Kael stepped forward, looking around the dimly-lit interior of the underground holding cell. "Though, I can't help but wonder how you got down here."

  Cosette's fists clenched at his sides as he bit his tongue. "None of your business. I'm not letting you hurt a damn child!"

  Kael suddenly stood in place, his eyes flickering subtly in what light snuck in through the cracks in the walls and ceiling. His gaze drifted to me, unrestrained and now clothed, and he smiled softly.

  "I don't have any intentions on harming this boy anymore. Also, I wouldn't call him a child anymore... he's already asserted himself in many, many ways."

  The way Kael said those words sent an inexplicable chill down my spine. It was a simple assertion of false truth. In a way, I did evolve from who I was before, but I've always felt this strange sense of vulnerability when mention of figures like my father are roped into a discussion. I still feel queasy around blood to an extent, and I still believe my friends would be happy to see me.

  That was one of many truths Kael can't twist.

  "All you see in me is a monster you can take advantage of. Heh, I figure you wouldn't hesitate to throw me into whatever pits of hell you'll drag your little Khorvath out of."

  After that all got out, my body tensed. I felt cocky saying those words—a last-ditch attempt to bait Kael into doing something aggressive or lashing out—that way I could use his anger to his advantage and escape. But before that plan entered fruition, Cosette stepped forward.

  He raised both of his hands, speaking firmly and calmly. "You know my true intentions now. So, if you were all the wiser, you'd surely kill me, right?"

  The elven man looked into Cosette's eyes for a subtle moment before smiling. "I wouldn't kill you, Cosette."

  At that moment, Kael snapped his fingers. In an instant, red flames materialized beside him, expanding and forming the shape of a young woman with red hair tied into a bun above her head. It was Crylla.

  She looked at Kael and nodded her head, already waiting to receive her next wave of directions. Kael smirked, almost suppressing a chuckle as he pointed to Cosette.

  "Drag him to the center of Clifton."

  Crylla took a step towards Cosette, but she was abruptly cut off. This was because I had stood up in a split second, clenching my fist and sending a surge of blood-red energy in her direction. Crylla only took half a second to recover her equilibrium, turning to face me with an expression that screamed 'I'm not impressed.'

  "Want to hurt Cosette, you'll get yourself through me."

  Even in the cramped space, the wraith wings on my back expanded out, the beaming eyes looking in all directions for a moment before locking onto Crylla like revolvers. Faced with this new situation, Crylla didn't falter, of anything, she only seemed to embrace this change in atmosphere.

  "Crylla." Before she could attack me, Kael's sharp voice cut through the room like a dagger.

  Kael's hands, which were clasped behind his back, formed fists, red flames bursting in his palms. "Allow me to deal with the boy. Take Cosette away, now."

  Cosette leapt at Cosette in an instant, but the latter side-stepped to dodge the attack, smirking. Cosette reached into his pocket, taking out a vial filled with green powder. With the swing of an arm, Cosette smashed the vial against the hard stone floor, shattering the vial and spreading the green powder.

  Everyone in the room—including me—suddenly felt a surge of nausea and dizziness overwhelm them. The powder reeked of rotten fish and other detritus materials. Even Kael had to cover his nose and suppress his coughs and involuntary gags.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Cosette quickly raised a fabric mask to his mouth and nose before rushing over to me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me down the hallway. The sensation at first was almost frightening, the speed of Cosette's running almost nauseating as much as the powder was. My legs quivered as I ran, the hunger and thirst in my body making any physical movements strenuous.

  When we reached the top of the stairs, entering the main floor of the safehouse, Cosette rushed over to the counter, grabbing a half-eaten log of steak and cramming it under my elbow.

  "Eat it and run! Run the hell away from here!"

  "I can't just leave you! Come with me!" I ran to the door, grabbing Cosette by the arm and taking him with me.

  "I can't!" Cosette broke free from my grip, shoving me away. "I have to hold off those bastards for as long as I can!"

  He burst back into the safehouse, grabbing more vials of powder from inside his pockets. "Trust me..."

  In the dim lights of the room, I could see the corners of his eyes begin to glisten with tears. I felt my heart sink to my feet, my body going numb and pale. I couldn't leave this man to deal with Crylla and Kael. The last time I fled from something like this, I was shot and my friends assumed I was dead. When I ran away, the very concept of doing so was twisted by Kael.

  Silas would fight.

  Isaac would run.

  Isaac would hide.

  Isaac wouldn't do anything for himself. Isaac was too busy helping others to assert himself. He would gladly get pummeled into the wall if it meant protecting his friends. I wanted to fight Kael and Crylla even if it'd mean I'd get hurt trying, even if I'd even kill them. But this wasn't Silas doing that, but it's Isaac doing that.

  Kael once said one can 'do acts of violence without doing harm,' so I will do an act of violence without doing harm to Cosette. Kael and Crylla are both evil—evil that needs to be cast away. Kael may have the village in a chokehold and under his influence, and I could get hated by everyone here for pummeling their ruler into the dirt, but I'd rather punish the very wickedness my pathway promotes.

  I'd also have to find Ice-Eyes and do the same with him.

  This wasn't embracing evil in an inherent sense, the way that Silas would believe is sanctity, but unleashing judgement upon them.

  We both tensed as Kael emerged from the secret staircase leading from the underground chambers. He was coughing, his eyes watering as he recovered from the smell of the putrid gas. Upon seeing the both of us, he smiled once more.

  "Where's your friend?" Cosette asked, his grip tightening on a vial of powder.

  Kael coughed once more and replied with a slightly hoarse voice. "Attending to more important matters."

  ...

  At the edge of Clifton, Crylla moved like a cat, weaving through the dense trees and snow. Clad in a dark-covered shawl, she ensured her appearance would be concealed by the darkness of the night. After a short amount of time, she stopped in her tracks as a low growl sounded behind her.

  Crylla turned around, her eyes widening fractionally as a wolf stood before her. Its back was arched, and its teeth were bare, glistening with the blood of an animal it had just slaughtered. Crylla stepped forward calmly, a smile forming on her face.

  With the wave of her hands, crimson-colored flames condensed to form a piece of meat in her hand. She tossed the girthy meat to the wolf, watching heartily as it gobbled it up.

  "That's my good pet..." Crylla cooed, moving closer to the animal before her and kneeling down. Instead of attacking her, the wolf's tail began to wag.

  "Now, I believe you'll be a very, very good Rakkiounk."

  Crylla suddenly lowered her hand, running it along the fur of the animal. At that moment, the wolf's eyes widened as it stumbled back, letting out a low, animalistic growl. The fur on its back darkened, turning ink-black like the sky above both it and Crylla. The wolf's beady eyes shrank back, turning a glowing vermillion color.

  A pair of curved horns emerged from its skull, protruding upwards and curling inwards like sinister branches. The wolf's fangs, already sharp, only pointed further. The inside of its mouth also grew, fleshen tendrils and other boldly systems emerging and slithering out to form a complicated web of functions that assisted in both consumption and digestion.

  It stood up on two legs, now standing over two meters in height. It let out another low growl as it turned around, darting through the forest.

  ...

  "Damnit, is Crylla starting that sacrificial ritual or something?" I barked at Kael.

  Suddenly, a piercing scream could be heard on the far edge of Clifton, catching both me and Cosette's attention. Kael's expression collected itself as he scoffed.

  "Someone better check that out."

  I looked at Cosette, nodding in silent affirmation. "Go, now!"

  As Cosette darted out of the safehouse, turning down the street, I faced Kael again and fell silent for a moment before speaking.

  "You once told me that one can do harm without doing it violently, correct?"

  "It's all about intention, yes," Kael replied with certainty.

  "Well..." I waved my hand, the wings on my back expanding. "I'm beginning to remember what I learned about the Apocalypse pathway after dabbling with your journal for a while, alongside my own gathered information.

  "Apparently, I can cause bite-sized calamities around me from my sheer presence."

  Upon hearing my words, Kael only grinned. "But can you control it?"

  I shook my head, a sudden heat forming in my chest. "No, and that's gonna be very difficult for someone like you to predict."

  Clash!

  A bottle of alcohol shattered behind Kael, momentarily stunning the elven man. The booze leaked off of the counter, pooling on the wooden floor below. Some of the shattered glass sprung across the room, one piece flying past Kael and lacerating his cheek.

  "You're using madness against me, Silas?" Kael hissed, wiping his hand along the small cut, soaking the blood away.

  Clash!

  Another bottle shattered, more glass flying around.

  Clash!

  Clash!

  Clash!

  More and more bottles shattered around him. Additionally, the clock on the wall suddenly fell from its hook, landing on the floor and shattering, spreading more glass around us.

  The tables and chairs in the room also began to shift, but there wasn't enough force for them to tip over or break on impact. I suppose the ability in its unrefined state proved unable to break large objects like chairs or tables. I still had to train this ability after all.

  Kael moved away from the counter, stepping forward and grabbing one of the bottles that remained unscathed.

  "You do know I still have your blood under my control—" The bottle in his hands suddenly shattered.

  Seizing the opportunity, I rushed forward while Kael was recovering from the pain, shoving him in the chest and wiping my hand across his palm. I had collected a sample of Kael's blood!

  "Same." I smirked, flaunting my palm to Kael.

  Upon seeing the collected blood on my palm, I saw—for the first time—his expression freeze as if he were... almost scared.

  Before I could ingest the liquid, Kael extended his hand in a pleading manner. "I have a proposal for you."

  I froze.