"Crimson?"
"It was them that annihilated those guys, the people that kidnapped your brothers," the stranger said with a smug tone. His purpose remained unclear, but his demeanor was infuriating.
Halilintar, growing increasingly tense, fixed his gaze on the stranger. Keith, that was his name, had black eyes with one hidden beneath an eyepatch, a trail of scars marking the skin under the cover.
The lightning elemental user found the man's persistent, creepy smile unsettling. It was as if Keith was far too excited about whatever game he was playing.
"What's the message?" Halilintar demanded, cutting straight to the point. There was no need for pleasantries. The moment he had received that paper in the alley, he had been pulled into this mess.
Keith's laughter only heightened the tension, "Nah~ There's no message. I'm just kidding with ya."
It was swift, like a lightning strike.
"There's no need to be so serious, my friend." Keith's tone remained calm, though strained, as he faced the tip of Halilintar's lightning sword now pressing against his neck.
Halilintar's eyes remained unyielding as the blade created a thin, red line on Keith's skin. He noticed the change in Keith's expression from a smug grin to a strained smile, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Wow, haha..." Keith raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, though Halilintar made no move to retract his weapon. Keith's smile faltered as he continued, "The reason I asked to meet you is because I want something from the Crimson–"
"That has nothing to do with me," Halilintar interrupted, pressing the blade more insistently against Keith's skin, drawing more blood.
Keith groaned but remained still, his composure slipping. "I know. But don't you want to keep your family safe?"
The mention of his family made Halilintar's eyes narrow. He pulled the sword away slightly but kept it poised. "They are safe."
"Yeah, for now," Keith's smirk returned, his confidence bolstered. "But you see, the Crimson has their hands in a lot of things, and there's something they have that you might want to protect."
"Explain," Halilintar demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
"They killed those two," Keith said, his tone shifting to a somber gravity that starkly contrasted his earlier flippancy. "What makes you think they'll stop targeting your brother next?"
Halilintar was momentarily stunned into silence, the weight of Keith's words sinking in. The realization hit him with a cold, harsh clarity. Keith, sensing the shift, continued, his voice dropping to a more serious, measured tone.
"Just because they got the wrong guy doesn't mean they'll stop. They're likely to target everyone connected to the Crimson. Your family could be next."
Halilintar's eyes narrowed, frustration and concern battling within him. "What's in this for you?"
Keith's eyes gleamed with a mix of calculation and something darker. "I need help. In exchange, I can erase all information on your family. They'll be invisible—like they were never involved at all."
The offer hung in the air, heavy and charged. Halilintar weighed the implications, torn between his mistrust of Keith and the potential safety of his family. If Keith could indeed erase all traces of them, it might be the solution to the immediate threat.
"You're offering to erase them from danger in exchange for what?" Halilintar pressed, his voice strained but determined.
"I need assistance with a certain task," Keith replied, his voice steady and cold. "Something that's beyond my reach alone. Help me, and I'll make sure your family stays off their radar."
YOU ARE READING
Missing Fire
Fanfiction"Look, I know what you're thinking. It seems impossible because I thought so too. But he looks so much like him, even his eyes. I may not have seen him for eight years, but I'll never forget those eyes," or They used to be seven twins but now they w...
