Yiran flinched. Something about the way the leader said his name gave him the creeps.
“You seem confused,” the leader continued. “Let me explain the situation. You’re in a Simulator. Youarefamiliar with Simulators, I assume? Take a sword, and your match will begin. If you beat Noah, you get to walk away. No one will touch a single hair on your head.”
“This is ridiculous. I told you I can’t channel anymore, which means I can’t use that damned sword.”
“This isn’t exactly like the Simulator at Xingshan Academy. We’ve made a few interesting tweaks. Try it. You might surprise yourself.”
“No thanks, I’m good.”
The leader laughed. “Don’t worry, Noah isn’t allowed to use his specialHybrid weapons, if that’s what you’re worried about. This fight has rules, dummy swords and physical combat only. That should ease your mind.”
Yiran snorted. “Liar. Don’t you know that in the movies when the villain saysdon’t worry, it actually means the opposite?”
“Noah?” the leader snapped.
The boy perked up, his expression eager to please. “Yes, sir?”
“I know I said you’ll have to win your match to be one of us, but I’m feeling generous today and I’m not particularly fond of mouthy teenagers, so let’s add another reward—if you beat him, you get to eat him.”
16
Ash
Song Lan Xi was having a very bad day.
Who was he kidding? He had beenhaving a very bad dayfor over a month. Ever since the Outram incident, things had spiraled out of control. That said, in the series ofbad daysso far, today had ranked thebaddest.
The press conference addressing the mutilated bodies at the playground had concluded not long ago. He’d dialed up his charm offensive, but it was difficult to fend off a pack of reporters looking for a career-making scoop, and even harder to do so on live television. Halfway through, a protestor stormed the room, yelling conspiracy theories about Exorcists and the deep state. The man was hauled away by security, but the cameras had captured everything.
Ash imagined all the hit pieces that would be published about the failures of the Exorcists and the Guild in the morning papers tomorrow. Not to mention the video clips of the protestor and Ash’s shocked face that would be spliced and remixed for clicks and likes on social media. For the umpteenth time in his young adulthood, he was reminded he had a thankless job.
But whether he liked it or not, it was one he was literally born to do.
He leaned against his car, surveying the potholed street and dilapidated buildings around him. Then he contemplated the gloomy sky. It was going to snow soon, and he wished he were back at the mansion with a hot cup of tea, catching up on the latest television dramas. Having more than a few minutes to himself was a luxury these days.Catch the mole, destroy the spell and the Hybrids, and then you can take a sabbatical and live the couch potato life you dream of.
If only it were that easy.
Cracking open his flip phone with his thumb, he tapped the firstnumber on his speed dial and let it ring until a voice recording played in his ear.
“Huh-low. You’ve reached Song Yiran. I’m obviously not here. Or maybe I am, and I’m just avoiding you. Who knows? Ha.”
The recording tone beeped.
“Where the heck are you? Call me.”
It was the sixth voice mail Ash had left since that morning. Yiran had skipped school. Again. Anyone who knew Ash well—which was less than a handful of people—knew that his baby brother was his soft spot. Hisweakspot. But Ash was in no mood for Yiran’s nonsense today. Yiran was probably street-smart enough to take care of himself but, post-Outram, he felt like a different person. It was worrying.
“Where do you think that brat is?” Ash grumbled to a nearby pigeon. It was pecking enthusiastically at a half-eaten sandwich someone had tossed at the trash can and missed.
“Talking to birds, Captain Song?” an amused voice said from behind him. “My, how the mighty have fallen.”
Surin sauntered over. Her blond buzz cut was hidden under a wool fedora, and the large butterfly knife in her hand flicked this way and that as her fingers maneuvered the weapon deftly. People often thought she was showing off when she did that, but Ash knew the rapid movements helped keep her focus.
“Sorry, I got held up,” she said.
“Did you know that pigeons are actually doves?” Ash said pensively. “There’s no scientific difference between the two, but people think of doves as pretty and innocent, symbols of purity and peace. Nobody thinks of pigeons that way. Maybe because they’re just everywhere, getting in your way, eating trash.”
Surin frowned at him.
