Adrenaline lit Radit's face as he lunged at the second. His right fist thudded into the man's chest, hurling him backward. "Hiding won't save you," Radit taunted, following with a sharp hook to the jaw that dropped him cold.
Meanwhile, Kaivan moved with lethal grace. He twisted past a kick, bringing a steel rod down hard across his opponent's temple. The man crumpled without a sound.
"Two down," Kaivan said evenly, glancing at Radit.
Radit raised a brow, pleased. "Just warming up. But seriously, I love that book , it's like we've got a cheat code for real life."
As they pressed on, the air around them began to shift. A faint glow flickered in the distance, cutting through the gloom of the mall's third floor. The narrow corridor seemed to guide their steps toward a single point of fate.
At the end of the hallway, a wide chamber opened before them. Four figures stood tall inside. Among them, Kaivan instantly recognized Julian. The man's face carried a familiar arrogance, echoing their last encounter. Their eyes met, sparking a silent tension that burned hotter than words. Pain and old grudges flickered between them like sparks waiting to catch.
Felicia sat on an old wooden chair beside Julian, graceful yet strangely distant. Her crimson eyes gleamed with a cold light. She felt like someone else entirely, not the girl Kaivan once knew. An icy aura wrapped around her, drawing an invisible line between them. Kaivan's gaze lingered, searching her face for any trace of the person he remembered.
"Felicia… what are you doing here?" Kaivan finally asked, his voice low, pressed with emotion.
Felicia didn't answer right away. She tilted her head slightly, studying him in silence. A faint smile curved her lips, but it carried no warmth. "I only returned to where I truly belong," she said softly. "How foolish I was to ever follow you. My choice has always been here."
Radit stepped forward, anger and confusion battling across his face. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? You're siding with them?"
Julian let out a low, rough laugh, dripping with pride. "Felicia never takes sides. She stands with the one who matters most to her. And you? You're just a pack of naive kids, thinking friendship can save the world."
But Kaivan stayed calm, his eyes fixed on Felicia. "Felicia, I just need to know… is this truly your decision?" he asked, his voice steady, reaching for the fragile thread beneath her frost.
Felicia rose from her chair, her steps slow yet resolute. Her presence pressed forward, like the wind that heralds a storm. She moved to stand beside Julian, meeting Kaivan's gaze. "Sometimes the right choice," she said, her voice tightening, "is the one we made first." Then, with quiet firmness, she added, "I won't betray my original path."
Radit couldn't hold back anymore. He lunged a step closer, eyes blazing. "Damn it! What do you mean by that?! I'll drag you out of there if I have to!"
Kaivan quickly caught his arm. "No, Radit," he said, short and firm. "She's already chosen." His expression was hard, but in his eyes flickered a thin crack, an ache buried under layers of restraint.
Meanwhile, in the mall's silent parking lot, Thivi sat nervously inside the van. Her fingers twisted the hem of her skirt, trying to hold back the tide of panic churning in her chest. Frans sat in the driver's seat, staring straight ahead , tense, but forcing calm into his breath.
"Thivi," he said gently, "I know you're worried. But we have to wait here."
Thivi shook her head, eyes gleaming with resolve. "I can't. Kaivan… he needs us."
Frans sighed, then slowly pushed the door open. "Then we go together."
A faint smile touched Thivi's lips. Side by side, they stepped out of the van, walking toward the mall's shadowed entrance. Each step along the narrow corridor felt like crossing into another world , silent, hollow, heavy with menace. Their footsteps echoed off the concrete walls, the sound slipping into their bones like a creeping chill.
"Kaivan," Felicia called, her voice soft yet edged like glass. "Did you come here to take me back?"
Silence stretched thin. The air itself seemed to wait for Kaivan's answer. His gaze sharpened, cutting through the distance between them.
"No," Kaivan replied at last, his tone flat but carrying an ember beneath. "I came to meet the one who destroyed my workplace." Each word landed like an icy spear against the charged air.
From the far corner, Julian laughed. The sound broke apart, echoing through the hollow corridor. "Hahaha… so what, Kaivan? I'm the one responsible. And I enjoyed every moment," he said, flashing a broad, mocking grin.
Beside Kaivan, Radit tilted his head and whispered, "That's Felicia's boyfriend? Pretty girl, but she picked a horse wrangler."
Kaivan glanced sideways, one brow lifting, but stayed silent.
Felicia, however, heard it. Her eyes sharpened, a cold glint flashing. "Hey!" she barked, her voice ringing through the room. "I heard that!"