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Shot of Silence Chapter 24: One Step Backward
Heath had woken up rather sluggishly and groggily earlier that morning before everything that happened today even started at school. He must admit that lately he's been sleeping less and less, since he used the time trying to go through his phone to find out about the state of Verdena and, if he's lucky, to find his family. After all, 'Heath' exists in this world. Despite the circumstances, he's not the only similarity between this world and his previous one either. His parents have similar names, and even his mother's face looked exactly the same in her photos. So, really, there are possibilities that his dear family whom he cherished a lot might be here as well even though the city and place names aren't the same as the ones he remembered. No, actually, that very thought was the one that bothers him the most to the point that he's been frantic in his search, still to no avail. The fact that the location names aren't the same, but he could still recognize some people within the ci
Shot of Silence Chapter 25: Two Steps Forward
A waste of time.That’s what Orion had said. A phrase that Heath has been hearing a lot about himself, and it was now a label that also stuck towards his students.At that, Heath mumbled, “You’d think so, huh?” It was a soft whisper, but being a pro that he is, Orion easily heard him, which he then commented on, “Is it not?” He rolled his eyes, “That bastard doesn’t get paid for any of this shit, the government can easily use this against him, and there’s not even a guarantee that those punks would even use, let alone appreciate— I know from firsthand experience.”Heath was holding his chuckle at that comparison, but as of now, he simply shook his head at his colleague, “Well, I don’t think your experiences weighed the same, seeing that if someone were to do what he’s doing right now, I’d say they’d get to finish it in approximately 3 months with lesser quality.”‘And it’ll definitely take you longer’ —though he won’t mention that part to the other. But judging from his widened eyes
Shot of Silence Chapter 26: Fades out
"It’s okay,” seeing how frustrated the younger was, Heath pats his shoulder, consoling him, “Everyone makes mistakes. At least now you know, everyone here is giving their all to make things work," he points out. "Not only in our secret goal, but also for their future." "I see," Orion mumbled as his fists slowly loosen up. “The future, huh…?” The water’s still murky to his senses, but Heath was somewhat sure that the guilt coming from the blonde was not entirely due to the present situation. Orion felt rather aloof now. "Well, thanks for showing me this, He— Sagara-san." The brunet arched a brow, now he couldn’t help but tease the younger, "Aw shucks~ what did I do to deserve this demotion? I thought we're getting close already, lil’ bro?" To which, Orion scoffed, looking away from the other, "And who gave you the permission to call me your brother?" his voice is a bit lighter than before, therefore Heath continued. "Hey now, aren’t we family here? So, why not?" He chuckled at the
Shot of Silence Chapter 27: Extravagant Sleepwalking
It was a familiar feeling. While it has been quite a while since he was driven to his breaking point, sincerily by his dearly beloved mentor, his body remembers this delirious state of barely concious and the upcoming danger that would normally occur afterwards. Heath was a prince whose head wanted on a silver platter and Zephyr was not a babysitter. Truly, their first meeting was more of a mix of luck and circumstances at best. She was renowned for her unparalleled skills, standing out among her peers as the deadliest among The Umbranox. That's why people were glad to know that unlike the other members of the group, she was the only one who had never truly had a pupil before him. Not because she wouldn’t, but rather because those ignorants chose to spare their own lives rather than die at the hands of their own mentor. The only reason why Heath was able to survive her brutal ways was none other than his sharp survival instinct, honed from having his own life threatened on a daily
Shot of Silence Chapter 28: Caring is sharing?
While Heath just sheepishly grins, Lillian, along with the others, can only make a face, for they had witnessed this civilian escape from a seasoned assassin, while Heath's expression seemed disconnected from reality. ‘Out of all excuses, sleepwalking??’ The three of them, being closest to the brunet, had also agreed that they witnessed something unusual. Heath's eyes were dimly glowing, as if his body was possessed. Now, the brunet implied that it wasn't the first time it happened, suggesting he accepted the phenomenon as 'sleepwalking'. It all seemed absurd. That's precisely why they're not in the hospital right now. Instead, the infirmary has become their makeshift courtroom. I mean, who knows if there’s another variation of Perry, right? "Aha ha ha... I mean, I don’t know what else should I tell you? Even if you went for my official record, I bet all that you can find is the mundanes," Heath snickered, “or, probably, you’d find it to be way too squeaky clean. Who knows? I neve
Shot of Silence Chapter 29: Poisonous Whispers
The next day, Heath didn't come to school. Or rather, he couldn't. He had caught a fever by the end of yesterday. Still, he refused to go to the hospital and even told his housemate that it would be fine to leave him for work."...It's not like I'll be going anywhere. Just sleeping, probably," he rasped while rolling his eyes when Henko went into full mother hen mode that morning. Heath had to throw things like pillows and his alarm clock just for his cousin to reluctantly leave.And so here he is, suffering from feverish dreams all on his own.His family's sad, betrayed look as they turned around and walked away... that image keeps repeating in his mind and triggers even more anxiety in the brunet."I-I'm sorry. It was my fault! P-Please don't leave me alone...! T-Take me with you! Mother! Mags! Atlas! Master! Everyone...! Don't leave me alone!" Sobbing in his dream as well as in real life, the agony is far too much to bear alone.[...Give yourself to Us....]And that mystical whispe
Shot of Silence Chapter 30: Rude Awakening
"Shut up...!" In a moment of desperation, He stabbed the knife at the cutting board, hard enough to make a crack in the piece of wood while barely missing his own hand. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, he slowly slouched down, coughing softly as he only felt even worse due to the additional stress. For a moment, the world fell away, leaving Heath alone with his pain and his guilt. But as the fog cleared, he felt a strange sense of clarity wash over him, a newfound resolve born from the depths of his despair. The fallen royalty wasn't a foreigner to this kind of situation. He had his own portion of panic attacks and breakdowns in the past. After all, The promised crown he was destined to own is heavy on his back before it even officially his. So yeah, voices are normal. Screams of those he killed, shouts of his enemy, dying words of his family. Those voices never really left him, and he knows that they would only get worse as he goes on. That being said, however, it has never been thi
Shot of Silence Chapter 31: Internal Turmoil
"Right. Want. Need. Escaping is a want, not a need?" He breathed out heavily as if he was exhaling toxins that were poisoning his lungs. A bit of conscience returned by a sliver. 'Do I really want to do this...?' He stared at the taunting blood on his hand. It's not like anybody cares, right? So why should YOU care? He gritted his teeth before loosening up after reconsidering a few points. He might get some relief. But the thought of his late family getting disappointed because he wasted the life they sacrificed so much for... it was far more painful to keep in mind. And thankfully, that was the final conclusion he reached. His hand still shaking ever so slightly, he put the knife down before sliding it away from his reach, just in case the devil decided to tempt him once more for the sweet escape. He stared emptily above, taking some deep breaths to calm his aching heart. He ended up slouching down to the floor, sighing heavily. 'To think that longing for death would be more
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- Shot of Silence
Chapter 60: Decision makers
“Henhen?”“Hmm?”“What are you doing, man?”“Resting.”Heath sighed as he turned to his right, where the blonde man lay down. “You do realize this bed has no space for two grown-up men, right? Why are you here?”Henko just grinned as he looked to his left. “If we sleep on our sides, it’s possible!”“Haa… geez.” The brunet facepalmed before chuckling. “A sleepover at this age, my dude?”“Sleepovers aren’t limited by age.”Heath sweatdropped at the curt reply. “Can I at least get why you insisted? Aren’t I usually the one being all clingy?”“Yeah, yeah, you are. So it’s my turn now.”“But I’m still sick. Weren’t you the one who told me to sleep early today?” Heath arched a brow, questioning. Yet Henko remained quiet.“?”Not only did the blonde ignore that question, but he was also actively avoiding the topic without avoiding Heath entirely.“Henko?” Heath prompted, concern creeping into his voice.Henko sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers he was searching fo
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 59: Piles of Options
In the end, towards Agent K’s offer, Heath said that this decision was not his alone, since he lived with his cousin who knew nothing of the I-9 class's true nature. Which is why he couldn’t just put his signature on it yet, thankfully, the smiley man agreed to let him go.“You can just send me an email of it when you have the time. Please consider my sincere offer wisely, Sagara-san. After all, you’ve worked hard when it should have been our responsibility.”His words seemed well-intended, and a bright smile was present, but for a moment there, Agent K's smile looked absurdly evil. Heath couldn’t hide his flinch as he tried to mask the blaring alarm in his head at the sight with his own smile. The juxtaposition of the agent's demeanor with the sinister undertones was unsettling.He had wondered why Agent K switched up so fast all of a sudden. But now he realized why the smiley man, who never seemed to actually smile with his eyes, hadn’t been grilling him further despite the chances.
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 58: Recount
By the time the sun rose the next day, the students were called to get ready to go home as their trip duration was over. Heath, despite still not being fully recovered, had no choice but to pack up as well.‘Thankfully, the fever has dropped a lot,’ he thought. While he was still warm, overall he felt fine, and his core was mostly fixed up, enough that he could check the number of people in disguises around their group.‘At least the government seems to have finally pulled themselves together,’ he mused. It was for the best, really, after their major failure last time.That being said, ‘Lil’ bro isn't here?’ He looked around. ‘No, he's not the only one missing,’ his brief search was, however, interrupted by a call.“Looking for someone, Heath-sensei?”The brunet blinked before smiling with his eyes, to show his emotions despite his mask. “Oh, Jitsuo-kun! Glad to see you up and about~”The boy grinned back at him in response. “The medic told me to take it easy for a while and get lots
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 57: Investigation (pt. 3)
“To be honest, I didn’t think that they were kidnapped,” Heath said, his voice steady despite the strain he felt. When the device was activated, Heath initially didn’t think the situation was that grave. “I thought my students were entangled in a gang fight or something.”“Pardon?” Agent K's eyebrow arched in surprise.Heath scratched his cheek a bit, appearing embarrassed. “My students, they're good kids. But some of them can be… sassy at times. Yeah, let's put it that way. And they're capable of defending themselves. So, um, yeah. I was worried that my students got into trouble, which is why I was rushing. But the scale of trouble they were in was something out of left field. Had I known that they were kidnapped and not just losing a street fight, I would have called Miller-san instead of Perry-sensei.”Heath's voice was calm and measured, every word carefully chosen. Above all, he was not lying. His enhanced Insight had declined the idea of a simple street fight and alarmed him tha
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 56: investigation (pt. 2)
Asher had been the last to go among his guardians. That aloof guy had been the strongest, the ace of his cards back in the day. He didn't know how the man was killed, but Ernesh had been considerate enough to spare him the brutal details. Back then, Heath didn’t have the mental capacity to take in the entire truth either. Asher's death was odd. Being the strongest among his guardians, it was hard to believe he was killed because of a mole. But at the time, Heath had no reason to doubt his sworn brother. Detecting no lies in the man's words, he could only bitterly accept the fact that all the true Veridiania had been wiped out, leaving only him.Out of all the Quadradirmias, only Heath Veridiania and Ernesh Mazzanti, along with his guardians, were left while Umbranox had fallen and Eventidea couldn’t continue either, being close to ruin. Asher's death made him question whether he could carry on at all. Ernesh was the only reason he could see the end of the coup. That’s why his betraya
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 55: investigation (pt. 1)
Heath sat on the edge of the bed in his dimly lit hotel room, the shadows from the sparse lamps casting an eerie glow on the walls. His feverish state was evident; his face was pale and slick with sweat, a damp cloth draped over his neck in a futile attempt to cool his burning skin. Despite the discomfort, he forced himself to maintain a semblance of composure.Seeing his state, Lillian wanted to push back the questioning session. After all, there’s just no way that the searing heat on his skin is a mere facade. Despite her own suspicions, Heath has been nothing but cooperative. Lillian knows herself well enough to know she doesn’t get emotional easily, yet when it comes to this brunet, she always feels this bubbling anxiety whenever the man is not okay. It’s suspicious.This wasn’t the first or second time she felt this way. This is the third time she has witnessed this civilian being hurt. ‘Is it because I’m getting used to his bubbly self that seeing him like this shakes me so much?
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 54: Recuperate
‘I'm so beat…’ and that was such an understatement, he knew.Perry had been incredibly helpful in guiding him to his bedroom per his request because, at the moment, even breathing was a chore. Lillian and her buddies, whom he was so sure would have questioned him then and there, were apparently lenient enough to let him go when he was caught dazedly staring at the wall or the ceiling multiple times. Thankfully, no one really quizzed him about his condition since no injuries were found, assuming he was simply exhausted from running miles.“Heh heh…~” His condition was bad, but not as bad as he thought it’d be. It was actually surprising that he wasn’t bleeding out somehow, but perhaps it was because he’d been training on his own time, and even more after the ambush by the Leilian brothers. Regardless, he found his situation to be rather amusing.‘The recoil.’ He could feel his core cracking inside due to the strain. Just because he knew how to use magic didn’t mean he should have pushe
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 53: Rescued
“Phew, what a troublesome bunch.”After making sure that everyone was unconscious, Heath combed his hair before dusting off his outfit. At first, he thought it would be hard to deal with them, but in fact, he had been overestimating his enemies by a couple of notches. He had expected them to at least tear his outfit, land a strong hit once, or worse, shoot him. But none of that ever happened, and luckily, his clothes weren’t tainted with blood. Feeling a bit proud that he could control his power merely by judging from his appearance, he then counted his victims.‘24 down.’The last three people were not pursuing him.Throb.Scowling as his feet began to move again, it seemed like there was no time for him to rest. His enhanced insight was acting up again, and since he wasn’t in any immediate threat, his second hunch was about his missing students.Throb.‘Don’t just agree with me, gosh,’ he thought, gritting his teeth. He scanned the area once more before mumbling curses under his br
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 52: First contact
"You bastard!!!"No guns yet; it seems like they chose close combat instead. 'Well, lucky me, that would make things easier.'A fist was launched, but Heath easily ducked it and immediately followed with a roundhouse kick. The blow connected, sending the guy sprawling."T-That can't be...!"That last guy had been on the heavier side indeed. He was probably one of their best fighters, which is why this last man standing was left quivering, in disbelief that his comrades were defeated so easily.Well, it turns out, despite his scare, he seems to know how to assess the situation. And now Heath was facing the fearful weapon he had dreaded.The guy aimed and desperately shot in Heath's direction as if it were his lifeline. Which, quite frankly, was not far-fetched.BANG! BANG! BANG!'It has a line projectile, so once he fires, if he misses, he misses.'Unlike some magic that can chase after its target, bullets don't work that way, which is relieving because that means Heath could just move
