Behind Their World

Chapter 30: Old Friend or New Enemy

P.O.V Leonard

We were walking for an hour from now, and my heart was beating pathetically. I was helpless, after all. Because we finally started walking away and deep.

It was Sunday when Cathia went away with her brother. That night, I talked with her through telepathy because slowly getting inside that rich forest, you lose connection with the world. We talked about her mother, about Anna, about the apologies I made, and about her return, until she slowly spelled into dreaminess, and I took charge from Darren of staying awake in the night while all the others sleep.

Now, it was Wednesdays evening. With the slow Sun on the horizon and the fast wind around us, we slowly progressed towards the portal spot without Cathia, the presumed spot where Elextrilion opens.

The most anxious thing was that Cathia didn't contact nor did she reply to me from Monday morning when I woke up. I tried several times but not even once did her red thread move.

After arguing with Lionel for an hour today, I finally decided to drop my shields and go without her. The basic reason which he used to persuade me was that the portal spot was 100 miles from where the road ended and that a normal person can only walk 20 to 30 miles per day. In that case, as he said, if we start it later, we may not make it.

"Leo," I was walking face down when I noticed Caitlin and Evelyn around my sides. Evelyn called my name, and after tucking her yellow hair behind her ears, she slowly smiled.

I smiled back without a word. What could I say? If they wanted to talk, they'll start. And Caitlin did. "We can do it without her. It's okay," She spoke, her voice rich with sweetness.

"No, it's not." I retrieved, looking sad.

"I know, b..."

"Because you're being nice." I blinked my eyes, and she slapped my arm in the hardest way she could. I started laughing with Evelyn, but surprisingly, even Caitlin was smiling.

"If I am being nice, then take it for granted. It's not something I do every day." She said proudly, and folding her arms around her chest, she suddenly stopped.

These sisters always made my mood good, and by the way, it was true. A whole world is a lot more important to me than one soul. But the problem that frightened me was that, what if we lose this fight because of her absence, then...

Shaking horrible thoughts from my brain, I diverted my attention back to Caitlin, calling up another joke associated with her. But her face was blank.

"Leo, is that George?" She pointed her hand in the direction where she was looking. Following her gaze, I got disgusted by the person in front of us.

In that space of the forest, George Sulu was sitting on an alone tree trunk in the center.

I paced towards Lionel and Darren, who slowly progressed towards George. The unexpected thing was George's presence right in the middle of an uninhabited forest but the most unexpected thing was the tattoos on his face and naked arms with the revealing scars on his body with freshly clotted blood.

He surely looked like shit over which I wanted to puke!

He was silent. His fingers entangled over his knees. His head was slightly bent on the right side, looking at us with narrowed eyes.

"George?" Before proceeding any further, I wanted to make sure that I was not mistaking someone so disgusting as George, who was a sophisticated son of Zhang Sulu and a brilliant businessman.

He raised his head straight and looked deep into my eyes. "Yes?"

"What... Happened with you?" I was walking further towards him, just some feet away.

"Nothing." Always straightforward. I didn't know why businessmen were so rude or outspoken like Mr. Sulu, Lionel, Richard, and now this person.

"Then, let me ask it the other way around, what are you doing here? And why are you so badly injured?" I felt Lionel's presence behind at my left side and Darren's presence with the girls.

"So eager, aren't you, Leo?" He again squirmed his eyes and smirked at me. "Well, my master sent me to stop you before he has to do it himself, and I am trying my best. And these scars and tattoos... Hah, as you've ever seen me shirtless." He laughed and then leaned forward. "These are the victories I got after proving myself the strongest."

A sharp chill ran inside me, making me shudder at even the thought of George Sulu working with XM.

"And let me relieve you, It is... The one you call, XM." He said, and I took a step back in shock. He laughed. All this time, he was right there, between us, like a snake up the sleeve, but we never knew. He sure was sharp.

"Mind your own business, George. We have nothing to do with you or XM." Lionel stepped in front of me and growled in his sharp tone.

"And I have nothing to do with you, Lionel. I have nothing to do with a powerless human who doesn't even know how to save himself," George said expressionlessly.

"You are also a powerless human. Mind it if you are trying to forget it," I replied instead of Lionel.

"You're wrong, Leo." He again tilted his head and lifted a corner of his lips.

The tension was thick. The shock was bone-chilling. I still couldn't get over what was happening when George cleared his throat, and the trees started hustling. Wood crackled and leaves crunched until I spotted men coming from all the sides. Hooded and with weapons. They had knives, guns, axes, and things but nothing like a bomb or something.

Unknowingly, we made a protective round. I was facing George. Lionel was on my left, Evelyn on my right, Darren was with Evelyn, and Caitlin was between Lionel and Darren. With one sharp moment, Lionel fetched a knife from his sock, and I realized he sure was not able to do it. He had no powers.

I turned and saw Darren bring out two pistols, handling one to Evelyn and having one for himself. Cailin was also holding something that I couldn't see. I looked back at George, not to let him go out of my sight, and asked Darren, "How many?"

He twirled around a whole 360 degree. "21, including George." I smiled. They were less in numbers, not as much as I had imagined.

"Is this all you've got, Leonard moron?" He whistled and stood up from the trunk he was sitting on, and with a quick movement, taking a hand in front to shield himself, he pulled out a knife equal to the size of Lionel's knife, "I could have roasted you with guns, or a bomb to be precise, but I wanted it a little more feisty."

"And you've made your biggest mistake ever. I'll make you regret it." I positioned myself.

"Okay, then. Bring it in." He smiled. With one last time remembering Cathia, I let my hair turn blue. Soon, I could sense a yellow and purple glow at my sides too. Darren and Lionel both had to stay with weapons, but we could do this.

'Right?'