Chapter 81: False Attack
Near evening, with the sun listlessly descending toward the horizon, Raiden and Speed stood on the pavement before the house, facing the broken fountain scattered in pieces just a distance away.
Initially, Raiden wanted to learn a few things about how Speed managed his incredible speed without injuring himself. However, they had barely spent a moment together when a voice interrupted their mission.
"It’s been a while, hasn’t it?" Aeris said, leaning against the doorframe.
Raiden turned toward Aeris, and instantly, his blood began to boil with rage. Putting his speed to use, he dashed toward her, seized her by the collar, and slammed her against the wall as the illusion magic cast over the house began to falter.
He was confused about why he was attacking her, but even through that confusion, he knew how much he would love to kill her.
"What are you doing here?" he muttered with a cold tone that complemented his expression.
"What are you saying?" Aeris muttered, trying to catch her breath.
Raiden sneered as he watched her. Ever since he sent her on her mission, she had spoken to him only once. And though Raiden didn’t care whether she was alive or dead, seeing her appear before Leo and Levi irritated him—something, some emotion he was just realizing.
"I did as you asked..." Aeris muttered as her face flushed crimson. "Trust me, you want to hear what I have to say."
Raiden’s eyes narrowed as he gazed into Aeris’ trembling eyes. The fear radiating from her needed no words. His gaze then shifted to the slave choker around her neck.
The slave choker he had placed on her would make it nearly impossible for her to lie. But to Raiden, it wasn’t about lies—he simply despised her. She was a traitor, after all.
When he came back to himself, he realized he had been pressing her neck hard enough to nearly suffocate her. With a lazy sigh, he released her as she dropped to the floor, gasping for air.