2025-03-27 22:42:28Chapter 13 - Reckoning in the Aftermath
"You'll pay for this, you bastard!" Theo Vance's voice echoed through the cafeteria, raw with fury. His expression twisted in pain and rage as he raised his trembling, broken hand. His other arm shot forward, a swirling mass of energy coalescing at his palm. A crackling beam of fluorescent light burst forth, streaking toward Max Bladeheart with blistering speed. Max, his mind sharp and instinct honed, barely reacted before his body took over. ‘Activate Dash.’ The command surged through him like a whisper carried by the wind. In an instant, his senses sharpened. The world around him slowed. Every breath, every sound became a distant murmur. A refreshing sensation coursed through his limbs, filling his muscles with a boundless energy that made him feel weightless, untethered. The energy blast screamed toward him. Twoosh! Max pivoted sharply to the side, his body blurring as he dodged the attack with ease. The beam of light streaked past him, slamming into the wall behind with an explosive boom, sending shards of debris scattering across the cafeteria floor. Twoosh! Twoosh! Theo unleashed another volley, each blast fired in rapid succession. But Max was already moving. His form flickered in and out of sight, his speed overwhelming. His movements were not just fast—they were fluid, precise, like a predator weaving through the battlefield with effortless grace. To the watching students, it was like witnessing a phantom dancing through the storm. The moment Theo prepared another attack, Max struck. Pow! A single devastating fist collided with Theo’s abdomen. The impact was monstrous. A sickening crack resonated through the air as Theo’s body crumpled inward. Blergh! A spray of blood burst from Theo’s lips. His eyes bulged wide in agony. The force of the punch lifted him off the ground, his body arching backward before he was sent hurtling across the cafeteria like a broken doll. He crashed into a table with bone-rattling force. Blam! The wooden surface splintered beneath him, collapsing under his weight. Theo lay there, groaning, his limbs twitching weakly. The cafeteria, once buzzing with chatter and movement, had fallen into a suffocating silence. The strongest among the three had been reduced to nothing in mere seconds. Theo gasped for breath, his face pale, his pride shattered. But worse than the pain in his gut was the undeniable truth that weighed on him—he had lost. Lost to the one he had called weak. Max stood in place, his knuckles still tingling from the impact. His crimson eyes bore down upon Theo’s crumpled form, a quiet storm raging behind them. His fingers flexed at his sides. His chest rose and fell with steady, controlled breaths. But in the depths of his mind, something darker stirred. ‘This feeling… I can’t get enough of it.’ A slow smirk crept onto his lips. ‘I want to make them suffer more. I want to break them… crush them… snuff them out with my own hands.’ A rush of intoxicating power surged through his veins. The memory of their taunts, their mockery, their cruelty—all of it fueled the fire roaring inside him. But then, as quickly as it came, he forced it down. ‘No. I must not lose myself.’ His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into a fist. ‘I will not let my humanity slip away. I will become stronger, but I will not become a monster. Even so… I will make sure they never forget this lesson.’ With measured steps, he began walking toward Theo’s broken form. Step. Step. Step. The heavy sound of his boots against the tiled floor sent a ripple of unease through the room. The other students stared, frozen in place. ‘He… he just defeated all three of them… effortlessly…’ Whispers spread like wildfire. Max stopped in front of Theo, casting a long shadow over his trembling figure. Theo's breath hitched as his wide, fearful eyes locked onto Max’s approaching form. He remembered the sensation of Max’s fist burying itself into his stomach. The crushing force. The unbearable pain. He had mocked him. Humiliated him. And now, he lay broken at his feet. “You still have the audacity to call me trash?” Max’s voice was dangerously low, his crimson gaze locked onto Theo’s. “Tell me, Theo—if trash just beat you, what does that make you?” Theo opened his mouth, struggling to form words, but all that came out was a pained wheeze. Yet, despite everything, despite the agony wracking his body, his pride would not allow him to stay silent. “I’m… not done with you yet…” Theo growled through gritted teeth. He tried to push himself up, his legs shaking violently. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and pain flared through his broken bones, but he refused to bow. Max watched in silence as Theo wobbled, struggling to stand. Then, just as he was about to collapse again— “Let me help you.” Max reached out, grasping Theo’s arm in a firm grip. For a split second, hope flickered across Theo’s face. He thought Max was showing mercy. Until— Crack! A guttural scream tore from Theo’s throat. Pain like molten fire shot through his already broken hand. “AAAHHHHH!” His body gave out beneath him, and he crumpled to the floor, clutching his now mangled limb. “AAAAHH! My hand! My hand—!!” His shrieks echoed through the stunned cafeteria. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he writhed in agony. Max simply looked down at him, his face unreadable. ‘Since I’ve already started this… Even if there are consequences… I will enjoy every second before they come.’ His crimson eyes gleamed with something unreadable. A slow exhale left his lips before he took another step forward. Step. "Theo," Max murmured, tilting his head as he looked down at him. "Your legs… they look like they need some help too." Theo's breath hitched. A shiver of pure terror ran down his spine as he stared up at Max, his mind struggling to process his words. And then— “KIAAAAHHH!” Max’s boot came down. The sickening sound of bone snapping echoed across the silent cafeteria. Theo’s left leg bent at an unnatural angle beneath Max’s foot. Max tilted his head, a feigned look of surprise crossing his face. “…Oops.” Max spent the rest of the day in the XAO Disciplinary Committee’s office. "Max Bladeheart, how could you harm your classmates so brutally?!" "It was self-defense," Max replied, his voice calm despite the frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Self-defense? Then why did we find him with every limb broken?" "This level of violence cannot go unpunished!" "If you weren’t the brother of one of our top students, you’d be expelled immediately!" "From now on, you are forbidden from coming within a hundred feet of Theo Vance." "You will apologize to him in front of the entire school—on your knees!" "You will work in the school kitchen for the next two months as part of your punishment!" "You will also assist the cleaners in maintaining the school grounds." "And if you engage in another fight, you will be expelled immediately!" Max clenched his fists under the table. ‘Where were they when I was the one suffering?’ His jaw tightened, a bitter taste filling his mouth. “They all deserve to suffer.” But then— A soft chime sounded in his ears. [Hidden Quest Completed.] Max’s eyes widened slightly. “Huh…?”
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