Chapter 38: The cost of time

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Cost of Time

The lights were dim as Kael sat bent low, his headset off this time. He stared down at the ground, silent and still. Everything that had happened replayed in his head multiple times — the beheading, the void, Mara's voice, the time reversal.

He touched his neck and swallowed.

"Promise me, you will discover every secret of who you are, what I am, and who they are. Till then, you won't rest."

Kael clenched his fist tight, his brown knuckles showing.

What does she mean?

A thought surfaced — Mara's voice, broken, her body lying on a pool of blood in her white gown.

"You didn't smile for me."

Kael's eyes widened. His body shivered.

"Wh-Who is that?"

Then the thought wiped clean out of his memory. His eyes were still wide as he wondered why he was shocked — but couldn't remember a thing.

I have to find Mara. That's the reason I am still alive.

He rose, bandages wrapped around his arms. He wore his black hoodie, zipping it up. His voice became low, his eyes narrowed.

"I will do everything to find Mara."

---

Knock. Knock.

Kael turned, walked toward the door, and opened it. It made a creaking sound.

Tracy stood opposite him.

"You are the strangest human being I have ever met," she said, her voice calm. She wasn't looking at him. "When I thought you were dead — I mean, your head was just before me, your body meters away, motionless. And then I saw it. Every frame, receding backward. What is that?"

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Her voice was terrified. Smaller.

Kael stared at her, his eyes narrowed.

"Time reversal by death."

His mouth moved. It wasn't his voice — but a combo of his and Crucify's.

Tracy staggered back a step, clenched her fist, her eyes shaking. Then she regained her composure. She paused, staring at him, calculating.

"I need your help regarding Keith."

"Keith?" Kael asked.

Tracy turned and walked down the hall.

"The Blood Moon entity is real. It found a vessel, and it has almost completely taken control over that vessel. Which is Keith."

Kael paused for a brief second, thinking. Then he nodded.

---

An hour passed as Tracy, Calvin, and Kael sat on chairs around the table. Kael bent his head low after hearing the full story. Calvin was quieter than he had ever been since Kael had known him.

Silence stretched between them. Tracy stared at both of them.

"I can neutralize the Blood Moon entity and keep Keith alive," Kael spoke, breaking the silence.

Calvin, who had been shivering, immediately raised his head. Tears of joy filled his eyes.

"Oh, Kael! Kael!" he sobbed. "I knew you would always help me. You always keep finding solutions. Thank you so—"

"I am not doing this because of you."

Kael turned to him. Calvin went silent immediately.

"And you both should know it comes with a cost. That is, Keith will be my tool."

The words struck like a blade.

"Kael," Tracy interrupted.

Kael ignored her, staring at Calvin, who couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Even if I neutralize the entity, he wouldn't be himself. He would operate on a killer instinct. He would kill you, harm Tracy, and destroy innocent people. So it's better he stays with me and I get to use him. Maybe — who knows — if Keith really helps me achieve a lot, I might as well save him completely."

"Kael." Tracy stood up. "How dare you?"

She clenched her fist.

"What do you say?" Kael asked, still staring at Calvin.

"You son of a bitch." Tracy grabbed Kael up by the neck and slammed him to the wall.

Kael remained still. He bent his head to the side, still talking to Calvin.

"You have ten seconds to decide whether to let Keith die and his body used by an entity to cause massive destruction in our world, or allow me to do what I want with him and still preserve his life."

"Calvin, don't listen to this moron. He's brainwashing—"

"Enough."

Calvin's teeth were vibrating. His voice was trembling.

"Drop him down." Calvin rose. "I will do anything. Anything. I just want my brother to be alive."

"Good decision." Kael's voice was flat and blunt.

"Calvin, are you stupid?" Tracy stared at him.

Calvin sobbed. "I don't know." He rose his voice higher than before. "I don't know whether I'm mad or just a coward. I just don't know."

Tracy gazed at him, then back at Kael.

"So this is who you really are."

---

A siren blew past them. People ran forward. Someone screamed.

"Come on, I heard the Revolve Gang is fighting the minor officers. And a mass detonation is happening there."

Tracy stood, looking out the window. "What did he say?"

She stared at Calvin, who was also staring at the window, looking at the people running outside.

"I never knew they detonate people's heads here in the Mid-Spires," Kael spoke, rubbing his neck. "What if Keith is there?"

Calvin stepped backward. Then he ran inside Keith's room. He looked around, seeing no one.

"No. No way. Keith! Keith!"

He screamed as he ran out of the house.

"Shit!" Tracy followed him immediately.

Kael stared at them. His smile faded as a child made of pure black manifested in the air, jumping down, wearing a hoodie and knickers.

"Yay, yay, tonight will be another awesome one!" Crucify giggled.

Kael gazed at him.

The cost for time reversal means Crucify can now move freely in a two-meter radius from me, although not visible to anyone else.

His mind wavered back to Calvin, he took in a deep breath as his fingers trembled slightly.

"I am sorry. But I must get what I want."

He muttered the words under his breath.

---

End of Chapter Thirty-Eight.