{Author: "Well, first, tell me—who do you think said 'What do you want?'? Comment below, and you'll find out in the next chapter. Stay tuned!"}
"I don't know who you are," Rey began, voice steady, "but I don't associate with strangers. I have a family to protect. And you—asking me to rule the world? You're clearly not just some random guy."
His eyes scanned the floating man's face, searching for any reaction.
But Aiden only stared back, his expression unreadable.
After a long silence, he slowly floated around the room, seemingly deep in thought.
Moments passed. Then, as if amused by something only he understood, Aiden stopped and looked at Rey.
"Boy, I like you," Aiden said.
Rey took several steps back, warily raising his voice.
"Help! There's some pervert in my room—HELP!"
"Oi-Oi-Oi! Nani?! It's not like that, boy!" Aiden waved his hands in a panic. "You're misunderstanding me!"
He chuckled awkwardly. "You see… everyone who meets me and hears my question says yes without a second thought. And they all fail. But you? You passed. Full marks. Because you rejected it without hesitation. That's why I like your character. That's all."
Rey frowned. "I still don't need your help. I don't want my family getting involved in something weird."
"Fair enough. But at least listen to my story. Doesn't everyone deserve one chance to explain themselves?"
Without waiting for approval, Aiden dove into his tale.
"So, let's start at the beginning. I came to your planet with two comrades. We were once relics—God's weapons, you might say. I don't remember much about our previous master… only that he was dying. On the verge of death, he released us into the ****** River—uh… no, I can't tell you the name. There's a restriction on that."
He paused, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.
"But let's leave that for now. More importantly…"
"You expect me to believe you're a divine weapon? I don't see anything godly about you. You're probably just some spirit trying to take over my body," Rey said, glaring at him with suspicion.
Aiden smirked.
"First, listen. Then judge."
"We've been on this planet for over a hundred years. Separated. I was found by humans, even animals… but all of them fell to greed. They were destroyed by their own desire. I eliminated them."
"You are trying to possess me!"
Rey lunged for the orb on the table, ready to hurl it out the window again. But Aiden was faster.
He placed a finger on Rey's forehead.
Before the boy could react, a jolt of energy surged through his mind. He collapsed onto his bed, letting out a muffled scream. Writhing in agony, he clutched his head and pulled the blanket over himself, biting down to silence his cries.
Fifteen long minutes passed.
Then, the pain stopped.
Rey looked up, panting. But Aiden was still there, hovering above, finger glowing once more.
Rey flinched.
"No—please—"
But before he could move, Aiden touched his forehead again. And this time…
Sleep claimed him.
"You won't understand now, boy," Aiden whispered. "But tomorrow… you'll come begging for answers."
He turned toward the window, the stars glistening in the sky.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
Meanwhile, at the Abandoned Factory
The broken window remained ajar. Through it, Rey had escaped just hours before.
Inside, two thugs stood trembling in front of a tall, muscular man.
The man crouched beside the window, touching a drop of blood on the floor.
Still warm.
"You said no one was here…" he growled. "But this—this is human blood."
He turned slowly, his glare sharp enough to pierce steel.
"You think I'm a fool? You said it was a dog. A cat. You morons. Get lost—useless trash! FIND whoever came here. If you catch him, bring him to me. I'll show him who's boss!"
The thugs ran off without a word.
The man grunted, walking back to his chair. He pulled out a bottle of alcohol and began to drink, muttering curses under his breath.
But then—
"Well, well, well... what do we have here?"
A voice echoed from behind.
"A cowardly dog... pretending to be a predator."
The man froze. He stumbled forward, falling to the ground, and turned back—his eyes wide with horror.
Standing there was an old man in a pristine butler's uniform, a white mask adorned with the Eastern Azure Dragon insignia covering his face. His silver-streaked hair glinted in the moonlight, but the true weight of his presence came from his voice.
Cold.
Commanding.
Unforgiving.
"Who are you?!" the thug gasped.
The man laughed—a chilling sound.
"Oh? Has my dog forgotten his master?"
"I—I'm sorry, sir! I didn't recognize you. Please… tell me what you need!"
The masked man disappeared in an instant—then reappeared behind the thug.
SLAP!
The blow sent the man crashing into the wall.
Blood dripped from his lip.
He dared not speak.
"I asked you one simple question," the masked figure said. "What do you want?"
"The master grows impatient. And I need the blood medicine ingredient. Don't disappoint me again."
{Author: "Sorry for the delay, folks! My imagination is bursting at the seams! But tell me—who is this mysterious masked man? Capable of turning a beast like Jacob into a scared puppy? Add this story to your library and stay tuned for more twists. Take care, my awesome readers.}