Return Of The Strongest Player

In a chamber devoid of light stood two figures.

"Cecilia, what a surprise," one of the figures spoke in a rather frivolous tone. With an ethereal glow exuding from his body, he seemed invincible in that moment. "I'm assuming Arthur delivered the note."

"I'm quite surprised," said the other figure. Her voice was soothing, yet contained a hint of slyness. "I hadn't any idea that an unaffiliated child would be able to grasp one of our spies by the throat."

"He's quite the force."

"Yeah. I heard he defeated Alisha quite easily. Also, he caught your interest, so I'm assuming there's something special about him."

"He's going to be a great help in our objective."

"If you say so. Does the head of the Ainsworth family know about this? You've gone ahead and recruited a stranger. Is he fine with it?"

"He's quite angry about Jamie and Alisha's injuries… but he agreed to allow Arthur to participate once I listed his feats."

"I'm quite impressed, Gregorio," said one of the figures. Her slender figure approached the man cloaked in darkness.

"Cheers to Arcadia's destruction."

"Haha… cheers."

*

"Arthur…" Anna muttered, sighing. She wasn't certain of what to make of the situation. Her son's eyes… they weren't the innocent eyes she knew. Instead, they seemed like the eyes of a devil. They were scary.

Never did she expect to fear her own son. But the crimson glow in his eyes seemed to demand fear and obedience.

The insanity in Arthur's eyes as he twisted Alisha's arm… it was sickening. But Anna knew better than to condemn her son. Judging by the smug expression on Alisha's face and the rage on Arthur's, she'd somehow enraged him.

Arthur wasn't one to be angered easily.

By what Anna knew of him, her son was a calculative person. Sometimes, she wondered whether he was truly Magnus and her son, as he displayed traits far above what his parents could achieve.

'But the warmth in his eyes as he gazes at us…'

"Mommy, when will big brother be back?"

"He won't be back for a few days at least… maybe a few weeks, Lily," said Anna, brushing her daughter's hair. Magnus sat on the bed, contemplating something Anna wasn't aware of. "Magnus, could you pass me the hair oil?"

"Hm? Ah, sorry," Magnus cursed at himself for zoning out before grabbing the hair oil. He then passed it to Anna.

A few minutes of peace descended upon the family, but none of them could remove Arthur from their minds. His presence was like glue that held them together. His sudden disappearance was heartbreaking.

At that moment, screams were heard from a fair distance away.

"What's happening?" Anna asked no one in particular. Her forehead creased, and she continued brushing Lily's hair as if nothing had happened. But when the screams continued, she couldn't ignore it.

"I don't… know," replied Magnus. He quickly walked to the door of their hotel room. Opening the door slightly, he peeked outside, but there wasn't a single entity in sight. Even the corridor was dark.

The corridor was a blend of golden-black fabric that covered the walls, and chandeliers that provided ample light. But for some reason, the chandeliers weren't working. Moreover, there wasn't a single sound.

The screams had faded, and not even the eventual chatter was audible.

Magnus gritted his teeth, aware that something was going on. Had it been something casual, everyone would have exited the rooms to check it out. However, not a single person was there. It meant their family was being targeted.

Magnus knew the reason, but he was aware it wasn't Arthur's fault. He worked to keep his family out of such matters… but alas, he seemed to have failed.

'I don't let them get to Anna or Lily, at least,' thought Magnus with determined eyes. He quickly entered the hotel room and grabbed a kitchen knife. Anna narrowed her eyes, and fear arose in her chest.

"What's happening, Magnus?" Anna asked. "Why the knife?"

"They're here," Magnus replied in an emotionless tone. The murderous intent in his eyes was vivid.

"Who's here?" Anna asked in concern. "Magnus, what are you hiding?"

"Please… don't ask me," Magnus responded, shutting his eyes as he clutched the knife tighter. "Please… just wait for me…"

Anna wanted to protest, but the desperation in her husband's eyes was too much to bear. Lily knew something was wrong, too, but she didn't comment. She knew her brother would come to the rescue.

Magnus took the knife and headed out of the room, shutting the door as he left.

He roamed through the silent hallways, yet spotted not a single entity. A few minutes passed, and he returned to his room. He stood in front of the door that led to his room and sighed in defeat.

But at that moment, a noise entered his ears.

Crash!

Then, a scream resounded across the area.

Magnus pushed the door open, entered, and swung his knife towards the man cloaked in darkness. But, at that moment, his vision was distorted. The world seemed to revolve in front of him, and suddenly, a searing pain emerged from the back of his head.

"Get away!" Magnus screamed, and he was already pinned to the ground, helpless.

"Gosh, you guys are such a pain in the ass," said a feminine voice. "Can't you just comply like normal, civilized humans?"

"Who are you?" Magnus shouted, his eyes bloodshot either due to the pain or due to his desperation. Anna and Lily hid in the corner while the figure cloaked in darkness simply shook her head.

She wore a body-tight, black costume that highlighted her curves. Her face was covered by a black mask, and she held a dagger in her hands.

"Your bodyguard, duh," said the woman. She then shook her head again as if it were a drag. "Do you guys not get the information? Has your son not arrived yet?"

"My son?"

"That bastard! He was supposed to arrive like an hour ago. I even gave you time to reconcile."

At that moment, the door swung open, revealing Arthur's figure.

"Sorry, I got caught in traffic."