Chapter twenty

In the veil of the night, Adam, Mary, and Edna moved, trying to find their way through the construction site which they had agreed on not using for the shortcut.

"Why and how did we end up here?" Edna asks befuddled.

"You asking or you telling!" Mary exclaims. "I remember unquestionably how you kept pestering us to pass through this construction site."

"Don't be angry Mary. I only said that because I need to beat the curfew or my phone will be confiscated. Please understand. Plus, I noticed there was no security when we were passing in front of the place. You understand, right Adam?" She gets no answer. "Adam?" She calls again worryingly.

"Oh, sorry. Was lost in my mind there." Adam says with a smile. "And don't fret, we are alone here anyway," Adam says unsurely while surveilling their surroundings attentively. "Come on, let's hurry." Adam says and there all move along. But little did they know that they were not the only ones using the veil of the night as a cover to sneak around.

Earlier in Alex's apartment;

"You mean that ancient book? Dude who cares about that!? What I want to know is about all that successor crap. I mean you don't look like the kingly type to me." Alex lets out all his emotions which have amassed through stress and perplexity impertinently.

Paul, as if not hearing his words speaks, "Indeed that book is ancient. It is what you call a bestiary. It contains knowledge about the Mythics, inhuman beings."

"Old man, those are myths, that is why they are called Mythics. Listen, I don't have time for this. If you so much need me as your 'successor', then you won't harm me. So please leave. I have an appointment."

"An appointment? You mean crying yourself to sleep every night of your parents' anniversary? (Scoffs) Listen, kid, they are dead and gone. Your tears aren't going to fill up the abyss so they can swim out. In fact, they deserved their deaths. Lying in their cold blood with their faces helpless and lifeless is how true cowards should die. They..."

As Paul keeps speaking, the rage in Alex keeps boiling hotter and hotter and he just bursts a blood cell. He springs up to his feet and then dashes for Paul. He closes the distance with an incredible pace then grabs Paul by the collar of his coat with his left and his right clenched into a fist ready to strike. Alex stares into his eyes with furious eyes. He wishes in his heart intensely for his death.

"Why? Cat caught your...fist? Come on, strike me! Or you can't because grandpa thought you to be a coward."

"SHUT UP!" Alex shouts and throws his fist at the senile man. In a blink, Paul raises his left hand and blocks the punch with the back of his hand.

"Raising your hand against the elderly. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Paul with his left that is blocking the punch strikes the left hand of Alex (precisely his antecubital fossa) and forces him to remove his grip on Paul's collar. Paul pushes him back villainously.

"Just leave my room!" Alex orders in a kind of sad and angry tone.

"Why don't you make me!?"

"Sorry but I don't have interests in roughing up seventy-year-olds."

Evident in his countenance that being called a seventy-year-old has hit a nerve he lets out, "Seventy!? I said I am nearly seventy, not seventy! I am elderly, not old. I have made up my mind. Bring it on!" Paul says and gets on his feet.

"F*ck this! I only attacked before because I lost my cool. I won't do it again."

"Really? Then what if I tell you your parents were not attacked by bears and that they were murdered? Think, bears are extinct in the forests of Phora."

"Even if they were, what would you know about it? You are only a janitor."

"Are you doubting the rumours you heard? You know, my favourite prey are always those rich couples living the life I never had."

The moment Paul finishes his statement, Alex bursts a blood vessel again and strikes.

Alex takes two fast steps and then leaps into the air. He raises his right leg and attempts an axe kick. Paul stands still looking at his opponent. (In slow motion) Paul smiles. A few inches to impact he takes a step to the side to evade the attack. As Alex's leg came passing, he delivers a lightning-speed uppercut to the popliteal fossa of Alex. The instant Alex lands, he crumples down on the floor. He tries to get up.

"Don't bother! I dislocated your knee." Paul informs. "Well, I have been through worse! This pain...it is nothing." Alex gets back up on one leg. He raises the right leg slightly and it hangs in the air. "Come at me!"

"Oho! Your little ol' Edgar taught you well. Too bad he made you also a coward."

*ARGHHH* Alex yelps with rage and attempts a jab but Paul leans back to dodge. Alex loses his balance and is about to fall on his face. He thinks fast then bends his undislocated knee and springs himself like a missile, in an attempt to knock down Paul who has still not recovered from leaning back. However, Paul sees this coming and jumps back into a flip to evade. He connects a direct knee on Alex's chin in the process of his backflip.

"Geez! Don't let your elders move around so much." He looks down at Alex and notices he still hasn't gotten back on his feet. "Tsk! This boy has a lot to learn."

At that time in the construction site;

"Why are me rushing, Adam? We should slow down at a construction site. This is the first for us too so we shouldn't rush. I mean what if someone hears us? We will be in so much trouble." Edna says worryingly.

"I know. Sorry. But it's weird. I feel this coldness all of the sudden. Like... someone's bloodlust."

Immediately it strikes Edna and Mary.

"Edna!? Surround him!" They surround Adam with their backs to him and assume their battle formation. "Sorry, Adam. We don't know how you knew we were being followed but if we had remained calm enough we could have let it follow us long enough till reinforcement arrived." Mary says.

"Reinforcement? What is going on?" Adam asks with a strange calmness.

"Yeah. Short, we are from the Dove cult." Mary speaks.

"I am an ex-Dove." Edna corrects.

"Okay. Miss ex-Dove. So yeah Adam, that is who we are and..." A big black wolf-man-like creature drops down as if on cue. "...that's a Howler."

The instant the amber irises of Adam meet the ash irises of the big bad wolf, Adam drops to his knees with his right hand on his heart, as if wanting to rip out his heart. For some reason, he falls into a sea of agony as he yelps and breaths heavily.