The Encounter

Zane found himself in a dire situation, surrounded by Lucas and his friends. One of them had a firm grip on his arm, making escape seem impossible. Zane knew that if he got caught and Kevin showed up, things would only escalate and become even more troublesome.

Lucas was a striking figure, but not in a good way. He had a haughty demeanor, a constant sneer plastered on his face. His dark eyes were filled with a sense of entitlement, and his thin lips always curled into a condescending smirk. His black hair was slicked back with too much gel, giving him a greasy appearance. Though his physical appearance wasn't inherently unattractive, it was his attitude and expressions that made him seem ugly to Zane. Lucas's arrogance and sense of superiority tainted any redeeming qualities he might have had.

Using a self-defense technique, Zane caught the guy holding him off guard and freed himself. But his path was blocked, and there was nowhere to run.

"Do you think you can run away from us? Not a chance," Lucas sneered. "Today, that bastard Kevin will pay for his arrogance and humiliating me. I'll break his leg and make him beg for forgiveness. Hahaha!"

Seeing Lucas and his friends laughing made Zane's blood boil. Just because Lucas was the son of a powerful person, he thought he could act high and mighty, using his power to harass people. Lucas then turned to Zane with a cruel smile.

"Well, I'll forgive you if you beg me to," Lucas said. "Wait, how about you work for me? I'll pay you well. Your first task would be to bring Kevin here."

Listening to this, Zane couldn't stand it any longer. He had considered trying to convince Lucas to let it go, even if he had to take a beating. But now Lucas had crossed the line. He thought he could make anyone work for him like a slave just because he was rich and powerful.

Zane, standing at the corner, replied, "I want to, but I can't work for an ugly bastard who can't do anything without his daddy's help and money."

Lucas snapped, and fire ignited around his hand and a large fire ball formed. while it was against the rules to fight using abilities in public, and doing so could lead to jail. But those with power didn't care about the rules; they always found a way to escape justice and harass the weak.

Everyone holding back their laughter only made Lucas angrier and more frustrated. "I was being generous to a trash like you who didn't have any ability. Now you're dead, you trash bastard. Go to hell!"

Lucas threw a large fireball at Zane. If it hit, it would burn him badly, if not kill him. In a split second, Zane ran towards the fireball, throwing his bag at it to deflect its path slightly. He managed to dodge the fireball and then, with a loud voice coming from Zane "Haaa!," hit Lucas on the head with Ameli's gift bag.

Lucas fell to the ground and groaned from pain clenching his head, and Zane took the chance to escape. As Lucas struggled to get up, he shouted, "What the hell are you all doing? Can't even catch a trash like him? Catch him, or you're dead!"

They all ran after Zane, who was thinking, "Provoking someone is the best way to let their guard down. I just have to make it home and contact Kevin."

But then one of Lucas's lackeys appeared in front of him. This one seemingly had a speed ability, catching up to Zane in an instant. Zane quickly turned into a narrow alley and hid in a corner and wait for him and when the lackey appeared, Zane struck him on the head, hard. The music box broke into pieces, but Zane found a broken baseball bat and hit him again, knocking him unconscious.

Seeing the broken music box, Zane thought, "Now she'll find many excuses to say I didn't get her a gift and that I'm late and use this to make up for it. But still, I can't go home yet. They must be near my house waiting for me. I should wait somewhere before going home. I'm late anyway."

Zane found a secluded spot in an old, abandoned alley. He entered a dump yard and looked around. "I didn't know there was a place like this near our neighborhood. I should explore while I'm here. I can bring Kevin for some training later, today is really nothing good is happening." Zane said.

As he looked around, he suddenly saw a black car stopping nearby. A bunch of people got out, and Zane felt a chill when he saw them carrying an unconscious girl. Zane immediately hides behind the wall watching them slightly from edge of wall. 

"What the hell?! Why is my day so bad today? Why am I getting into so much trouble? Whose face did I see when I woke up this morning? Oh, right, I saw mine. Well, that doesn't matter. I have to leave this place quickly. If I get caught, I'm dead."

The people getting out of the car were an intimidating sight. The leader was a tall, muscular man with a cruel grin and eyes as cold as ice. He wore a black leather jacket that made him look even more menacing. His movements were calculated, and he exuded an aura of violence.

Next to him was a tall, slender woman with long red hair tied in a high ponytail. She wore a tight black outfit and moved with a predatory grace. Her sharp, calculating eyes never missed a thing, always scanning her surroundings for threats.

Then there were the twins, a boy and a girl with short, spiky blond hair. They looked young, maybe in their early twenties, and had an eerie similarity in their expressions. Both wore matching blue uniforms and carried small, wicked-looking blades at their sides. Their faces held a disturbing mix of amusement and cruelty.

The unconscious girl they had brought with them was small and delicate, with long, dark hair framing her pale face. She looked like she was around Zane's age, maybe a year or two older. Her clothes were torn, and there were bruises on her arms and legs.

Just when Zane was thought of leaving but then he heard a heavy voice say, "Looks like we have a little guest here."

Panicking, Zane turned to run, but a large stone hit his back may be the man had earth related ability, making him groan as he fell to the ground. The pain was so intense he couldn't even scream. His vision blurred as he saw a man approaching. The man had a cruel grin on his face, his eyes cold and merciless. He was tall and muscular, wearing a black leather jacket. He looked like someone who had seen a lot of violence and wasn't afraid to use it.

"Boss, what do we do with him?" asked the woman with red hair.

The leader looked at Zane with disdain. "He's seen too much. We can't let him go. Tie him up and bring him with us. We'll decide what to do with him later."

Zane tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond. The blow from the stone had been too much. He felt rough hands grab him and tie his wrists behind his back. His vision faded to black as he heard the leader's final words.

"Welcome to your new life, kid. Hope you enjoy it while it lasts."

When Zane woke up, he was in a dark, cold room. His hands were tied behind his back, and his head throbbed with pain. He tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he recalled was the stone hitting him and the men approaching.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He recognized the girl he had seen earlier, still unconscious and looking even more fragile in the dim light. 

Fear gripped Zane. He didn't know where he was or what these people wanted. He needed to think of a plan to escape, but his mind was clouded with pain and fear. He focused on steadying his breathing, trying to calm down enough to think clearly.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the leader walked in. He had a cold, calculating look in his eyes. "Well, well, our little guest is awake," he said with a sinister smile. "Welcome to your new home. Don't get too comfortable, though. You won't be here long."

Zane's heart pounded in his chest. He needed to find a way out, but with his hands tied and surrounded by captors, it seemed impossible. He glanced around the room, looking for anything that could help him escape.

The man noticed Zane's desperate look. "Trying to find a way out? Don't bother. This place is secure. No one's coming to save you."

Desperation turned into determination. Zane knew he couldn't rely on anyone but himself. He needed to find a way to free his hands and escape. He started to subtly wiggle his wrists, testing the strength of the ropes.

Hours passed, and Zane continued to work on the ropes. His wrists were raw and bleeding, but he didn't give up. He had to get out of there. He had to survive thinking of his family.

The twins entered the room next. The boy had a playful smirk on his face while the girl looked bored. "Look at this one, still trying to escape," the boy said, nudging his sister.

"Pathetic," the girl replied. "We should just get rid of him."

"Not yet," said the red-haired woman who entered behind them. "Boss has plans for him."

Zane kept his head down, pretending to be more hurt than he was. He needed them to think he was weak. The woman checked on the girl, making sure she was still out cold.