Chapter 8

• His chest heaved as though he had run a marathon. Then, like something inside him snapped, he suddenly threw his head back releasing a loud maniacal laughter, unrestrained. The sound reverberated off the walls of the restroom, freezing the three boys in place.
• "I finally get it now!" Riley gasped between bursts of laughter. A frenzied light gleamed in his eyes as he doubled over, clutching his stomach. "So that’s what it was all this!" He laughed harder, his shoulders shaking with uncontrollable amusement.
• The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by an unnerving stillness. Riley straightened, his expression calm and cold. His lips curled back into the dangerous smirk he had earlier.
• That was when Riley realized
• "Back at the hospital… when I saw him…" His voice dropped to a whisper, the words laced with something primal. "That acceleration in my heartbeat… It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t anger."
• As Riley said, what he mistook for fear and anger at the hospital, was neither of those emotions. Rather, he realized it was excitement. A blood lusted excitement.
• The boys watched Riley in stunned silence, unable to grasp the situation, their confusion and terror evident. Zack tried to push himself upright but crumpled under his own weight. Jake and Tyler on the other hand were still frozen in place, afraid that any sudden movement would cost them more than the blood Riley drew earlier.
• "Everyone in this family is a monster," Riley murmured, his voice low and almost carrying a hint of admiration.
• "But this guy..." He added, his tone now cynical.
• He stared at his bloodstained hand again, his fingers twitching. Memories—not his own, but Alexander’s—flooded his mind. Riley could feel it now, the pieces of the puzzle known as Alexander Evans falling into place.
• "This bloodlust…" Riley’s voice was barely audible, spoken more to himself than to anyone else. "This is why he kept to himself, isn’t it? All that time, he was pretending… pretending to be a loser. Lord knows what would’ve happened if he didn’t die."
• Realizing Alexander's deadly personality, one would assume that the righteous detective Riley would reject such character, but rather, he did the opposite. Riley accepted it with open arms. He accepted it as a tool, a weapon necessary for exacting his revenge.
• A blade necessary for slashing any form of hesitation towards destroying those he hated
• He laughed again, softer this time, a quiet chuckle that was no less unnerving. His eyes lifted to meet Zack’s, who was shivering in pain on the ground. Riley crouched down, his movements slow and deliberate. He gently patted Zack’s cheek, the gesture grotesquely tender.
• "I have to thank you," Riley said, his tone warm but his eyes cold as ice. Zack flinched at the touch but couldn’t move away.
• Riley’s voice softened further, dripping with mock gratitude. "The question I’ve been trying to answer… the tool I’ve been searching for… I finally found it. And it’s all thanks to you."
• The demon had finally awakened its fangs.
• ***
• The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the dimly lit room as a woman entered, her silhouette framed by the doorway.
• Despite the room almost being dark, one could make out her slim figure, adorned by her crimson dress.
• Before her, a slightly tall boy laid on the cold, hard floor, his body covered in blood and injuries, while two men with hulk figures stood over him, their menacing presence filling the room.
• One of the men, a tall figure with a scar across his cheek, flinched as her piercing gaze settled on him.
• The other man, equally massive with a bald head, shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of her gaze.
• "Who fucking gave both of you the order to lay a hand on him?" she yelled, her voice painted with fury.
• The men remained silent, their heads down and their gazes fixed on the floor.
• She glanced at the boy, currently unconscious, scanning his blood covered figure. "Ahhh shit, you fucktards!"
• Without hesitation, she marched up to the scarred man and slapped him hard across the face. "Kids these days are weak. What if he died? Would you be the one to pay me my money?"
• The sound of the impact resonated through the air as she turned to the bald man, her anger written all over her face. "Get me a chair!" she ordered.
• "Y... Yes ma'am" The bald man, his eyes wide with fear, quickly scrambled to fetch a chair for the woman.
• Meanwhile, the scarred man stammered apologies. "S...Sorry ma'am," he said, his face pale and sweat gathering on his forehead.
• "Wake the idiot up," she commanded, her tone leaving room for no argument. The bald man rushed to fetch a bucket of water, splashing the liquid onto the boy and startling him awake.
• Getting a glimpse of the woman's presence, the boy immediately scrambled onto his knees, a desperate plea tumbling from his lips.
• "Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"
• "Shhh, shhh, hush darling," she said, her voice suddenly soothing compared to the exasperated form it took earlier.
• "It's alright, relax." She pulled out a cigarette from her pocket and placed it between her lips.
• The bald man hastily offered her a lighter, and the flickering flame illuminated her face, revealing piercing green eyes and long dark hair brushing down her shoulders.
• She took a drag from the cigarette and exhaled heavily. "Kids..."
• "You know, money is quite hard to make nowadays," she said, her voice taking on a dangerous edge.
• "Everyone needs money, and the economy isn't smiling at us either. Isn't that right?"
• The boy, his body trembling, managed a weak nod. "Y... Yes."
• Her lips curled into a cruel smirk as she leaned forward, her whisper sending chills down his spine. "Then why haven't you paid me my money yet? You think I don't need money too?"
• The boy's eyes widened with fear, his mind beginning to picture many directions his current plight could lead to.
• The woman took another long drag from her cigarette, her eyes never leaving the boy's frightened face. "It's ok darling, you don't have to pressure yourself, okay?"
• The two men glanced at each other confused by the words she had just uttered.
• Her words made their way to the boy's heart, igniting a small flame of hope in him "R... Really?"
• "Of course..." Her dangerous smirk emerged again, "There's a lot of money living in you right now, don't you think?" She mused, a brief laughter escaping her lips.
• The boy's eyes suddenly widened, grasping the implications of the woman's words.
• ***
• The Evan's family dining room was filled with a tense silence. The chandelier poured a warm glow over the luxurious meals spread across the rectangular table.
• As they ate, the door to the dining room creaked open, calling their attention as Riley walked in slowly, his head hanging low.
• They each shot their eyes at him as he took his seat.
• Riley stole a glance at a woman seated opposite him at the table, her emerald eyes studying him intently. It was his first time laying his eyes on her.
• "Finally, I get to see her," Riley thought as he settled into his seat, fully.
• Mrs. Kaitlyn Evans, his mother, was a beautiful woman with an air of grace around her. Her long blonde hair brushed down her shoulders, complementing her blue eyes. At a glance, one could tell Sarah got most of her facial features from her
• His father, Richard cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So Sarah, how would you like to continue your studies in a private university abroad?"
• Sarah, startled by the sudden question, stammered, "Y... Yes, uhm i'd really love that, Dad."
• "Good," Richard said, his expression cold and formal. "When you're done with your final year in high school, you can leave as soon as you want."
• Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. One of her childhood wishes was getting the chance to study abroad. "Thank you," Sarah said, trying to contain her excitement.
• "No to be that grateful," Richard replied. "You earned it."
• Kaitlyn turned to Riley, her eyes softening. "It's only right that a talent like yours should be brought up in the best environment." She then turned to Riley. "Unlike others, you're making yourself useful."
• "Tch... Is this really an attempt to spite me?" Riley thought, pretending to be oblivious to the indirect attacks currently aimed at him. "Then how about I play a game of my own."
• The room fell silent once more, then suddenly he spoke up, his voice a mere whisper. "Primepath..."
• Slowly, they all looked at him, their curiosity piqued. "The biggest loan firm in Brightmoor... It's a potential threats to your company, right, Dad?"
• "Don't say such nonsense," Richard chuckled. "No one's a threat to me."
• Riley chuckled as well, his voice growing stronger. "Well, that aside, what if I eliminate Primepath, Father?"
• Shocked by Riley's statement, they all burst into laughter, mocking Riley's bold statement.
• "A child... Bring down Primepath..." Kaitlyn mocked.
• "Even your sister wouldn't be capable of such..." Richard added.
• They were all right. For a child, taking down a large firm well known in the city and run by professionals was nothing but a wild dream.
• But Riley had one weapon that currently gave him the edge over everyone else.
• "Of course they're right, normally it would be impossible, but then..."
• "I can recall the information that brought them to ruins in my previous life. It's a good thing I decided to read that report."
• "And to secure that information, I have THAT..."
• Richard looked at Riley's face, his laughter dying down as he noticed the serious look on the boy's face.
• He smiled, a challenging glint in his eyes. "Okay... Let's assume you miraculously pull this off. What do you want?"