Beyond The Crimson Gate-Chapter 46: Eric Singfall

Kale had searched for Axel but was unable to find him; he had even tried to text, but there was no response.

After keeping Catalyst in his room, he headed to the training hall to thank someone.

There, he saw Mr. Daniel sitting on the ground.

The latter spoke without turning around, "Kale, I’m happy to see you survived. I was genuinely worried."

Kale approached him and kowtowed, "Without your teachings, I would have certainly died. Thank you."

His words fell on deaf ears, "I heard you got a beast infusion." Mr. Daniel mentioned.

Kale nodded in response and Mr. Daniel made a sword out of nothing.

The edge of the dark blade glistened in the lights like obsidian.

"I don’t have a sword, it got destroyed." Kale tried to dodge Mr. Daniel’s request for a spar.

Tilting his head, Mr. Daniel snorted and threw the sword to Kale, the latter catching it with ease.

"With me, you won’t ever have to worry about having a sword." He said, forming another sword.

Kale gritted his teeth, "I don’t even know what beast it came from so I can’t use its powers."

"I don’t need you to use your beast infusion. By mere right of having it, your physical attributes are greatly enhanced..."

Mr. Daniel took a stance, "That’ll suffice."

Then he thrust his sword.

Kale tilted his body and avoided the weapon. He staggered back, wide-eyed.

"I just recovered!" Kale didn’t mean to yell but his frustration rose his voice.

"Exactly, your muscles have forgotten how to survive."

Kale swung his sword at Mr. Daniel and the other swung his back. The two collided and Kale’s sword went flying.

"Just because you’re stronger doesn’t mean you are suddenly a titan." Mr. Daniel reprimanded him before performing a roundhouse kick and sending him flying in the direction of the sword.

Picking it up, Kale charged in with a speed that would leave most athletes jealous.

He kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air, swinging his sword down.

Mr. Daniel planted his right foot firmly on the ground and rotated clockwise.

His foot connected to Kale’s open chest and sent him flying once more.

Mid-air, Kale rotated his body and landed on the floor, skidding to a stop.

"What sort of fool launches himself into the air with no way of maneuvering?!"

Kale ignored him and focused on his body.

He had turned mid-air and landed safely. Something he hadn’t been able to do before.

"Seems you are just starting to realize..." Mr. Daniel drew his attention.

"You are not a human, you are not a beast either. You are far greater than both but belong to none." Waves of dark nothing leaked out of Mr. Daniel.

They formed numerous tendrils and appendages.

"Kneel!!" His words carried a strange pressure that made his body comply.

An odd whimpering left Kale’s throat as he knelt before Mr. Daniel.

The pressure vanished, and Kale stood up immediately. "That is something that beasts do to one another. Hybrids can also do it to other hybrids, and I suppose beasts."

Kale opened and closed his mouth like a fish, "What?"

Mr. Daniel ignored his question, "You are right, though. You do need rest. Come find me when you’re ready to improve or discover your ability."

Kale turned to leave when Mr. Daniel spoke, "I would advise you to prepare all you can. You, alongside some other recruits will be taken to an off-site base."

"There you will do some tasks that normal recruits would be unable to." He concluded.

"Why?" Kale asked, his voice a bit off.

"Because when it’s time, all of you will have received a beast infusion. My advice? Don’t tell anyone about this. Jealousy can be a nasty fuel."

Letting out a sigh, Kale left the training hall for his room.

______

In a dark room, a burly blonde man was thrashing around.

He had a beard and his eyes had an almost silver color.

His right hand had calluses and burns from his time in the workshop, building and assembling suits.

He had aimed to become a soldier but because of two people, he had become an Engineer.

And since then, they never left his mind for more than two minutes.

At times, they even appeared in his dreams where he’d beat them to a pulp.

But alas, those were dreams.

"THOSE TWO ADOLESCENT FUCKS!!!" He threw his fist at the wall, and the room shook.

Eric looked at the thin cracks that ran through the wall and threw his head back as he burst out laughing.

"I almost forgot that I now have a beast infusion." He was beyond elated.

"The military still hasn’t told me my mission. The reason for my infusion." His expression turned sour.

He had picked up a habit of speaking to himself after months of self-isolation.

"All I know, though, is that it involves some off-site base. Whatever that means." He scoffed

A silver sheen coated his arms and he threw his fist out. The air filled with a loud explosion in the room.

As the dust settled, a large hole could be seen in the wall.

To his side was a crudely drawn image of Kale and Axel standing together.

The image was attached to a worn-out punching bag.

Eric had clearly used the bag a lot, but it never satisfied his desire to make them bleed.

"I swear the next opportunity I have, I’ll make sure they die."

His left fist hit the punching bag, then his right.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

With each punch, he imagined the bag being Kale and Axel.

His anger surged until he threw a final punch and punctured the bag with his fist.

He pulled it out, and sand poured out slowly, but Eric refused to see the sand; he saw it as a foreshadowing of Axel and Kale’s blood.

"Patience. Patience. Patience..." He whispered to himself yet a smile still spread on his face.

His chance was coming.