Chapter 15: Leaving Biohive 81
X had been pacing back and forth in front of Nioh's room for five days now, his frustration mounting with every step. Torn between the urge to tear the door open and the necessity of respecting Nioh's instructions not to disturb him, he felt his composure slipping. His brother's reckless actions had already landed him in a passive position within his delicate dynamic with the young master, and now this interminable silence was fraying his nerves.
He had been trying to leverage the secret of Nioh's origins to maintain a semblance of control, a precarious ascendance over the boy. But the events of the past few days had made it glaringly obvious—Nioh was an uncontrollable wild card. That attack during the confrontation with Cryo had shaken him to his core. The Absolute Command of the Absolute Monarch. The implications of that power sent a chill through him. Who was this boy, really?
As much as he wanted answers, X's immediate concern was Nioh's survival. Waves of energy had periodically radiated from the room, but no sound had accompanied them for five long days. He gritted his teeth, silently praying that the cocky devil hadn't killed himself attempting to fuse the biocores.
Marsai approached from down the hall, his expression grim. "Still no sign?"
X shook his head.
"If there's no sign by the end of the day, I'll walk in myself," Marsai said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But there's something else. News has come in—the heir has been severely injured. He might not make it. We've been ordered to bring the young master back immediately."
X's eyes widened. "What happened?"
"I haven't been briefed on the details," Marsai replied. "But if we want to arrive in time, we need to move quickly."
X hesitated, his conflicted emotions bubbling to the surface. After a moment, he sighed and rapped on the door delicately. Knock. Knock.