Overwhelming Emotions

Blegh!

Lucius desperately held on to the sink as he threw up aggressively. His face was pale, and his eyes had dark circles due to sleep deprivation. The previous night could be considered the worst night of his life since he couldn't sleep, images of the elderly man kept popping up in his head, giving him nightmares.

"What the hell is happening?" Lucius gasped. "You told me my emotions won't be a problem because of your genes."

[Your emotions are suppressed, not completely stripped away from you.] Lyxor explained.

[Your feeling of guilt is just too overwhelming. You need to get a hold of yourself!] Lyxor said.

"Fuck you!" Lucius cursed.

Lucius wanted to say more, but he heard a knock on his door. He staggered forward and opened the bathroom door, only to see a maid standing at the door with a bright red face.

"I-I am sorry, but your friends arrived and forced their way in." She said hastily.

"Lucius!" Silver gently pushed the maid aside as he rushed in.

Soon the others rushed in but froze when they saw his pale face and the dark circles under his eyes.

"Wow… I thought you were just making excuses when you said you needed to recover." Ralph said.

"I didn't think it would be this bad." Maya paled and ran over to Lucius's side to help him stand.

Dean frowned when he saw Maya's reaction and just looked away with annoyance.

"Whoever said you are healthy enough to be discharged needs to lose his license." Dean said with a deep frown.

"That's my brother you are talking about, stupid!" Silver glared at Dean, who shivered and laughed nervously.

Ralph and Maya helped Lucius to the bed, where he sat, and slowly shut his eyes, feeling completely worn out.

"I'm okay. Just like I said in the text, I need some rest." Lucius said slowly.

[Who would have thought your weak mind would be useful.] Lyxor chuckled.

"Did you guys hear about the murder of the mask shopkeeper?" Ralph said 

While Lucius's heart skipped a beat, his face remained indifferent.

"Yeah, he got stabbed and robbed." Alex shrugged 

"It's crazy something like this can happen in the commercial district." Maya frowned.

"Hmph! What do you expect when they let people from the residential district into the commercial district? The poor killing the poor, it's nothing new." Dean snorted disdainfully.

"Are you trying to justify the death of the nice old man?" Ralph frowned.

"Hmph! I'm simply saying this won't be a problem if these poor people are kept away from the commercial district. All they do is kill and steal." Dean retorted.

"May I remind you, the people who create the clothes you wear are the poor. The people who mine the Aether that keeps this god-damn city running are the poor. Must I remind you that the food you eat is grown by the poor slaving away in the fields?" Lucius growled, his eyes burning brightly with purple light.

Dean shivered and instinctively took a step back while avoiding eye contact. He was used to being around people who shared a similar mindset as him.

"Hey, calm down." Maya glared at Dean before gently pushing Lucius down to the bed. She was afraid his condition would worsen if he got all worked up.

A brief silence followed since the entire mood of the meeting had been messed up by Lucius's outburst.

"What's crazy is that they couldn't find anything about the killer." Silver said thoughtfully. "Normally, these killers would try to get rid of items used for the crime or, at least, leave behind signs while destroying these items." 

[I told you, devouring your clothes, gloves and the knife was the right call. The versatility of my Devour ability is truly unmatched.] Lyxor boasted.

'Shut up.' Lucius responded.

The memories of that night were still playing in his head. He didn't need someone boasting about an action he felt ashamed of.

[With time, you will get used to it. For the greater good, sacrifices must be made.] Lyxor chuckled.

"The CCTV cameras were destroyed, and the surveillance system was completely destroyed. I think there is more to this than what the police are saying." Ralph said.

"Unfortunately, that man is a nobody. They don't want to expend much resources on someone with no background." Alex sighed.

"Yep. The man was robbed, and his cash register was emptied. It's only natural they would conclude it was a petty theft." Silver nodded.

[You were right… You are really a natural at this!] Lyxor commended Lucius but got no response.

Seeing Lucius wasn't responsive, they all exchanged glances and got up.

"Hey, we will give you some space to rest but don't worry, we will send you pictures and recordings!" Ralph said.

"Yeah, get well soon. We have school to deal with two weeks from now." Maya said as she reluctantly got off his bed.

"Get well man." Silver slapped Lucius's feet before jumping off the bed.

The others wished him a speedy recovery, and Lucius simply nodded at their words while watching them leave. 

[Did you notice it?] Lyxor asked.

'Yes… Their sidekicks didn't come with them.' Lucius responded with coldness in his eyes.

[Exactly… It seems our suspicion was on point.] Lyxor chuckled cruelly.

'What day is it?' Lucius asked.

[Thursday] Lyxor responded

'I guess I have a few days to rest before the main event.' Lucius sat up.

[Are you having second thoughts?] Lyxor asked.

'I already killed an innocent old man. Killing people from lesser noble families is a step at redemption if you ask me.' Lucius frowned.

[Good. Rest and recover your energy. You will need to be at your best for our plan's next step to succeed.] Lyxor said.

'I know… I know…'