Karl stood beside his mother's grave dressed in black.
He stood there in silence. He had a lot of things to say but he couldn't say them anymore. He had promised his mother a better life, one that his father couldn't give to her. But what happened in the end?
A deep sigh escaped his lips. He was tired. Not physically but mentally and emotionally.
Dominic who had been standing some distance away from him came and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I have granted you the favor you asked for. Now, it's time for us to leave," he said to him.
"Yes," Karl whispered. Earlier, he had asked Dominic to take him to the place his mother was buried so he could his last respects. He couldn't just leave like that. "This is enough for me."
"Let's go," Dominic said after sighing.
Karl glanced at the grave one last time and followed Dominic out of the graveyard. A black car was waiting for them at the entrance so they both got in and it drove off instantly.
"Where are we going?" Karl asked Dominic.
"To Zenith City," Dominic replied and glanced at Karl. Of course, the young man was surprised. "There, you will start a new life."
Karl was silent for a while as he thought of what Dominic said.
As of now, he wasn't sure if he was ready to start a new life. He has no clear understanding of what was wrong with him and the best decision now is to stay away from people until he finds out what the problem is exactly. He could out of anger kill someone like he did the last time and he didn't want that to happen.
Noticing hiss uneasiness, Dominic asked. "Why are you being reluctant?"
Karl couldn't tell him the truth so he had to fibs something else to say. "You've done enough for me, I don't dare to ask for too much. Besides, I hate the feeling of indebtedness."
Dominic laughed slightly. "Indebtedness?" He asked, laughing again. "I am not doing this for you to be indebted to me. But. If you don't want to be indebted to me, you can agree to be my protector. I believe you can do it."
Karl froze. The word 'protector' echoed in his mind, heavy and unsettling.
"I…" He hesitated, fingers curling slowly against his thigh. "I'm not fit to protect anyone."
Dominic turned slightly in his seat, studying Karl with a calm gaze that felt far too sharp to be casual. "That is not for you to decide," he said. "I have seen what you can do."
Karl's jaw tightened. Images flashed through his mind. Blood on the floor. The way his victims struggled and clawed at him before meeting their death. His hands trembling afterward as he realized what he had done.
"You only saw the result," Karl replied quietly. "Not the cost."
Dominic did not look away. "Every power has a cost. The difference is whether you let it consume you or you learn to control it."
The car moved smoothly through the road, the city lights slowly replacing the darkness of the graveyard behind them. Karl stared out the window, watching the world blur past. People were still living normal lives out there. Laughing and talking among themselves, unaware of the demon that has awakened among them.
"I killed someone," Karl said suddenly.
The driver did not react. But Dominic did.
"And yet," he said calmly, "you are still sitting here."
Karl turned to him sharply. "That's all you have to say?"
Dominic exhaled softly. "What do you want me to say? That you're a monster?" He shook his head. "Monsters kill without remorse. You are drowning in it."
Silence filled the car again.
Karl lowered his gaze. "I don't know when it happens. One moment I'm angry, the next…" His voice faltered. "The dream keeps coming back. My mother looking at me like I'm something inhuman."
"That dream isn't a prophecy," Dominic said. "It's fear. You cannot let that fear feed on you. Instead, feed on your fears."
Karl laughed bitterly. "It feels real enough."
The car began to slow.
Through the window, towering buildings came into view, stretching into the night sky. Neon lights glowed against the darkness. They had arrived at Zenith City.
"This city," Dominic continued, "is not kind to the weak. But it rewards those who can survive it."
The car finally stopped.
Dominic opened the door and stepped out, then turned back to Karl. "Stay with me. Learn control. Learn restraint. Protect me when necessary, and I will make sure you and your past are untouchable."
Karl remained seated, his heart pounding.
For the first time since his mother's death, he felt something stir within him. Resolve. A kind of feeling he hadn't felt before.
He stepped out of the car.
"I'll do it," Karl said quietly. "But if I lose control again—"
"You won't," Dominic interrupted. "Because this time, you won't be alone."
The car doors closed behind them.
And as Karl followed Dominic into the large apartment, he said to himself.
'No matter what, I will find out what has happened to me. I must learn to control whatever that is inside of me'.