Chapter 4: Useful or Dead
The house was silent.
Too silent.
X stood in the living room, head slightly tilted, listening.
Breathing.
Fast. Shallow. Hidden.
His masked gaze drifted slowly toward the hallway.
"…There's another one," he said calmly.
The boy on the floor—Victor—didn't respond. He couldn't. His body was rigid, his mind shattered, eyes fixed on the lifeless forms of his parents.
X took a step.
Then another.
A soft whimper came from behind the half-open door of a storage room.
X stopped.
He turned fully toward it.
"Come out," he said gently.
Nothing.
The door creaked slightly as something shifted behind it.
X sighed.
"I can see you."
The door burst open as a girl stumbled out, tears streaming down her face. She backed away immediately, pressing herself against the wall, her whole body trembling. Her eyes were wide—too wide—locked onto the gas mask, onto the monster standing before her.
She had seen everything.
Her lips quivered, but no sound came out.
X crouched slightly so they were eye level.
For a moment… he just watched her.
Then he smiled.
"Don't worry," he said softly.
"I'll spare you. The same way I spared your brother."
The girl shook violently, sobs breaking through as her legs gave way and she slid down the wall.
"If anyone asks," X continued casually, as if explaining house rules, "your parents went on a trip. And I'm your guardian. If you make any funny moves, well.. you know what's going to happen"
She cried harder, clutching herself, trying to disappear.
Behind her, Victor still hadn't moved.
X stood there, looking at both children.
Twins.
Both broken
Both sad.
Good, that's how I want them. It's the fastest way potential comes
For a brief second, his fingers twitched.
I could end this now, he thought.
No witnesses. No loose ends.
He exhaled slowly.
Instead, he spoke.
"What's your name?"
His voice was cold now.
The boy swallowed.
"My… my name is Victor."
X nodded once.
He turned to the girl.
"And you?"
She wiped her tears shakily. "…Victoria."
"Ohk," X said. "Introductions done."
He straightened.
"Now let's get to the part where you're useful."
Both teenagers flinched.
"If you're not useful," he continued calmly, "I'll end you. Both of you. Okay?"
Victor's mouth opened, words stumbling out.
"Y… y… y—yes."
X turned fully to him.
"Now," he said, "what's your resonance?"
Victor swallowed hard.
"I… I don't have one."
Silence.
X stared at him.
Then—
A frown.
Not anger.
Disappointment.
"Victoria," X said quietly, "close your eyes."
Victoria froze.
"…Please—"
"Close them."
She obeyed.
X faced Victor.
No warning.
No speech.
No hesitation.
Something shifted in the air.
Victor gasped.
His body stiffened as if an invisible force had wrapped around him. His breath came out in a sharp, broken inhale. His chest heaved—then stopped.
His eyes widened in confusion.
In terror.
He felt it.
Something was leaving him.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
But deliberately.
As if he was being emptied. Little by little he started losing blood.
His skin lost color. His strength vanished instantly. His knees buckled, but he never hit the ground.
X stood perfectly still, one hand slightly raised.
Victor's body went limp.
Then fell.
X lowered his hand.
"Open your eyes," he said.
Victoria did.
Her scream ripped through the house.
"VICTOR—!"
She ran toward him, dropping beside his body, shaking him desperately.
"No no no no please wake up please—!"
That was when it happened.
A faint mark ignited on the back of her palm.
Light surged.
The air crackled.
Lightning burst forth.
Victoria screamed—not in fear, but in rage.
Bolts of energy shot from her hands, slamming into X repeatedly.
He staggered back.
Once.
Twice.
His muscles locked, his body convulsing as electricity wrapped around him.
He dropped to one knee.
Victoria kept firing.
Tears streamed down her face as she screamed wordlessly, pouring everything into the attack.
X struggled.
Then—
His eyes narrowed behind the mask.
Blood surged from his own body, forming sharp shapes midair.
A gun made of his blood.
He raised it.
One shot. The bullet flew and hit Victoria on her lower abdomen.
Victoria froze.
Then collapsed.
The lightning vanished.
Silence returned.
X dropped the weapon. It dissolved instantly.
He staggered back, breath heavy.
"…Tch."
He leaned against the wall.
Then slid down.
Darkness took him.
* * *
Government Facility – Emergency Session
Chaos filled the room.
Screens flashed images. Voices overlapped. Panic pressed against the walls.
"We're blind!"
"No suspect, no trail—nothing!"
"This is escalating!"
Then—
One man raised his hand.
The room slowly quieted.
"I have a solution."
All eyes turned to him.
"There's someone," he continued. "A man."
"What kind of resonance?" someone asked sharply.
"Geo-sensing and perception."
Silence.
"…Explain."
"He can locate anyone, anywhere, just by looking at a picture," the man said.
"And if he enters a location, his mind shows him everyone who's been there before."
The room stiffened.
Realization spread.
"We can use him," another official whispered.
"Yes," the man said. "To find who did this."
A pause.
Then—
"What are you waiting for?"
"Bring him in."