Chapter 35

A chill crawled up Kevin’s spine. The voice was less of a whisper and more of a hiss, seeming to come from the depths of his mind. He knew this voice, but it hadn’t been the voice from the race. It was something else.

Within the void of his subconscious, the humanoid—bound by chains and rods, kneeling in its small chamber—lifted its head. Kevin’s emotions animated it.

“I sense pain for your friend, hatred for your enemy, hunger to get stronger,” his voice continued, slow. “I can give you the power to end this, if that is what you seek.”

Kevin looked over at his friend, who was still in agonizing pain. He had to make a quick decision, for Johnny’s sake. If this voice could help him stop Mike, he had to jump on that opportunity. He needed that power.

Alright. If you have the power to do this, then give it to me.

The humanoid’s grin widened, stretching beyond its normal width. It charged up, emanating purple and black energy, purple light glowing from the sockets of its eyes.

“If it’s power you seek, then you shall have it,” the entity hissed.

The power was transferred. Kevin felt a deep, thunderous boom in his chest, as if something had been awakened in his own body. The energy, icy at first, shocked his system. He felt as though he had been drenched in water, as though the world were disintegrating around him. Then, the sensation burned, spreading out to his extremities. The pain was intense but brief, and within seconds of feeling it, he felt it replaced by a tidal rush of adrenaline. This energy was different, far different from what he’d felt before.

The veins on Kevin’s hands turned black and purple, glowing and pulsing with energy. His hands siphoned life from the grass he clutched, its energy coursing through his veins, strengthening every fiber of his being. The weight from Mike’s friends felt lighter. In fact, he could barely feel them. They were like ants, entirely inconsequential to him.

“Yes!” hissed the being within him. “More!”

This demand echoed through Kevin’s mind. He obeyed without trying to, and he absorbed even more of the ground’s energy. The being’s craving felt like his own. The grass withered until it turned jet black, entirely void of color and energy. The rich dirt, drained of its nutrients, dissolved into powdered dust. A large circle of dead earth spread beneath him, and with each second, the circle widened even more.

Glen was the first to notice the discoloration. “Hey, what’s happening to the ground?”

From the void, the humanoid’s emaciated body swelled, its muscles bulging. It was strong for the first time in a long time, no longer decrepit. It proudly flexed its powers. The more it had, the more it could transfer into Kevin.

The being hissed once more. “Now, show them our strength!”

The powers clouded Kevin’s mind. His brain didn’t feel like his own. The scar on Kevin’s face darkened to black and purple and began to spread down his neck. He felt aggressive and fearless, like he could do anything.

“Show them our power!” the voice ordered.

Kevin gathered the power, emitting an aura of purple and black energy around him. As the ominous energy grew in size and scope, Kevin’s eyes glowed: his left turning blue, and his right a jet-black sclera sporting a vibrant purple iris.

“Yes,” Kevin hissed under his breath. The voice was not his own, but he wasn’t present in his brain enough to recognize that.

This newfound power settled. He felt relaxed within it. He savored this exhilarating feeling, this strength. He’d never known anything like it. A smile as wide as the humanoid’s curled on his own face, and when he breathed, he exhaled small green glowing particles, like mist on a cold day.

“This is power,” he said. Sparks cracked around him.

Mike’s friends grew nervous. Kevin suddenly did not seem as helpless. They didn’t exactly know how to keep him restrained.

“What’s going on?” Lou said.

“Is that coming from him?” yelled Glen.

Kevin’s aura ignited with black and purple flames. He seemed to be in the center of an inferno, and Mike’s friends stepped back just in time to avoid the heat.

Slowly, Kevin raised his head and stared down his target. Mike immediately stopped his assault, and Johnny gasped for air. His ribs were severely injured, and Kevin’s demeanor turned deadly, like that of the Grim Reaper.

“That’s enough!” Kevin roared.

Kevin unleashed the energy he had built up and sent Mike’s friends flying in every direction. The three tumbled away, and Glen tumbled straight into a stump. He hit his head hard and lay at the tree’s base, unmoving. Kevin rose standing within a ring of dead grass as dark energy curled around him. He stared at his right hand, marveling at the power he wielded.

“Incredible.” He clenched his fist. This was unlike anything he’d ever done.

Lou sprang forward then, the element of surprise on his side because of Kevin’s focus was elsewhere. “I’ve gotcha now!” Lou yelled. He swung a fist and punched Kevin in the face.

Lou’s smirk turned to fear. Kevin didn’t budge. His head tilted slightly at the moment he took the hit, but that was all. None of the force seemed to impact Kevin at all. In fact, it didn’t even look like he had felt anything.

Kevin’s eyes immediately shifted to his attacker. He lunged, the element of surprise on his side now. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Lou’s face, pushed him backward, and slammed the back of his head into the dirt. Lou lost consciousness.

When Kevin rose again, he was quick to lock eyes with Mike. The bully was his true target. Mike had been so cruel for so many years now that Kevin was confident he deserved to face a Jin’s wrath. A faint sensation stirred inside Kevin then, gnawing at him to seek more power. He ignored it. He had a task to do.

He stepped forward. Johnny, bruised and in pain, saw the black and purple flames beginning to grow. He saw Kevin’s scar, which now stretched farther up to his forehead.

Is that Kevin? Johnny thought.

He peered into Kevin’s cold, uncaring eyes. He’d never witnessed this side of his friend before, not even in the locker room. Ralph glanced around at his fallen comrades, then at his leader, who was now backing away from Kevin’s approach. Ralph really didn’t want to see his leader get hurt by a Jin. He figured he might be able to attack Kevin while his back was turned. Right now, Mike didn’t seem to be in the best position to fight. Ralph made the choice and rushed toward Kevin, his fist raised. He just had to land one good hit, and that would daze the Jin.

“I ain’t afraid of you, freak!” Ralph cried out, as he wound up for his punch.

Before Ralph could make impact though, Kevin grabbed Ralph’s fist without looking. Mike’s eyes widened in shock, and so did Johnny’s. Kevin’s reaction time was far faster than any human’s.

Still holding the fist, Kevin turned to look at Ralph, giving him the same stone-faced glare he’d given Mike. Ralph tried to yank his hand free, but Kevin wouldn’t loosen his grip.

“You’re not afraid of me, huh?” Kevin asked, a graveled hiss in his voice. He smiled. “You should be.”

He squeezed. Within seconds, all of Ralph’s fingers had been broken. Ralph fell to his knees, hollering in pain. When Kevin let go, the pain was too great for Ralph to handle. He tried to cradle his bleeding, mangled hand, with its fractured bones and torn skin, but he couldn’t. He passed out from shock.

Deep within Kevin’s subconscious, the chained being smiled at the scream. It was a delectable justice. Pleased, the being funneled more of its power and control into Kevin. As more power flowed through Kevin’s body, a white streak appeared engulfing a section of Kevin’s hair on the right side. The gemstone in his pocket sensed the increase of power and let out a warning tone. A sealing crest appeared on Kevin’s chest, and those red runes from before began to materialize.

Kevin stepped back. His powers seemed to be draining. The being felt its muscles shrink. The runes were strong, and though the being was powerful, the runes still glowed.

“No!” the being called out. They didn’t have much time. “Quickly! Kill Mike!”

As if teleporting, Kevin appeared in front of Mike who stumbled into the ground with shock and drunkenness.

“Stay away from me!” Mike begged, waving his hands as he pleaded. His drunk brain had finally caught up to the danger of the situation.

“Do it!” the being pressed. “Avenge your friend.”

“Please don’t hurt me!” Mike trembled, his hands up in surrender. A dark stain soiled his pants. His fear overwhelmed him. “I’m sorry, all right? I’m sorry.”

Johnny would have chuckled at Mike’s condition if he wasn’t afraid of what Kevin would do. He knew he had to stop his friend from using his powers in a way he would regret. Despite the extreme pain he was in, Johnny began to crawl toward Kevin on his arms.

Kevin was unfazed by Mike’s pleas. A ball of black and purple energy, the size of a tennis ball, formed in Kevin’s hand. Mike began to sweat profusely. Immense heat emanated from the ball of energy in Kevin’s hand.

“We can end this,” the voice hissed.

Kevin was prepared to strike, but a bloody hand grabbed him by the ankle.

Kevin looked down, expression blank, to see an injured and bloody Johnny. His face was swollen, his one eye shut, wrapping his arm around his friend’s ankle as tightly as he could manage.

“Kevin…please, you need to stop.”

Johnny trembled at the killing intent in Kevin’s piercing eyes. Mike saw his chance and scrambled to his feet. He turned and ran as fast as he could into the nearby grouping of trees. The humanoid yelled in frustration. Their target had gotten away. He would’ve been an easy kill. And now, he was gone. Johnny was responsible. Johnny needed to suffer.

“It’s all his fault,” the being muttered, and Kevin felt the words echo through his mind as though they were his own.

The being forced Kevin to aim the energy ball at Johnny.

Johnny was too weak to move, scared; he knew his fate was sealed, a far cry from moments before when Kevin risked his life to protect him despite his planned betrayal. He recalled their declaration of being brothers and how he had helped him in the locker room—helped him remember who he was. Despite his trembling, he stared at Kevin, trying to hide his fear.