The hotel room door splintered inward with a deafening crack, its wooden frame groaning in protest as Akshat Aether and Alexander burst through the opening. The scene that greeted them made Akshat's blood run cold. Manya stood there, tears streaming down her cheeks, her blouse half-unbuttoned as she fumbled with the zipper of her pants while Harsh and a mysterious dark-haired woman watched with predatory smiles.
Akshat's right eyebrow arched upward as his features hardened into a mask of fury. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he started moving toward Harsh with deliberate, menacing steps.
Harsh's lips twisted into a demonic grin. "Haha, who is this Manya, your boyfriend you slut?" His laughter echoed off the expensive wallpaper.
Seeing Akshat, Manya rushed toward him, her clothes disheveled. "Please leave us alone," she pleaded, voice trembling. "I can't let you get hurt, Akshat. There's a reason I have to do this."
Akshat's hand shot out, grabbing her face firmly but not roughly. He turned her to the side. "Wear your clothes," his voice was dangerously calm. "I already heard your conversation."
Earlier, as Manya had prepared for this encounter, Akshat had moved silently behind her. With practiced fingers, he had slipped a tiny tracking device into the seam of her jacket, its weight so minimal she never noticed.
Harsh rose from his chair, his muscular frame towering over most men. He stared down at Akshat, who didn't flinch despite the height difference. Instead, Akshat asked simply, "Give me the location of Fallen Star Pavilion."
The mention of that place ignited something volatile in Harsh. With a guttural roar, he lunged forward, throwing a powerful punch at Akshat's face. Akshat blocked it with his forearm, the impact vibrating through his arm. In one fluid motion, he countered with a sharp jab to Harsh's ribs, making the larger man grunt in pain.
But what happened next caught everyone off guard. Before Harsh could recover, Akshat reached to his tactical belt and pulled out a small hatchet, its blade gleaming in the hotel room's ambient light. With terrifying precision, he buried the hatchet deep into Harsh's shoulder.
Harsh's scream of agony echoed through the hallway. Doors in neighboring rooms began to open as curious guests peeked out to investigate the commotion.
"Alexander," Akshat said without turning his gaze from the writhing man before him. "Handle things."
Alexander nodded and moved toward the hallway, his presence alone enough to make the curious onlookers retreat back into their rooms.
Now Akshat stood before Harsh, who had fallen to his knees, the hatchet still embedded in his shoulder as blood soaked through his expensive shirt. The man's bravado had vanished, replaced by pain and fear.
Akshat's attention then shifted to the mysterious woman who remained lounging on the bed, seemingly unfazed by the violence that had just unfolded. "Now, it's your turn," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low pitch.
The woman didn't flinch, her expression remaining impassive as she sized up Akshat. The slight smirk that played on her lips suggested she was completely underestimating him, confident in whatever abilities she possessed. But as she met Akshat's cold, calculating gaze, she might have just made the worst mistake of her life.
Chapter: The Monster's Smile
Akshat's lips curved into a chilling grin as he knelt before Harsh, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling light that neither Alexander nor Manya had ever witnessed before. "WHAT'S THE COORDINATES OF FALLEN STAR PAVILLION?" he roared, the question echoing through the room like thunder.
The sight of Akshat smiling like a monster sent shivers down Alexander's spine. In all their years together, through countless missions and dangerous situations, he had never seen Akshat this unhinged with anger. Even Manya, who had been crying moments before, now stared in disbelief at the transformation before her.
I know Vanya and the others are being held at Fallen Star Pavilion, Akshat thought, his mind racing. But without the exact coordinates, I'm just chasing shadows in this sprawling city.
Just as the words formed in his mind, the mysterious woman moved with blinding speed. Her leg shot out in a vicious arc, connecting squarely with Akshat's face. The impact sent him flying backward, crashing against the far wall with such force that it knocked the breath from his lungs. The momentum also dislodged the hatchet from Harsh's shoulder, which clattered to the floor with a metallic thud.
Harsh gritted his teeth, a mixture of excruciating pain and burning rage contorting his features as blood continued to pour from the gaping wound in his shoulder.
Akshat pushed himself to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. Instead of anger or pain, that same disturbing smile remained plastered on his face. "Where is Vanya?" he asked, his voice eerily calm despite the violence of moments before. "Where are the others? What did you do with Vanya?"
The mysterious woman positioned herself between Akshat and the injured Harsh, her posture exuding confidence. "You know too much about the Pavilion," she said, her voice cold as steel. "I can't let you live."
Without another word, she launched herself at Akshat, her movements a blur of precision and deadly intent. Her hands became weapons, striking at pressure points with surgical accuracy. Akshat parried and blocked, their movements creating a deadly dance in the confines of the hotel room. The woman was faster than anyone he had fought before, her techniques refined and lethal.
Before Akshat could fully engage, Alexander stepped between them. "I'll handle her," he said, cracking his knuckles. "You focus on getting what we need."
The woman smirked, clearly underestimating Alexander's abilities. "Another sacrifice?" she taunted.
Alexander responded not with words but with action. As she struck with a lightning-fast combination of punches, Alexander moved with unexpected fluidity, his larger frame belying his agility. He caught her wrist mid-strike, twisting it with just enough pressure to make her gasp in surprise. Before she could recover, he swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor.
She rolled away and sprang back up, her eyes now flashing with annoyance rather than confidence. She launched a spinning kick aimed at Alexander's head, but he ducked under it, closing the distance between them. As she recovered from the missed kick, Alexander seized the opportunity, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground.
With a grunt of effort, he slammed her down onto the hotel room desk, which splintered under the impact. Before she could regain her bearings, Alexander delivered a precise strike to a nerve cluster in her neck, causing her body to go limp as unconsciousness claimed her.
The room fell silent except for Harsh's pained breathing. Both he and the mysterious woman were now beaten and incapacitated, ready for the interrogation that would hopefully reveal the location of Fallen Star Pavilion and the fate of Vanya and the others.
Akshat stepped over the debris, his expression unreadable as he approached the two defeated figures. The time for questions had begun.
End of ch RD 4
To be continue...
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