Chapter 76: A Small Rematch
"Things just get better and better, don’t they?" Elara muttered, her gaze locking onto the approaching figure.
She didn’t wait for a response. "Kimi, once I have him away, you take off immediately. The ship still has enough fuel to reach Rothshire Base in Veyrion. Get reinforcements. And one more thing—" Her voice hardened. "We can’t trust the guards or the head figures running this place, at least not for now."
Kimi nodded, too many questions on her mind with no time to ask.
Elara turned forward, eyes narrowing as she took in Vincent Ruiz. His profile matched the reports—lean, wiry, a glossy jacket hanging off his frame like it barely fit. His short, disheveled hair gave him an almost careless look, but his sharp features carried an edge of madness. Then there was the shard—jagged, protruding from his pant leg like a parasite feeding off his body.
Vincent’s grin widened. "I only came for the shard user behind you." His voice carried an eerie excitement, his fingers twitching with impatience. "I need to rip it out of his body to finish my quest. To grow. To get stronger!"
His pupils dilated slightly, as if just saying the words sent a rush through his system. "I will be the one to bring retribution to this world and help Silas meet his goals!"
Elara clicked her tongue. "Oh, come on. How cliché can you be? You seriously think this is some grand rebellion? You do realize we have way bigger problems, right? Like, I don’t know—possible alien invasions? Instead, we’re doing this petty nonsense?" She folded her arms. "But I doubt any of that will get through to you, huh?"
Vincent let out a small chuckle, rubbing a hand through his already wild hair. "That makes sense on the surface. But ever since the alien attacks, humans have lived in fear—fear of the oppressive military taking full control. Sure, it’s not as bad as the corrupt political system we had before, but it’s still one bad for another."
His fingers curled into fists. "And you damn well know it."