A day later.
City of Rogalia. Acarnis.
The young boy, Aron, sat on the threadbare couch in his small, rundown house located in the suburbs of Rogalia.
The house, provided by the city due to his orphan status, was in poor condition. The walls were peeling, the furniture was old and mismatched, and a persistent draft slipped through the cracks in the window frames.
Despite its condition, it was a place Aron occasionally visited whenever he had a break from his school dormitory.
Aron was a few years older than Theo, soon to celebrate his 16th birthday. He had short, messy brown hair and sharp blue eyes that often reflected a hint of cunning.
His lean frame was clad in simple, worn-out clothes, a stark contrast to the sophisticated attire his peers wore at school.
As he lounged on the couch, a spectral screen hovered in front of him, displaying the latest news about the recent abduction case at his school. Aron watched with interest, his expression a cocktail of surprise and confusion.
The news anchor spoke with urgency, “In a shocking turn of events, the abducted students from the prestigious Rogalia School have been rescued. Reports indicate that a group of New Dawn members orchestrated the kidnapping. However, it appears their well-planned operation was thwarted by an unknown entity.”
‘What in the… the operation failed?’
Aron leaned forward, eyes narrowing. The screen shifted to show the rescue site, a large flying ship now grounded and surrounded by authorities. The scene was chaotic, with investigators and medical personnel tending to the rescued students.
“We are now going to the interviews with some of the rescued kids,” the anchor continued.
A young girl, no older than 13, appeared on the screen. Her eyes were wide with lingering fear, but her voice was steady. “It was Theo. He stood up to one of the abductors. He was so brave. We all thought we were done for, but somehow, he fought back.”
The young girl clearly had fuzzy memories before she passed out after being subjected to the Blood Soul Lamp’s effects. At that time, Theo was merely following Aksai’s orders and buying some time for him.
However, the girl and almost every kid who had seen that confrontation thought that Theo had a hand to play in their rescue. They had all lost their consciousness anyway. As such, nobody knew what had happened.
Another student, a boy about Theo’s age, added, “Theo was incredible. I don’t know how he did it, but he saved us all. He faced that abductor head-on. He’s a hero.”
The screen then showed Theo, looking disheveled and sad. He refused to speak to the reporters, shaking his head and avoiding the cameras. The guy was clearly sad that his cheat ability that he wore as a ring wasn’t responding to him anymore. He felt like he had lost his biggest advantage by sacrificing Aksai for this rescue.
Theo kept on talking to the lifeless ring in secret. He would then get upset when he failed to receive any response from the wooden ring.
Some of the recording drones captured him talking to himself, which created intrigue around him. The authorities ignored Theo’s odd behavior thinking that the kid must have suffered trauma from his abduction.
Aron murmured to himself, “I can’t believe these many New Dawn members failed to carry out such a well-planned operation.”
As he watched, a deep frown creased his forehead.
Aron was one of the insiders for New Dawn, planted within the school to facilitate the abduction. His role had been small but important in bypassing the school’s security and defensive traps. The organization had nurtured him, taking advantage of his orphan status to mold him into a loyal pawn.
“How could a kid like Theo take down so many abductors?” he wondered aloud, his voice tinged with disbelief. “There’s no way. He must have had help, but from who?”
Aron’s thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on his door. He tensed, his heart racing. Few people knew about this place. And nobody apart from a select New Dawn member knew about his involvement in the abduction case.
‘Don’t panic, Aron. all of the New Dawn members involved in the operation have been killed. So there’s no way for anyone to point a finger at you,’ Aron thought to himself.
Rising from the couch, he approached the door cautiously. The knock came again, more insistent this time.
Aron took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to greet the unexpected guest with a wide smile.
Aron opened the door and found himself face-to-face with a man in his early forties, his neutral eyes fixed intently on him. The man wore a wooden bead necklace around his neck, an odd detail that Aron quickly dismissed.
“What are you doing here?” Aron whispered, quickly stepping aside to let the man into his small home.
The abductor entered quietly, making his way to the living room. He seemed amused by the news being broadcast on the spectral screen. Kids declared Theo their hero and savior, while Theo himself sat alone, away from the media, talking to a lifeless wooden ring.
“This kid and his habits,” The abductor chuckled.
Aron felt a surge of frustration at the man’s nonchalant attitude. “What happened to the operation? And what are you doing here? You’re not supposed to contact me. I’m a sleeper cell, not a direct member.”
The abductor stopped watching the screen and turned to Aron, a small smile playing on his lips. “Calm down, Aron. Let’s talk about your role in the operation first. How did you manage to bypass the school’s defenses?”
Aron blinked, caught off guard by the casual question. “I… I had access to some of the security codes. It was simple enough to deactivate the traps and alarms.”
The abductor nodded thoughtfully. “Good job. You’ve been very useful.”
Before Aron could respond, the abductor snapped his fingers.
Wood vines erupted from the floor, wrapping around Aron’s body and shackling him. Panicked, Aron tried to release his Aether Wisp, but the abductor moved quickly, striking Aron’s head with a precise blow, pure and flawless use of martial arts.
Aron’s vision blurred and then went dark as he lost consciousness.
Aksai, now possessing the abductor’s body, stood over Aron’s limp form. The wood vines receded, leaving Aron bound but otherwise unharmed.
“Time to start the Soul Possession Technique for real this time,” Aksai murmured to himself as he sat beside the unconscious Aron. He placed his right hand over the young boy’s head.
This time, Aksai’s Soul Fragment would enter Aron’s body and establish a permanent link with his soul, taking over the boy’s body completely.
‘Hehe. From now on, I’ll become a double agent and make use of the resources from both sides,’ Aksai chuckled in his mind as he started the Soul Possession Technique.