Seeing the Triple J's and the mix of familiar yet unknown faces before him, Alex's mind raced. Panic began to creep in as his thoughts flashed back to what had happened earlier-what he had done and the events that followed.
The memory was vivid.
Orion, the man who had shapeshifted into a wild pig, had charged at Alex with relentless fury. Alex, exhausted from constantly evading him, decided not to run this time. He didn't even attempt to block the attack. Instead, he stood his ground, gripping his axe tightly, and turned to face Orion.
As the beast closed in, Alex began spinning his axe in his hands. At that moment, he had infused the weapon with his newly awakened bloodline power. He still didn't fully understand the effects of this power, but desperation drove him to act.
When Orion was close enough, Alex swung the axe down with all his might.
The result was devastating.
Orion's momentum carried him forward, his body staggering past Alex-but not before the axe had cleaved through him. The strike had split him cleanly from the shoulder down, his two halves separating as his lifeless body collapsed behind Alex.
Alex stood frozen in place, covered in blood and internal organs, his hands still gripping the axe. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, and the scene around him felt surreal.
This wasn't the result Alex had expected. It wasn't that it fell short of his expectations-it far exceeded them.
He had never intended for the attack to be so brutal, nor had he anticipated such overwhelming power.
Orion's body had been split in two, vertically from shoulder to waist, and he was undeniably dead.
Meanwhile, Alex stood frozen, panic coursing through him as he stared at the gruesome scene before him.
'This is the second time today I've been covered in blood,' Alex thought, his breathing uneven. 'What is happening to me? And why don't I feel any regret for what I just did?'
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind him.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world. You either kill or be killed," the voice said, calm yet sharp.
Startled, Alex spun around, gripping his axe tightly, ready to attack. But when he saw who it was, his expression shifted from fear to surprise.
"It's you… Fat man," Alex blurted out without thinking.
Saka raised an eyebrow, unamused.
"If I remember correctly, I introduced myself to you as Saka, not 'fat man,'" he replied as he walked closer.
Saka's eyes fell on Orion's lifeless body, his expression unreadable.
"I guess this explains why the faction decided to put you among the new gens. You're an anomaly," Saka said, his tone carrying a mix of curiosity and respect.
He gestured toward Orion's body. "While he wasn't as strong as a true Stage 5 Paragon, he was still leagues above your stage. Yet you managed to kill him without sustaining a single injury. That's… impressive."
Alex tightened his grip on the axe, his unease growing. "What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Saka's gaze sharpened as he looked directly at Alex. "No… I think I should be asking the questions," Saka said, his tone suddenly serious.
"What did you do to me? Who are you, really?"
Alex stood silently, staring at Saka without saying a word.
"What… You don't have an answer?" Saka asked, his voice rising in frustration.
"I… I don't know," Alex finally replied, his voice barely audible.
"What do you mean you don't know?!" Saka shouted, his tone sharp and demanding.
"I don't know who I am! I don't have the answer to your question, and I don't know what I did to you! I think… I think it's a bloodline power!" Alex shouted back, his voice trembling with frustration.
The sudden outburst startled Saka, who stepped back slightly. For a moment, he thought he saw the same intense glow in Alex's eyes that he had witnessed earlier.
Seeing this, Saka realized he needed to tread carefully. Whatever Alex was dealing with, it was unpredictable, and Saka couldn't afford to provoke him further.
"I see," Saka said, his voice calmer now. "From what little I've checked, I've found out that you're not entirely part of this family. Your mother—she's a single parent, and your father… he's unknown. Dead, I would say."
Saka's words hung in the air for a moment before he continued. "I want to know… have you ever asked questions about your real family? Your father's family?"
Alex's expression darkened, and he replied, "Trust me, I've asked. I've asked many times, and the answers are always the same. My father died in an accident, and his family was never revealed. Maybe he was just an orphan."
Saka studied Alex carefully, noting the frustration in his tone.
Saka remained silent for a while, his eyes fixed on Alex.
"I think you should ask again," Saka said finally, his tone calm but firm. "And this time, ask harder."
Alex didn't respond, his gaze locked on Saka, trying to read his expression.
"You look like a mess," Saka continued. "I'm sure you don't want others to know what you did. You need to clean yourself up."
With a wave of his hand, water materialized out of nowhere. It swirled around Alex's body, moving quickly and precisely before vanishing. When the water disappeared, Alex stood there, his body and clothes completely clean, with no trace of the blood that had soaked him moments ago.
"Coming into this place was a mistake," Saka said, stepping closer to Alex. "You're lucky I was here when it happened."
Alex remained quiet, his grip tightening on the axe still in his hand.
"They're going to ask you questions," Saka continued. "And trust me, they'll have ways to tell if you're lying. That's why I need to make sure whatever you tell them looks like the truth."
Before Alex could process Saka's words, the man reached out and grabbed Alex's hand.
Alex flinched slightly but didn't pull away. He wasn't entirely sure what Saka was doing, but he had a rough idea.
Saka was a water mage, and Alex had heard of the unique techniques developed by the Dragon Roar faction. Saka—and others like him—had learned how to control the water within a person's body.
The water mages of the Dragon Roar faction had perfected techniques to manipulate the water within a person's body. Using this, they could perform a variety of tasks—healing by killing viruses and diseases, or far more dangerous actions like attacking a person's internal organs.
Saka, however, had a different specialty. He primarily used this ability to give commands to people's brains. Through this method, he could erase memories, implant suggestions, or compel actions.
Right now, Saka had given Alex a simple but powerful command.
"Whenever they ask you about what happened here, you will forget what happened here and give them another answer as to what you were doing in this gym," Saka said calmly.
As soon as the command was given, Saka let go of Alex's hand.
Alex didn't feel anything strange in his body. To him, it was as though nothing had happened.
It seemed like Saka was about to leave, but Alex spoke up.
"Wait… Whatever happened here, you should not tell anyone," Alex said firmly, his eyes narrowing.
Saka turned back to look at Alex, a faint smile spreading across his face.
"I won't tell anyone," Saka replied. "But I will be keeping a very close eye on you."
With that, Saka's body shimmered and vanished, leaving Alex standing alone.
---
All of these memories flashed through Alex's mind in an instant.
And then, as if triggered by Saka's command, his mind went completely blank.
"What do you know about what happened in the gym?" Eddie demanded, his voice booming like thunder.
Alex didn't respond. Instead, he stood still, silently watching Eddie and the others, his expression unreadable.
Eddie's patience snapped. He stormed toward Alex, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him off the ground. With one swift motion, he slammed Alex against the wall.
"Talk!" Eddie roared, his grip tightening around Alex's throat.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Anna screamed, running toward them.
Before she could get close, a sudden force struck her, throwing her backward. She hit the floor with a thud.
"Anna!" Sera called out, rushing to her side.
Anna quickly pushed herself up and turned her furious gaze on someone else in the room.
"How could you... How could you let this happen?!" Anna shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's your grandson, whether you like it or not!"
John's face hardened. Though he remained silent, it was clear he wasn't pleased with what was unfolding.
"Eddie, we're here to ask questions—not assault him. Put the boy down, now!" John finally ordered, his voice firm.
Eddie didn't respond. He didn't even glance in John's direction, his focus entirely on Alex.
From the corner of the room, Jake and Jim exchanged tense glances. Their postures stiffened as though they were ready to attack Eddie for ignoring their father's orders.
Before they could act, Lucius stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Eddie, listen to him!" Lucius barked.
Eddie hesitated. His hand twitched slightly, his grip loosening just enough. Finally, with visible reluctance, he let go of Alex.
Alex dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for air as he clutched his throat.
The room fell silent, the weight of the moment pressing down on everyone.
Alex's face had turned red from the strangling, and faint blood marks from Eddie's fingers were visible on his neck. A single trail of blood trickled from the corner of his lips, adding to the alarming sight.
As soon as the force holding her back lifted, Anna rushed toward Alex. She knelt down and gently held him, helping him sit up.
Meanwhile, the Triple J's and the others walked over, their expressions unreadable as they looked down at Alex and Anna on the floor.
The elderly man, the lie dictator, stepped forward. Without a word, he placed his hand on Alex's head, his touch cold and precise.
"You can ask him your questions now," the man said in a calm, detached voice.
Eddie wasted no time. He ignored the others and immediately leaned closer to Alex.
"Do you have a hand in the murder that happened in the gym, or do you have any knowledge of it?" Eddie demanded, his voice sharp and accusing.
"Murder?!" Anna shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "All this because you think Alex killed someone?" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held Alex tighter, her disbelief evident.
"Shut up, woman, or I'll shut you up myself!" Eddie roared, his voice booming.
A sudden, oppressive aura burst out from him, filling the room with an intimidating force. The air grew heavy, suffocating even.
Sera, who had been too stunned to speak throughout the ordeal, collapsed to the floor, unconscious from the sheer pressure of Eddie's aura.
Anna, however, didn't react to the aura. She remained kneeling beside Alex, tears streaming endlessly as she held him close.
Feeling the oppressive aura pressing down on him, Alex lifted his head and glared at Eddie.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Alex shouted. "I have no hand in any murder, and I didn't see anything!"
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the lie dictator, the man with the unique ability to detect lies. He was still holding Alex's hand, his expression calm and unreadable.
"He's telling the truth," the man said simply, his voice cutting through the tension.
"What?! But… he was there!" Eddie protested, his frustration evident.
The lie dictator turned to Eddie, his tone sharp. "Unless you've suddenly developed my ability to sense lies, then what I said is what I felt. The boy is innocent."
With that, the man released Alex's hand and stepped away from the group, his movements slow and deliberate.
"I heard you have more tasks for me," the man said as he headed toward the door. "Be quick about it. This old, weak body needs rest."
The Triple J's exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of disbelief and annoyance, before they followed the man out of the room.
Lucius approached Eddie, his tone firm but calm.
"The boy is innocent. We have more pressing matters to handle than wasting time accusing him," Lucius said, his words carrying the weight of finality.
Eddie hesitated, clearly still doubtful about Alex's involvement. But after a moment, he reluctantly followed Lucius out of the room.
Before leaving, Eddie glanced back at Alex one last time.
Alex was smirking at him, a wicked glint in his eyes. With the trail of blood still on the side of his lips, Alex looked more vicious and unnerving than ever.
[Eddie has been marked as a target for the host.]