"Funny, isn't it?" the man said. "There's already a shortage of specials… and we're still killing each other."
"What do you want?"
"What does it matter to a dead man?"
"Then stop talking," I said coldly, closing my eyes. "Shoot."
One chance.
That was all I had.
And if I failed—
Blocking's brand-new car would be painted with my brains.
If he knew what specials were—
there was no point holding back.
I moved.
A sharp turn—
drop—
The gun fired.
Too late.
He hadn't expected it.
Hesitated.
That was enough.
I released a strand of force, wrapped it around his legs, and yanked—
The second shot went off—
so close I felt heat tear across my temple.
He hit the ground.
The gun flew from his hand.
I was on him instantly.
No real weapons.
Only props.
Knock him out. Restrain. Interrogate.
Simple.
Or it should have been.
Footsteps.
Seven.
No—
more.
They flooded into the parking level from the direction of the aristocrats.
Masked.
All of them.
I didn't think.
I moved.
Driver's seat.
Engine.
Gas.
Gunfire exploded around me.
Glass shattered.
Fragments tore into my skin, slicing my face open.
I didn't slow down.
Brakes—
hard—
duck—
A bullet punched through where my head had been.
"Get in! Now!" I shouted.
They didn't move.
Calm.
Too calm.
As if death didn't apply to them.
I threw the rear door open—
Pain.
A bullet tore into my side.
Again.
Different place.
Same mistake.
Blood spilled.
"Move!" I snarled, teeth clenched.
My vision blurred.
I was losing it.
Another shot—
this one punched through my shoulder.
Clean.
Straight through.
"Break," Kogon said calmly.
And stood up.
"What are you doing?!" I shouted, dragging myself out of the car, grabbing him, forcing him toward cover.
I had to shove him—
hard—
just as another bullet slammed into my thigh.
I dropped.
Knee hitting concrete.
Kogon turned.
Looked at me.
At the blood.
At how broken I must have looked.
Then—
he raised his hand.
"You."
He pointed.
The man screamed.
A raw, animal sound.
His weapon fell.
He clawed at his chest—
ripping at his clothes—
Then—
he froze.
I stopped breathing.
His body—
swelled.
Distorted.
Like something inside him was expanding—
pressing outward—
too much—
too fast—
And then—
it burst.
Blood exploded from every opening.
Eyes.
Mouth.
Nose.
Skin.
Even the pores—
spraying in all directions.
Seconds.
That was all it took.
Then what remained—
collapsed.
Dry.
Empty.
Dead.
"And you."
Another one.
The same.
Again.
And again.
Until there was nothing left alive in the parking level—
except us.
Some had run.
The smart ones.
The rest—
never even understood what they were facing.
I couldn't feel my wounds anymore.
Shock drowned everything.
When Kogon lowered his hand, he turned to me.
I crawled back instinctively.
Blood smeared behind me.
"Stay away!" I shouted, releasing a strand of force. "You're a demon!"
Maurice laughed softly.
"Well, look at that."
"Yes," Kogon said, smiling.
"I am."
He stepped closer.
"I said don't—!"
I lashed out—
The strand dissolved.
Before it even touched him.
Pain—
exploded.
Everywhere.
Inside.
Under my skin.
Through my bones.
I screamed.
My body arched violently off the ground.
It lasted seconds.
But it felt like I was being torn apart from the inside.
When it stopped—
I couldn't move.
Could barely breathe.
He crouched beside me.
Almost gently brushed the wet strands of hair away from my face.
"The bodyguard's oath," he said quietly. "It's not symbolic. Don't try to harm your master again."
A pause.
"Next time… it will be worse."
He sighed.
"Come on. Up."
He pulled me to my feet.
I couldn't resist.
Didn't even try.
The camera flickered back on.
Red light glowing.
"And we're back," Kogon said smoothly, as if nothing had happened. "My apologies, ladies and gentlemen. What you just witnessed was not part of the trial."
A faint smile.
"A real attack. As you know, aristocrats who run academies tend to attract… enemies."
I stood there—
held upright by the man who had just slaughtered them all.
Tires screamed.
Three armored SUVs tore into the parking level.
Doors slammed open.
Men spread out.
Fast.
Efficient.
Then—
Clyde.
Storik.
And another.
Bigger than anyone I'd seen.
"My apologies, Lord Blocking," the large man said, bowing. "We lost your signal."
"Yes," Kogon said lightly. "Thanks to my bodyguard, we're perfectly fine."
He glanced at me.
"If he'd had real weapons, this would have ended much cleaner. Now—please. He's barely standing."
"I'll take him," Clyde snapped, stepping forward and practically tearing me away from Kogon.
"Storik. Call Samantha. Portal. Now."
"Lord Silius," the large man said, "the trial is not over."
"I don't care about your trial!"
Kogon raised a brow.
"I actually have business at the hotel," he said smoothly. "So technically, Holivan remains with me."
"You're insane," Clyde said, voice low. "He can't continue."
"So you're fine with him failing?" Kogon tilted his head.
A faint smile.
"That would be unfortunate."
"He's done."
"I'm sure Samantha can fix him," Kogon said calmly. "Once the bullets are out and the blood restored—he can continue."
I forced my head up.
"If… we don't hurry…" I rasped, barely able to speak, nodding weakly toward one of the shriveled corpses, "…I'll end up like them."
Darkness closed in.
The last thing I heard—
"Are we going—or not?"