
Rey and Jacob were fighting, or rather, Rey was mostly evading and fleeing from Jacob's attacks.
Aiden urged Rey to draw his weapon, but Rey was frightened of using it.
Nevertheless, he drew it to defend and assist his friend.
In doing so, he received a direct jab to the chest and was sent flying towards Evan.
Rey was ready to fight again, unaware that Evan had regained consciousness.
{End of backstory}
Evan had already cut his ropes and noticed that the battle between the two men was ongoing.
As he was escaping, a voice pierced his ears, pleading, 'Wait, come and get me. I can help you.' It repeated over and over. Evan's mind was overwhelmed by the voice, and he nearly returned to its source, but his past memories steadied him.
He felt sorry for the voice but ran away, and fortunately, the voice ceased, perhaps realizing he would not return for it.
Now in a different section of the factory, surrounded by cardboard boxes filled with various discarded items, Evan began searching for the object he was instructed to find.
The sounds of cursing and thuds continued in the distance.
Growing impatient, he finally discovered it: a small, spherical metallic object with a spike protruding from one side.
Overjoyed, Evan knew he could now leave for the true challenge ahead.
His efforts today were not in vain; he had secured the item needed to proceed.
He made his decision and pressed his thumb against the pointed, needle-like object. As he squeezed, his blood oozed out, dripping into the sphere, activating it. A suction force began to generate, absorbing something Evan recognized instantly: Mana.
It was mana that was invading his world, the same mana that would grant him the power to return and save his family and friends.
As the suction ceased, the sphere shattered, and Evan felt a tremendous pull towards an unknown force, vanishing from the spot where he had just stood.
"Goodbye, my world. I will return soon enough," he uttered as his final words to this world before his departure.
He left behind his friend, who now lay beneath a rack, bleeding, yet perhaps it was not his destiny to die. Sometimes miracles happen to save the righteous, or perhaps not. (The fate of Rey can only be discovered in my other book, so go check it out; it's just as captivating.)
-- To be continued --
A/N: Hello, everyone. The final scene of the Blue Star planet has concluded, and the new world, which is the main setting of our story, is about to be unveiled. Please look forward to the most thrilling part of the novel.
It will be posted tomorrow, so goodbye and sleep well if you're reading this at night.