Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.
“What happened?”
“Did some kind of monster attack her?”
“We are in the Union Office, that’s impossible.”
“Maybe it was an explosion? I heard a crackle just before the boom!”
“Look at her! That poor girl.”
“What is going on here!”
Kai pushed his way through the crowd, wanting to find out the cause of the sudden gathering, his expression suddenly turned pale as his gaze fell on the scene before him.
A strangled cry escaped his lips. “Yanzi!”
He rushed over to her side, ignoring the shards of glass that littered the floor, and knelt beside her.
“Yanzi, wake up! What happened?”
He gently shook her shoulder, but received no response. He felt terrified, wanting to find out if she was still alive he quickly checked her pulse. He felt relieved as his fingers thankfully detected a faint, erratic heartbeat.
Looking around with anger and desperation, Kai locked eyes with Alister, who stood at a distance, Cinder towering protectively behind him.
Anger caused Kai to frown intensely.
“What did you do?”
He yelled, accusing Alister, he had left Yanzi with him, and so only he could be responsible for her being in such a state.
Alister knew he had to explain, but the memory of Yanzi’s attack still burned fresh in his mind, as so he chose silence, simply gazing coldly from the distance.
The crowd began to murmur what they thought they saw.
“Whoa, did you see that giant lizard thing swing its leg? It looked like it swatted her like a fly!”
“Are you sure it wasn’t her who attacked first? Didn’t you see the sparks around her hands?”
A woman with a sharp voice said, pointing at the traces of Yanzi’s lightning attack that had fizzled harmlessly on the ground near Alister.
“Maybe it was an accident? Some kind of freak accident with her talent going out of control?”
The crowd suddenly fell silent as a man with a shaved head pushed his way through, his Union uniform indicating him as a security guard.
“Alright, everyone back up!” he boomed, his voice commanding attention.
“Medics are on their way.”
The crowd grumbled but complied, shuffling back a few steps. Whispers continued to fly, filled with speculation and fear.
“Do you think that giant creature will attack us next?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It only attacked her after she tried to attack the summoner guy.”
“But what provoked her in the first place?”
As the medics arrived, Kai’s voice echoed through the hall.
“These people won’t be enough! We need to get her to my grandfather – he’s the best healer in the entire city!”
Ignoring the words of the approaching medics and the shocked gasps of the crowd, Kai knelt beside Yanzi. He winced as his hand brushed against a shard of glass embedded in her flesh, drawing blood from his own palm. With tenderness and urgency, he scooped Yanzi into his arms.
Blood dripped from her mangled limbs, staining his clothes red as he carefully lifted her.
From across the room, Alister watched in silence, The anger in Kai’s eyes burned into him as he gazed at the young man.
“What’s your name?”
Kai suddenly stopped moving, his gaze locking onto Alister. he yelled, his voice tight as he barely suppressed his anger.
It was silent all over again. The murmur of the crowd died down, all attention focused on the exchange between the two young men.
“Name’s Alister,”
Alister replied, sounding like he couldn’t care less.
“Alister.”
The name seemed to ignite a firestorm within Kai.
“Mark my words, you will pay for what you’ve done today. I’ll use every ounce of my family’s wealth and influence to make your life a living hell. You’ll regret the day you crossed paths with me!”
As the final word left his lips, a strange phenomenon occurred. Green mana pulsed around Kai’s body, emanating from his very core.
His body shimmered for a split second, then vanished entirely. In his place remained only a faint mist that dissipated quickly into the air.
Alister, caught off guard by the sudden disappearance, could only stare.
‘That must be his talent.’ he thought.
The words hung heavy in the air, a clear reminder of the consequences he might face. Had he truly been too harsh on Yanzi?
Or did she get what she deserved for provoking him? The questions swirled in his mind as the situation settled upon him. The summoning ritual, meant to be a sort of smoke screen for him, had spiraled into a chaotic meet up with an old acquaintance, leaving behind a trail of injuries and unanswered questions.
Now, with Kai gone and Yanzi critically injured, Alister found himself potentially facing trouble from a powerful family. His journey as a summoner, just beginning to take shape, had already taken a dramatic and uncertain turn.
Alister let out a heavy sigh, he turned towards Aurora, her eyes suddenly widening with shock as he did.
“Do you need anything else from me?” he asked, his voice wasn’t warm and welcoming as it usually was.
The coldness in his tone sent a shiver down Aurora’s spine. The confident young man who had arrived moments ago now seemed distant, burdened by the events that had transpired.
“N-no.”
“I think I have everything I need for the Monster’s profile.”
Alister nodded slightly. “Thank you for your time, then. Cinder, return.”
As he spoke the simple command, Cinder’s body began to glow, slowly deconstructing into a swirling vortex of golden particles. The light intensified for a moment before fading completely.
‘I shall be ready whenever you need me, my lord.’
Cinder’s voice echoed within Alister’s mind, as he closed his eyes shortly, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
With a final glance at the cordoned-off area where Kai teleported with Yanzi, Alister turned and walked towards the exit of the building.
The image of Yanzi’s broken limbs, the look in Kai’s eyes, still vivid in his mind.
He had a feeling this was just the beginning, the first ripple in a wave of consequences yet to unfold.
‘Doesn’t matter, all I have to do is get stronger.’