The Threat

“Everything in the universe exists on a balance of positive and negative energy. Ultimately, nature, animals, even the tiniest strand of hair contains an invisible energy. As humanity evolved, it learned how to control, transform and absorb this energy at will… this is what we call ‘Aura.’
However, as time passed and civilization advanced, the number of people capable of wielding this power gradually declined. By the early 20th century, a grim study suggested that only 12% of the world’s population could still use Aura.”

Chapter 5: The Threat

A slightly worn, grayish-white door had the words “Examination Room” written on it. The door creaked open, and Tenuun stepped out with a grim expression. He stared at his right hand, lost in thought over the doctor’s words.

“This is truly strange. In over twenty years of working in medicine, I’ve never seen anything like it. The entire right side of your body was completely burned beyond recovery. Yet now, there isn’t even a scar. I don’t know what miracle occurred, but you will need to stay in the hospital ward for observation.”

Tenuun clenched his right hand, grinding his teeth.

“Was I really at death’s edge…? Then how am I standing here like nothing happened? Was it Dulguun…? Dulguun… what did you do to me…?” he muttered.

Suddenly, an old man passed by, muttering to himself, the scent of burning incense trailing behind him.

“Damn it… I’ve truly gone senile. That talisman was the only precious thing passed down from my father…”

At his belt hung a yellowed bone pendant resembling a beast’s fang. Noticing it, Tenuun approached.

“E-Excuse me…”

The old man shot him a cold glance. “What is it?”

Startled, Tenüün scratched his cheek. “Um… the talisman you’re looking for…”

Before he could finish, the old man’s expression softened slightly.

“Oh? You saw it? How did you know I lost it? Did you find it?”

Tenuun pointed awkwardly. “I-it’s… on your belt…”

He handed over the pendant tucked behind the old man’s belt.

The old man burst into laughter. “Ah, this senile head of mine! Getting old is a curse. I’ll end up being a laughingstock to children and dogs alike! How did I even manage to tuck it there? Hahaha!”

After thanking him, the old man asked, “You seem like a kind young man. Could you help me one more time? Do you know where Room 308 is? I’m meeting someone, but I’ve lost my way.”

Tenuun guided him to the room.

***

After helping the old man, Tenuun returned to his ward.

But as he entered, he froze.

A man in foreign clothes lay on his bed, casually smoking. Blonde hair. Sharp nose. His arm was bandaged.

Who is this guy? A foreigner? Must be a patient, his arm is bandaged. Tenuun thought.

Before Tenuun could speak, the man looked at him, a cigarette between his lips.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for you,” he said with a smirk.

Tenuun stayed silent, confused.

The man stood, walked up to him, and blew smoke into his face.

“Don’t understand me? Do you speak English?”

“A little… I think you have the wrong room,” Tenuun replied.

The blonde man chuckled. “No mistake. I came to see Dulguun. You can contact him, right? Tell him Arthur is here with information about Mr. X.”

Tenuun’s eyes widened.

“Dulguun? Mr. X? You’re connected to them?”

Arthur smirked. “Well, since you’re on Dulguun’s side anyway, it’s fine. I want to trade Mr. X’s information for a plane ticket. Fair deal, right?”

Tenuun clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

“I… I want to find Dulguun too… and kill him…”

Arthur narrowed his eyes. “You’re not getting it. I want to talk to Dulguun.”

Then his expression darkened.

“You want to play games? I'm not in the mood to play right now. Where is he? If you don’t answer… I’ll blow you up.”

Tenuun choked out, “I… I… urgh… urgh… I also want to find Dulguun and ki—”

Before he could finish, a flash of light seemed to spark from the tip of Arthur's finger, and a deafening explosion blasted right in Tenuun's face.

Tenuun screamed, collapsing, clutching his burning face. The smell of scorched flesh filled the room.

Arthur grabbed his hair, forcing his head up.

“I left your mouth intact. Now call Dulguun.”

But Tenuun’s arms went limp.

“Ah, shit!” Arthur muttered, slapping him repeatedly. “Wake up! Fucking little shit!”

The door creaked open.

“I was wondering what kind of strange Aura I was sensing… So modern assassins can’t even work quietly anymore?”

The old man stepped in, adjusting his talisman.

Arthur scoffed. “What is this old geezer doing here? You saw something you shouldn't have, old man. Sometimes it's best not to be too nosy.”

The old man smiled faintly. “Are you threatening me? What a cute little rat,” he said, his eyes flashing crimson.

Just as he was about to charge at the old man, the sound of heavy breathing echoed from behind him. Suddenly, an oppressive pressure filled the room, and Arthur felt as if all his bones were being crushed to dust. He whipped around in panic to see Tenuun rising, his back arched backward, moving in an unnatural, inhumanly awkward way. Cold, dark sweat beaded on the old man's forehead, his joints feeling as if they might snap. Both Arthur and the old man stood frozen in shock, watching Tenuun jerkily stand up in a grotesque manner…

***

In the depths of pitch-black darkness, Tenuun sat crying, cradling his father's cold, lifeless body.

“I’m sorry, Father. Your son couldn't save you.”

His father suddenly smiled—bloodied teeth exposed.

Suddenly, his father smiled, revealing bloodstained teeth. “Is there a son like you who lets his father die? What an unfilial boy,” he said, then began to laugh hysterically. Startled, Tenuun looked closer the person he was holding was not his father, but someone he had never seen in his life, wearing a chilling smile, staring back at him with red, blackened, skull-like eyes.

Tenuun scrambled up in terror. “Wh-What? Who are you?”

The entity replied, “I am the real you. You are the fake me,” before melting into a liquid and seeping into the ground, vanishing.

As Tenuun crawled backward on the ground in a panic, a skeletal hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. A grating, soul-scratching voice whispered into his ear, laughing, “Come on… Come on, come on… Dulguun killed your father, remember? You need to get your revenge, don't you? Imagine the man who killed your father walking around perfectly fine and healthy. Hey, is that acceptable? Say something. Hey, hahaha.”

He swatted at his shoulder and looked back… No one was there. Tenuun clutched his head, banging it against the ground. “Stop it! Please! Just stop it! I… I wanted to help! I wanted to save him! Dulguun! It was Dulguun who… He was the one who…” he kept mumbling over and over, spit flying from his mouth, as bloody tears streamed from his eyes…

***

Back in the room—

Moving with an arched back and awkward jerks, Tenuun mumbled, “Stop it… Stop… It's Dulguun's fault… Dulguun…” then suddenly burst into loud, maniacal laughter like a completely different person.

“Damn! Is this what it feels like to be alive?” he said, rising with a demonic, wicked smile.

As Tenuun's laughter filled the room, his burnt skin regenerated and healed in the blink of an eye.

Arthur yelled, “What the fuck! No wonder Mr. X was so interested in you. You're a monster just like those two?!”

Tenuun glanced at Arthur from the corner of his eye. “Blondie… Thanks to you, I managed to wake up. And…”

In a split second, he was standing right in front of Arthur. Arthur tried to step back in shock, but for some reason, the ground suddenly tilted, and the world seemed to turn upside down. “What happened?” Arthur asked himself, his eyes darting around. Then he saw himself standing right in front of him… But something was off. It was like looking in a mirror… Looking closely, he had no head. Then, his vision suddenly went black, and he couldn't even breathe.

The old man furrowed his brows in thought. “He tore his head off in the blink of an eye. He moved faster than the eye could follow and severed his neck? With his bare hands?” Meanwhile, Tenuun said, “…I'm really thirsty for blood, you see…” and picked up Arthur's severed head from the floor. He then held the head over his mouth, greedily drinking the pouring blood like there was no tomorrow.

“I’ve felt this sensation before. This brat is undoubtedly from that time…” the old man thought, before Tenuun interrupted his thoughts.

“You look very familiar, old man. Where have I seen you?” He tossed Arthur's head aside, licked his bloodstained lips, and closed in on the old man.

The old man smiled back. “You nasty little devil. No matter how much aura you have, can you really control it with such a frail body?”

Suddenly, Tenuun collapsed to the ground.

“Wh-What? How?” Tenuun muttered, his pupils fading to pure white before he lost consciousness.

The old man quickly wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “Is this even possible?” he asked himself.

“Oh ho. Master old man, huh! What are you doing here?”

A young man entered the room, brushing the hair dangling over his face backward. He glanced around the blood spattered room. “Wow, you really overdid it. You're not usually the type to sloppily rip off someone's head like this, are you? What a shame, I wanted to take his ability,” he said, peering down at Arthur's severed head on the floor.

The old man glanced at the young man from the corner of his eye. “Is this your doing, Dulguun?” he asked.

Dulguun turned his head toward the old man, his eyes smiling. “So, you're saying you didn't kill this guy?” he noted.

The old man looked down at Tenuun lying in front of him. “Who is this kid? Back then… Did you really fail to kill him? What exactly are you planning?” With that, he enveloped his body in aura, and the ground where the old man stood cracked and splintered under the sheer pressure.

Dulguun stepped right up to the old man's face and smiled. “Don’t tell anyone about this… Master.” Suddenly, the aura enveloping the old man vanished, and the old man averted his gaze. Behind that smile lurked an unutterable, overwhelming threat…

To be continued…