Novels by Victor Mairo

For the next two weeks, I did everything with my family. I couldn’t stand to be apart from them even for a short while, and even though it must have been a gross inconvenience, they took it in good fun. 
Of course, bathing and private time were an exception. But everything else that could be done by a family, we did. We played board games, went to amusement parks, and did things we didn’t usually do. Mother even took a leave from work to take care of me, and Grace was on holiday. So, it was the perfect time. 
But I couldn’t sit still. Everything spooked me; everything made me worry. I was losing sleep, and I was losing myself too. My paranoia became an all-time high, and if anybody wanted to leave the house, no matter the time, I kept watch like a hawk and didn’t budge. 
“Okay, this has gone on long enough. Can you tell me what happened? What’s gotten you out of sorts? You’re acting so unlike yourself, and I thought it’d be different after a week, but nothing has changed. You used

“Warner!” I heard my mother scream my name. Wait, what? My mother? “Mum? Is that you?” I jumped from the bed and stared at my room. It was a pretty plain place, with just a mattress thrown on the ground and a study table. But it was mine.“How? How am I back here?” I asked aloud, but no answer came. “If you don’t come down this instant, I’ll make sure you run errands every day for a week!” My mother threatened from downstairs, and I ran down, my heart hammering against my chest. “Mother? You’re here,” I jumped into her arms and began to weep, ugly tears running down my face. I didn’t think of looking cool then; that was the absolute last thing on my mind. “Are you fine, Warner? Did you eat something bad? What’s wrong with you?” My mom looked at me with concern, her warm green eyes more beautiful than any gemstone I’d ever seen. “Nothing is wrong, mom." I love you. I love you a lot. And I’m sorry.” The words came spilling out of me, and I didn’t bother to hold them back. I had a

Rebecca was dead. There was a knife sticking out of her body, and her eyes stared at me, full of unspoken words. Then, her bright eyes went dull, and her body flopped onto the ground.Even while staring at her lifeless body, it didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be. There was no way that the one person who made life even more adventurous for me was dead.“This is a prank, right? Elijah? She’d appear from behind the trees and try to scare me, and we’d all laugh over my reaction. Right?” My fingers were shaking, and my eyes were unfocused. My head was banging, and I wanted to scream out loud.“DO NOT TALK TO HIM, WARNER!” I heard Elijah’s voice and turned to see a badly beaten-up version of Elijah, eyes swollen and lips bleeding. I couldn’t recognize that once handsome face anymore.“Run, Warner! Don’t let him catch you!” Elijah screamed, but I didn’t move. His eyes roved around and latched onto Rebecca’s form on the ground, lifeless.He ran toward her, tears streaming down his face. But I s

“Rebecca, free your brother. And tell me why you don’t want him to talk to me.” I didn’t mince words as I stood from where I was sitting, walking towards her.“Do you hate me now, too? Like everyone else?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes. I hated manipulation, tears or not. And I needed to make it clear to everyone.“Hate you? Why would I? I don’t even know you.” That was a low blow, I agree. But I was burning with rage, and I only knew what I said was terrible when Elijah gasped and Rebecca ran out of the room. I picked up a brush by the bed stand and brushed my hair before a vanity mirror, my eyes of stormy blue reflecting the rage that sat on my chest.“She just wanted a friend. You shouldn’t have done that.” Elijah looked at me like I was a stranger, and then he walked out of the room, probably to look for Rebecca. I wouldn’t know; I didn’t want anybody in my space right then. My anger was a lethal thing—an overdose, a toxin. I always kept it under lock and key, but it shat

Rebecca humored me most of the time, and Saul was almost never around. So, I was stuck with Rebecca and Elijah, who were suddenly becoming my two favorite people in the world (sorry, young Grace).The life they lived was not too different from the life I was used to, except they had a Kaiju or two to think about, and I couldn’t use their appliances without almost hurting myself. Saul calls it healthy training, but I have a nagging suspicion he’s trying to murder the socks off of me.Elijah was the older sibling, and his academic achievements were nothing to scoff at. Even on the New Liberty Front, he was a force to be reckoned with. I also found out about the amount of knowledge I was lacking, and the thought almost sent me into a spiral of depression.The world had become a technocratic society, ruled by the technologically savvy. With the threats of the other worlds and the tear in space, AI became humanity’s biggest weapon to ward off the danger. The platform—that’s what it was ca

“Great uncle Warner, you don’t mind, do you?” Rebecca sent the cutest puppy dog expression I’d ever seen my way, and my heart positively melted. “Well, no, I don’t,” I replied with a bashful expression, unable to look her in the eye. I’ve never been one to act cool in situations such as this one.“Elijah!!! Get your butt down here!” Rebecca screamed out loud, and the very prim and proper Elijah poked his head out from the top of the stairs, his words coming out in grumbles.I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him that way, which was a big step up from the stoic expression he always wore.“What do you need, Becca? I was reading for my post-graduate research on the phenomenon. The Theory of Evolution and the Powers That Be I don’t have time for your side quests,” Elijah said, and contrary to what I thought, he still made his way towards Rebecca after lots of grumbling.“Yeah, yeah, we know you’re the smart one. But listen, isn’t this a good time for you to put your big brains to work? We have

"That was dangerous. If he sensed you, you'd have died," Number 4 chided Number who just shrugged. She bent the burglary bars and grabbed the boy inside. Then she knocked him out with a well aimed hand chop. That was the only way she could reach him, and that was the only way she could stop the disaster that was coming for them.Number 9 looked up to see Moriarty, but ignored him. That wasn't the time for it. In that young boy, an ancient being slept. And it was being roused from its slumber by the extreme emotions the boy showed. It was one of the most dangerous situations she'd ever seen."Is he fine?" Number 4 asked and she nodded in affirmation. Number 4 wasn't part of The Executives of The Order. But she was pretty handy to have around. Her sigil was Precognition/Foresight and in her words, everybody was going to die if that boy was left unchecked. "Still can't believe a small child like this could be the problem of the world," Number 9 admitted and 4 just shrugged. Her sigil

Moriarty’s mouth tasted like ash. The world below him was revved up for the morning, their bodies swinging like pendulums to the tune of the new day.But, they were all going to die.At first, he had qualms about it, but thinking deeply, he became able to use more sigils when his mind dissociated from his emotions and let him create havoc without hassles."Funny, they act like they are gods. Walking about without a care in the world," Luka, his vice commander, stated, and Moriarty mirrored the sentiments. "You can't blame them, they don't know what war is," he replied, eyes forward. There were just two other people with him, but those two were enough."I feel guilty for wanting to kill them," Asher, his subordinate and one of the most ruthless women he'd ever seen, spoke. "Zip it, Ash," Luka chided, all good-natured. They always had a banter going on and Moriarty suspected they were going out, but he had no proof. "Okay, let's turn this place into a playground," Moriarty raised his

They needed each other and the sooner they realised it, the better for everyone involved. It didn't seem that way though, especially since Crystal was meant to be pissed off at Dante for killing her half-sister. But what Dante needed to learn, Crystal had already perfected. The ability to pick her fights with clarity and avoid senseless mistakes that would jeopardize the lives of others.Dante was young and needed to be guided. She felt like she was watching Mark all over again, and he was giving her a second chance. Darkus was… complex. He played both sides, and she didn't know if it was because Crystal ordered him to, or because he wanted to.A lot of things were going on, and she wished she had someone to talk about these things with. Dante was bashful and acted unsure of himself, and she wanted to pat his head and tell him everything was fine but she didn't know how he'd take it. He acted like he was sure of himself, even though his inner child was confused and scared, trying to

Cincinnati was hungry. And doing her best to look out for Dante too. At first, she didn't see anything worth mentioning in him, his broodiness was starting to irk her. But she got to know him more and she could see that he was just someone who needed love.A lot of it.He didn't know because he acted self-sufficient, but she could see through the bullshit. He reminded her of Mark, the way he put on a brave front even when he knew nothing about what he was doing. She found it endearing, and maybe a little bit sad.That was the problem with people like Dante, they didn't know when to ask for help and when to be independent. She could see that he wasn't comfortable in his skin, and she didn't blame him, she once wasn't comfortable here. But things had changed, and now she was someone who could face the inevitability of a future and smile through it all.What Dante didn't know though, was that the world that'd been revealed to him was little compared to the truth. Gilgamesh wasn't the sec

The room smelt damp, and Fred felt like his mouth had turned sandpaper, so dry from thirst, it felt like he hadn't had a drink in days.He tried to speak, but the words didn't come.Pathetic.He couldn't move, his arms shackled to something. It felt ice cold on his wrist, and he could feel the cold seeping into his skin like a virus, shutting down his body system."That is to keep you from having any ideas," Alistair was framed in the bars of the cell, his pearly white teeth shining in the dim light of the cell."Don't bother to talk, you'd just progressively get weaker. I wouldn't mind that in the least. But, I wouldn't want you passing out on me." Fred could make out a figure close to Alistair, a figure dripping with blood. "This is your pet, eh, boy? Doesn't look like much," Fred could vaguely make out the shape of Saphrana, and he tugged at his chains but they didn't budge in the slightest."I wouldn't do that if I were you. Those are mana-restrictive chains. The more you fight,

Zero didn't like calling people assholes, but Terry was downright insufferable. If only he listened, but no. There were many things wrong with the Enforcers, but Terry was one of those things that irked Zero to no end. Which is why he decided to talk to Terry. He came out of his room and saw the military base looking deserted and lifeless. It was early in the day, at least 2 A.M, and he never really bothered to check. He made his way soundlessly down the hallway and took a right turn, where he climbed a flight of stairs. He was downstairs, whereas Terry was on the upper floor. Third floor, if he remembered correctly. The stupid place's elevators weren't even working.But Zero wasn't deterred, he had always lived in uncommon odds. And a flight of stairs were the least of his worries if he was being honest. He made his way to the landing, spotting Terry's room. The numbers didn't lie, it was 1,990-1200. He heaved a breath of annoyance. Terry was being a child, and Zero needed to sho