The X Guide

"Even if everything is my fault," Ayen closed the distance further, his voice lowered further, but emphasized each word. "It’s not up to you to tell me. My miserable life... You and everyone involved, I’ll spare no one."

Ayen chose to be silent. Yet, time and time again, they reminded him that there was no use in keeping silent. They clearly had their ulterior motives.

Ayen’s pupils darkened further as a shade of red appeared around them. He did not suppress his emotions, and his hand gripped Aicel’s jaw tightly as it elicited a cracking sound.

Aicel’s eyelids fluttered, his consciousness not yet having returned from a severe concussion.

"If I wiped out your entire clan, blame yourselves. It’s all your fault."

Ayen was not good with words. In fact, these terrifying words were something he never imagined leaving out of his mouth. He had become so silent over the years that he almost thought his ability to speak had already left him.

When his hand loosened and fell to his side, still trembling, Ayen looked up.

Across from him stood Khal and Devion.

Ayen had already noticed their return, but he paid them no mind. Similarly, the two only watched him. Behind them were the Nevaris clan-affiliated espers and some of the direct descendants, mostly from the collateral branches.

Their faces held shock and even more fear.

Ayen swallowed his saliva and the disgusting feeling inside of him.

The two espers approached him and engulfed him in an embrace; Devion’s hand clasped his trembling hand. Khal’s hand stroked Ayen’s hair.

"You did great," Khal whispered, being the ever-indulgent esper. He could watch Ayen kill Aicel, but he would still praise him. Their morality was always in a gray area.

Not to mention, Aicel was not worthy of their sympathy. If Ayen did not do it, Aicel’s fate in their hands would be worse.

Devion looked at Ayen’s hand and caressed the back of his hand.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, knowing that this was the hand that made Aicel’s hand unrecognizable. "That asshole’s face looked thick."

Ayen sighed and pressed his forehead to their chests. He felt his emotions stabilizing at a quick speed. He took a deep breath and took in their familiar scent to calm himself.

He looked up and met Devion’s eyes. Their gazes were fixated on him; there was not a shred of disgust or ridicule in their expressions.

Khal reached out and wiped the blood off Ayen’s cheek.

"I’m not happy," Ayen confessed.

When he slapped Aicel, his emotions were too chaotic to even think of what he was doing. It was just that every fiber of his being was screaming for him to do something.

Venting emotions was not that satisfying.

Yet Ayen’s lips curled slightly.

"But I’m glad I did it." Ayen’s pupils remained dark and bloodshot, but the corners of his eyes crinkled. "I’ve been wanting to do this."

When he had just escaped and wandered, Ayen had always dreamed of revenge. It was his way to continue living and not end it all. Ayen needed that something to hold onto in this world.

Gradually, as his emotions became numb, these dreams also faded. Ayen had stopped thinking of them. Now, it awakened those desires. Fiercer than they had ever been.

Khal and Devion might be conflicted to see Ayen this way, but both were actually proud that he was finally facing these emotions.

It was not bad to be darker than others. In this chaotic world, who could actually say they could stay pure until the end?

Khal and Devion did not want Ayen to be a flower in the greenhouse. That was impossible. As Ss-class espers, they were destined to walk a thorny path.

Ayen, as their guide, would inevitably walk beside them.

The three only snapped out of it a few minutes later, and the others could only watch them. As usual, the trio never minded being affectionate in front of others.

Aicel had passed out, and the others might or might not have been involved in Keeran’s abduction or Ayen’s matters. However, they were not out of suspicion yet.

Ayen’s grudge was with those involved; he could still separate others with that.

He looked down at the espers surrounded by the two espers’ abilities. Their hands and feet were tied by solid ice, and even the mana inside them could not be circulated properly.

They were truly in a hopeless situation, the same scenario they created in this city.

Ayen would deal with those directly involved; he was not even finished with Aicel yet. But for these people, he let Khal and Devion come forward.

His energy and emotion were almost spent. Ayen could only stand behind them.

"Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" One of the A-class espers spoke. "We... we don’t know what Aicel did. Please, spare us."

Everyone dreaded Khal and Devion’s existence. They were the pinnacle of power, unfathomable but also unknown. Everything about them was so mysterious that uttering their names seemed taboo.

Their eyes swept around the group. They only carried the Nevaris clan members here, which was about fourteen people. Only 6 people were direct descendants, including Aicel.

Ayen could not recognize them, as they were from the collateral branch. It appeared it was the same from them. Some curious gazes landed on him before being diverted elsewhere, afraid to provoke the two SS-class espers.

Devion’s temperament had changed over the years; at least the impression people had of him was the media darling of a decade ago.

Most of the espers here were of the younger generation; this was their first time seeing Khal and Devion in person.

"Who’s in charge after this guy?" Devion pointed at Aicel.

The group quickly pointed at the man who was always with Aicel, Rigor. The esper could not help but be drenched in sweat, cursing Aicel and his whole clan for putting him in this situation.

"I... I am." Left with no choice, Rigor could only respond.

Khal’s and Devion’s attention quickly poured on him. And it was like double the pressure; the sweat on his forehead dripped down his cheek to his chin.

"Tell us what you know about his plans. Don’t leave anything out."