Chapter 23

Zephyr had returned to the clinic where his friends laid like logs on the beds, sleeping as if it was their last peaceful rest that they'd ever take. He walked in and was immediately dragged and pulled around by Andrew who was nagging at him.

"I told you not to go out! And especially not come back injured. I have to heal you all over again." Andrew complained, setting Zephyr on a chair while he contemplated whether he should just tie the kid to the bed with a rope.

Choosing to remain silent, Zephyr closed his eyes and attempted to rest for a while. He held on tightly to his shirt to gain some sort of comfort or warmth.

Andrew noticed this and covered Zephyr eyes with his hand, blocking the bright light on the ceiling. "Sleep tight." He whispered in a tender voice. Almost like a father Zephyr never had.

Soon after, Killan came inside the clinic while he looked around. He went up the staircase and arrived at the resting bays, shocked to see the trio sleeping on the beds. He assumed they would've been on their tippy toes, considering how much people were after their throats.

He walked over as quietly as he could manage, with each step he took, he breathed in nervously. Finally reaching the beds without walking them up, he hovered his face over them while trying to inspect something. The moment he reached out his hand and attempted to touch Castiel's face, he received a massive shock.

Killan's vision went dark and he could see himself in a dark tunnel with a bright light at the end of it. Finding the situation ridiculous, he chuckled and walked towards the light. However, no matter how fast and far he walked, it seemed to be getting further away. "Interesting.. so how exactly did Luca broke out of this mid fight?" he wondered, looking around.

Suddenly, the dark barrier crumbled and broke into small black pieces of glass and Killan found himself back inside the clinic with Castiel looking at him with distrust written all over his face. Eyes focused, hands held out while covering his friends.

"Hey there. You should know me by now, I'm Killan. You're Castiel, aren't you?" He started, sounding sly. "I need to talk to you. Come out."

This time, a bright red flash exploded in his face. Blinding him while grey smoke was spreading throughout the room like a virus. Quick and swift.

"What do you think you're doing to my friend?" Ethan said, scowling while his hand was raised, small bubbles of smoke trailing out from his palm.

Killan scoffed and raised both of his hands up in defeat and shook his head. "Calm down kiddo. I only need your friend for a moment. If you want I could discuss it with you here. But I rather not." He said, getting serious at the end of his sentence.

"You'll talk here." Ethan immediately responded. He looked at the panicked Castiel who was calming him down desperately with soft pats on his shoulder. "I won't interfere. I just want to make sure you aren't killing him off and burying him without me knowing."

"You're awfully arrogant for such a young child. From a rich family, perhaps?" Killan thought, tilting his head while he tried to connect the dots.

Ethan flinched and glared at Killan before stopping and turning around.

"Sir? What would you need from me?" Castiel said as polite as he could considering the fact that Killan naturally radiated an intimidating presence right from the start.

Killan smiled at the politeness and pulled out a chair from the wooden desk and sat down, making himself at home. "I can guarantee you that our members will not chase after you anymore even if you're not registered. I'll tell you more about the process of becoming one of us if you agree on becoming my disciple, how about that?" he offered with sparkles of hope twinkling in his dark eyes.

"Your...disciple?" Castiel questioned further. He wasn't sure what the man had meant by that. Heck, he wasn't even sure what the word had meant, it was far out of his vocabulary reach unfortunately.

"A follower or pupil of a teacher or leader of some sort." Ethan murmured, making sure he was heard while maintaining the least interference he had promised earlier.

"Right, that. Your powers, I've seen them at use. It's fascinating and the possibilities for the usage of it stretches to the void. I can provide you with ways to improve your powers so you can make yourself more useful. I've always worked with dark magic sorts of powers that involve trickery, I assure you that I will be of a good example you can take after." Killan said, stating all the benefits Castiel would gain. "And I'll give you some information about the underworld here. How about that?"

Soon came the part where people have to perk up their ears in order to avoid being fooled and be contented too easily. "However, you will train in Thanatos training grounds under my name, stated that I'm your teacher. I'll gain some stability from that.. and besides, I enjoy working with new powers. This deal would both benefit us very much so. Don't you think?" Killan ended with a smile full of anticipation.

Castiel kept quiet and wanted to look back at Ethan for help and suggestions but he knew he had to stop being so dependent on him even though he was the oldest. It was time for him to gain some guts and make decisions on his own, no matter how hard it was.

"I would like to become your disciple. Please teach me and I'll learn from you to the best of my abilities!" Castiel exclaimed at the top of his lungs nervously. He could feel daggers staring into his back.

"Wise decision. I'll come back here later and take you to my crew. This is where you and Damien's group shall part ways." Killan said then slowly turning his attention to Zephyr who was leaning on the wall with his eyes half closed. "Zephyr, right? A man named Enzo will come by later. He's a member of my crew and he'll be taking you to see my liege again. Run away and there shall be consequences." He warned.

Killan then looked at the irritated tiger laying in the bed waiting for the right time to attack. "You'll follow along with Castiel later too. I can't leave you behind now, can I?" He stated, turning his back and black smoke rose up from his shadow and armoured him in it's darkness. He disappeared soon after without a trace left behind.

"Why did you agree?" Ethan asked, standing up from his bed and confronting Castiel.

"My decision. Besides, he doesn't seem like he would harm us, he made a deal." Castiel defended.

"You fool." Ethan groaned, scratching his head and pulling his hair out in frustration. He knew that the person was trouble, the moment he saw those snake-like eyes.

Castiel and Ethan remained silent, not knowing what to say after. Decisions were made and the path was paved and decorated with eternal suffering and perpetual misery. There was no turning back to the times before the pandemic. Their backs were turned and sides were switched. Whether it was betrayal or not, it held no importance to the three boys. There was no one they once loved within the protected region.