NovelAppAt that moment, a bitter, biting wind swept across Asher's face, as if slicing through the night.
"Matrix." The long-otten title echoed like a ghostly whisper from distant memories shrouded in blood and storms. Yet the mere sound of it sent shockwaves through Asher's chest, reverberating through every fiber of his being.
The voice had something familiar about it, but he could not place it.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Who are you? A former subordinate from Overcast?" Asher turned his back to the others, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper.
"Ash..." Bella, noticing the sudden shift in his expression, felt her heart clench with worry.
"Oh, Matrix, so quick to et," Elio's voice slithered through the phone, cold and venomous, each word a stab to Asher's already frayed nerves. "It seems no one else matters to you except Kairos, right?" "You're... Elio?!" Asher's mind raced, sharp pain clawing at his chest. The darkness outside pressed in like jagged walls, closing in from all directions, suffocating him.
Kairos was Asher's hidden love, the scar that had never fully healed. He had buried that pain deep-too deep to touch, too raw to confront.
But now, panic welled up inside him for a different reason. The sudden call and Arnold's absence stirred an overwhelming sense of dread in Asher that spread like wildfire.
Elio's cold laugh echoed through the line. "I'm sorry, Matrix. Did I interrupt your cozy little love nest?” "You're with Arnold? What are you planning to do?" Asher's hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging as his heart raced in fear.
“I want Dr. Larson to see the real you." Elio's voice dripped with venomous delight, each word filled with icy malice. “Kairos died because of you, and he will never rest in peace. I won't let someone as pure as Dr. Larson fall for your disgusting lies. Every tI look at his face, I see my brother's tragic death, and I can't help but want to pull him out of the hell you've trapped him in." Asher's vision blurred with rage, his mind on the verge of snapping. "Elio! I know... I know how much you've hatedall these years. If you have a grudge,e after me, but don't hurt Arnold!" "Ha! To you, Dr. Larson is just a substitute. Don't you find it laughable to pretend like you're so deeply in love with him in front of me?" Asher could not bear hearing the cruel truth, and his voice cracked as he roared, "No! He's not a substitute! He's not!" Standing at the doorway, Bella and Steven heard everything clearly. Steven did not fully understand the conversation, but Bella, knowing her brother's past all too well, felt a chilling horror creep through her body.
Elio's laughter stopped abruptly, his voice now seething with fury. "He's not a substitute? Then what was Kairos? You promised that you'd die with him! But now, you've got a new lover and just tossed Kairos aside like he never meant anything! Your so-called 'love' is nothing but worthless garbage! The biggest mistake my brother ever made was loving you!" "Enough!" Asher's body shook uncontrollably, the fury inside him rising like a caged beast desperate to break free. Years of pent-up guilt and rage boiled over, transforming him into something primal, something savage. "If you say 'substitute' one more tto insult Arnold... I swear, I'll kill you!" "Go ahead and try." Elio's voice hissed with cold disdain. "Ever since Kairos's death, every day of my life has been meaningless anyway." There was a pause, the air crackling with tension. Elio's voice sounded again, low and chilling. "Your precious Dr. Larson is in the villa where you once lived with Kairos. You better hurry." He let the words hang in the air for a moment before adding with an almost mocking tone, "I'm sure this birthday of yours will be unettable." The line went dead.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmOutside, the temperature had plummeted, and snow had begun to fall, blanketing the ground in a thin layer of white. But Asher did not even stop to grab a coat. Without a second thought, he bolted from the villa, leaping into his black sports car, and within seconds, the roaring engine cut through the night as he sped off, disappearing into the darkness. "Mr. Thompson!" Steven shouted after him, his voice laced with panic.
Bella felt a sinking dread. "Something's happened to Arnold! We have to follow him!" The black sports car tore through the streets, running every red light, the engine's roar slicing through the still night. It was as if the car was flying, blurring through the city at breakneck speed.
Asher's grip on the steering wheel was so tight his knuckles turned white, his left hand trembling while his right hand was repeatedly dialing Arnold's number.
At first, the call went through.
By the third attempt, Arnold's phone was turned off.
"Arnold... Arnold, don't do this to me..." Asher's face was drenched in cold sweat, his breathing labored, and every muscle in his body was on the verge of collapse.
His mind was flooded with brutal images, each one more horrifying than the last, each one a nightmare he could not bear to face.
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