REGGIE'S POV
I watched as their faces twisted with terror as their eyes set on me. Not long ago, I was in their shoes. I lived in their shadows, while they made sure to make my life a living hell.
"W-What are you talking about?" Stephanie stammered, laughing nervously. "Stop… stop joking around."
I held her gaze for a few seconds, then turned my eyes to Ben, who was trying to stay composed, but I could sense the fear boiling beneath his skin. I clicked my tongue and looked away, not wanting to waste anymore time talking about myself or hearing from them.
An imaginative flashed through my head and in an instant, I was sitting on a high tree branch, perching above them like a shadow watching its prey, just as I had imagined.
Stephanie screamed and clung to Ben, while he flinched and staggered back, wide-eyed.
I could still make things happen and bend reality because I was controlling everything from the hell palace. Though I was physically present, my spirit remained rooted in that realm.
"H-How did you do that?" Stephanie gasped, trembling. I was satisfied with the fear in her voice. It stirred something inside me beyond excitement.
Ben, trying to shake off his fear, summoned, "ARROW OF THE SOUTHERN WARRIORS! Blaze with terror and consume the ones who threaten your strength!" A blazing arrow emerged from his palm and he aimed it at me. Before he could release it, Notorious Jaw appeared behind him and grabbed his arm. He twisted it, redirecting the arrow to a different target. Stephanie shrieked and ran away.
Ben spun, trying to face Jaw, but was met with a blast of tiny ice shards to his face. "ARGH!" He yelped in pain.
I crossed my legs, enjoying the show from my perch. If only I had popcorn, I thought, or maybe fries.
Notorious Jaw pinned Ben's arms with one hand and formed an icy shield with the other. He began to hit him mercilessly and with each strike, I could feel the amount of energy he was exerting. The energy I gave him made his ability powerful, but it would soon be mine anyway. It was just undergoing through a trial.
Blow after blow landed and when he finally stopped, blood trickled from Ben's mouth. He slumped, struggling to breathe.
I sighed and leapt down from the tree. "That's enough, Notorious Jaw."
As much as I was enjoying every bit of it, I wasn't here to be a bully. Ben was already defeated and wouldn't be able to defend himself anymore. Letting this continue would make me no better than him.
"Finish him," I stepped back, waiting for him to end it and bring his soul to me.
Notorious jaw knelt over him and lifted him fist to give the final blow. I let out a sigh and started walking away. Slowly, Ben's energy began to dissolve. Jaw had killed him.
I paused as the strong scent of his soul filled the air. It was intoxicating, like the smell of my favorite meal after starving for days. I shut my eyes, relishing in it as I turned. But, gunshots shattered the moment and Jaw fell, lifeless.
I vanished and in a flash, I reappeared in the ghoul's territory. That officer, Dianne, had fired the shot.
I clenched my jaw and fisted my hand. "Why were soldiers there?" I demanded, struggling to contain my rage. "They weren't supposed to show up until after the missions are complete."
"What are you going to do now, master?" Maki asked standing by my side.
I drew a deep breath and stood. "They won't stop me. I will claim the souls myself," I answered and looked him dead in the eye. "Freeze them all."
...
"Are they… all dead?" Dianne asked, examining Ben, Kelly and Jaw's bodies. The corpses weren't fresh. Their skin was decayed, like they had been dead for days.
Their mouths were opened and their eyes were empty. It was a gruesome sight.
"Could a human have done this?" one of the soldiers asked, disturbed.
Dianne shook her head, and folded her arms across her chest. "No. This isn't human work. I don't know what it is, but whatever did this, it didn't just kill them. It sucked out their lives."
She inhaled sharply and turned to her team. "Get this reported to the zonal headquarters. They might know something of any creature that must have done this."
Her eyes scanned around again. "Only Stephanie Yu survived… and Reggie Scott." She drew her brows, realizing they forgot about him. "Where is Reggie?"
Suddenly, the wind stopped, so did everyone and everything. The entire forest froze silent, and motionless.
Reggie walked past the frozen soldiers, his eyes fixed on the bodies of Jaw, Ben, and Kelly. Their souls floated above their corpses, handing like wisps of light.
Reggie closed his eyes, and in a single breath, the souls were absorbed into him and his eyes flared bright blue. A slow exhale escaped his nostrils, feeling satisfied, as though his centuries of hunger had finally been fed.
His eyes returned to normal, and he turned to Dianne. He stared at her frozen face for a few seconds before he vanished and time resumed.
"Why is it so cold all of a sudden?" a soldier asked, rubbing his hands.
Dianne scanned the area and furrowed her brows. "What…what just happened?"
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"It felt as if-" she paused and looked at her soldier. "We were frozen and I heard a voice." She looked around again and faced her soldiers. "Find Reggie Scott, now!"