Mob Arachna !

Part 1 ; Chapter 6: One coin , two faces

Hendrix slowly opened his eyes, a dull pain striking him as soon as he woke. He reached up to touch his jaw, and the memory of last night hit him instantly—Malek's punch echoed in his mind.

"That bitch..." he muttered, sitting up.

Something on his night table caught his eye. A folded letter was pinned down by a small, round rock.

"Mmh?" Hendrix picked up the rock and inspected it. After a few seconds, he recognized it.

Xavier had painted this rock and given it to him. He did that for everyone he considered a friend. If you lost or broke it, Xavier would treat you like a stranger.

He set the rock aside and picked up the letter, reading it:

"Yo Hendrix! I hope you're okay (- 3 -")

Malek kinda went all out with the knockout, so you might not wake up before 11 AM.

I just wanted to tell you that it's okay not to be the best right away!

We only got these powers a few days ago. With time, you'll probably be the best. We believe in you, and we'll support you till you're at the top.

Just don't give up on your friends. :D

- Xavier"

Hendrix found himself smiling as he read the letter. He chuckled and set it down, running a hand through his hair.

"I gotta stop taking shit so seriously," he whispered.

"I heard you want to become the strongest," Evan's voice spoke from the corner of the room.

"HOLY JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!" Hendrix jumped on his bed, startled.

"You've got a long way to go if you even want to get close to the podium, kid."

"And so what? I'm willing to put in the work to achieve that goal." Hendrix hopped off the bed and stood in front of Evan. The man was only a few inches taller than him, but his presence made it feel like much more.

"Be honest, Hendrix. Do you seriously think you're ever going to surpass me?" Evan looked down at him, his glowing purple eyes visible through his dreads.

Hendrix swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes, I do."

Evan sighed. "Has Script explained to you what I am?"

"A dragon. Or rather, a hybrid between a dragon and a man."

"How old do you think I am?"

Hendrix scratched his head. "I'd say 19?"

"Correct. 19 and 6 months. Now, do you know how old my son is?"

"I... I don't know, like... uhh..."

"21."

"HUH? WAIT, HOLD UP, THIS MATH ISN'T MATHING! HOW ARE YOU—"

"When Drako was two years old, I fought a formidable opponent and lost." Evan locked eyes with Hendrix. "That defeat cost me my life."

Hendrix stood still, stunned. The words echoed in his head. "Wait... if you died, then how are you standing in front of me?"

"62 years ago, when I was still in my dragon egg, my mother cursed me with immortality. With every defeat, I am forced to be reborn and grow again," Evan explained.

"So you can't die? You'll always come back?"

"Do you understand now? You're just a human." Evan raised his hand to Hendrix's chest. "If I kill you right now, you'll pass on to the afterlife. That's the difference between you and me. No matter how hard you try, you'll never truly surpass me."