Kai could never really understand Azrael, at first

The fallen king seemed like a constant shadow in Kai's life. Even though Kai couldn't see him, he always felt Azrael's watchful gaze. But since Azrael bestowed the crown upon him, that feeling of presence faded.

Ever since then Azrael had only revealed himself to Kai once, on the day he defeated Damian. Kai harbored hopes that the legendary entity would make another appearance now but his request was met with resounding silence.

"Where are you, Azrael?" Kai's voice echoed in the emptiness, but there was no reply. His frustration grew with each unanswered plea. He continued to call out, but Azrael remained unseen

Frustration gnawed at Kai's heart as Doubt crept in, whispering cruel questions that echoed in the depths of his mind. Was Azrael toying with him? Did he find amusement in Kai's Dilemma?

As the weight of uncertainty pressed down upon him. With a sudden surge of frustration, Kai forcibly disconnected himself from the machines. The monitors beeped in protest as he stood up, his hands trembling with suppressed anger.

The medical staff began to run into the room, concern etched on their face

"What's going on?" One of them asked as they tried to calm Kai down

But Kai didn't respond, without a second thought, he strode over to the nearest wall and unleashed his pent-up fury, his fist colliding with the solid surface with a resounding crash.

The staff gasped in shock, rushing to restrain him but Kai shook them off, his eyes blazing in anger

'Leave me alone," he growled, his voice low and menacing

The staff hesitated, then backed off, giving Kai the opportunity to leave the vicinity before others could arrive

The staff exchanged worried glances, unsure of how to handle the situation.

As Kai vanished into night, the shadows came alive. Azrael materialized. His ethereal form lingering in the darkness.

Through their unique connection, Azrael felt Kai's emotions, Azrael understood the depth of Kai's resolve and how not being able to learn augmentation was hard on him

However...

"You fool," Azrael's voice echoed softly "You have the Original Curse. You don't need anything else."

Then, just as silently as he had appeared, Azrael vanished into the shadows once more.

********

As the hours passed and Kai remained missing, Micheal went to visit Kai's room, he was met with an empty space and a gaping hole in the wall, a stark testament to Kai's recent outburst. The hospital staff informed him of Kai's abrupt departure.

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Michael had gone looking for him but his efforts were fruitless. Leading him back to the massive living quarters known as the shadow retreats

"What the hell are you up to now Kai? "

Michael muttered to himself. he was a little worried about his friend. Kai's behavior at the hospital was out of character, raising red flags in Michael's mind. Something must have triggered such a drastic reaction from his usually composed friend.

Lost in his contemplation, Michael was jolted back to reality by muffled cries echoing through the corridors. Out of curiosity he followed the sounds and arrived at a room where a group of boys surrounded someone, their aggression evident.

His eyes narrowed as he witnessed one of the boys gripping another by the neck, demanding something in a menacing tone.

"Ya late on payment, Clyde," a large teenager with curly

Orange hair declared, towering over Clyde with an air of intimidation. "Ya know what happens next, huh?" he taunted, a menacing smirk creeping across his face.

Clyde, struggling to speak as the pressure tightened around his throat, managed to muster a plea. "Please... please... I barely have any left," he gasped out,

" Do I look like I care about that? " The orange haired boy asked as he raised Clyde higher, the rest of the group just stood and laughed as Clyde helplessly tried to break free

" Don't you think that's a little too much Casper? " Michael's voice rang out, he had seen just about enough of the torture Clyde was going through

The group was full of shock seeing Michael sudden entrance

Casper's grip loosened as he turned to face Michael, a smug grin spreading across his face. "And who do we have here? Michael.....Da little traitor "

Michael ignored the jibe, his gaze steady as he stepped forward. " Put the kid down man "

Casper chuckled, his fingers digging into Clyde's throat. "Or what? Ya gonna make me?" he taunted, his voice laced with arrogance.

"Didja already forget that we used to do this together, mate?" Casper continued, a smirk playing on his lips. "Me and you, making wimps like these cough up all the credits they had. Man, those were the days, eh?"

"Until that new guy came along " Casper spat "And now all of sudden, ya became his little Bitch "

Michael's jaw clenched at Casper's words, his fists balling at his sides. Memories of their past together flashed through his mind

When he arrived at this school, he made it his mission to make every Gifted's life in the shadow retreats a living hell. After everything he had been through because of them that was the least he could do

As the highest ranked among them, no one could stand up to him and that was when he met Casper

However, as time passed, Michael had come to realize the emptiness of their actions. The senseless violence and intimidation tactics they employed felt hollow and meaningless

" I don't do that anymore" Michael replied,

"Oh, look at you, all high and mighty now," he sneered. "You've gone soft, Michael. "

Michael's gaze remained steady, his resolve unwavering. "I'm not here to argue with you, Casper," he said evenly. "Just let him go."

Casper's smirk faltered slightly, "Make me," he challenged,

Without hesitation, Michael stepped forward, his eyes blazing with determination. "If that's what you want," he said, his voice low and menacing. "But I promise you, this isn't going to end well"

The other members of the group shifted uncomfortably, sensing the tension in the air. They exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what would happen next.

"Are you sure about this, Casper?" one of them, named Ryan, muttered, his voice trembling with apprehension

"Yeah, this isn't a good idea, man," another member named Lugner chimed in, his eyes darting nervously towards Michael.

Casper completely disregarded their pleas and warnings, his gaze fixed on Michael in a fierce stare down. The air was electric with tension as the two powerhouses of the shadow retreats were about to lock horns. Soon Casper's expression contorted into a maniac laugh

"hahaha...it's looks like ya still have some balls left eh" that's good, that's good "

And finally Casper released Clyde and took a step back, his eyes never leaving Michael's face. His cohorts followed closely as he turned to leave, but not before leaving delivering a final message

" Ya still my friend, Michael.. I don't fight friends... But that Kai bastard? He's fair game, Mate." His lips turned into a sinister grin as he savored the words

The message was clear, and Michael knew that this was far from over

Michael watched Casper and his cohorts exit the room, the tension dissipating slightly with their departure. He turned to Clyde, who was rubbing his neck, wincing in pain.

Michael observed Clyde for a moment and turns to leave but as he took his first step , Clyde grasped his arm holding him in place

"Hey, wait," Clyde said, his voice filled with gratitude. "I just wanted to say thanks for stepping in back there. I owe you one, big time."

Michael didn't react, his expression unreadable. He simply stared ahead, his gaze fixed on the exit.Confused Clyde spoke up again but Michael remained silent

"Hey-y come on, say something. You're starting to freak me out"

" Let go " Michael finally said, barely audible

"Huh?" Clyde responded

Michael turned to face him. his glowing red eyes boring into Clyde soul. "Let. Go. of. My. Arm." He enunciated each word with precision.

Clyde stumbled backwards, his eyes widened with terror. "Y-yes, okay, sorry !"

Without another word, Michael turned and walked away, leaving Clyde shaken and confused. The hatred in Michael's eyes was evident, a reminder that, despite his actions, his animosity towards the Gifted remained